Sunday, May 26, 2013

Dear Mr. Condon: On May 18, 2013, Dennis M. Walcott crossed the line

Hi Norm,
My mother (a NYC resident) will be going to the post office this week to mail her letter (pasted below). Although she will include her name and address on the letter I redacted both in this email.
.......Elementary school teacher in the Bronx
It's great to see entire families involved in battling the ed deformers:

Mr. Richard J. Condon

Special Commissioner of Investigation

80 Maiden Lane - 20th floor

New York, NY 10038


Dear Mr. Condon:

On May 18, 2013, Dennis M. Walcott crossed the line. He used the authority of his office as the Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education to provide a venue on public property paid for with public funds to express his personal political opinion to a captive audience of school principals attending an education conference in Brooklyn. He used an educational forum to push a political agenda. Mr. Walcott’s opinion was no mere slip of the tongue and clearly violated the very rules he is obligated to obey. Rules, I might add, that were established by his office (Chancellor’s Regulation D-130).

I am not sure how your office works. Is my letter considered an official complaint or is there some form that requires my completion? Therefore, if my letter is sufficient to file a complaint, then please consider it as such. If not, please provide me with any further instructions needed to make my complaint official.

My concern in this matter is really quite simple. Chancellor Walcott abused his power and violated a Department of Education Regulation that states, “Any officer or employee who violates the provisions of this regulation is subject to disciplinary action.” In keeping with your authority to investigate such misconduct I must ask, what is your office doing about it?

Thank you for your efforts on behalf of our New York City School District. I expect to hear from you within a reasonable period of time.

Yours sincerely,
 Here is the D-130 reg copied from a previous post on ed notes by A.P. Salamander, my favorite amphibian:

Department of Education’s Chancellor’s Regulation D-130,
(http://docs.nycenet.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-86/D-130__1-15-04.pdf) which clearly states, “ School buildings are not public forums for purposes of community or political expression.”
And: “ Any officer or employee who violates the provisions of this regulation is subject to disciplinary action.” 

“ No rallies, forums, programs, etc. on behalf of, or for the benefit of any elected official, particular candidate, candidates, slate of candidates, or political organization/ committee may be held in a school building.”
And: “The use of any Department of Education school after school/business hours by any person, group, organization, committee, etc, on behalf of any elected official, candidate, candidates, slates of candidates or political /committee is prohibited.” 
Read my original post from last week which also appeared as my column in The Wave: Whining Walcott in Blatant Misuse of Position

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Does this mean that the mayoral forums being held in school buildings is also illegal? Just asking.

LadyJustice said...

Another example of the DOE double standards. Do as I say... Not as I do..should be DOE motto.

Francesco Portelos said...

You can also email the following addresses:
intake@nycsci.org, rcondon@nycsci.org and rloughran@nycsci.org

You should get a response from jcatapano@nycsci.org telling you that the case has been referred to OSI who will then whitewash it. I'm putting money on that.

ed notes online said...

Would it be illegal if Walcott, THE CHANCELLOR, made a speech attacking all the candidates who disagreed with him and if everyone in the audience were being paid with public funds to attend? Just asking.