GothamSchools — daily independent reporting on NYC public schools

elsewhere in the bronx

Teachers accuse Bronx principal of a “reign of terror”

The flier advertising today's rally.

The flier advertising today's rally.

Teachers at the Fordham High School of the Arts plan to rally today in protest of their principal, who they say has conducted a “reign of terror” that is partly responsible for a 70% teacher turnover rate. Teachers from across the Bronx are invited to join the Fordham protest, which is being billed as a larger statement against what teachers call Chancellor Joel Klein’s “support of abusive principals.”

I don’t know any of the context here. It seems like a case where it’s impossible, without a lot more reporting, to know which side to believe — but very clear that the school environment is not a peaceful and happy one.

A Department of Education official, speaking on background today, said the protest is likely linked to an incident earlier this month where a teacher was removed from the school after an investigation tied her to a threatening letter written to the principal. A poster advertising the rally declares that teachers are protesting the “unfounded removal” of a teacher. The DOE source said the letter is being investigated by the police.

The teachers organizing the protest said in a memo that the principal’s misconduct stretches back through her five years at the school. They accuse her of unfairly sending teachers to the so-called rubber room and behaving in a way — yelling, screaming, belittling — that has caused many teachers to leave the school each year since her arrival.

Ann Forte, a spokeswoman for the Department of Education, said school officials do not plan to take action against the principal. “While we take complaints and allegations seriously, we don’t believe there is reason to remove the principal,” she said.

  • http://justicenotjustus Henry Funes riolove58@yahoo.com

    “I don’t know any of the context here. It seems like a case where it’s impossible, without a lot more reporting, to know which side to believe — but very clear that the school environment is not a peaceful and happy one.”

    “While we take complaints and allegations seriously, we don’t believe there is reason to remove the principal,”

    If a teacher sneezes and the principal does not like that the teacher sneezed he or she is removed from the building no ands, if or buts! It is clear that the DOE does not want to remove abusive, faling and incompetent principals. Why? TThe anwer will be crystal clear when all the children of this city go to charter schools, merit pay is citywide and the UFT is history.

  • http://jd2718.wordpress.com Jonathan

    “The DOE source said the letter is being investigated by the police.” – hmm. I think your source intentionally misinformed you. I believe that the police stopped investigating, and some time ago. A letter in someone else’s handwriting? Come on. It’s the DoE, not the cops, who are keeping Raqnel James in the rubber room…

    “It seems like a case where it’s impossible, without a lot more reporting, to know which side to believe” Well, no. But if more reporting was really necessary, you had a reporter 5 minutes away, at a [yawn] public hearing for what, 10 hours? The teachers and the union were there; the principal was inside.

    “The teachers organizing the protest said in a memo that the principal’s misconduct stretches back through her five years at the school.” Why in “a memo”? Why not speak with the teachers? The teachers and their reps would have gladly spoken to anyone who asked. It may be easier to get on the phone with a DoE official than with a teacher, but that leads to a certain slant in coverage, doesn’t it?

  • LB

    This rally felt like redemption for those of us who have suffered under the leadership at Fordham High School for the Arts.

    Iris Blige is a Principal who hides behind tyranny and abuse to disguise her incompetence. Having never taught, she is unable to translate what she understands as sound educational practice into leadership. When I first met her, I asked about her teaching background. She gave the vague response, “ I worked in special education.” During the first days of school, she took the lead in a professional development workshop for which she allocated 45 minutes for the presentation. She finished in 10 minutes and set the faculty to work on the application. Everyone gazed at each other confused because they did not understand the task. I immediately realized this woman never taught a day in her life.

    As a result of Iris Blige’s educational ignorance, she is ineffective as a principal, and is unable to complete the most basic supervisory task of evaluating teachers through the observation process. Whenever she does an observation, she brings with her an AP who does the write-up for her. Afraid to be known, she is paranoid of anyone who is going to pull her cover and reveal her ineptitude. This paranoia is evidenced by the tenured faculty who have faced false accusations to the untenured teachers who have been arbitrarily given u ratings and denied tenure.

    It is odious that the DOE has allowed such ineffectiveness to become the career-ender for so many promising young teachers. Competent principals would be able to recognize talent and effectively develop that talent into mastery. Unfortunately for many untenured teachers, that opportunity has been robbed from them.

    Hopefully this rally, serving as an expression of our first amendment rights, will bring to light the abuses of this dictatorial style of leadership. Our country was founded on the idea of that we all share basic rights; let’s hope these rights can be restored at Fordham High School for the Arts and the other schools who suffer under tyranny.

  • http://www.myspace.com/anthonyny1987 Anthony Peralta

    My Name is Anthony Peralta. I am a graduate student of Fordham High (2006).

    Ever since Iris Blige became the new Principle of Fordham High it was a really big scare. I didn’t know how she run our school,how she would influence the students with that nasty attitude of hers and most importantly, Will she gain respect from everyone. Yes everyone respected her,but it was just for the sake of their job. I am not writting this to trash talk Iris Blige, But I must say her leadership skills, Her way of trying to Fix Problems, Her ability to communication with others and work as one, her ambition to help out others was very poor. And this isn’t just an opinion I mean every knows and saw that. At one point I was like “Maybe she’s just doing her job a little different than the other principle by being more lenient” but that statement I had in mind didn’t make sense to me after a while. Because she really didn’t make the effort to influence anyone not even her staff. I remember when I used to perform on stage or when there was a Ceremony and she would speak…..no one would really clap for her because no one cared what she had to say. Now there is no way that a healthy staff can have such a dull and useless leader I mean she is like the weakest link. I care about Fordham Arts deeply and I hope the Board of Ed finds another principal. One who has a big heart and ambition to help others learn and succeed not only through out High-school but also in Life. Someone who can sense the Humor in a joke, someone who can be liked and loved ….not by fear but by respect. God Bless Iris Blige and God Bless all the staff from Fordham High school for the Arts.

    Thank you

  • Pingback: Waiting for America’s Next Top Stampede - City Room Blog - NYTimes.com

  • NY31

    Like yeah it is like a shame that the english department has suffered under her Leadership because I don’t Think capitalization works like This also what is a run on sentence I really Have no Idea and there is this funny shaped button on my Keyboard that looks like a komma (sic) booyah and lets go friars.

Tips, questions, feedback?

Contact us at .

Word from Our Sponsor

Follow GothamSchools

RSS
Subscribe to the daily email digest:

Chalk It Up

Recent Comments

1 comment so far today

Archives

May 2013
M T W T F S S
« Apr  
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031