In a published video shared on local blog Baristanet and Barista Kids, Montclair's vibe turned sour last night, becoming more Salem during the witch hunt days than diverse, arts friendly town.
Strong words? You bet.
A vendetta - so clearly a personal attack against the superintendent of Montclair schools Dr. Penny MacCormack it's laughable - appeared in the form of a video, with a brief note scrolling over it's Halloween type music.
As a publisher, I would not have released such a video. I would, of course, shared it with police and The Essex County prosecutor's office.
Why? Let's take a peek at the ethics involved here.
FACT
Over the past few months, MacCormack has been under attack for dismissing a principal (at Glenfield) after he did not follow protocol in a potentially dangerous security breach, involving kids and a bb gun.
FACT
There is a very open faction in town that wants MacCormack gone. It's easy to discover - read the Montclair Watercooler or blogs.
FACT
This fake "protest" is full of beans. The assessment is not a state wideor federally mandated test. Instead, it is for in district, and actually helps organize the kids in a major way. I took the time - and professionalism - to call and speak with the NJ Department of Education yesterday. What is there to protest again?
These in-district assessments are only to see which students can deal with this new core cirrriculum, which is not easy for many many students to understand. It is a federal initiative, and basically offers a very new approach to education, since it's all about understanding topics in depth and not memorizing. If you are like me, and do math in your head, it is nothing at all like that - instead it is very very different and truly puzzling to many many kids and adults. But protest it? It's laughable.
Education? So now education is killing our freedoms and that of the students? No, that is malarkey.
Ethics
Is it ethical to use an anonymous group, and the face of a movie from a 2005 movie - and insinuate it's from kids who are clever? No it is not ethical. First of all, the movie is great. But it deals with large human rights issues, murder and a revolutionary approach to modern society.
This video is very specific and attacks one person: MacCormack. Also, would kids in school today really use a 2005 movie to hack into a test in-district, share some of it, and then do a video about it?
It's been 8 years since the movie was out. The video really looks like the movie, sounds like the movie, and is something most adults may have seen and remembered - but kids?
It is not ethical to attack anyone - personally or professionally - in such a mean spirited, snarky and fake-guerilla PR way, with no name attached. It should not have been published either (sorry Baristanet but it is not news and is instead, a police matter.) As a publisher you must always draw the line when you get something like this.
This video smacks of racism and sexism. If you don't like the superintendent just form a Montclair committee (there is one right?) and go to the board of education openly and argue your case.
Because guess what: the United States is the most open place in the world for change, discussion, public speech and disagreement.
It is unethical and beyond mean to create such a video.
Sign your name to something you don't believe in - or to a protest against a person in a leadership position.
Because just like Hollywood this is a fake protest, but this time, it has serious legal implications. And everything - believe me everything - online and in video is traceable.
Also it is very wrong to share such a video in any publication. This is not some huge human rights' issue. It is personal, mean and racist and sexist. I cannot be any clearer here.
From yesterday: Read Superintendent of Montclair School's Dr. Penny MacCormack's letter to the public, openly outing a security breach in the district in regards to local (NOT STATE) assessment testing.
Here is yesterday's piece:
It's Murphy's Law: if something can go wrong you know it will. But, instead of covering up the truth, the Montclair school district has bravely embraced transparency. Assessments were mistakenly shared - and test scores are now not truly reliable. Here is the letter sent out to all parents in the district.
Dear Montclair Schools Community:
I am saddened to share some distressing but important news with you.
In 2010 New Jersey was one of 44 states to adopt the Common Core State Standards. To ensure they are effectively incorporated into each local district, New Jersey will begin testing to the Common Core in 2015.
Our Montclair administrative and instructional staff prepared assessments to be used during the current academic year to help both students and teachers prepare for the 2015 rollout and to highlight strengths and weaknesses in our current curriculum and pedagogical strategies. The first of these assessments are to be given next week.
Late Friday I learned that the security of our information system had been breached and 14 of the over 60 initial assessments were posted on a public website. Only these 14 assessments were available and only for a short time. Once I became aware of this breach, action was taken to preclude anyone without authorization from accessing any additional assessments.
However, the breach may have allowed some to gain advance knowledge of the specifics of the assessments and thus skew the results. The sole purpose of these assessments is to inform our teaching so we may adjust our instruction and curriculum to ensure student learning. Assessments have value only if they provide a true and accurate picture of student learning and knowledge. Artificially high scores could lead to false conclusions about student knowledge and thus thwart our efforts to ensure that every student is learning and performing to their maximum potential.
An investigation is underway as to how this breach occurred. In any event, schools will proceed next week with the assessments that were not made public. On Monday I will announce our plan for addressing the 14 publically posted assessments. In addition, we will take immediate action should the individual or individuals post any additional assessments.
It is important to remember that our teachers and the district have been working hard to ensure that all students are adequately prepared when statewide testing begins in 2015. Our primary goal is to make certain that, under the Common Core Standards, Montclair continues to be a district in which all students excel.
Sincerely,
Penny MacCormack
Here is the letter sent out by Montclair Mayor Robert Jackson yesterday, as published here and in other publications.
Assessments Security Breach Statement from Montclair Mayor
Robert D. Jackson (see next article for full story)
I don’t know who illegally gained access to the assessment tests. I don’t know who posted them online.
The actor(s) notwithstanding, the only plausible motivations are to gain a competitive advantage for a student or students (cheating) or to thwart the assessment process by “poisoning the waters” so to speak.
Unfortunately, cheating has reared its ugly head in academic and workplace settings throughout the world and Montclair is certainly not immune. The obsession with success at any cost-blind ambition-threatens the very soul of our society. Sadly, in the near term, impregnable security systems rather than unimpeachable ethics appear to be the order of the day.
The second motivation, i.e. poisoning the waters, can only be described as abhorrent and, ironically, detrimental to those who have raised heartfelt, reasoned concerns about assessments in a manner customary to a civilized, democratic society. I believe that the overwhelming majority of the most ardent “anti-assessment” voices would denounce illegal behavior as a means to an end.
The ultimate test for me is whether this “strategy” is one that I would offer my children. Want a better score or don’t like the test: hack the website. God forbid! Blind ambition and blind advocacy are markers on an ominous road that we dare not traverse.
