Pied Piper Dismisses Concern That Allentown Walkout Hurts Marginal Students

The Pied Piper of Hamelin is the Grimm fairy tale about a savior who led all the children out of the village with his magical flute and drowned them after he was stiffed for similar services regarding the town's rat population. Charter School teacher Michael Frassetto is Allentown's Pied Piper. He has lured Allentown students away from their classroom with promises that they can't get in trouble; ridiculous demands for a voting student board member (illegal); and impossible $10 an hour summer jobs from a struggling school district that can't afford textbooks. He also wants Superintendent Russ Mayo fired.

Until yesterday, I was blissfully unaware that this student walkout at the Allentown School District would last a week, perhaps even longer. That vow was made United Youth Party's Frassetto, on a Facebook video."It does not work if you do it just one day," he explained. "We're going to do it all week long." That presents a lot of questions that I had hoped to avoid asking. So I asked them to Falsetto, who uses Nate Whip's black limo instead of a flute to lure the children away.

Nathan Markham, alias Nate Whips

First, what is Unity Youth Party's funding source? Since three different charter schools have allowed their students to help this Falsetto in permitting students to engage in truancy, are they also backing him financially? Who's paying for the Chinese food and McDoanld's double cheeseburgers? Is Charter school advocate Abe Atiyeh behind this, just as he was one of the players behind Fed Ed's attempt to pack the school board? How about Allentown?

Second, why is Falsetto using a convicted criminal like Nathan Markham, who calls himself Nate Whips, as one of his organizers? This fellow has page after page of arrests. As recently as February, he was charged with corrupting the morals of a minor after he was caught drinking with a 17 year-old girl. He had her drive for him because his own license is suspended. I wonder how many 17 year-old girls he picked up in his limo on Monday?

Nate Whips, who ironically is a car salesman, was charged with carjacking last November when he jumped into a stranger's car in an effort to elude police.

Third, and most importantly to me, won't a week of unexcused absences hurt and possibly ruin the academic career of students who are struggling in courses like calculus, algebra, chemistry and physics? Getting a class on how to conduct a demonstration peacefully is no help to a student trying to determine how many moles are in 50 gallons of water.

Last night, I had an exchange with Falsetto. He denies marginal students will suffer, and instead claims they will be empowered. He defended  Markham, saying he has turned his life around. He denies getting any help from Charter schools or Abe Atiyeh, but did admit to getting funding in the past from Allentown.

The exchange is below.

I believe the notion of a walk out for an entire week can be very destructive to the academic career of many marginal students. If you care about these kids, you really should end this exercise. If unwilling to do that, you should only ask for volunteers from A and B students.

Frassetto: We will never segregate students from ANB students to CD and F students. The ones we want to reach the most are the ones that need the most help. We will continue to do this work because it is the just work. It is the first time in our city's history where over 1000 students gathered together today so they can be heard and so that they can make a statement and tell the leadership of the Allentown school District that they must listen to the students from now on.

That's not segregation. Any educator knows that some children have greater needs than others. Over the course of a week, you are probably going to cause several kids to flunk out. This is sad to hear. Also, If you care about the children, why are you exposing them to criminals like Nate Whip (Nathan Markham)? Do you honestly think that helps them, or that he helps your cause by telling easily recognized lies? Finally, what is your finding source? It appears that students from four different charter schools were on hand to help today. Who is giving you the dough for the grenades you've been throwing? Abe Atiyeh? Isn't your group the beneficiary of City grants? Is the City of Allentown funding this indirectly?

Frassetto: No one will flunk out? 5 days? 5 days of exercising their first amendment right to peaceably assemble - if schools suspend them or flunk them - that's Joe we all know they don't care for any of the students and our population.

Nate turned his life around and is supporting kids and the community -

We are the United Youth - we got our own funding from our previous events

Can you donate to this common cause of students working together to improve their own education and life?

1) I believe the ACLU has already made clear that the First Amendment does not give the children any right to skip class. So that argument is bullshit.
2) No one will flunk out? That's quite a different prediction than saying no one will get arrested. You are hurting the kids who need to be in school and who need the help a classroom provides, not some march down the street to listen to someone rant on. There are students who will flunk out if they take a week off. I guess your answer is You Don't Care. Is this because the ASD refused to hire you? You are hurting marginal students. As a teacher, you know this. They need someone who cares for them and who will go to any extent to protect them and look out for them
3) Nate turned his life around? Are you kidding me? Did you see his rap sheet? As recently as November? You are exposing children to that kid of adult? What does that say about your own judgment?
4) I know you get funding from events like Stellar, but did Abe Atiyeh give you money? Did Allentown give you money? Are you even registered as a nonprofit or charitable organization?

Frassetto: Bottom line is that he cares and supports the odd so they don't have to go through what he went through

He is supporting the kids more than you right now.

No funding from atiyeh ... But good idea

Actually, wanting marginal children to receive a decent education is supporting the children. A man who tells outright lies is not supporting the children. Nor are you. Unfortunately, you are a demagogue who is using these poor kids as pawns. and don't care that some will flunk out.

It is nice to know Abe Atiyeh has not sponsored this sad exercise. But you do get funding from Allentown, don't you?

Frassetto: ? Damn man you just don't know me - for you to judge me like that and you never met me or know anything about me tells me a lot about the type of judge mental guy you are.

I am very serious, sir. You are consorting with known criminals and using four charter schools to convince marginal students to walk out of their classes for a week. It makes no difference to you that some of these children will flunk out and may just drop out, like 40% of the student body. You are, I believe, city supported. Your web page appears to be promoted by the City. I have seen your indoctrination classes. You do appear to be a demagogue with a personal agenda. It certainly is not the children, as evidenced by your refusal to recognize that every child is different.

Frassetto: They won't... They will feel empowered

Personal agenda???? Now I know you don't know me... Go ask the 1000 students I taught in the last 6 years - ask them to get to know me

Every child is different... Sir ? We only have time for positive energy when doing positive work like this - but thank you for your concerns

I have heard you are a good teacher and therefore have not challenged you on that basis. I also understand the need to make a statement. But I question how good a teacher you really are if you allow marginal students to participate in this walkout. You have to know this will hurt them. I also believe you have an anti-Mayo agenda that is clearly personal. Did he refuse to hire you? You did not answer my question about funding from the City of Allentown. Do you get funded by Allentown?

Frassetto: No he refused to have a meeting with students... The first time I encountered him was three weeks ago at werts cafe

The city gave us funding in the past but I don't think anymore.