Tapco Redux
On Nov. 30, 2010 I posted a piece titled Another DOE Scam - TAPCO - Theatre Arts Production...":
Therse's been whole lot of traffic with lots of comments, particularly in the last few weeks, about grade scams and teacher harassment. I guess finishing as the top ranked school gets some scrutiny. Check them out. Leonie Haimson left a request that people contact her. I did no censoring of the comments unless there was something real stupid though someone thought this was Leonie's blog based on her request.
Today there were stories in the press.
When report card grades were released in the fall for the city’s 455 high schools, the highest score went to a small school in a down-and-out section of the Bronx called Theater Arts Production Company School.http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/20/education/20grades.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&pagewanted=print
A stunning 94 percent of its seniors graduated, more than 30 points above the citywide average. The school, which has about 500 students from grades 6 through 12, achieved a nearly perfect score in the category of “student progress,” based partly on course credits earned by students.“When I interviewed for the school,” said Sam Buchbinder, a history teacher, “it was made very clear: this is a school that doesn’t believe in anyone failing.”That statement was not just an exhortation to excellence. It was school policy.- NY Times
The city's highest-rated school is being investigated for its "nonfailing policy" that makes it so easy for students to pass a class that kids say even a caveman could do it, The Post has learned.http://www.nypost.com/p/news/
The Department of Education is probing to see if the Theatre Arts Production Company HS in The Bronx attained its starred-ranking by fudging student grades.
"This week, my average is a 30; in three days I can bring it up to a 95," boasted one senior who didn't want his name published.
"The teachers will give you sheets that are already filled out, and you can just copy them. It's for the school so it doesn't look bad with failing grades."NY Post
2 comments:
The crazy thing about all this and the supposed "investigation" regarding TAPCo, is that nothing will happen. Passarella will continue to cheat the system, get a nice bonus for "improvement", threaten the teachers, pass every student in the school regardless of effort and learning, and make a mockery of our educational system. Then again, this is what the DOE has turned into ... cheating, lying, and deceit. Seems to work for TAPCo.
It is the fact that you can not fail any student the principal will make sure you pass the student and if you dont you will be in trouble as a teacher. I am a former teacher and I question her because many of the students was in high grade and did not know the work. She find a way to get rid of of me and I am still waiting on the DOE to resolve my case. I think she is doing a disservice to our kids while her kids go to private schools. I feel that everything should be taking away from her because she do not know what she is doing.
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