Sunday, August 30, 2015

Newark Teacher: May I live to see the day when Local Control of the schools is restored to the Newark Community

As a member of the Hispanic community, Rodriguez might wish to offer bilingual children of Newark the support necessary and required by law to ensure their academic success... Newark teacher Abigail Shure
Disgraced Chief "Talent" Officer Vanessa Rodriquez, supported by Cerf, assigns teacher who doesn't speak Spanish to teach in bi-lingual class. I think I get it. Give a senior teacher a job she cannot fulfill and then bring her up on charges she is incompetent? Is that the Chris Cerf wait to trim the herd of high-salaried teachers? Here is a report:

Dan Ivers reported on nj.com that the School Advisory Board for the Newark Public Schools (NPS) voted unanimously to fire Chief Talent Officer Vanessa Rodriguez for her alleged role in paying former Assistant Superintendent Tiffany Hardrick $12,115 for sick leave after Hardrick had departed NPS for a job in Arkansas. The Board is also calling for a criminal investigation.  State Superintendent Chris Cerf defended Hardrick claiming that she had made full restitution. Bob Braun posted on his Ledger that Cerf "... called the collection of New York refugees hired by former Superintendent Cami Anderson to be top staff 'spectacular'."
 

I would hate to disagree with my new boss Chris Cerf, but I am siding with the Board on this issue.  Earlier in the week, I received an e-mail from Vanessa Rodriguez granting me a budgeted position as a Bilingual Teacher at Camden Elementary.  I am to disregard previous instructions to report to Camden as an Employee Without Placement (EWP) providing additional support, the role I had filled the previous school year.  I was surprised and dismayed to receive my current placement.  I do not hold Bilingual certification, nor do I speak Spanish, the language that would be required for this position. Pursuant to NJSA 18A: 6-38 et seq. and 18A: 35-15 to 26, teachers of bilingual classes in New Jersey are to hold certification with appropriate endorsements.  I am clearly not qualified to work in this position.  I have twenty-five years of English as a Second Language experience, having taught every grade from pre-k to community college.  The Chief Talent Officer might have taken my lack of preparation into consideration when assigning me to a Bilingual Teacher position. As a member of the Hispanic community, Rodriguez might wish to offer bilingual children of Newark the support necessary and required by law to ensure their academic success.

A colleague has informed me that my new position is a class combining first and second grade bilingual students.  I plan to be there on the first day of school to welcome my new charges as best I can in English.  I would hope that the Board's recommendations for firing Vanessa Rodriguez and launching a criminal investigation would come to fruition.  It is my fervent prayer that Chris Cerf will place his employees in appropriate assignments, rather than delighting in arbitrarily crossing their names off the EWP list.  May I live to see the day when Local Control of the schools is restored to the Newark Community.

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