Miami Edison Senior High Protest Forum

Last year, Miami Edison SHS had 2 principals. David Moore and Jean Teal. David was in charge of discipline and Jean was in charge of curriculum. Well, the district moved David Moore over to Douglas McArthur SHS and left the FULL responsibility including discipline in the hands of Jean Teal. I am a former Edison teacher, and I stay in touch with many of my friends there and they give me the inside scoop. Word is, from the teachers at Edison, that discipline inside Edison has gone to Hell this year. The students are running free in the halls during classes with no passes. Students have become very belligerent towards the teachers, with no real consequences. The students show up willy-nilly to class and are not called to account. Last year, you threatened a teacher, and David Moore got you GONE from the school. I know, I experienced a direct threat from a student last year, and, he was never seen on the Edison campus again. Several teachers have been assaulted this year, but, all the administration seems capable of doing is to reprimand the teachers for not handling the situation properly, and very light consequences to the offending students.

Mr. Aristide and Mr. Gaiter and Mr. Germeus  are all wonderful, effective, no nonsense administrators. I have the greatest respect and admiration for them. I knew that if I took a discipline problem to them, it would be taken care of. The students knew NOT to mess with any of them or there would be Hell to pay. Well, Jean Teal also drove those administrators out of Miami Edison SHS. But, oh, wait a minute, their racial profiles were OK. They were not of the wrong race to robustly discipline a student who needed it. Let not racial politics become an issue here. It is not that. It is simply a bad apple needing to be thrown out of the basket, that's all. Unless effective discipline and reasoned approaches to student improvement are undertaken at Edison, by what I think should be an entirely NEW administration, things will continue just as they are and have been. The public at large really does not know just how bad the environment has gotten at Miami Edison, both for the teachers and the students.

So please, don't call just for one head to be Guillotined, but for ALL the responsible heads to roll right off the campus.

Thank you for such a well-written commentary. 

This forum invites all members to post, as teachers, parents, and students sort through what may be years worth of frustration and confusion.

 Perhaps students have equally insightful viewpoints... we hope to see them soon!

I am a former Edison teacher.  The essay is right on target.  Dr. Moore had a better approach to discipline, but he did not go nearly far enough. 

This is a message to the administrator.

I had erroneously left out one character in my E-Mail address. I just updated my Profile

with the correct E-Mail address at Yahoo.

Regards.

former_edison_teacher

I know Javier Perez personally and professionally. He is a good guy. I hope he is removed from the school so he doesn't have to deal with that environment anymore. I work in an MDCPS High school myself. I fear this is turning into another racial move. That kid had to be restrained because he was attacking Mr. Perez. Then it got back around that he was beating the student. Which wasn't true. He needed subdue the violent kid.

 Now move to friday, these kids first started to throw bottles at the police. There was a call saying someone had a gun. Which may have been false but the police needs to respond to the call. Now they go in and the kids start attacking the police then the police retaliate against the kids and start making arrests. Then of course some of these kids are such liars and say oh the police attacked me. It's amazing how one side makes it look. These kids will take advantage of the situation. and that's what I see happening. This whole situation is pretty sad...

 First of all, Nightstalker, were you at either of these incidents on Thursday or Friday?  I didn''t think so.

There are NUMEROUS witnesses to Perez attacking the student on Thursday, INCLUDING ADULTS!  If Perez did nothing wrong as he is claiming why hasn't he offered up the video (that he controls) that would prove the student attacked him (since it allegedly happened in the hallway).  I know why and people present know why.  This kid is shorter than Perez, weights 155 pounds, and come on Perez is stocky as hell.  Yet this lil kid managed to choke Perez and life him so high that Perez's feet were dangling as he claims?  All while directly in front of an officer?  Wow...

 The students are liars?  Funny, because there were even ADULT witnesses to the violence.  Beyond that, the police didn't say they started throwing bottles first, they said they started throwing chairs, soda cans, etc.  Funny, all the chairs in the cafeteria are bolted down and there are no chairs outside.  Even funnier...there are NO soda machines or canned beverages in the building.  

 Or what about when police said no batons or tasers were used, yet somehow images and video tell a different story?  Why would police attempt to hide themselves on video or better yet intentionally grab student cell phones and break them?  But wait.......maybe you're right.  It's the students who are lying.  *rollseyes*

 Yeah there was allegedly a report of a gun.  You know who made that call?  Perez. The protest was peaceful until officers utilized force.  This isn't the first time Perez has laid his hand on a student. The kids just got fed up.

 I never said the kid choked Perez. I said the kid swung at him. Get the story straight. Thats why on the channel 7 report when they interviewed him about him Perez allegedly attacking him he walked away during the interview. Hes a little thug. The kid was going nuts ran away instead showing him what he was photo copying. Then he came to the class the kid was at, with security and the kid caused the fight. It seem like you dont have the facts straight making it up as you go along..

The parents witnessed as the kids were being brought outta the school cuz the kids were resisting arrest.. You think the cops just showed up there cuz they wanted to beat up kids? That makes no freaking sense. There was a reason they were there. And thats cuz alot of the kids over there act like animals. I have driven by there during lunch it looks more like a jail then a school. Why is it that there are problems at schools like this? You dont see riots at sunset, or palmetto, or southwest? Why is it schools like Edison, Northwestern? Why do the kids act like violent animals? If you don't want to be treated like animals then act like human beings. When an administrator asked for something you dont run away making it seem like your guilty of something you stop and give it to him.

You have no clue who made the phone call to police. SO thats some more BS....

If that protest was so peaceful why did the cops have to go in there? I think thats crap and its not a peace protest. Maybe it started out that way. But it didnt end that way. And it wasn't because of the cops... Cuz students act up..

 WOAH...get the story STRAIGHT?  I'm just telling PEREZ'S story.  You didn't say the kid choked him. PEREZ DID. 

I had typed out a response, but have been advised not to release that information as a thorough investigation is forthcoming.  Just know that the truth will come out soon.  If Perez told that the kid swung on him, then he lied to you.

This is directly from the Miami Herald, who took it directly from the FALSE police report PEREZ wrote up.  I should mention the report didn't include any statements from the more than 10 people that witnessed the first assault.  If Perez did not assault the student he would have released the video by now to put an end to the controversy.

 "According to a police report, Sagaille saw Miami-Dade Schools Officer Einsley Joseph standing in the doorway, turned back and grabbed the assistant principal ``by his neck and pushed him back off his feet.''  http://www.miamiherald.com/top_stories/story/439860.html

The same article says "chairs were thrown" HAHAHAHAHAH Where did they get chairs from?  I guess they managed to pull them from the bolts in the ground HAHAHAHAHA Just another one of the lies. Absolutely impossible that chairs were thrown, meaning the supposed reason that the police began using force (after students allegedly threw chairs) is false.  Why lie if you did nothing wrong?  If you don't have an answer to that, don't bother responding.    Two things.  I'm an adult, and I was there.  You are getting your information from media who have received lies from the police.  If only people would use their common sense it would be easier to ascertain.  Oh well....this will be my final response as the investigation is forthcoming.  Everyone will see what really happened then.

i am an alumni of miami edison senior high i went out there for all four years and have first hand witnessed excessive force on behalf of the miami dade police department. the students are angry and upset because of the events that happened on thursday and friday not only do they feel disrespected but they also feel betrayed as they do have a right to. i just feel as though the adults that were not present should have an open mind about every thing that has happened.why you ask that edison and northwestern are costantly on the news because things are different at palmetto the students have an outlet for expressing their emotion however it be by student government association or the ability to speak to their counselors at miami edison there is none and hasnt been for quite awhile just think about it if it were your kids attending that school would you be peaceful and as for the teacher that used to work at edison u also know that just as easily as it can be the students falut it can also be the adminstration if u can think about just a few years back a principal did do something wrong at miami edison senior high

What do you mean schools like this? What does palmetto or sunset (a primarily white school) have to do with Northwestern and Edison (primarily black and Haitian school)? You’re making this into a racial situation when all it has to deal with is an administrator and a student.

And this goes for the first story that was written. If you would have seen Edison my ninth grade year then you would say that Edison came up (if this incident didn't not happen). It was fights every day my ninth grade now you barley see fights. I believe once administrators starts to see improvement then they hope that it would be like that forever. But it won’t. Students will always have animosity for one another and they will rumble it out but that those not mean we (Edison) went down the drain. In every school you will see fights but they are not put in the public because there not being watched by the public eye. The only reason we are under the microscope is because of the FCAT!!! The administrator is so scared of being an "F" school again that they shove FCAT down our throats.

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What do you mean schools like this? What does palmetto or sunset (a primarily white school) have to do with Northwestern and Edison (primarily black and Haitian school)? You’re making this into a racial situation when all it has to deal with is an administrator and a student. quote

 What do I mean? I mean why doesn't that happen at other schools? I didn't say it was a white/black thing. You DID!!!! There are blacks in those schools too. (palmetto,sunset, southwest.) But those schools don't have this type of violence.

I want to know what your definition of a peaceful protest was? Funny too it wasn't just white and latin cops in there, there were black and haitian cops there too. I saw video's of the cafeteria where a black cop was screaming why were people jumping on my back? Kids were attacking them cuz they were not LISTENING!!! When one person was put on the ground others started to scream and attack the cops. This is some real crap. Kids did have water bottles they may not have come from vending machines but kids had them... They threw whatever they could find at the cops. Again YOU made it a racial statement. all i did was take some other schools and ask why there isn't such violence at these schools. Any chance people get to get back at the cops they do. If your a police officer and you told a kid to move. And they don't want to move then guess what your going to be taken down and arrested. Then you want to keep running at the mouth and backtalking.... Your going to get what you deserve...

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And answer me this question....WERE YOU THERE? Exactly why you make no sense!!Anyways...Of course the protest didn’t end that way!! Especially when you have polices who finally get authority and don’t know how to act!! If you were there doing a peaceful protest and someone just pushes you and starts "Man handling you" for no purpose then you would get mad too. You’re not being logical and your only thinking of your friend and how you can save him.  I don’t blame the students for getting angry!! How the hell do you call students BITCHES and HOES? That was sooo out of place. And this goes for you, how can you say those students act like animals? With that being said you’re very ignorant for saying such and your head is so far up Mr. Perez’s A$$ that you contradict on what you say and don’t even know how to lie for your so called "friend". If you were a true friend you would teach him the rules of being an administrator and stop kissing his A$$. Point is he was wrong for what he did. The last time I remember it was against the law for an administrator to put his hands on a student further more to say that " I'm the one that holds yall Niggas futures" (or how ever it went).......being that he's an administrator saying a racial word as in "***". HE WAS WRONG!!! quote

The real question should be where you there? DID YOU SEE MR PEREZ DO THOSE THINGS TO THE KID? Did you see it with your own eyes? Did you hear him say the N-word? Cuz I dont think you were there when that happened..  I think your info is hear say from other students. I dont think you were there when Perez and that kid had the issue. Your hearing from your buddies...

 I asked different cops, black, haitian, and hispanic. All said the same thing. The Kids did not have a peaceful protest. The kids protested then other kids took advantage of the situation. That's why the cops came in... They subdued people cuz they weren't listening to them and being disrespectful. You going to be disrespectful to police your going to get beat down. White, black, or hispanic. You want to be stupid and talk back your going to go to jail. Sorry to say but its the truth.

On one of the videos some girl was running around saying F#$k this and F#$k that.. Acting like a little thug. Those kids were acting like animals. I saw the videos from 5 different cell phones all over the web and its easy to see.. This is alot of crap cuz people want to make this out to be the big bad police beat the kids. Why dont you look how the kids acted? There actions provoked the cops. And you cant say its cuz white or hispanics cops beat them cuz it was other black officers there too...

Why don't you explain why edison is was a triple F and now finally a D school? Those kids have the same opportunities to learn. Is it cuz maybe the kids dont want to learn. They are to busy acting like little thugs.. Instead of trying to learn.. You going to blame administrators and teachers for kids who don't want to learn in the first place? Teachers who said they are scared to be there? Yes teachers said that on camera. Maybe that community needs to step up and help its young people out to be more productive members of society.. Stop blaming everyone and maybe look at your own community to see what you can do to make it better...

Nightstalker, to be fair, you are stating hearsay. The student you are responding to is more likely to have more details than you since it would be a 1st hand account.  You just assume they are fabricating stories because of your cronies, their age, and their community, which is obvious from your generalizations of the students based on the hearsay information you received.  I say generalizations because there have been very articulate students at the forefront of the protests. 

But perhaps you are right.  If students say disrespectful things to police officers after seeing students wrongfully arrested and beaten, then they too deserve to be beaten, which is essentially what you are saying: "They subdued people cuz they weren't listening to them and being disrespectful. You going to be disrespectful to police your going to get beat down."

Yet when will we have an explanation for the non-existent "thrown chairs", "soda cans", and textbooks...I mean, I guess the kids threw the textbooks at the officers and then made sure they ran back to pick them all up before they left.  It's common sense, yet not so common as they say. You saw the video from the cafeteria with the "foul-mouthed" girl.....where were the mentioned items.  You seem to be asking your cop buddies everything else.....so ask them that, because when we did they didn't have an answer.

Finally, only ONE teacher made that comment, you said teachers (plural), which is inaccurate.  For the school to be so bad and her being so scared to teach there, funny her son is a student there. Nightstalker, only speak on what you PERSONALLY KNOW, not what you heard. Like I said, I won't say anything else relating to the cases as this is undergoing thorough investigation, and believe me, the TRUTH will come out.  I am now retiring from edisonriot.com :)

I'm going to chime in here as an outsider looking in.  Many years ago, I went to private school my entire life, and went to Edison High for TWO WEEKS!  This was before the days of the FCAT.  Yes, many of the students are a nuissance, but administration was much worse.  From my experience, the students were treated like animals.  They never had a say in anything, no one ever believed them, and negativety engulfed the entire campus.  Many of my classmates could barely read, yet still passed their classes.  From watching the news, it looks like things haven't changed.

It seems like the damage at that school is irreversable and unfixable.  The good students have no rights, and kids like Sagaille destroy the learning experience for everyone else.

That school has been a black eye for the district for many years.  Many of their students don't deserve to be there.

And so are you.. Again you didn't even reply back to issue of student in question who started this all. Again you are stating things that aren't factual.. Mr. Sagaille has a criminal record as stated in the first post, and a history of assaulting teachers. I mean come on man wake up. He is no angel... He has been thrown outta schools. You seem like you want to make up facts about this kid. The whole reason for the protest was to defend Wadson Sagaille. So your basing a protest on a guy who assaults people. How backwards is that? The kid picked a fight with the administrator...

I saw all the video's and alot of what was said by the students were fabricated. There was nothing going on most of the time. People got arrested for disrespecting cops.. I see your trying to twist my words.. I didnt say kids deserve it. I said kids that are being disrespectful and not listening to police officers are going to give them a beat down.. Do you think i like seeing people get beat up. NO i don't..

They did have bottles and were throwing things at the cops. What kids cant have stuff in there bookbags or bring it from home? You think the only stuff they can throw is from a vending machine?

 Cops aren't my buddies. I just have asked questions from good honest people who tell me the truth.

 Only one teacher made one on video but i talked to another teacher personally who is also scared to work there. So yes an investigation will happen and the truth will come out. Remember the truth shall set you free!!!! Schools have video cameras. If anything they will catch what happened that day...