In the world of the NYCDOE, a principal can be a serial killer and maintain the support of Tweed. I've been hearing Reggie Landau, principal of IS 216Q horror stories for years. He in particular goes after chapter leaders. On March 12, 2011 I posted:
Read more from Mar. 12Reginald Landau, Jr. - Triple Principal From Hell
Principal burns down his office through use of illegal hot plate. Tweed still supports him. This guy should be on the poster for why we need to keep LIFO. And charges of anti-semitism too.
I've been hearing horror stories about Reggie for years. His dad was a Superintendent in Queens in the district days. My friend worked for him when he was a principal and had good things to say. So, while Dad Landau had a decent rep his son, who one person at the school claimed went from para to Leadership Academy, is a horror story. I have other stuff from other teachers but here is just one:
Link to NY Teacher article: Queens principal burns office, staff | United Federation of Teachers
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| Rachel Montagano |
This is in relation to your coverage on 3/12. Big things at MS216. We could really use some energy in the blogging world.Students are using Facebook to organize a campaign to bring back Ms. Montagano. One student wrote:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=767407175&ref= ts#!/pages/Help-Bring-BACK- MsMontagano/183767171676289
I asked for more info:
Ms. Montagano has been a teacher in Queens since 1999. Receiving her BA from Hofstra in 1999. She taught 8th grade social studies for 4 years at IS5 with glowing reports from the administration. She also graduated from Queens College receiving her first masters degree in Urban Studies. She then took a job as a literary coach. She was interviewed at 65 Court St. directly by the DOE. The 5 year teaching requirement and English language arts license requirement were waived and she was given the literacy coach job at Halsey Middle School in Rego Park. The position was a newly created position in the DOE. It was difficult, but she did well. Raising reading scores, and receiving glowing reports from administrators at Halsey. As a literacy coach she met another fellow literacy coach from MS 216 named Daphne Van Dorne.
Daphne and Rachel developed a professional relationship as well as a friendly relationship. Daphne suggested Rachel consider coming to MS 216 as she was being promoted to assistant principal under a new principal from the leadership academy named Reggie Landau. Rachel was interviewed and given the job by Reggie Landau. She accepted. While at MS216 for the next 4 years as a literacy coach she was praised by the principal and Van Dorne who was now the AP. At this time Rachel she also wrote curriculum for the DOE. Was an intregal part of the state exam grading, and graduated from Touro College w/honors...receiving her administrators license and masters degree. She also assisted Van Dorne with her C30 questions to go from IAP to an appointed assistant principal. She also helped bring several teachers on board at MS216.
Around May 2008 some teachers began to question the administration about the work-load. They came to Rachel and she expressed the concerns to the AP. At the same time a school in Deer Park Long Island began to pursue Rachel for an AP position. Shortly after that Rachel was told she would no longer have the literacy coach position due to her being out of license. She tried to fight it, but could not keep the literacy coach job. There were heated discussions as Rachel had developed a tremendous amount of curriculum and work that she felt was her work and not be used without her permission. The UFT then explained to her that because of her seniority in that building he had to keep her in the building as a teacher. He assigned her as a social studies teacher.
In the fall of 2009 the principal was on his 4th UFT Chapter leader. Two had retired, and he busted one up...so the teacher refused the UFT Chapter leader position as his menu item. The new UFT leader filed a grievance over assigned prep. periods. The principal began an attach on the UFT Chapter Leader. The VP of Middle Schools and District Rep went to see the principal. He slammed the door in their face. NY Teacher slammed him in an article as nothing more than an unqualified leadership academy graduate who has a father in a high place. The rest is history.
The grievance went thru and eventually the teachers won with Rachel as the head grievant. The UFT then suggested Rachel become the Chapter Leader due to her strenghts. She has been under a daily assault from the minute she signed the grievance. She has held him accountable or tried to for all his wrong doing. His SLT procedures were out of compliance and he tries to intentionally keep her out of required safety meetings. She attended a PTA meeting once becoming the UFT Chapter Leader and he tried to ge the parents to keep teachers from the PTA meetings. She was recently served with 3020 A papers. Since December he has done this to 3 tenured teachers. As well as "play games" with several other teachers.
He seems to have really lost it after the NY Teacher article about him burning up his office came out. Anita Saunders is the superintendent and seems to offer little resolution.
There is so much more to this....but this is a blurb. If you want more....we talk via phone...or just keep e-mailing me.
Question: Did Jeffrey Dahmer graduate from The Leadership Academy?
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http://www.uft.org/feature-stories/welcome-my-classroom
ReplyDeleteThis is a link that will go along with this blog post very well. This is the same teacher whose essay was published.
this is amazing, im the one who made the page for ms.montagano because she doesnt deserve this. i knew how much the students loved her but i didnt know thati would have over 300 likes and hundreds of comments, plus an article about what we are doing? that is so amazing
ReplyDeleteRyan Junior High is a once-wonderful school which has been run down by Leadership Academy gendarmes like Landrieu. (It's not Landau). He's an incompetent who covers himself by harassing and diminishing his teaching staff. The entire administration at MS216 are Leadership Academy scumbags.
ReplyDeleteExcuse me! To the above comment. I am a MS 216 graduate and I think Principal Landau (you have the spelling wrong) was and is a great principal. Maybe your right he would be much better as a teacher. He is much better than Ms. Imundi (retired 2004). I bet you dont even know the full side of the story. So please act like a mature adult and don't use the word "scumbag" if you can't back it up. Thank you.
ReplyDeletei am a former student of ms. montagano, and she truly was my best teacher. Not only was she my teacher she was also my friend. I don't know what happened, but i think all the student need her back.
ReplyDeleteMr.Landuae or however you spell his name is horrible! Ms.Montagano DOES NOT deserve to be fired.She actually taught us,our class is beyond difficult and the students actually learned. We all went from a 65 average in 7th grade to a 90 average in 8th grade thanks to her!And when we try to protest,WE GET IN TROUBLE FOR IT! we have freedom of speech so they can't keep us from fighting for something we believe in.I think the board of education should be contacted immediatly.!
ReplyDeleteThis is in response to the student who defended Mr. Landau. I worked at Ryan for a little over three years. If you remember Mrs. Imundi, then I am assuming that you were at Ryan during Mr. Landau's first year or so as principal. This is why you have such a high opinion of him. This was before he began many of the disgusting practices that everyone is writing about on here. He is trying to destroy the careers of hard working teachers in order to cover up his own incompetence. Taking a teacher like Rachel Montagano out of the classroom is deplorable. While everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, you are expressing an opinion on a topic about which you clearly know very little.
ReplyDeletename is Landeau, and as i saw it was a lot of anger because of WHO got fired.....white teachers whos students weren't performing well. that school was the WORST in the district before Dr. Landeau came on board and with the work and changes HE has made (including getting rid of some of you "teachers") this school is a blue ribbon national school. NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE HIM, so i guess im saying for all your pomp and fuss, he was right, you weren't good enough or willing to learn something new to actually help your students succeed. good luck.
ReplyDelete