A handful of students said the principal threatened them, warning they
would not take part in graduation if they attended Monday’s rally. Teachers told the Daily News Dwarka has doctored their performance
records, canceled their after-school programs and fired them from
coaching positions when they’ve spoken out in opposition to her
practices... Daily News
How funny when we hear Mulgrew and crew talk about the change of tone at Tweed. Sure, a change of tone at the top. But in the schools, the wars between Tweed appointed principal and teachers, parents and students still rage.
But maybe the gaggle of principals who punish teachers and students for speaking out falls in line with the way the UFT/Unity leadership runs the UFT.
Bryant HS (Joel Klein's alma mata - rumored the reason he protected it from closing) is also a school with one of our old ICE pals, Sam Lazarus, as CL. Here it is not just teachers but parents and students sending a message to Tweed. If the UFT really wants to support this school, pick up the phone and call Ernie Logan at the CSA and make it clear - the CSA if it wants any support at any point from the UFT has to apply pressure on the mad dog principals.
James Eterno posted the story on the ICE blog.
What should the UFT be doing right about now to support its members? A
good start would be to encourage more protests like the one that
occurred at Bryant High School in Queens. 200 adults and students were
out in the street calling for the removal of a less than stellar
principal.
There was coverage of the event in the Daily News.
“This is the end of my 30th year teaching here. No principal has
ever treated staff like garbage like this one does,” said teacher Mary
Bozoyan, 51, who attended the high school herself. “Everyone’s waiting
for the next ax to drop on their head.”
I am fairly certain there are stories like this one in many schools
across NYC. Let's see if this type of event is repeated elsewhere.
The full
Daily News article.
CBS also had a story pointing to Namita Dwarka's negative style of management.
High School Won’t Allow Injured Queens Teen To Learn From Home
M'Kayah Walker Worries She Won't Be Able To Graduate On Time
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — A Queens teenager is in the battle with her high school, saying she should be allowed to learn from home.
But as CBS 2’s Dave Carlin reported exclusively, the Department of Education does not agree.
High school senior M’Kayah Walker of Woodside, Queens, said she was injured while playing soccer.
“I was playing soccer. Kids fell on top of me,” she said. “And I found out my knees were dislocated.”
That sports injury has Walker struggling to get around on crutches. But she never dreamed it would disrupt her academic future.
She said making it up the steps and in to William Cullen Bryant High School in Woodside is painful.
Her mother requested home instruction for Walker, allowing the teen to graduate with her peers. The answer was no — not once, but twice.
“Just give me the home schooling so I can get my diploma,” she said.
Instead, the school issued her an elevator pass. But getting to it was tough and then she says she had to wait.
“They have taken more than 15 minutes to open the elevator,” she said. “When I use it, I’m late, and the teachers yell at me.”
CBS 2 attempted to speak to Bryant High School principal Namita Dwarka, but was told to leave.
When CBS 2 asked about Walker’s two petitions for home instruction, the Department of Education issued a response.
“Everybody has a right to request this service and it’s taken on a case by case basis,” the department said. “We’re still looking in to this.”
To help Walker avoid stairs, her guidance counselor and some of her teachers have been sending coursework home to her. But for every day she doesn’t walk in to the school building, she gets marked absent.
“I don’t know if it’s money, or if it’s incompetence, or whatever it is — it’s wrong,” said City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-26th).
Van Bramer said Walker is being “unnecessarily delayed.”
“She just wants to graduate,” the councilman said.
And the ordeal is not easy for Walker either.
“Now I’m depressed,” she said.
Walker waits to find out when she’ll graduate, eager to go on to college and major in psychology.
Next month, Walker gets surgery to repair her knee. Without home instruction, she believes she won’t be able to graduate until next summer.
By all reports the principal in the school is terrible- lots of complaints about harassment and mismanagement from the staff. Last year there was a rally I stopped by organized by students that had 200 or so kids protesting. (See Ed Notes: http://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2014/06/message-to-uft-leaders-wheres-change-of.html).
