Ed Notes Extended

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Townsend Harris Protest Update: NY Times Joins in as PTA Calls for Jahoda's Endgame

Student reduced to tears after meeting with Principal Jahoda following an incident in November....

The co-presidents, Sangida Akter and Tahiya Choudhury, were meeting with Ms. Jahoda with the hope of having the administration draft a letter to the community that would reassure them that such incidents are not tolerated, but the meeting left them them feeling “uncomfortable” and with the impression that Ms. Jahoda showed more interest in protecting the school’s image than addressing their concerns. One of the two left the meeting crying.... Student report
NY Times
Townsend Harris High School is one of New York City’s most prestigious public schools, where 100 percent of students graduate on time and all of them are prepared for college, according to city metrics.  But in recent weeks, the academic powerhouse in Queens has felt a ripple of protest, as students, alumni and teachers have battled with the interim acting principal, agitating for her ouster. On Thursday, parents piled on....
A follow-up to my earlier post: Townsend Harris Students, Parents and Teachers Expose Acting Principal Rosemarie Jahoda and Dept Supt Leticia Pineiro

Soon after posting I opened up the NY Times and found this:

At Elite Queens High School, PTA Calls Embattled Principal ‘Rude’

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/16/nyregion/townsend-harris-high-school-principal-jahoda.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0

I loved this part the best:
The resolution demanded that [Dep Supe] Ms. Pineiro and the city’s Education Department apologize to Townsend Harris students, and asked that Ms. Pineiro and the district’s superintendent [Elaine Lindsey] no longer oversee the school.
Note that the reporter doesn't ignore Jahoda's past:
This is not Ms. Jahoda’s first brush with controversy. In 2010, when she was an assistant principal at the Bronx High School of Science, another of the city’s elite schools, 20 of the 22 math teachers she oversaw filed complaints against her. In an official “fact-finding” report, an arbiter painted a jarring portrait of her dealings with teachers. The report said Ms. Jahoda had referred to one teacher as a “disgusting person,” and that teacher had called Ms. Jahoda a “dictator.” The head of labor relations for the Education Department at the time rejected the conclusions of the report.
How about naming the head of labor relations at the time and shaming for poor judgement? I'm sure if it was a negative report on a teacher, it wouldn't have been ignored.

Then there are these reports from students:

http://www.thhsclassic.com/2016/12/16/parent-teacher-association-calls-on-chancellor-farina-to-remove-ia-principal-jahoda-immediately-from-thhs/

http://www.thhsclassic.com/2016/12/15/student-reduced-to-tears-after-meeting-with-principal-jahoda-following-an-incident-in-november/

1 comment:

  1. Leticia Pineiro's last gig was as principal of the University Prep Charter High School in the Bronx. Her tenure lasted 4 months as she turned tail and quit. Her condescending attitude towards teachers and staff led to a near revolt. Her lax attitude towards student discipline turned a previously well run school into a chaotic mess. Anyone who has dealt with her understands how she talks down to people. I'm glad the students and PTA at Townsend Harris HS felt her abrasive attitude and asked her not to return. Best of luck to the staff and students at Townsend Harris HS. Kick Jahoda and Pineiro to the curb ... they have no place in education. Intimidation is not a substitute for leadership.

    ReplyDelete

Comments are welcome. Irrelevant and abusive comments will be deleted, as will all commercial links. Comment moderation is on, so if your comment does not appear it is because I have not been at my computer (I do not do cell phone moderating). Or because your comment is irrelevant or idiotic.