Race, Class and P.S. 20's Controversial Principal
This weekend the Local’s Andy Newman followed up the extensive blog reporting on P.S. 20 he’s been doing with an article about Sean Keaton, the elementary school’s love-him-or-loathe-him principal. The story describes Keaton, who missed the Fort Greene school’s graduation last week—he was barred from attending by Dept. of Ed officials owing to assault charges…
This weekend the Local’s Andy Newman followed up the extensive blog reporting on P.S. 20 he’s been doing with an article about Sean Keaton, the elementary school’s love-him-or-loathe-him principal. The story describes Keaton, who missed the Fort Greene school’s graduation last week—he was barred from attending by Dept. of Ed officials owing to assault charges he’s facing for allegedly beating up a teacher’s union rep—as being at the center of a race-class divide: “In the resurgent brownstone bastions of Fort Greene, Boerum Hill and the fringes of Park Slope, affluent parents with one set of expectations for their children’s education — progressive, hands-on, emphasizing freedom — are clashing with longtime, working-class residents who prefer stricter, more structured educational models like the one Mr. Keaton favored, leaving principals caught in the crossfire…At P.S. 20, some of the conflict has been tinged with race: Mr. Keaton is black, as are three-quarters of the students, while many of the families who said they found him hard to work with are white. Much of it has to do with class. Some comes down to personal style: Even many of Mr. Keaton’s supporters say he can be abrasive and inclined to escalate rather than defuse tensions.” In a poll of Brownstoner readers a couple months ago that ran before the assault charges, 47 percent of you said Keaton should be removed from the school; 17 percent said he should stay; and 36 percent said you didn’t know enough about the issue to have an opinion one way or the other.
As Cultures Clash, Brooklyn Principal Faces Assault Charges [NY Times]
PS 20: It’s a Long Story [The Local]
Time for PS 20 Principal to Get The Boot? [Brownstoner]
Photo from the Bridge & Tunnel Club.
bxgirl wrote:
On the other hand bridges really does address another problem- the air of entitlement many people have- and they probably were making Keaton’s life difficult. But he was doing himself no favors- in his position it was up to him to resolve conflicts, work with parents and teachers, and show real leadership. A bad situation all around and the kids lose.
I agree the kids lose out. Listen. I went to PS41 back in the stone age, and we came from all classes..from kids who lived in SROs to the comfortably well off. So I know it can HELP poor kids to be educated along with wealthier kids because the parents of those children are more likely to get results when they insist their children be educated. As always, money talks.
However that took place in a more respectful climate. There may have been parents who WANTED to walk their children to the classroom every day, but would not INSIST on it. I can easily imagine the angry, thwarted entitlement Keaton had to deal with from parents accustomed to treating everyone ELSE as an underling.
“have things” not “has things”. I have no idea “what” you are talking about. Truly incomprehensible.
I want all of your children to get the same sub-par education I did!
“I think one of the pernicious effects of racism and classism in America is that it isolates the marginalized in a way which numbs them to the true injustice of their condition. ”
Crack pipe alert! Putnam please stop! Has things gotten better in Clinton Hill yes but there is room for improvement!
“They accept and begin to defend substandard services and conditions in a mistaken over-identification with the conditions of their disempowered position in society. ”
Oh no Putnam you don’t really believe that, right? Being Black in America come with a price. Things are already substandard from birth. You see the jail full of young Black men while The kleptocracy robs everyone blind!
“That is not to say that the newcomers are not over-ready to throw out the baby with the bath water or brush aside the new to create coalitions so all could feel like stakeholders”
Stop that you know you want a new “Utopia” for all you “Buds”…
“this sounds like a crazy situation, but i hope local parents can still try to analyze the school with an open mind. i am more optimistic than most about races and classes co-existing than some and especially more than the what.’
Co in what?? No Winelover you want it all.. Come on say it.
The What
Someday this war is gonna end…
I almost never agree with wine lover on anything, but s/he hit the nail on the head with this one. “One size fits all” does NOT apply to education. I wish someone would tell that to our politicians – yes, of BOTH parties.
(bxgrl: Unlike the What, I have been very busy with work. I will try to get back in the groove later this week.)
navigating the public school system in NYC is tricky business. i personally really don’t understand exactly why or what “progressive” is actually. also, i don’t buy into oversimplifications of class or race. each kid is different and each school may have good or bad teachers or situations that affect each family differently. it’s unfortunate to tarnish a schools image overall when a particular class or teacher may be great for your kid. at our last school my kid became great friends with a white boy whose parents are true artist bohemians, an italian boy, a hispanic boy and a black girl from the projects. on a local parent’s board, a woman complained that the school was too conservative, but it was a terrific experience for our kid.
we chose a pre-k that is well regarded by inside schools but was given a bad rap a few years ago by a handful of parents. we inspected for ourselves and really liked the teachers, the classrooms, the general program and the principal.
this sounds like a crazy situation, but i hope local parents can still try to analyze the school with an open mind. i am more optimistic than most about races and classes co-existing than some and especially more than the what.
rf- Sorry- I actually was agreeing with you in general. My writing isn’t always clear 🙂
ghettoazzpnkbtch- where’ve you been? We missed your humor.
I can’t wait to be ignored! When no one is reading my insanity, I win! Victory! The war will be over and I won’t be able to celebrate with all of you because you will ignore me!
If I have completely lost my mind, do I need medication any more?