Ed Notes Online: Erminia Claudio

Showing posts with label Erminia Claudio. Show all posts

Friday, May 10, 2013

Drama Today, 9AM: Portelos Challenges "No Recording" Policies at DOE Despite Ermina Claudio Threats

"Didn't let me record. Meeting didn't happen." - F.P. {See follow-up: Portelos: 9:30 AM Update - I recorded and didn't hide the fact - Meeting Cancelled by DOE - Security Rampant

I do not trust Ms. Claudio and I believe I have every right not to trust her. I am exercising my right to audio record. Ms. Claudio also falsely claimed I cannot record as per the CBA. what article was that again? ... You have stated that I "have no right under the collective bargaining agreement to record a disciplinary conference." I searched the entire CBA and found no mention of audio recording. Neither for or against it. As I stated during our previous conference on May 3, 2013, I am exercising my right under New York State Law. More specifically NY Wiretapping Law Penal Code Law 250.00...... Francesco Portelos

This morning at 9AM should be P-day as Francesco Portelos directly challenges the attempts to keep disciplinary hearings in the dark. Have you ever asked a UFT official why they don't insist in the right to record given there is no rule stated anywhere that you can't? Sorry I asked.

Should you prevent the conference from going forward for a second time, we will take whatever actions we deem appropriate.
Erminia Claudio
Community Superintendent, District 31

What are they hiding? The above was in response to this email from Francesco Portelos.

Ms Claudio and UFT Leaders,

The information I received, from Ms. Claudio, states that I cannot record and also falsely states that I "refused to meet without recording". It's less than 24 hours before this disciplinary hearing and I am telling all parties that the second I get out of my car, at Petrides, I will flip on the record button on one, or more, devices. I will not turn it off until I get back in my car. There is no hiding it. I do not trust Ms. Claudio and I believe I have every right not to trust her. I am exercising my right to audio record. Ms. Claudio also falsely claimed I cannot record as per the CBA. what article was that again?

I'm awaiting a response from anyone showing me in writing and referencing a regulation, policy or law stating I cannot record. Actually there seems to be a growing number of people waiting to see the outcome.

More information can be found here: http://protectportelos.org/audio-recording-doe-encounters-a-real-doelemma-for-the-robins-and-friends/

Also I hope Ms. Claudio has more information about the allegations and any substantiated claims than what is in that extremely vague report.

Thank you.

Francesco Portelos

Here is the full email from Erminia. Ask her and Walcott if they REALLY want quality teachers. Feel free to send her an email or better, call her office.

May 10, 2013 Disciplinary Hearing

From: "Claudio Erminia" <eclaudi@schools.nyc.gov>
Date: May 9, 2013 1:44 PM
Subject: RE: May 10, 2013 Disciplinary Hearing
To: "Francesco Portelos" <fportelos@gmail.com>
Cc:

Dear Mr. Portelos,

As we discussed, you are not permitted to record the disciplinary conference. I expect to see you tomorrow at 9:00am in my office without any recording devices. Should you prevent the conference from going forward for a second time, we will take whatever actions we deem appropriate.

E. Claudio

Erminia Claudio

Community Superintendent, District 31

715 Ocean Terrace, Building A

Staten Island, New York 10301

Telephone #: 718 420-5667

Fax #: 718 420-5677
eclaudi@schools.nyc.gov

More from Francesco Portelos:

See my post about audio recording disciplinary hearing. My superintendent and DOE lawyers are having a fit. This can be huge for staff under attack if they can't stop audio recordings. http://wp.me/p31ecs-vO

And the older correspondence:

Ms. Claudio
Perhaps it's best an attorney from the Department of Education is present as this situation is not only delicate, high profile and in litigation, but also that with new information provided, you may be added as a defendant in an amended complaint of Federal case 12 CV 3141. I'm simply saying this would be best for both of us considering that what both of us say will probably come up in a court hearing.
-Francesco Portelos

From: Francesco Portelos [mailto:fportelos@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2013 1:21 PM
To: Claudio Erminia
Cc: Greenfield Robin; Singer Robin F.; Vazquez Marisol; Weiner David; Jackson-Chase Courtenaye; Rodi Katherine G.; Fox Thomas; Zaharakis Despina
Subject: May 10, 2013 Disciplinary Hearing

Ms. Claudio,

I am in receipt of your letter dated May 7, 2013 (attached). You have stated that I "have no right under the collective bargaining agreement to record a disciplinary conference." I searched the entire CBA and found no mention of audio recording. Neither for or against it. As I stated during our previous conference on May 3, 2013, I am exercising my right under New York State Law. More specifically NY Wiretapping Law Penal Code Law 250.00. Am I supposed to understand that if it is not mentioned in the UFT/DOE CBA I cannot do it? Just to throw in a small analogy; If I was to not fully stop at a stop sign and speed past 15 mph in the Petrides Complex can I reference the CBA if I am pulled over?

Speaking of the CBA, I came across something interesting in Article Twenty-One Section C:

"C. Summons

1. A teacher summoned by the principal to a conference which may lead to

disciplinary action for reasons of misconduct may be accompanied, at his/her option, by the chapter leader or his/her designated alternate.

2. Teachers summoned to the office of a community or high school superintendent or to the Division of Human Resources shall be given two days notice and a statement of the reason for the summons, except where an emergency is present or where considerations of confidentiality are involved.

Whenever an employee is summoned for an interview for the record which may lead to disciplinary action, he/she shall be entitled to be accompanied by a representative who is employed by the city school system, or by an employee of the Union who is not a lawyer, and he/she shall be informed of this right. However, where the community or high school superintendent or the Division of Human Resources permits an attorney who is not a member of the city school system to represent any participant in the interview, the employee shall be entitled to be represented by an attorney."

Pursuant to this section, I am requesting to be accompanied by my attorney for this disciplinary hearing.

--------
Interesting addition that there was an email from a MORE chapter leader on the MORE Chapter Leader listserve:

My principal informed staff a couple of days ago via e-mail that he would be doing informal pop in observations (ok, fine) AND that he would be filming portions of them to use later for reflections (not fine).

In the world of the DOE they can do anything they want.

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"A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen Ford

What media call "philanthropy" for the public schools are actually seed monies to establish a private "market" in publicly-financed education - an enterprise worth trillions if successfully penetrated by corporate America. Cory Booker, one of the "New Black Leaders" financed by the filthy rich, is key to creating a "nationwide corporate-managed schools network paid for by public funds but run by private managers.

"Ed Reformers" want to cash in on public education and to control its content and outcome, not improve it. Provide great education? Baby boomers had as close as this country has ever gotten to it when we were growing up. The Ed Reform Movement has no interest in seeing such a well-educated, democratically astute population ever again.

http://blackagendareport.com/content/cory-booker-clear-and-present-threat-public-education

History of the UFT Pre-Weingarten Years

This award-winning series of articles by Jack Schierenbeck originally appeared in the New York Teacher in 1996 and 1997.

Naturally, from a certain point of view. But, despite certain biases, Schierenbeck, a great guy, was one of the best NY Teacher reporters so this is worth reading. Jack suffered a debilitating stroke many years ago (I used to get secret donations to ed notes from him through a 3rd source.)

This chapter looks interesting:

Class struggles: The UFT story, part 3

“The schism in the union over radical politics [is] a major reason for stalling the growth of a teacher union for decades.” Revolutionary politics and ideology take center stage, as the original Teachers Union becomes a battlefield, pitting leftist against leftist and splitting the union.

Clarence Taylor's "Reds at the Blackboard" focused on the old Teachers Union which disbanded in 1964 after suffering from anti-left attacks.

Of course for another view, check out the review at New Politics of the Kahlenberg Bio on Shanker by Vera Pavone and me: Albert Shanker: Ruthless Neocon

Effective Union Organizing

A video series put together by Jason Mann from the British Columbia Federation of Teachers about social media and how to use it for effective union organizing.

The first series was called New Media For Union Activists Roadmap and it's still available on-line at:
http://www.newmediabootcamp.ca/welcome/
I watched some of them and need to rewatch as they are loaded with information.

The second series started last week and it's called "Online Campaigning for Union Activists"

You can sign up for this free series at :
http://act.bcfed.ca/online-campaigning-for-union-activists/

You Don't Have A Choice - Join the Revolt

Ex-Harlem Success Teacher Comments on Eva the Diva

Ex-HSA Teacher has left a new comment on your post "Fear and Loathing at Evil's Harlem Success Empire ...":

I am a former Harlem Success teacher. Not many people who work/worked for her like her very much. I once made the comment that she is very nice when I first was hired. Two of her closest colleague responded immediately almost in unison, "Eve is not nice!" Over time I realized that there was a lot of political games going on. Another colleague once said to me that he was tired of "being part of a political campaign." Sending out 15,000 applications for only 400 seats in a school is reprehensible. The money that paid for those mass mailings could have paid the yearly salary of another teacher not to mention the heartache of all those parents who applied but did not get a spot. She does good work trying to give disadvantaged students a quality public school education but at a great cost to staff AND the school's educational budget! school budget.

Davis Guggenheim Compared to Riefenstahl

“Waiting for Superman" is the second most intellectually dishonest piece of documentary work I have seen. It is surpassed only by Leni Riefenstahl's "Triumph of the Will," the pro-Hitler propaganda classic, in that regard. Uses personal narratives of adorable children to create narrative suspense that overrides public policy discussion with pure emotion in unscrupulous attack on teachers and their unions, among others

Timothy Tyson
Professor of African American Studies and History
Duke University

How Teaching Experience Makes a Difference

Even as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Michelle Rhee and others around the nation are arguing for experienced teachers to be laid off regardless of seniority, every single study shows teaching experience matters. In fact, the only two observable factors that have been found consistently to lead to higher student achievement are class size and teacher experience, so that it’s ironic that these same individuals are trying to undermine both.
- Leonie Haimson on Parents Across America web site

Full article with charts here.

Weingarten/Gates Foundation announce drone-driven teacher evaluation

According to a press release issued by the Gates Foundation, the AFT and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, these three have entered a ground-breaking partnership to evaluate teachers utilizing the drone technology that has revolutionized warfare in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. A bird-size device floats up to 400 feet above a classroom and instantly beams live video of teachers in action to agents at desks at Teacher Quality Inspection Stations established by the AFT and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.

When asked if the drones were authorized to drop bombs on teachers who exhibit inadequacy, Chester E. Finn, Jr., president of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, replied, "Don't be ridiculous. Gates money puts other methods at our disposal."

Randi Weingarten, president of the 1.5-million-member American Federation of Teachers said the powerful union has signed on to the drone project...

More at Substance

The Real Reason Behind Push for Standardized Tests: It's All About the Adults

On standardized testing in our schools

A must read article about the standardized test industry.
Written by an insider who has worked as a test scorer, the article outlines a multinational industry based on an army of temporary workers paid by the piece at $0.30 to $0.70 per test, translated in the need to grade 40 tests per hour to make a $12 salary. The article goes on to show how the companies gauge the grading "results" based on the need to ensure new contracts to continue profiting off of our youth. The original article is from Monthly Review. Here it is on Schools Matter blog.

http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2010/12/on-growing-use-of-corporate-test.html

Parallels between America today and Germany in the 1920's and early 30's

"Resentment and obstruction are all the right wing in America have to peddle. Their policies are utterly discredited. Their ideology - even by its own standards - is a sham. They are so bereft of leaders, their de facto leader is a former drug addicted, thrice-divorced radio talk show host. That is literally the best they can muster. But they have built a national franchise inciting the downwardly mobile to blame the government, not the right, for their problems, exactly as Hitler did in the 1920s."

The US Is Facing a Weimar Moment

Published on Sunday, March 15, 2009 by CommonDreams.org

Chicago View of Unity/UFT on Charters

After many meetings and debates, the Chicago delegation succeeded in working with the New York United Federation of Teachers, Local 2 (UFT) to push the AFT to take stronger stands on charter school accountability and school closings — though many delegates from Chicago would have liked the language to have been even stronger.

Generally speaking, the New York delegation represented organizing charters as the best model for handling their role in reshaping unions, despite the fact that according to many reports few charter schools in New York have been organized as is the case in Chicago. This logic is the same touted by the Progressive Caucus of the AFT. The few that have been organized are a part of the UFT local though they have separate contracts negotiated with the help of UFT. The Chicago delegation reflection the mindset that allowing new charters to continue to proliferate while attempting to organize existing charters is an end game in which public schools and the union lose.

Jen Johnson, CTU, Local 1 in Substance

Ed Notes Greatest Hits: HSA Rally and Founding of GEM

SEE MY VIDEO ON HARLEM SUCCESS RALLY 2009:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEp7rg_L5JI

Angel Gonzalez and I attended that rally and used the footage to promote our conference on Mar. 28, 2009, which is where the concept of a group like GEM emerged. Until then we had basically been a committee of ICE working with the NYCORE high stakes testing group. The actions of Eva and crew helped spawn GEM. Mommie Dearest!!

I have more video somewhere. I was hoping to get Leni Riefenstahl to edit it but she died. We would have called it "Triumph of the Hedge Fund Operators."

Ed Notes Extended

Friday, May 10, 2013