There are many lies told at my school but among the most frequently repeated is this gem, "It's all about the kids." That little ditty is sung most frequently by my principal, especially at staff meetings where she has at least once referred to teachers as "lazy." Given how often she says, "It's all about the kids," I tried to think of the times I had seen her act on it. Here's what I came up with:
It must be the kids my principal has in mind when she clocks out people who are paid to attend meetings a half an hour after they've actually left.
It must be the kids my principal is thinking about when she yanks a paraprofessional from a classroom to answer the school phone because her secretary is absent.
It must be the kids my principal is considering when she says there is no money to pay teachers for after-school tutoring programs yet conveniently manages to find the money to pay herself when she works late.
It must be the kids my principal is worried about when she kicks teachers out of the building who need and want to work late so she can go home.
It must be the kids the principal is fretting about when she purchases a new desk for her office but says there is no money to buy copy paper.
It must be the kids the principal is concerned about when her office is one of only six rooms with a working air conditioner.
It must be the kids the principal is focused on when meetings with parents are scheduled at 5pm.
It must be the kids she is concentrating on when she uses the ELL or speech teachers as a substitutes.
In today's education reform world, my principal and lots and lots of other people express oodles of concern about "the kids." But if you watch their actions instead of their lips, well the truth speaks for itself.
I am currently in court now with a second Article 78 (was successful against the DOE in first one) against the principal of Restart Academy, D79. Charges were dropped but the DOE kept the U and the chancellor stayed the U. I could not get a sub certificate of course. Here is the serious flaw with the legal system. The principal lied that she conducted a disciplinary hearing on 9/20/11. She swore to this in my 2012 Article 78 and at the 3/12/13 U-Rating hearing. Doesn’t anyone care? My chapter leader, whom she cited and quoted at this fictitious meeting wrote a notarized letter disputing the principal’s assertion. How does a principal lie and no one is concerned, except me?? Where is justice? No one wants to hear that she fabricated a meeting to pretend she followed policy and is protected!!
ReplyDeleteMy Article 78 should be about but doesn't seem to be about:
1.whether an officer or entity did not perform a duty required by law (she never held a disciplinary conference pertaining to the allegations as per the DOE Office of Labor Relations and a memorandum from the Director of Personnel); or
2.whether a determination by the officer or entity was made: (a) in violation of lawful process or procedure, or (b) was an abuse of discretion or arbitrary including a determination of the method and extent of a penalty or discipline imposed (the principal lied about conducting a meeting; lied about the conversations my chapter leader and I had at this fictitious meeting; swore in a court of law that her statements were true; and swore in a chancellor’s hearing that she conducted a disciplinary conference with me and my chapter leader; and that I received the summary, her findings, and threat of charges against me in said letter that I never read or for which I never signed); or
3.whether a determination was made following a hearing which is supported by substantial evidence. The chancellor ruled or made a determination based on a fraudulent document.
Diane Ravitch posted an insider essay on her blog showing how bad the Klein/Black/Walcott education policies were in New York City
ReplyDeletehttp://dianeravitch.net/2013/12/20/tweed-insider-where-the-bloomberg-administration-went-wrong-on-education/#comments