The ideological battle against teachers takes a real hit with reports coming out of Bronx High School of Science for years. Here is an elite school with no achievement gap problems and high scores. According to the world of Joel Klein and his ilk, since teaching quality is the most important factor, these teachers must be of the highest quality.
Yet the school administration apparently doesn't think so. Principal Valerie Reidy is the poster girl for a vindictive, politically driven administration and the prime example of why teachers all over this nation
should dig in their heels and refuse to budge on tenure or any weakening of their contracts.
Joel Klein, who has been aware of what has been going on there, has never wavered in his support for Reidy. His inaction only reinforces the case for teachers. Too bad the UFT has also failed to use all its resources to take these battles to the mattresses.
Today, there is another story about Bronx High School of Science in today's Daily News (see below.)
Education Notes has been running stories on Valerie Reidy at Bronx High for years, in particular the story of Bob Drake. He went to a PEP meeting after he was fired over the famous quacking incident at least 2 or more years ago. He was dismissed as a disgruntled teacher. And a student was threatened with expulsion when he was accused of bringing up the quacking cartoon. He wrote a letter to Joel Klein to complain and he still ended up suspended for a day.
Where has the UFT been? Bob Drake considered them less than useless in his case.
This goes way beyond the math department, which is emphasized in today's story. A teacher resigned in disgust 2006 over the fear and loathing Reidy engenders and goes after anyone who raises questions about any of her policies.
The story of UFT Chapter Chair Mel Maskin has been floating around for years, as in his
letter to the NY Times from June 19, 2005, "Uproar at Bronx Science" where Maskin says: There were indeed 25 grievances filed against the principal, Valerie J. Reidy, this year. Maskin was unhappy with the NY Times
piece that mentions him and Drake.
Is the UFT totally helpless? That's a rhetorical question.
For all those tenure killers, take a look at these cases. Drake, a phd in chemistry, was not tenured and was fired. He ended up being highly recruited by private and public schools outside NYC and made more money.
When Maskin retired, a royal battle ensued over his successor, with rumors of open interference by the school administrators in the election to assure a more friendly chapter leader.
Where was the UFT? Still being rhetorical.
Here are two of our previous stories.
Oct 7, 2007
May 8, 2008
New administrator blamed for faculty revolt at Bronx High School of ScienceBY MEREDITH KOLODNER
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Thursday, January 8th 2009
A faculty revolt over working conditions is rocking the storied Bronx High School of Science, causing teachers to leave the elite public school.
Math teachers in particular blame a new administrator - Assistant Principal Rosemarie Jahoda - for verbal abuse, claiming they are admonished in front of students and have had their jobs threatened.
The percentage of teachers who had stayed at the school for more than two years had dropped to 66% in 2007 from 80% the year before.
"The worst she's done is that we've lost faculty," said a tenured teacher, who like all of the teachers interviewed asked that their names not be used for fear of retaliation.
"It's gone beyond just being an unpleasant place to work."
Six teachers who were in the math department in 2007 when Jahoda arrived will have left by the end of the month.
Five cite Jahoda as the main reason.
After 20 of the 22 math faculty signed a harassment complaint last May, teachers say they were punished.
Four out of five signers received unsatisfactory evaluations for the first time, teachers said.
Jahoda did not want to comment. Principal Valerie Reidy dismissed the complaints as unsubstantiated "griping."
"The chancellor has asked us to be very strenuous in our evaluation of teaching," Reidy said.
"We have very, very high standards. We evaluate and hold teachers accountable."
Teachers say Reidy cut two faculty members from the math department this year and cut its budget by 4% when the school's budget rose by 6%.
Reidy says she was properly reallocating resources and that she has enhanced the department's course offerings.
The teachers' union representative for Bronx high schools says the atmosphere in the math department is worse than ever.
"I have never seen an entire department so unified in their complaint against a specific supervisor," said Lynne Wynderbaum.
"Any time you force good teachers to leave, the students are being hurt."
mkolodner@nydailynews.com
