UFT Ex Bd: UFT members, parents and students demand removal of Interim Acting Principal Michael Weinstein High School of Applied Communication

Hey, CSA, here's another slug for you to defend. 

Last night's Ex Bd meeting brought out another batch of teachers from a school under assault by an abusive - and incompetent - and creepy - principal. In the pre-meeting we heard tales of sexual harassment and misogyny, a gift trip to Disney World for certain teachers, in addition to the list of grievances below. Some of them have been at the school since its founding a dozen years ago. Both previous principals had been excellent. To put a monster like Weinstein into this school is criminal. But the Supt is Elaine Lindsey, the very same who installed Rosemary Jahoda into Townsend Harris HS.

Also the sad situation where the chapter leader is in the pocket of Weinstein. A recall petition got over 50% of the vote, but not the required 2/3. I was told that the CL installed someone to monitor the vote, which was not secured. I'm checking to see if the CL is in Unity Caucus to see if there is any coverup.

As I say often -- I didn't expect much from being on the EB this year but being able to raise these issues with the schools and getting rank and filers involved is true grassroots organizing. And even if on the surface, the leadership is forced to respond.
What the UFT misses - intentionally I believe -- is the pattern -- the blueprint principals are following while the UFT doesn't prepare its people for the arrival of a new principal who could turn into a monster -- what are the immediate signs to look for and intervene in the process?

With the big court cases coming up, the major thing the union can do to keep people from not paying dues is to defend them. At the very least we can keep shaking the tree.

• See EB reports at: NYCEducator: UFT Executive Board May 8, 2017 and ICE: HIGH SCHOOL OF APPLIED COMMUNICATION EXPOSES ABUSIVE IA PRINCIPAL AT EXEC BD

UFT members, parents and students demand the removal of

Interim Acting Principal Michael Weinstein

High School of Applied Communication

3020 Thomson Avenue, 5th floor

Long Island City, NY 11101

UFT members from Weinstein’s school testified at the UFT Executive Board meeting Monday 5/817 on the abusive conditions they are forced to work under since his arrival. They are receiving the support of elected high school representatives from the MORE caucus: Schirtzer,  Goldstein,  Gupta, McArthur, and  MORE/NA VP candidate James Eterno, in addition to Halabi and Ahluwalia of New Action.

Our union sisters and brothers, many of whom have been at that high school for over 10 years, have come under attacks from day 1 of his reign, which began in Sept. 2016. Weinstein was formerly an AP at Leon Goldstein HS and MORE members there have been advising the teachers.

The school is a Title I school; 406 students,, 17% Special Education, 7% ESL

• Students had 3 sit ins (December 13, December 16, March 22 ) and 1 walk out (February 15)
• PTA meeting was cancelled February, March and April. Last PTA meeting was in January although parents have requested the meeting be scheduled… PTA President states she is given “the runaround” by Interim Acting Principal Weinstein.
• Teacher received a letter to file for publicizing the SLT meeting in accordance with Open Meetings Law. Meeting is not publicized and the teacher received directive in disciplinary conference not to inform school community about SLT meetings.
• Two teachers have Article 23 harassment cases in process
• Two UFT Special Education complaints filed due to IA Principal Weinstein’s refusal to follow compliance in mandates. This resulted in vicious retaliation toward the Special Education department.
• 19 grievances filed to date for the school year
• UFT members testifying against other UFT members during harassment meetings
• 4 Chancellor’s A830 complaints filed for retaliation and sexual harassment
• teacher and student programs changed 3 times this year resulting in one 10th grade ICT/ESL ELA class having 7 different teachers this year
• under the direction of Interim Acting Principal Weinstein, ICT classes were amended to include up to 50% Special Education students exceeding the maximum allowable ratio of 40% or 12 students. Students did not receive services and parents were sent P4 letters for the mistake of missing services and costing the city thousands of dollars for his poor leadership
• constant harassment and following of students in the hallway. Pulling students in for meetings threatening their transcripts and potential for college. These “meetings” are conducted without parental consent.
• Teachers followed and watched by IA Principal Michael Weinstein: followed the perimeter of the school, at their classroom doors, outside the bathroom, at the time clock when they enter the building

Requests to UFT:

• visit by President Mulgrew and leadership to our school to speak for and on behalf of UFT membership
• motion to support our school
• public pressure by UFT on IA Principal Weinstein to cease and desist harassment and intimidation of students, staff, and parents
• review of all internal memos, regulations, directives, and protocols to assure they comply with school, city, state, and federal law
• facilitation of PTA meeting at a neutral location free from the abuse and manipulation by IA Principal Weinstein
• immediate removal of Weinstein from the school

CSA Calls Abusive Principal Garg "an outstanding educator" While Revealing Farina Role in Hit Job at CPE1 For High Opt Outs

The DOE must support Mrs. Garg, who is an outstanding educator, as she comes under undeserved fire for doing the job she was asked to do.... Clem Richardson, CSA

The statement by Clem Richardson of the CSA is a laugh riot. Really, Clem, show us one example of Garg's history as an outstanding or even a semi-competent administrator. Her history working for the racist Minerva Zanca where all black teachers were targeted (Garg praised Zanca as a mentor recently).
{It you need to catch up on the school Garg was an AP at --

That's CSA head Ernie Logan to right of Mulgrew

The CSA, which apparently condones its members lying to parents and teachers, engaging in witch hunts against teachers and using children for their own political ends. Should the CSA which is OK with attacks on members of other unions, be allowed to be an AFL/CIO member? Our own UFT cowtows to the CSA by refusing to issue an open call for Garg's (or pretty much any principal's) removal.


But this comment in the CSA call for Farina to stand by Monika Garg is the most revealing:

We repeat: Chancellor Farina PERSONALLY asked Mrs. Garg to “right the ship” at CPE by helping it remain a beacon of progressive education, but one with standards, accountability and measurable outcomes. ... Statement from CSA

We knew it all along. That Farina ordered a hit job on CPE 1, as she's ordered on a number of schools, at times making Joel Klein's and Bloomberg's tenure look benevolent. Why else put in a high school person into an elementary school with a culture so out of sorts with Garg's history? Because they knew Garg would be ruthless -- her career track is to be a Supt and she will step on anyone to get there.

But let's parse this comment a bit. Can you remain a beacon of progressive education ... one with measurable outcomes -- meaning testing -- when the very process of gaining such outcomes degrades progressive education? One would ask why the elite private schools which offer progressive education don't stress measurable outcomes -- and parents pay up to 50 grand a year for that type of education.

In Garg's first weeks as principal she put forth the idea that the progressive education offered at CPE1 was not appropriate for poor children of color. So we know that the intent was not to maintain CPE1 as a beacon of progressive education but to degrade the very idea.

Let's be clear --- there were issues at CPE1 before Garg came on board. The solution would have been to put in a principal with a background in elementary schools and in progressive education, not a hit woman.

The Daily News article on the boycott had this quote affirming the line coming out of the DOE:

But Education Department spokeswoman Toya Holness said officials have met with families to discuss specific concerns and solutions. “We are committed to delivering a high-quality, progressive education with academic rigor, and doing what’s best for CPE 1 students,” Holness said.

Rigor? That's the buzzword used by ed deformers. More like rigor mortis.

The CSA and DOE are lined up in the attack on progressive education at CPE1 -- and their "freewheeling ways", which in the culture of that school, is necessary for democratically based progressive education.

In the world of oppressive top down administration, teacher/parent control - and often student centered decision making on what they will learn - is "freewheeling." Now I know many teachers are not comfortable with this idea, which is why only certain types of teachers  - and parents -- would enter a school like CPE1. Thus teachers who had basically been helping to run the school since its inception had to conform to the new top-down or be gone.

As to CPE2 -- its offshoot also founded by Debbie Meier - principal Naomi Smith has changed the culture of that school to conform to the DOE demands and has supported Garg all the way - in fact her daughter is a parent at CPE1 and also is among the few parents who support Garg -  and all of Smith's grandkids go to CPE1. (We'll deal with Smith and her personal vendettas another time.) But do note what Deb Meier, founder of both CPE1 and 2 posted tonight on FB:

Let NYCs mayor and school chancellor know that what they've allowed to happen to Central Park East (CPE) I, one of the first progressive democratically governed public school-opened in 1974-is an education crime. A vindictive and authoritarian principal placed in the school almost two years ago continues to threaten teachers and parents alike. They need to hear from the world. A petition signed by two thirds of the families, rallies, sit ins, reports by neutral observer's and much more has had no effect except to create an untenable educational climate. As one of the original founders of the school watching this happen breaks my heart.two very vulnerable children's families have been banned from the school because of their protests. Thanks for any help you can give them.

Note the schools Clem Richardson mentions -- Dewey, Harris, Clinton -- all with cheating, lying principals, who alienated their entire staffs. The CSA believes, along with Farina, that destroying a school by any means necessary is OK,

Here's the complete CSA Statement - go have a good laugh.


The DOE Must Not Abandon CPE Principal Monika Garg!!
New York, NY – May 5, 2017 – 

For Further Information contact:

Clem Richardson, Of: 212-823-2052, Cell:  718-207-2260

Email: clem@csa-nyc.org

We’ve seen what’s happening to Central Park East Elementary School Principal Monika Garg before.

John Dewey High School. DeWitt Clinton High School. Townsend Harris High School.

Mrs. Garg is a proven leader who, like the besieged former principals of those schools, is being scapegoated by the Department of Education.

CSA knows that Chancellor Carmen Farina, who asked Mrs. Garg to take the CPE job, understands that leaders are often required to make unpopular decisions because that is what leaders need to do.

But leaders attempting to orchestrate change need to be supported in the face of criticism, not abandoned.    

The DOE must support Mrs. Garg, who is an outstanding educator, as she comes under undeserved fire for doing the job she was asked to do.

The failure to do so sends the message to any person or group who disagrees with a school leader that they only need a camera, a petition, and gather a few disgruntled teachers or parents to complain for a television crew and Tweed will do their bidding.

School leaders expect and deserve more.

“The DOE recruits principals to take on tough assignments, then abandons them at the first grunt from affected teachers, staff members and an antagonistic press,” said Council of School Supervisors and Administrators President Ernest A. Logan

“How can a school leader change a school without making changes? And how can Chancellor Farina ask educators to take on tough assignments then look the other way when they come under attack?”

The Chancellor appointed Mrs. Garg to run CPE in 2015 to right a school that was not meeting the academic needs of all students.

Disgruntled CPE teachers, staff members and parents who disagree with Mrs. Garg’s methodology have since made it their mission to disrupt the educational process for all CPE students, first by occupying the school auditorium overnight and on Friday by holding a boycott which disrupted the school day for dozens of students.

We repeat: Chancellor Farina PERSONALLY asked Mrs. Garg to “right the ship” at CPE by helping it remain a beacon of progressive education, but one with standards, accountability and measurable outcomes. 

And that is what Monika Garg has tried to do. 

CSA says it is time for Chancellor Farina to publicly proclaim her support for this outstanding educator and show school leaders citywide that Tweed supports them in their work.