Why UFT Leaders Won't Hold Abusive Principals Publicly Accountable?

Norm Scott to UFT Ex Bd at open mic: Let’s see everyone who works for the UFT be held as accountable as teachers are.

Howie Schoor responds: we are accountable every three years when UFT members vote in elections.

Norm (responding from seat): Janus will change your accountability equation.

Let me put aside the issue of accountability for people who work for the UFT who tell people under assault they are lucky to have a job for another time. Leroy Barr will be sure to get up at an Ex Bd meeting and defend anyone who works for the UFT even if they attack UFT members who demand they stand up for their rights.

Some people don't get why the UFT leadership won't hold abusive principals publicly accountable - echoing our president, even if they kill someone in 5th Avenue.

You see, in the UFT leadership bubble they won't do anything unless teachers in the school act first -- the classic Catch 22. They don't get why it is hard to stand up when you face daily observations in retaliation. Hmmmm- maybe I can come in and observe district reps and write them up.

I pointed out numerous times that last year's big successes at CPE1 and Townsend Harris was about parents and students acting and then the UFT seeing which way the wind was blowing caught on to the wave.

We've heard our union leaders openly say teachers need to be accountable. And teachers are held up to public scrutiny all the time while only Sue Edelman in the NY Post tries to hold principals accountable. The UFT leadership people are pretty silent about holding principals to the same accountability in a public forum.

The UFT/Unity lame excuse that principals are in another union - the CSA - does not hold water. Like give them free reign to abuse UFT members but we will honor some feudal pledge of union solidarity and protect them by not publicizing their transgressions?

I spoke at the open mic on this issue preceding the Nov. 6 UFT Ex Bd meeting, as reported by Arthur - see below -
and touched on many of these points.

Arthur's report is fairly accurate, considering I said a lot of stuff in the 5-7 minutes I spoke. I raised the CSA excuse as being lame and pointed out that 20 years ago I made a reso at the DA to remove tenure from principals because why help strengthen the very people who are often major obstacles on so many levels - the very reason we need tenure is to protect us from them? I pointed out then how few truly competent principals there when it came to being an educational leader with many being ego-driven and seeing any teachers attempting some autonomy or independent thought as a threat. I got a big laugh when I said - these were the competent ones. Of course Unity voted down my reso overwhelmingly.

Sandy Feldman was in her final months as UFT president (she was also president of the AFT since Shanker died the year before) and as the meeting ended she came up the aisle laughing and shook my hand. "I agreed with everything you said but we can't do anything because the CSA is another union." It was the first time in my 25 years in the union she spoke to me -- and I thought her feelings came through about boss and worker -- though how the boss can be considered an equivalent union member is beyond me.

Now, there was a brief period where there were some principal from hell pieces in the NY Teacher but I bet the CSA lobbied the UFT to end that practice.

But what has changed in 20 years? It's worse than ever since Bloomberg turned the Jack Welch leadership academy dogs loose on UFT members while our leaders have sat on their hands. 

What I urge the UFT to do is read the CSA - which went beyond the call in defending the awful Monika Garg,

Rosemarie Jahoda and Kathleen Elvin -- the riot act.

Here is Arthur's Nov. 7 report of my speech at the EB meeting:

Video: Chapter Leader of Art and Design HS at PEP: Principal Manuel Urena Ignores Collective Bargaining Agreement

The next day he sent letter to Farina who has not yet replied -- and if she does I'll have to find a hat to eat.... Ed Notes

Principal Urena has repeatedly ignored the contract and disrespects and mistreats faculty members in manners they have never experienced before.  ... Jason Agosto, CL
 
A&D CL Jason Agosto attended the MORE event on Wednesday regarding chapter organizing and made good contributions to the discussion, including pointing out just how useless the UFT has been in providing assistance, which was the common theme at the MORE event. MORE posted the video and I am reposting with Jason's letter to Farina.

MORE will be doing follow-ups in early and late August in downtown Manhattan to help people brainstorm how to deal with these principals.

morecaucusnyc

Chapter Leader of Art & Design HS Informs Carmen Farina About Principal’s Treatment of Teachers -

The chapter leader of Art and Design High School in Manhattan appeared at the monthly Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) meeting on June 22, 2016 to inform Chancellor Carmen Farina and members of the PEP that their principal, Manuel Urena, has treated teachers at the school in an unprofessional manner since he took over in February 2016. This video contains Jason Agosto's comments.

Link: https://youtu.be/51Z_H6TZZ50



The next day he sent the following letter to Farina who has not yet replied -- and if she does I'll have to find a hat to eat.

UFT Chapter

The High School of Art and Design

Jason Agosto, Chapter Leader

Dear Chancellor Farina:

     I write to thank you for your attention at yesterday’s PEP meeting. As I mentioned when I spoke to you, the faculty at the High School of Art & Design have been under a constant state of duress since the new principal, Manuel Urena, arrived in January of this year. Contrary to the vision laid out by you and Mayor DeBlasio when our current contract was negotiated, we are not treated as partners by the administration of our school. Instead, Principal Urena has repeatedly ignored the contract and disrespects and mistreats faculty members in manners they have never experienced before. This also extends to the way Mr. Urena and his assistant principals misuse the Advance rating system and the Danielson rubric that forms its foundation.

     There are many other items governed by the labor agreement between the DOE and the UFT that the administration of our school have ignored or misapplied.  We have engaged in the grievance process to address these transgressions. Union officials from the UFT Manhattan borough office have been into the building at least half a dozen times in the last two months. Just today, the faculty turned out in large numbers to express their sadness and anger at the way they are being treated to the PTA leadership. But we respectfully ask for your help as well. I would like repeat my invitation for you to come to our school and speak with our teachers about their struggles to deliver high quality instruction in an environment in which they feel scorned and disrespected by the current administration. 

     We know it is very late in the school year, but would greatly welcome a meeting with you before everyone departs for the summer.  If that is not possible, we would look forward to meeting with you in early September. By carbon copy of this letter, I am informing UFT President Mulgrew that we have opened this conversation with you. We hope it will be acceptable to both you and him that we would like his participation in these discussions as well.

     Thank you again for your time.  We look forward to joining with you to secure the most productive, inclusive environment for all members of our school community. Our students’ continued achievement will be best served when all stakeholders can make meaningful contributions without fear of negative consequences.

Thank you.

Yours truly,

Jason Agosto

Chapter Leader

High School of Art & Design (02M630)

DOE Gags Dewey Teachers Whose Ratings Were Reversed -- Let's Look at the Entire System of Principal Retaliation

I know that the UFT supposedly helped the Dewey teachers -- but I also know how they didn't seem to have the same sense of urgency the teachers had. What of the Discontinued under Elvin? What of the forced retirements? What of the years of misery so many teachers suffered?
 
Those teachers had to sign a confidentiality agreement not to discuss the changing of their ratings.... NY Post

Yes, they don't want these people to talk about it. Where was the UFT in protecting the rights of these teachers to talk about their own cases? Where is the UFT calling on more investigations of cheating and other abuses as scores of schools with monster principals? The UFT is best friends with the DeB/Farina regime and also with the CSA which represents principals so don't expect much from them.

The problem is there are hundreds of principals like Elvin who retaliate against teachers, many of them removed for numerous reasons, yet the ratings are allowed to stand. And that happened going back to the old U rating system -- I could see that in the 3020a hearings I attended -- the Peter Zucker case was an example - and he is losing 4 months pay on suspension over what was clearly a set-up.

One MORE member - a chapter leader - received 2 U ratings for union activity under a lunatic and was about to get a 3rd and be fired but she was mercifully removed and replaces by a benign principal - yet the history of these U ratings remain - and that school is now a renewal school and the CL may have to find a job with that history training behind.
The UFT should call on every teacher with a poor rating in a school with a suspect principal be reviewed. I would go back to the early days of BloomKlein.

Perdido Street School is on the case.

NYSED Acknowledges Principals Can Use APPR As Weapons Against Teachers -

Given an "ineffective" rating for refusing to participate in fraudulent behavior involving grade-fixing.

Gee, that doesn't sound like an "objective" evaluation system to me.

And NYSED admits as much by overturning at least four of the "ineffective" ratings of tenured teachers who appealed them.

There may be more overturned ratings - we don't know the exact number because of the confidentiality agreements

But what we do know is this - if Elvin and her assistant principals used APPR as a weapon against teachers to perpetrate their fraud, other principals and assistant principals can use APPR as a weapon against teachers for other reasons as well.

Had Elvin not been exposed in the grade-fixing scandal, these teachers at Dewey would still be working with "ineffective" ratings on their records.

You can bet there are other administrators elsewhere who have handed out "ineffective" ratings for a variety of reasons that have nothing to do with the effectiveness of the teacher.

We learned from Chancellor Farina this week that APPR is a sham when she acknowledged that "effective" teachers can have their ratings adversely affected by switching schools and going to teach  in a school with high poverty/high homelessness demographics.

Even the noted anti-union Post reporter, Carl Campanile, given the Post claims an exclusive on the Dewey story -- too bad they don't read Ed Notes -- takes a - sort of - pro-teacher position. Here is Campanile's story:

http://nypost.com/2015/07/30/doe-looks-to-change-low-teacher-ratings-after-grade-fixing-scam/?utm_source=Master+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=e7d9ad38f0-Rise_Shine_7_30_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_23e3b96952-e7d9ad38f0-50237593

What's Up Today, June 18, 2014: Jose Vilson, NYCEducator on Class Size, RBE on Abusive Principals

A quick reminder about tonight's: MORE, Change the Stakes Sponsor Jose Vilson Book Conversation in Inwood

Still in Cape Cod at FIRST robotics conference so I can't make it. (I have so much to write about being with hundreds of people from all over the world and most states. And if your school is interested, I do school visits - am doing one this Monday.)

Two more quick items. Arthur Goldstein has written one of the most effective pieces I've read detailing the impact on teaching and on students - a tale of 2 class sizes. On Class Size--Night and Day.

I wrote about the abusive, bully Bryant HS principal yesterday: Message to UFT Leaders: Where's the Change of Tone as Hundreds Call for Ouster of Bryant HS Principal Namita Dwarka?

I always point to how totally ineffective the UFT has been in dealing with these people - they will support a rally but won't walk into Farina's office and say flat out -- if you want our cooperation on ANYTHING - CUT THIS SHIT OUT!.
Indeed, I made this point at the UFT Exec Bd meeting before the contract was voted on -- how there is nothing in the contract to protect our people from abusive principals.

Today, Perdido St. School has a great piece on the same subject and nails some points that slipped by me.

How Many Abusive And/Or Insane Principals Are Out There?

Just listing them is not enough. Campaigns must be organized in each case. A lot of work, given the UFT does nothing.

MORE has been working Portelos and Don't Tread on Educators with some schools that have such principals, but it has had to be somewhat hush/hush. We have set up a blog for one such school - I have a link for it at the top of my sidebar - PS 63M on the lower east side. Boy, do we have stories to tell. The UFT has been less than useless.

Also check out the place to list your school if you have a bully principal:
http://dtoe.org/educations-f-list-and-anoi-nomination-form/

What About Principal Accountability? Bronx High School of Science Redux

Sure, it's all about quality teachers.

Bob Drake responded to an article linked below on Ed Week about principal accountability. By the way, if you go to the link you will read about Leo McKaskill, the deposed principal of Brooklyn Tech, who by the way, was exposed by the investigative journalism of fired NY Teacher reporter Jim Callaghan (who has an article on this week's The Chief). All references to the stories Jim did on the case have disappeared from the UFT web site.

If you search this blog you will find loads of articles on the BHSS situation. Bob Drake was one of Bronx HS of Science principal Valerie Reidy's victims. Reidy had received an honorary PhD and called herself "doctor". Drake, a real PhD made some objections. At some point Reidy was called a "quack". Tee-shirts and cartoons appeared. Students would mutter "quack, quack" as they walked by. Revenge was swift on her part against students and teachers.

One sophomore student was accused of bringing up the cartoon below from my blog. He was threatened with suspension and even expulsion. His parents had to take off from work to come up. He appealed directly to Joel Klein. To no avail since he backs any principal actions short of eating babies (and that is also questionable.) He was suspended for a day. Years later when he was elected to a student council position as a senior he was tossed off by Reidy for that transgression. Nice citizenship they teach over there.

Back in Oct. 2007 I put up this post:

The Bronx High School of Science "Quack" story has been humming as the mainstream press seems to be getting involved after our post a few days ago. It has been interesting following the postings of the kids at the school as some seniors worry about revenge by school administrators and guidance counselors in relation to getting into college while others talk about leaving their legacy so future generations do not forget the "quacking" story. One former student commented that his favorite Reidy quote was "Asians speak Asian." The animosity towards Reidy by the kids seems to be more intense than that of teachers. And I received an email from a parent leader that indicates many of them feel the same. WOW! Reidy has united parents, teachers and students.

Call it for the revenge of Bob Drake, the untenured PhD chemistry teacher who Principal Valerie Reidy hounded out of the system. Drake enjoys a job at a public school in Conn. at mucho times the salary. THANK YOU, VALERIE REIDY! Betsy Combier has a bunch of stuff on Drake and Science on her parentadvocates web site. The cartoon from the Riverdale Review, which has done a number of stories on the case, was posted by the students on facebook. Andy Wolfe in the NY Sun did a piece in May 2005 and we should see some articles today or tomorrow in some the NY Dailies. And check out the blog of a former student here.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/walt_gardners_reality_check/2010/09/what_about_principal_accountability.html

Dr Bob in the Bronx wrote:

Erich Martel was lucky in that he was transferred away from his principal. As a senior (Ph.D., 30 years of college teaching) but untenured teacher in NYC I found myself, after two years of "satisfactory" teaching, on the wrong side of a messianic principal at one of the other elite NYC high schools. She demanded one type of lesson plan (developmental lessons), and subscribed to pet education theories long debunked by education researchers. Harassment came on a nearly daily basis, often by subservient assistant principals chosen for that trait and no other.

The principal stated her philosophy to me, "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way, but I'll win." And win she did, since the NYC DOE blindly follows the will of its principals, resulting in my being barred from ever teaching in NYC again at any level for life. As with Lee McCaskill at Brooklyn Tech HS, she has driven off excellent teachers, some who retired early rather than put up with what most people -- but not the DOE -- would define as harassment.

While there may be some poor teachers in the system, those that do not quit after a few years, and are granted tenure after review, deserve praise for showing up and teaching oversized classes day after day after day, particularly with the reprehensible behavior of students these days. The problem with high schools is the administration, not teachers, particularly the "absolute power corrupts absolutely" principals and their enablers. It is disgusting to see that the New York Times, as you mentioned above, fails to castigate administrations and blames poor student performance on teachers.

Students seem to feel that, as Woody Allen observed, "80 percent of success is just showing up" -- that they deserve at least a B if they attend class, even if unprepared, lacking completed assignments, and even if lacking a pencil. The elephant in the room is the Asian students, who, often despite language difficulties, perform at the highest levels, and now exceed 50% of the students at the high school I was driven out of. They succeed in the very same classrooms that others fail. Might their success be due to their preparedness, their parental involvement, their desire to attend the best college? Exactly how can a teacher, with five classes per day (often with several preparations) and required lesson plans and other administrative duties, possibly be responsible for the inspiration and success of each and every student when those students refuse to aspire to anything more than class disruption.

Evaluate Your Principal

Miss Eyre did at Life at the Morton School. And gave him/her a grade of "developing."

I used to ask my principal friends (yes, I had some) that if their teachers (and parents) could choose, would they choose you? It made them think. Now I have always maintained a key to school reform would be to have principals chosen that way but we will never see that happen.
(Believe it or not, the UFT actually once had that position but abandoned it very early on- the leadership never trusted the rank and file.)

I've maintained from personal observation and 40 years of stories that the percentage of lousy school administrators is way higher than that of lousy teachers, the focus of so much angst among the ed deform crowd. If people are serious about rooting out bad teachers, they must first give priority to rooting out the terrible level of administrators who go after teachers for just about any reason. Or those who are just plain incompetent.


Doesn't anyone scratch their heads as to why the very best teachers in the system are so fierce in defending teacher rights even if it means keeping a few bad apples? That's because they all know so many stories like the current Peter Lamphere tale at Bronx High School of Science.

Peter announced at the Delegate Assembly to stunned silence last week that he has been U-rated. Twice. Now Peter is a math teacher. One of the very best. How do I know? I met another young math teacher who was forced out at Bronx High and now has a job at one of the most prestigious gifted and talented schools in the city. Peter was her mentor (he looks like he's a kid himself - though at my age, everyone looks like a kid). She said he was the best of the best and that she learned more about teaching from him than any training she got.

So how does someone who is the "best of the best" face losing his job for "incompetence" and face potential rubber room isolation?

I told Joel Klein to his face at PEP meetings that allowing these political vendettas against teachers would so muddy the waters that he will have a terrible time getting rid of teachers who might deserve their fate because every single attack on teachers would be suspect.

And so it goes.

Anyone want to send me an evaluation of their principal? But play nice boys and girls. Let's not make it all negative. If you love your principal let us know too.

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Add-ons
Miss Eyre hears so many stories of awful principals that she will live with her current admin even with all the flaws. Also see Miss Eyre's superb post at her other beat at NYC Educator

"Stop Listening to the Teachers' Union! Listen to Parents!": Miss Eyre Agrees

------------
I had an interesting conversation with a leader of the pro-charter movement the other day and he actually agreed with me - in theory I guess because I don't see any signs that charter school principals would be chosen that way.

UPDATE: Highlights of the protest at Fordham HS for the Arts on March 13th

....after a hard day’s work for most of us who labor in NYC schools

SEE THE VIDEO



by Woodlass (http://underassault.blogspot.com/), guest contributor
March 14, 2009

The rally was introduced by Lynne Winderbaum (district rep, Bx HSS), who was flanked by the likes of Michael Mulgrew (Chief Operating Officer of the union), LeRoy Barr (Director of Staff), Jose Vargas (Bx Borough rep), and Rodney Grubiak (Bronx special rep).

Something’s got the UFT’s attention for a change.

Winderbaum slammed into Iris Blige and her wayward approach to educators, kids, and schools and said the union is “fed up” with the DoE’s support of principals like this one, who ¨ruin lives and ruin careers.” There are many of these in the city, but few of them get publicized for their aberrational behavior (see JD2718 here, and his July 08 ¨Do Not Apply” list as well).

Blige and her triumvirate (as someone called the staff of three she empowered to help her run the school) have set up a culture of terror. She disciplines teachers in front of kids, comes out of what someone called her “bat cave” to yell at students without knowing their names, and sends chapter leaders and other staff to the rubber room on false charges and on no charges. Some languish there for up to two years until their cases are dismissed.

¨It was hard to come to work in the morning,” said Peter Healy, a teacher who had decided Fordham Arts was no place for him and has found a position elsewhere.

Yesterday’s rally was organized in support of teacher Raqnel James, who has recently become a victim of Blige’s miserable judgment and management skills. It was reported at a recent union meeting that Blige arranged for eleven cops to come and arrest her at school, claiming she had written a letter that had included threats. Lacking evidence (the letter was faked), the police refused to charge her. Blige remains unscathed, protected by a chancellor who seemingly condones, and maybe even asks for administrator misconduct that borders on or exceeds legal limits (who knows).

Another gruesome story came from Fannie Davis, a veteran teacher of 32 years who had been a popular dean of students when Blige decided to excess her. She grieved, and after what looked like a successful hearing, Davis returned to the school to face a pissed off Blige. With the help of one of her APs (who later rescinded his statement and apologized to Davis personally for his action), Blige trumped up a cause for Davis's removal. Into the rubber room went she the very next day, where she remained sans allegation, sans charges, sans meetings, sans everything.

One full school year later, out of the blue, came a simple letter telling Davis to go back to work, which she did, but only to serve in a series of activities hardly matching her 34 years of teaching expertise: cafeteria and bleachers supervision, and copy machine duties (they told her to watch TV while she was down there doing that).

After some months of this, and fearful that a U-rating would be doled out come June no matter what, calls were made, emails were sent, lawyers were convened, and solution was found. She's now teaching her own subject at two different sites, free of Blige and enjoying her profession once again.

Blige, by the way, is footing the bill for this. Sweet!

Joel Klein is burnishing his legacy.

Michael Mulgrew picked up where Winderbaum left off. He told the crowd that the whole community is saying they want their school back and enjoined everyone present to make sure to keep the fight going.

[Editorial comment: With the UFT's stunning inability to keep any fight going, or even to recognize where the battles are, I’m not sure Mulgrew was in any position to request this of the teachers who came out for this rally in the cold.]

A pumped up LeRoy Barr said Blige has been sending a strong message: ¨We are clear we will not allow [teachers] to be respected in this building," which he says qualifies her for the PINI program Principals in Need of Improvement. (I'm yawning.)

Jose Vargas added that if anyone is punished for participating or supporting this rally in any way, he wants to know about it.

{Ed Note: YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING! HEY JOSE, CAN YOU SEE? HOW MANY YEARS OF HARASSMENT DID THESE PEOPLE UNDERGO? REMIND US EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID ABOUT IT.}

As the crowd chanted ¨RELEASE MS. JAMES, REMOVE BLIGE!" and "HEY, HO, IRIS BLIGE HAS GOT TO GO!", people were seen peeking out upper floor windows. Rumor has it that Blige was out of the building taking a group of intimidated first-year teachers to dinner.

Whew! With all that activism, one could get the impression our union has taken a stand against Klein.

Don’t count on it. We may respect some of our district reps for their commitment and efforts on our behalf, but the higher-ups are not dealing with the virus that has infected NYC education.