Greenwich Roundup: 06/06/08 Greenwich Citizen News Links For Friday

Friday, June 6, 2008

06/06/08 Greenwich Citizen News Links For Friday

The Greenwich Citizen Finally Reports On The Glenville Principal Being Suspended.

Please See Last Weeks Post
About The Greenwich Citizen's
Failure to report on school news:

06/02/08 Greenwich Citizen Continues To Ignore The Fact That Principal Marc D'Amico Was Suspended For Unethically Manipulating ...

05/30/08 Friday's News Headlines From The Greenwich Citizen

Greenwich Citizen Top Story

Headline:

Much-Beloved Glenville Principal's Position in Limbo

Quote:

"It's a bizarre feeling," said a Glenville parent

Reporter:

Anne W. Semmes

Story:

There is "a somber quietness" at Glenville Elementary School at arrival time. "It's a bizarre feeling," said a Glenville parent of two...

... What was only a spoken policy sometimes disregarded by parents and teachers alike reported an anonymous parent, became, after Carbino's visit, a written policy....

..."They gave him a week to resign," said the Glenville parent, who wished to be anonymous. "He chose to fight it," she said, and on Tuesday last week, "he left the school at three o'clock when the union representatives came to tell the teachers."...

..."Some people were in disbelief that perhaps there could be some heinous sexual thing," said Gesmonde.

His words were echoed by the Glenville mother. "Parents were in disbelief. No way could he lose a job over this. It wasn't the greatest thing he did but look, it's about the bigger picture. He made a mistake, but it's a forgivable mistake."

What happened next was remarkable for this Glenville mother. When told by the PTA they could not form a group to support D'Amico, she e-mailed 30 friends "in hopes it would inspire other support."

In ten minutes, I got an overwhelming response," she said. Soon the 30 brought 100...

Comments

First of all reporter Anne Semme primary source seems to an anonymous parent that was just hanging out in front of Glenville School.

Second reporter Anne Semmes of the Greenwich Citizen must have not gotten the Greenwich Public School's press release that said....

Principal Marc D'Amico made false statements and knowingly misrepresented facts multiple times to multiple people during a nine-day period.

The press release even included Superintendent of Schools Dr. Betty Sternberg's press conference quote...

"This, my friends, is not about cupcakes. This is not about cupcakes."

Maybe this is not a classic textbook case of bad reporting by Anne Semmes.

Maybe it's not Anne's fault.

Maybe she is not be on the Greenwich School's press distribution list and no one told her the facts of the case.

Why else would she have ignorantly written the following....

"It was in conversations with school administrators over the next weeks that D'Amico erred in the retelling of his subsequent handbook revisions. First questioned whether he did have the policy written in the handbook, he said, truthfully, yes."

Third of all it's great to see that Anne Semmes finally admits that the Greenwich Time / Topix Message Boards are a primary source of her reporting when she says...

"On the Web site of the Greenwich Time over 200 comments have been listed..."

Why are the Greenwich Citizen repoters getting it's information from the Greenwich Time website?

Do Greenwich Time reporters have to get their information from
the Greenwich Citizen website?

Just what did Anne find on the Greenwich Time / Topix message boards?

Threats against the Carbino children?

or ignorant statements like...

"Heres an idea: everyone just feed the cupcakes to the cackling group of large mothers in their walmart clothes at pickup.. everyones happy! ...and you wonder why Glenville District home prices are cheaper?"

Please see:

06/01/08 One Of Principal Marc D'amico's Supporters Is Keith Crocco Who Posted On The Topix / Greenwich Time Message Board 26 Times In Less Than 24 Hours.

No wonder the Greenwich Citizen has
the weakest reporting in Greenwich?

However, Anne Semmes did show that Mark D'Amico's slick little lawyer has been less than truthful with the press and public.

School Superintendent Dr. Betty Sternberg had disputed a statement made by D'Amico's attorney in a Greenwich Time article in which he said his client had apologized during a Monday meeting.

Hamden attorney John Gesmonde told Greenwich Time that D'Amico "did a mea culpa all over the place" during that meeting, but Sternberg said that was incorrect.

Gesmonde yesterday disputed Sternberg's characterization by smugly saying, "I stand by my statements," he said.

But the attorney tells the Greenwich Citizen this....

In the final analysis, said Gesmonde, "If he hadn't changed the handbook, we wouldn't be here."

"He's (D'Amico) sorry that the administrators were misled. But he's not admitting he misled anyone except in those 5-10 minutes.

Does this sound like D'Amico "did a mea culpa all over the place"

No wonder there had to be a second meeting on Tuesday and Dr. Sternberg had to put very strong conditions on Principal D'Amico's one year probation.

That's why Principal D'Amico probation, he will meet twice a month with Deputy Superintendent Kathy Greider to review his performance.

That's why D'Amico also is to meet with John Grasso, principal of Riverside School, who will serve as a mentor and sounding board,

And that's why have regular sessions with a consultant to discuss workplace ethics and responsibilities.

But incompetent reporter Anne Semmes doesn't seem to know about the fact that principal is on probation for one year for lying to multiple people over a nine day period.

Maybe, Anne is so clueless, because her primary source who is an anonymous parent who is spreading "cupcake rumours over the internet and her second primary source is the slander on the Greenwich Time / Topix message boards.