Day after day after day, leading up to Tuesday’s school
board election, articles in the Buffalo News predicted an Armageddon if certain
candidates were not re-elected or elected to the Board. The headlines screamed warnings about the untenable
and catastrophic consequences that would result from the seismic shift of power,
if majority bloc members were not re-elected. They bemoaned the use of the fairly common
tactic of challenging an opponent’s petitions as endemic of the “hard-ball,
bare-knuckle Buffalo politics” that had infected the electoral process, even
though this maneuver was used by their preferred candidate in his first race
three years ago. They conveniently
ignored the fact that Mr. Sampson successfully removed Mr. Hernandez from the
ballot in 2013 or that Mr. Paladino attempted to knock Mr. Harig off the ballot
this year.
Using vague or few facts to substantiate their
recommendations, they endorsed little-known, un- accomplished candidates over
seasoned incumbents whose records they tried to trash. Ironically,
they attributed incremental academic successes, e.g. the increase in the
graduate rates, to Board President James Sampson and North District
Representative, Jason McCarthy. In doing
so, they contradicted their own assessment of the significance of this progress
indicator. They previously downplayed
this accomplishment as this is an outcome of Dr. Pamela Brown’s
Superintendency. In this regard, they
are consistent, however, in that they’ve never attributed credit to Dr. Brown for
this achievement or acknowledged the fact that the schools which were removed
from receivership earlier this year also made progress under Dr. Brown’s tenure.
Employing a documented propaganda strategy, the News purposefully
published multiple daily articles in various formats, supporting their message
of impending doom and gloom. They lamented the demise of the majority
bloc’s “reform” agenda and mused about the chaos the District would experience
if the “status quo”, “union supported” minority succeeded in winning a position
as the new majority. One can almost
picture the handwringing and hear the moaning of the editorial writers as they
penned their fear-mongering opinion pieces. They touted the union’s support of
some candidates as tantamount to that group taking control of the
District. Yet, the Buffalo Niagara
Partnership’s bankrolling of the incumbent majority members and at least one
challenger was framed as the business community fulfilling its civic responsibility.
The Buffalo News’ unprecedented coverage of the School Board,
the candidates, and the issues (as they determined them) was intended to sway
public opinion during an election season that had few public forums or other
opportunities to meet the candidates. In
the end, voters saw through the ruse and refused to be influenced by
irresponsible, biased journalism. Rejecting
the News’ arguments, they cast their ballots for the children. The new Board-elect is comprised of new and returning
Board members, who are united in an agenda that aims to re-focus the Board on the
broad educational needs of all children in the District.
I began writing this column two years ago because a) the
Buffalo News marginalized and often demonized the minority women on the Board
and Superintendent Pamela C. Brown and b) the 2014 “Vision Statement” advanced
by the majority board members was exclusionary, divisive and proposed a “reform”
agenda that threatened to “dismantle” our public schools. Throughout this period I’ve often asked the
question when is enough, enough?
Obviously, many of you have answered that question with your vote and the
response is, NOW! I believe that this
Board will move forward, collaboratively and cohesively to develop a new
vision, one that’s inclusive and puts the children in the beginning, the middle
and the end of our agenda.
Barely a week has passed since the election. And the new Board won’t take office until
July 1st. Yet I anticipate
more propaganda from the News. I urge readers to watch the Buffalo News
reports. Will they be fair and
balanced? If they’re not, call them on it! We cannot be silent and allow journalistic malpractice
to continue and to undermine the new Board before we even convene.