Head of charter school set to close fires back at teachers, DOE

unchartered territory

January 28, 2010

Head of charter school set to close fires back at teachers, DOE

by Maura Walz

The head of the Brooklyn charter school whose charter could be revoked is firing back at the Department of Education and the former teachers who reported her.

In a letter sent to parents on Tuesday, Sheila Joseph, superintendent of the East New York Preparatory school, called the DOE’s allegations that she artificially inflated her salary, violated its charter by shortening the school year and expelled nearly 50 low-performing students before they took state tests “unfounded and untrue.” Joseph also argued in the letter that the school’s high faculty turnover rate was necessary to preserve high standards for the students.

“No one enjoys faculty turnover, but just as we have high and uncompromising standards for our students we also will not compromise on faculty performance,” she wrote. Between the end of last school year and the beginning of this one, the school lost every teacher it had.

“Some of our best teachers are now here because others had to be let go,” Joseph continued. “I don’t take lightly the fact that there has been turnover. However, I will never allow your children to have anything less than the absolute best.”

Former teachers at the school reacted angrily to Joseph’s explanation to parents.

“She’s lying,” said one former teacher who was dismissed in June.

“You’re saying you let go of 100 percent of your staff last year because they were bad, but all of your students passed the test?” the teacher said. (The school had 100 percent of its students score proficient on state math exams last year.) “If so, you must have done something with the scores.”

Teachers accused Joseph of firing them in retaliation for wanting to leave and for reporting abuses at the school to the DOE, which put the school on probation last February.

“I knew this was coming,” the teacher said. “We opened this can of worms.”

Teachers described a school in which teachers were fired arbitrarily and replaced with staff with neither teacher certification nor undergraduate degrees. The principal of the school was fired almost immediately after announcing she wouldn’t return the following year after having differences with Joseph, teachers said. A former teacher described a main hallway decorated with pictures of the teaching staff. “You’d come in and you’d see another picture gone,” the teacher said. “You’d be like, oh no.”

In addition to expelling students, a teacher said, low-scoring third graders were sent back to second grade to avoid being tested. Teachers said that students with disabilities were either counseled out of the school or taught by teaching assistants who lacked proper certification.

One teacher said the school never gave her a copy of its charter; when she finally received it from the DOE’s charter school office, she discovered the school had received funds for technology and project-based learning that were never implemented. Another former teacher said that, even as Joseph gave herself a raise, she cut teachers’ hours and solicited donations from parents, citing budget cuts.

Mona Davids, head of the New York Charter Parents Association, who has argued that charter schools need to be more transparent and held accountable for more than just test scores, said the case of East New York Prep underscores the need for better parent grievance processes and teacher whistle-blower protections in charter schools.

“If you’re trying to tell us that everyone of those 48 [expelled] students’ parents didn’t want to complain about it — they couldn’t complain about it, because they have nowhere to go in the charter school system,” Davids said. The DOE opened its investigation of the school in response to complaints from parents, but Davids said the process must be more formal.

Davids said that as a charter school parent, she also hoped that teachers would one day be able to report improprieties they see in their schools without fear for their jobs.

“There should be whistle-blower protections for teachers in charter schools,” she said. “I’m not saying that all charter schools should be unionized, but with every job, there should be some some protections.”

The school and parents received a letter from the DOE on Monday night detailing the reasons behind the closure. The school has 30 days to respond before Chancellor Joel Klein makes a final decision. In the letter, Joseph says she will reply to the charges in that time.

Joseph is also convening a series of meeting with parents to defend herself and the school. The first of those meetings was held tonight, with three more to follow through the weekend. One former teacher also reported that the school’s parent coordinator is organizing a petition for parents who want to save the school.

The DOE is holding a meeting of its own at the school, next Wednesday, to explain the closure and offer help placing students in other schools.

A former teacher said she was confident that the schools’ students would weather the changes and find spots at other schools.

“The school doesn’t even need to be shut down, in my opinion,” she said. “[Joseph] just needs to go.”

Here is the full text of Joseph’s letter:

138 Comments

Subscribe to comments with RSS or TrackBack

lmao
January 28th, 2010 8:56 pm

This is crazy!!!!!!!!
lmao
January 28th, 2010 8:59 pm

What else needs to be done??? How much more can this psych steal from tax payers?? I’m ready to call Klein asap myself.
Invictus
January 28th, 2010 9:05 pm

The crazies are in charge of the madhouse and on top of it, these so called Education Reformers are advocating this sort of non sense as a “model” of improvement. These Edeots will see more of this sort of nonsense happening over and over again.
NotSurprised
January 28th, 2010 9:16 pm

Wow just wow… loll this is crazyyyy!!!! She should be stopped already
Pogue
January 28th, 2010 9:31 pm

High turnover rate for teachers in charters, high turnover rate for students in need at closing high schools. This is all good, isn’t it, Post, Daily News, and Times?

Keep It Moving, NYC!
KitchenSink
January 28th, 2010 10:32 pm

Sounds like some really good reporting going on here. Thanks for telling the school leader’s side of the story, though it sounds nothing short of outrageous.
Sheila Joseph
January 28th, 2010 10:54 pm

God is with my school. The truth will prevail. Let’s pray together for the children.
I noticed that...
January 28th, 2010 11:23 pm

Sheila,

Is your a parochial or catholic school? That’s the only way G_d can be with you. Therefore, you must remember that there’s separation between church and state.

If you have nothing to hide, then the truth will prevail. Unfortunately, it truly seems as though the masses have spoken.
Concerned parent
January 28th, 2010 11:50 pm

I’ve noticed that most of the negative comments are coming from the teachers that were fired!!! if you were doing your job ,you would still be at ENYP!!
family guy
January 28th, 2010 11:59 pm

I am a parent of two students that attend enyp. I believed in Sheila’s dream. She had my husband and I really happy with the academics and goals. The bottom line is that the only persons name on the those documents I recieved about closure is Sheila Joseph’s. I could care less about what fired employees have to say. Her name is all over the reports. Not their’s. She is being accused of these CRIMES. I didnt even like my daughter’s teacher last year. What’s important now is that the school is being shut down and the bullets all lead to the leader doing things deceitfully.
Upset
January 29th, 2010 12:16 am

These less fortunate children of our community are let down yet again. What else needs to be done to prove that the problem is the “Superintendent”? How can you continuously do this to our children? My child comes home everyday talking about her values and goals for school and one of them is to have “Integrity”. This is a complete contradiction of what you are telling my child is the right thing to do. It’s sad that these children look up to you and you’re everything you tell them not to be. I am highly disappointed and will say what I have to say next week at the meeting! You say pray for your school… No, how about let’s pray for all these children that are going to be school-less next year! Especially the seniors! Unbelieveable! I hope this teaches you a lesson in some way or another…
Observer
January 29th, 2010 1:08 am

I’m writing regarding Sheila Joseph’s comment: “God is with my school. The truth will prevail. Let’s pray together for the children.” Is she an Evangelical Christian? Charter schools started during George Bush administration, a born again Evangelical Christian. I suspect that the idea of Charter schools (that could be open by any individual whether qualified or not) is a way to proselytize to children. She should know that in America we have separation between church and state.
STARRR
January 29th, 2010 1:21 am

Theres people coming to these meetings and writing things in these comments that don’t even have kids at ENYP. Wake up people. A lot of these people have their own little agenda. My children been at ENYP for 3 years, and all I know is that they love their school and they have confidence and belief in themselves. What I see when I go to the school are teachers and leadership who care about my kid. None of us knows what happened yet, but we know there are always those who are out there to try to manipulate us for their own purposes and take what we have. Sometimes my instincts are wrong but usuauly there right. Ms Joseph and the teachers at the school may not be perfect they are not bad people and none of this sounds right. It’s not a ppularity contest and just because you don’t like Ms. Joseph dont meand she isn’t running a wonderful school. Some of the teachers who got fired might feel different but i would not like the person who fired me either. And the teachers union that wants no teacher to ever get fired no matter how bad they are is playing a part in this too. Yall trust me on that! If the DOE care so much about this neighborhood and our children, why are all the schools THEY run over here always so bad? If they love us so much, how come they woudn’t let the ENYP kids use the bathrooms or the cafeteria or the other facilities? How come they bounce us from one location to another without out any input from us? Now the city is trying to not spend any money on black children so all of a sudden they are shutting down all these “underperforming schools” and we’re supposed to go ahead and shut down one of our best performing schools? The timing is to perfect to be coincidence. They are trying to save money because the city is BROKE, and Bloomberg and Klein and this “Duffy” are trying to use us to do their dirty work. If we let them they going to just sit back and laugh while we let some fired teachers and some people with personal dislike of Ms. Joseph destroy one of the best schools in Brooklyn and they move that money to spend on another Yankee parade. Please people, WAKE UP BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!!!!! We always are the ones to do it to ourselves but please not this time. We have to speak up and do whatever we can to save our school because once it’s gone then what?
No-key-doke
January 29th, 2010 2:11 am

I’m with you STARRR. Who is this Mona Davids chic they quote in the article anyway? I never saw or heard of her before tonight. I looked her up. She started some organization thats supposed to help charter school families but now all she does is go around helping shut down charter schools in black neighborhoods. If she’s such the concerned leader she should have been helping out when the DOE kept bouncing ENYP all around. She should be helping the parents to FIX the school not helping the city to destroy it! This whole thing is looking real shady to me. I think Mona Davids must work for the DOE or the teachers union. But it doesn’t matter because the fix is probably already in. The DOE is supposedly not going to make a decision for 30 days right? But yet they keep leaking stuff to the press like it’s a done deal. And now they’re trying to get the parents to say bad things against the school to justify shutting it down and they are already holding meetings to try tell parents that the school is closing and to tell them what crappy school to send their children too next year? What about keeping the good parts and fixing the bad? Yeah, something about this definitely aint right. The fix is in.
NotSurprised
January 29th, 2010 5:11 am

I really do not appreciate when people use God as a back up especially when you’re stealing from hard working investors and government money. Yes, the academics at that school is good but Sheila’s motive is disgusting.

Upset- I agree with you 100%! Seems like she “preaches” integrity to the kids but is the biggest hypocrite. The parents that feel the school itself is great, you are right. But wouldn’t you want someone who has the experience and actually cares about your kids to run the school??? Or someone who practices what they preach? If your child had some special need or some sort of learning disorder, they would not be at ENYP. And Sheila makes sure to let you parents constantly know that, “If you do not like what’s happening at this school, then ENYP is not the place for you.”

She never even taught yet she thinks she knows how to run a school. DOE is finally putting their foot down! I’m just concerned why it took so long to do so? The students will find a better school, you can only go up from here anyway!
seriously
January 29th, 2010 5:48 am

Do you really think those teachers are only speaking up now that they were let go? Not at all!! They were calling DOE all last year while working under that lady and NO ONE WOULD LISTEN!!! Those teachers have moved on to bigger & better things and are more concerned about the children than anything else. Why is it ok for some1 to steal money? And kick those beautiful children out because they needed extra help? I knew something fishy was up with her from DAY 1! You are right Sheila, the truth will prevail and maybe then will the parents understand what shadyness they are dealing with.
first year Teacher
January 29th, 2010 7:31 am

I taught there the first year and I’m happy to see this happening. I was not fired I left. I’m with the parent that said its past the children. Nobody elses names is on that charter revocation notice except Sheila’s. That’s it. Enough said. The DOE could care less about her. Why take her down for no reason? What you do in the dark always comes to light! To use God as an ally is nasty. God don’t like ugly Sheila. Shame on you for doing this.I teach fourth grade school in Queens and my principal says bottom line her credibility is shot! She is done.
Harlem
January 29th, 2010 7:54 am

This is just one example of a school that got caught. Get ready for similar stories in the future. The country needs to know that its leaders are covering up this corruption. Thank you for nothing Obama, Duncan, Bloomberg, Klein, Sharpton, and Gingrich. Your “reforms”, deregulation and privitization of our country’s schooling system is already leading to instability for our children. Communities fighting with one another, corruption, the manipulation of statistics, deciet and the abuse of our neediest children is where you reformers are misleading us. The country’s economic collapse will be nothing compared to the education collapse we are headed for.
KitchenSink
January 29th, 2010 8:02 am

Harlem, if these allegations are true (and I’m not saying they aren’t, I don’t know), what makes you say that Obama, Duncan, Bloomberg, Klein, Sharpton and Gingrich are covering this up?

Klein’s man’s signature is on that letter that was blasted all over cyberspace. It’s possible there was a coverup for the last 3 or 4 years or whatever it is, but the DOE is the entity that came forward here.
First Grade Teacher
January 29th, 2010 9:41 am

I had not planned on commenting on Sheila Joseph and ENYP because I was so over the entire ordeal of ENYP and have moved on with my career. However, I feel compelled to say something. I also don’t feel the need to defend myself or the other former teachers because the success of the students speaks for itself. Ms. Joseph gave the teachers a book to read last year which focused on the fact that it’s people not programs which makes or breaks a school. ENYP is broken. Whether we want to accept it or not Sheila Joseph broke ENYP. I also recall a speech that Ms. Joseph gave at an awards ceremony in which she spoke about integrity. She said integrity is what you do when no one is looking. Where is your integrity Ms. Joseph?
No-key-doke
January 29th, 2010 9:47 am

So there was all this complaining but all of a sudden they start to listen now? Please! Why all of a sudden now? They want to shut that school no matter what and the easiest way to do it is to try to unite everyone against Ms. Joseph because people don’t like her. I read every single word of that report and it did not say one word about anyone stealing. If someone was stealing they would have said that. Now they got everybody else believing it and repeating it without ever having to say it themselves. That’s called manipulation. NotSurpised asks “wouldn’t you want someone who has the experience and actually cares about your kids to run the school???” Well then how come keeping the school open with new leadership is not even being discussed? Because the fix is in!! And we’re just supposed to shut up and let it happen or even worse, do their dirty work for them by turning on ourselves. Everyone is crying like it’s so bad to have rules and to enforce them. But what’s wrong with someone saying “If you do not like what’s happening at this school, then ENYP is not the place for you.” If you work at Burger King and insist on cooking Big Macs your boss is going to tell you the same thing eventually. If the school has a way of doing things and it gets results and someone wants to come in and do it there own way, even if there way if fine, they need to get on board or go. Bottom line is people who care about the children at that school need to find out the facts and demand that whoever need to go goes and that the problems get FIXED WITHOUT DESTROYING or closing the school. Anyone who says otherwise has their own agenda and does not give a damn about these kids.
A Former Employee within her adminsitration
January 29th, 2010 10:22 am

I would like to say for all the parents who “can care less what a former employee has to say about ENYP…..” you should care. I know when I was hired I believed in all she was doing. But, things began to morph into something other than the “expectations” and “goals” that she claimed she had for the children. I witnessed her coerce an educator into writing a letter to a parent so she can withdraw her IEP needs student so it wouldn’t look like she requested he is discharged. I witnessed her speak with an individual in leadership regarding under performing students and how she needed to “move them back a grade immediately”. I wasn’t going to lie for sake of keeping my job and if you all believe that everyone was fired for being poor workers or a less than great educator than I’m sorry to say you’ve been mislead. You’re children are treated as numbers and financial figures to her. She doesn’t care about why your children may be underperforming. Her response to academic support is find it in another insititution. Her favorite quote “this is an at will institution”. It didn’t apply to just employees. It was stated to parents as well. So, if you feel last february meetings was a witch hunt and all these allegations are a reason to close another “black school” you’re wrong. It is unfortunate that a black woman who accomplished what she did resorted to such things. She pegged parents in Brownsville as being “uneducated” and being “ghetto”. Depending on who and where you are from she does not have any regard for your kids or you for that matter. The only time the “ghetto parents with big mouths” are welcome is when her paycheck is compromised. But when you all want to attend a board meeting you become “loud and obnoxious” and “dont know how to act in those enviornments”. But, you could care less what a former employee has to say.
msAKA
January 29th, 2010 10:42 am

This school had a lot of potential. Sometimes it takes a prinicpal willing to put everything on the line to ensure the children do not suffer. For those students in the school, I truly feel they were cared for. The teachers may have been forced to live up to unrealistic standards and verbally abused (my family member taught there) but I imagine it is disheartening for a principal to see her dreams for improving the future deterred.
In the end, I look at this neighborhood and ask who has really stepped up? Do we expect the DOE to solve anything, they are at the mercy of the City, where Metrocards may be discontinued and budget cuts remove teachers instead of administrative staff. Perhaps the ‘great’ principals at other charter schools could work harder to ensure checks and balances are in place because in this situation, everyone IS judged by one person’s misdeeds. Look at how many people oppose charter school funding… Shiela may have compromised her integrity fighting for the dream but why should the students suffer? the school should stay open.
Peter Murphy
January 29th, 2010 11:06 am

Charter schools indeed are “at-will” entities. You can choose to send or not send your child and you can choose to work or not work at one. However, that does not entitle the board or leadership of a charter school to govern or lead in an arbitrary and capricious manner. Charter schools are public schools with applicable rules and provisions; they also are given freedom and automony which must be carefully and wisely used to provide a superior public education to its students. Failure to do so brings consequences. Charter schools are accountable entities, more so than district schools, and East NY Prep’s probation and now revocation process is a primary example of that accountability. Shelia Joseph will have her say for which she is entitled. In the end, if the DOE and SED findings are accurate and remain, East NY Prep will close. Even if the school averted revocation now, it is highly unlikely to be renewed next year under these circumstances.
Tim
January 29th, 2010 11:26 am

As an aside — folks, Gotham Schools won’t charge you extra if you hit the enter/return key every once in a while!

My hunch is that there are plenty of folks in the pro-charter movement who are thrilled by spectacular failures such as this one. Rogue actors such as Ms. Joseph make the notion of brand-name/chain/corporate charters look safe by comparison.
Tim
January 29th, 2010 11:47 am

KS and Peter Murphy, I appreciate the merits of your argument for accountability. But even if a school is held accountable within a single academic year, an awful lot of cats have been let out of the bag:

– the many counseled-out kids, who suffer the devastation of going from winning a charter lottery to being told they’re not wanted anymore. And heaven knows how much abuse they suffered in between, from the point the principal realized they would drag down test scores.

– the teachers who leave the business entirely on the basis of the one horrible experience with the bad charter operator. There’s possibly a lot of lost potential here.

– the non-counseled-out families who have to scramble for new schools, and who have seemingly in this case been subjected to a lot of “God” and the weird charter school eye-contact gimmick

– the traditional public school whose space and effectiveness was compromised by the charter’s inclusion in their building in the first place (although I don’t know if that happened in this case)

It stands to reason that if charters scale up, more and more rogue operators will be brought on line. No matter how quickly they are rooted out, there’s an awful lot of collateral damage to be done, collateral damage that would likely not occur in a traditional school (at least one not run by a leadership academy principal). Especially if the traditional school were given the low class sizes, equipment, and most favored nation status charters have gotten in the Bloomberg regime.
JOHAnN
January 29th, 2010 12:52 pm

OK everybody it’s over. ENYP will be closed! Nobody wants its but u cannot steal and get away with it! sorry. even if she doesnt face charges she has lost all credibility! i hope she sits under the jail. what the hell made her think she desrved 60k more?? Please! Why the hell is her baby daddy on payroll?? It does not make sense.
Seriously?
January 29th, 2010 2:13 pm

This HAS to be from someone who was let go from ENYP. This person wouldnt dare say ‘I was fiddling my thumbs at my computer all day long’ or say ‘I wasnt a great teacher’. Get a life and get over it! ENYP is a great school and all the children there are doing so well! I believe the DOE or rather, DUFFY has a problem because our BLACK children are doing EXCEPTIONALLY WELL and arent populating the jails!
Love for ENYP
January 29th, 2010 2:17 pm

ENYP is a great school! My children love it there…the teachers are great and Ms. Joseph geniunely loves and care for the children! My children have dreams for themselves that I didnt have. I truly appreciate a school like this in our neighborhood! This school cant close!
KitchenSink
January 29th, 2010 2:45 pm

Hi Tim,

Thanks for the respectful tenor of your comments and your reasoned approach.

I’ve seen this kind of nonsense, and this collateral damage as you call it, going on in district public schools in poor neighborhoods since I got into teaching.

As for the increasing number of charter operators leading to more ‘rogue’ charters opening up, I share your concern. We all need badly run charter schools like we need a hole in the head (except maybe NYSUT, which can point to the ineffectiveness of the charter movement).

But the lines down the block to get in to these lotteries, sometimes for schools with zero history, zero credibility and being run by people younger than many of the parents themselves, lay bare the desperation for safe, rigorous, respectful school environments that charters have, by and large, provided.
Fact Checker
January 29th, 2010 4:33 pm

Everyone needs to calm down, take a breath, and get a few facts straight! I know some people like to form opinions and not be bothered with facts, but for those of us who are more concerned with getting to the truth than with seizing an opportunity to settle a personal vendetta, a few facts can go a long way. Otherwise it’s easy for people with their own agendas to come in and get everybody up in arms through insulations and innuendo without any context. A few facts go a long way, so let’s take a minute and check a few of them:
- They say Ms. Joseph’s salary was raised from $120k to $180k. According to SeeThroughNY (http://curious2.typepad.com/curious2/education/) the average salary of the top earner at a charter school or CMO is $169,772. The median is $145,000. If you factor in other costs, like pensions and expense accounts, the average is $186,828 and the median is $158,928. For reference, the average superintendent salary (including regional and community superintendents) is $177,785. Moreover, the compensation range is fairly huge. The highest salary for a charter school leader or executive is $494,269 ($515,258 with pension and expense accounts). The lowest salary is $86,057 (there were no listed pension or expense accounts for this person) according to data provided by SeeThroughNY.
- The DOE has insinuated without stating that the people running ENYP are thieves, but according to their own reports, “ENYP is in a strong fiscal position.”
- It’s been reported that one of the ENYP’s “violations” is for reducing the school by 12 days, from 190 to 178. However, anyone can look at ENYP’s calendar and see that this is not the case. The reduced figure of 178 was arrived at by completely discounting the periodic half-days worked into the schedule.
- One of the school’s so-called “violations” is for adding a Saturday Academy without DOE permission. Strange that one the one hand there’s a violation for decreasing the school year and the other there is a violation for INCREASING it.
- The sensationalized articles written about ENYP in the last week intentionally leave the impression that theirs are the “worst” examples of violations. But according to a study published in April by the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, governance challenges are very common for charter schools in their first few years as their Boards transition from founding Boards to governance Boards.
- The Notice alludes to the co-employment relationship that ENYP entered into with ADP Total Source (http://www.adptotalsource.com/). The clear insinuation is that ADP is a “front” that Ms. Joseph used to funnel off funds from the school. The fact is that ADP is a well known and well respected $9 billion dollar company that trades publically on the NY Stock Exchange with 57,000 clients worldwide. It is basically a human resources outsourcing company that allows start up and small business to offer their employees the benefits of a large company through their combined purchasing power. Hundreds of charter schools nationwide use their services.
Knowledge is power people. Do your own research and do not allow yourselves to be used and manipulated by people whose only agenda is to rob the black and brown children of Brownsville and East New York of one of the few schools in the community that actually gets results!
first year Teacher
January 29th, 2010 5:12 pm

Well we will see what happens. If the truth will soon come out then let it be.I’m four years past the school. Justice will prevail. All of the parents that are happy,will be happy finding a new school to put their children in. Its very sad yes, but hey it happens. If Sheila Joseph is innocent then I hope the DOE is not wrongfully accusing her. Take it to trial and see what happens then. We are not in those files. I hope the kids have not been traumatized.
first year Teacher
January 29th, 2010 5:16 pm

I also think Fact checker is correct. There may a be a few things exaggerated, but that’s what happens when it hits the fan and goes public.evrything may not be true but there is definetely some truth to it!
Outraged
January 29th, 2010 6:39 pm

Do you know what Sheila Joseph has been doing this year? She is having her UNCERTIFIED teacher’s assistants pull out the higher performing students and teaching them all day! These teacher’s assistants are not certified to be pull out teachers, so what kind of education are they receiving??

The children of ENYP are not getting the education that they need because of Sheila Joseph’s poor decision making. Stop running the school with dollar signs in your eyes, Sheila.
NotSurprised
January 29th, 2010 6:53 pm

I am so glad Outraged mentioned that the TA’s are teaching… smh
Karma
January 29th, 2010 7:53 pm

This is regarding Sheila Joseph’s comment…”God is with my school. The truth will prevail. Let’s pray together for the children”

Honestly…

God is with those children and I believe they will be well taken care of. However, it is a little to late for Sheila to make herself look holier than thou with that comment. Iv seen first hand the UGLINESS of Sheila Joseph who cares only of her own reputation and not about the well being and education of the kids at ENYP. So, its simple…what’s happing to Ms. Sheila Joseph is simply because “GOD DON’T LIKE UGLY!”

I would suggest the only thing Sheila should be praying for right now is FORGIVENESS!
Peter Murphy
January 29th, 2010 9:23 pm

To Tim: Whatever “scale-up” of charters occurs in the future, it is critical that the approval process remain rigorous to minimize the possibilty of rogue situations.
cie
January 29th, 2010 9:28 pm

We the parent of the children of East New York Prep, will not let the white masters come into our community and take away our children’s future and hope of going into good and excellent colleges. We fully support the and stands behind the ENYP and its leader, Ms Joseph. We want good schools in our community and not more jails. We don’t want any more of our children going to jail. We want them in schools.
The DOE has already failed NY’s children by having more failing schools than anywhere else in the country. We must not let them take away our top performing charter in one of the worst neighborhood in the NY.
We support ENYP’s 100% and will stand by it.
sam
January 29th, 2010 10:11 pm

Do not stand by and let the DOE come in our community and cause us to lose an excellent school. We must unite and not let a successful black institution fall, like they come in our communities and shoot our young people and get away with murder. Do not let this be another shooting of our children. We must unite and run Michael Duffy and his team, who has been harassing other parents with numerous phone calls, out of town. Now is the time to unite, don’t wait. Do not wait until they close our school and then we start a petition and rallies. Stand and fight you mighty people of East New York. This is not the time to sit back and say nothing. They could and never would go into the white and Jewish neighborhoods and do these things. Don’t’ let them come in East New York do it either – equal rights for all. Fellow parents let us take the fight to the DOE, get on the phone with Chancellor Kline, Mayor Bloomberg, your political representatives. Let them know that enough is enough. We will not accept them writing off East New York any more. Let’s start calling them now. East New York Prep. the top charter school to be closed, we will not accept this, it provides opportunities for children in our community and it must stay.
yed
January 29th, 2010 10:28 pm

I agree that closing another school is like murdering one of our children and we must not stand and let this happen. We must come and support our educational institution and the leaders in our community, we may not agree with everything they do or say, but we must stand with them when they are taking and promoting our children and community to achieve excellence. I fully support the work that is being done at East New York Prep. Where was the DOE when East New York Prep staff were being robbed and badly beaten up and assaulted, when the children are learning in small rooms with partitions and still achieving excellent results. Parents and supporters stand your grounds and fight for good schools in your community. Fight for your school.
Former Teacher
January 29th, 2010 11:03 pm

In response to Yed’s comment, “Where was the DOE when East New York Prep staff were being robbed and badly beaten up and assaulted” :

where was ENYP when we were assaulted and harrassed? nowhere…even after reported incidents, they refused to offer us any sort of protection whether it was through car service or driving us to the train station themselves. for all of the money that joseph was pocketing, would it be so much trouble to ensure that your staff is safe?

sheila joseph never cared about the teachers. she cannot even understand because she is safeguarded from the community in her fancy car.
post
January 29th, 2010 11:05 pm

As the DOE wages a war to close Charter School it is pulling out all tactics in calling parents to find out negatives information and to plant lies and misinformation to the school’s children parents on the school and its found Sheila Joseph. It has in the past few days released very disparaging information, which no professional and ethnical organization would be engaged in without first finding out all the facts. The fact that the DOE and its leaders has allowed this kind of behavior to be part of its culture that is responsible for educating our children, clearly demonstrates the end results and the reasons so many school have closed in the past few days. Which highly functioning organizing or business would allow such unethical behavior to be part of its culture? We need to call for an immediate investigation of the leaders of the DOE and it practices, and ask why are they allowed to spend our tax payer’s money waging such fight against an organization with limited resources and space , that have outperformed the schools that they are in charge of overseeing.
Let’s call upon the DOE and its leaders to give account now.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm in total Disbelief
January 30th, 2010 2:16 am

This is such a disgrace! I can not believe some of you parents that make parents like myself look foolish,uneducated, naive, and desperate! How can you sit there and support someone who truly doesn’t care about you nor your children?? Yes, I do understand that you may not want to go through the struggle to find a new school for your child or whatnot but you must remember that this is your child’s education–your child’s future that you are putting at risk by supporting this person who as the former administrator states “your children are treated as numbers and financial features…” Parents you need to seriously wake up. All of a sudden Sheila Joseph wants to call meetings and invite us??? And like the naive parents in which she knows we are we come and fall into her traps… Yes, I will have to go through the struggle to find a new school for my son, however, I know that this is for a good cause and I will do all that I have to do to ensure that my son gets the education he deserves and more. And the frequent change of extra-curricular activities?? My son doesn’t even take school serious anymore because its January and he’s had 3 different teachers! He tells me that they change from yoga to dance and back to yoga?? (in the beginning of the year they had yoga then changed their extra-curricular to dance and now they are doing yoga?) So for you Joseph supporters don’t be naive and desperate. Look for a new school for your children because at the end of the day it’s effecting your child’s future–not hers.
Parent of ENYP
January 30th, 2010 7:02 am

Are you guys not realizing what she is doing?? My daughter needed speech and Sheila did NOTHING to help me. I’m so glad I am moving on to a new school. Sheila would dodge me whenever I wanted a meeting with her and couldn’t get her to return my calls for 6 months! And NOWWWW she needs us to run to her parent meetings because her paycheck is being messed with? Please lady, I can’t wait to move to a new school and have my daughter somewhere where they care about her. You tell me when you see Sheila hug a child or gets down to eye level and talk to a child. She DOES NOT CARE!
jp
January 30th, 2010 10:07 am

Yesterday someone compared East New York Prep Charter School to a concentration camp. If having strict discipline, teaching young black boys and girls respect for themselves, others and for society, to dress properly, and to follow rules let it be a concentration camp. Is it not better to teach our future young black men and ladies to respect each other’s, than to have them later becoming wards of the state, being arrested and thrown in jail, being herded like cattle’s in prison cells, having no future, but being used as economic welfare for white prison guards in upstate counties and across the country to send their kids to the best schools. More power to the gatekeepers of the concentration camp, if this will keep our young black men from being shot 42 times, beaten, arrested, getting a criminal record, jailed, and unemployed. I say let’s have more concentration camps in 2010. Bring them on. We should be asking for more such camps.
When the cops are harassing and throwing our young black men in jail, is it ok? When the cops are harassing our young men in our communities is it ok? When our young black men are unemployed because they don’t have a job is it ok? When our young black men cannot read and write is it ok? I say more camps please.

East New York Prep, more concentration camp please. Our young and beautiful boys and girls need them. Don’t stop more camps please.
DOE HANDS OFF OUR CONCENTRATION CAMP, does the police harasses your children in your community , no?. PLEASE LEAVE OUR CAMP ALONE
Mona Davids
January 30th, 2010 10:20 am

New York Charter Parents Association - Of the Parents, By the Parents, For the Parents

MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

The New York Charter Parents Association (NYCPA) is convening an Emergency Meeting to address the lack of accountability, transparency, parent voices and teacher voices that led to the intended revocation of the charter at East New York Prep Charter School (ENYP).

Charter parents must know their rights in the charter school system so that this does not happen again to any of our children. Come and learn the facts about ENYP and how charter schools are governed.

Where: Brooklyn Borough Hall
209 Joralemon Street

When: Monday, February 1, 2009
6pm – 8pm

Directions: 2, 3, 4, 5, N, R, trains to Brooklyn Borough Hall
A, C, F, trains to Jay Street
B25, B26, B38, B52, B41 to Brooklyn Borough Hall

For more information, contact Mariama Sanoh at (646) 205-3250 x108 or via email at msanoh @ nycharterparents . org

Visit us online - NYCHARTERPARENTS . ORG
sall
January 30th, 2010 10:33 am

Leave ENYP alone to educate the children in East New York. Disguntled staff and parents who are no longer at ENPY get a life and move on. Lets educated our children so they don’t grow up bitter and jealous, hateful like many of you . Everyone of you are black. Every one of the DOE people are white. They throw in one or two token blacks to say it’s not about race, look at the positions they hold. Look at Michael Duffy’s face, look at Sheila Joseph’s face. Look at the accomplishments compare their bios. People of East New York wake up. This is a race thing. Don’t be fooled by the stupid allegations, Michael Duffy and his team gave to media. Look at every black leaders what they try to do to.
We should not have black people educating our own black children. What, white people know more about our kids than we?
Ask yourself this ,how many of the charter schools are run by blacks. Ask Michael Duffy.
Ask Michael Duffy – you will see that this is another race card. You are black and we are not going to stand by and see your school have better results than the white schools.
WE ARE GOING TO TAKE YOU DOWN NOW. WE HAVE THE POWER . WE ARE NOT READY FOR ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL BLACK LEADER—NO MORE OBAMA’s. STOP HER NOW. DISTROY HER IN THE MEDIA
Michael M.
January 30th, 2010 11:07 am

Ms Davids,

The burden of proof on the merits of a school (charter or otherwise) or its principal should based on the noblest of principles, not simply circle-the-wagons principles.

What child — as opposed to strategic or edu-philosophical interests — is well served by what we’ve been reading about?

I urge you and your organization to: Clean it, don’t cover for it.

Note that under Bloomberg and Klein, the DOE and PEP just closed a whole slew of NON-charter schools… over LESS.
Mona Davids
January 30th, 2010 12:11 pm

Hi Michael M.,

I intend to clean it, not cover for it. What is now happening at ENYP is not surprising to me. There are worse violations of charters at other schools. I want to see the DoE who authorized those charter schools place those school leaders under probation or send them a letter that if they continue to violate the charter law and their charter that they too will be shut down.

No system is perfect - neither the District/DoE or charter. I know many great charter school leaders and board members but I also know those that don’t care about their “scholars” and view them as dollar widgets. I also know great principals in the District/DoE system and terrible principals as well.

However, unlike the District/DoE system, charter parents don’t know their rights under the charter system much less how charters are governed.

How many parents know what a charter is? How many parents know what is in their school’s charter? How many parents know that you cannot file a grievance if it is not a violation of the school’s charter? How many parents have a copy of their school’s charter or by-laws?

Charter’s have no Parents Bill of Rights or Students Bill of Rights.

I doubt the parents at ENYP and other schools understand their school leaders though founders are employees of their charter school the same as teachers and staff. It is the board that governs the school. Unfortunately, in many charters, the board is a founders board and in many cases have not undergone board governance training and are friends, relatives or business acquaintances of the founders. Pretty much puppets.

Perhaps Lisa Donlan could do a charter board puppet show like what she did at last week’s PEP meeting

So, if parents or teachers have an issue, it’s a waste of time to go to the board because they’re not really governing they’re just puppets. The board members themselves have no clue what’s
in the schools charter and by-laws. Then remember, if it’s not a violation of the charter, you CANNOT file a grievance AND when you do file a grievance, the board has 30 days to respond, if you’re not satisfied with the response, you file a grievance with the chancellor or SUNY depending on who your authorizer is, wait 30 days for their response, then if you’re still not satisfied with their response THEN ONLY can you file your grievance with the Regents.

Are you kidding me? That’s ridiculous!

In the case of ENYP, it was only when the State did their review in November did the DoE finally act. The DoE should have taken the parents and teachers concerns seriously from the beginning even though it was not a violation of the charter that not one of those parents and teachers had ever seen.

Parents have to FOIL their schools to get copies of their charter and by-laws. Why can’t the schools post their charters and by-laws online where parents may download it? Charter schools are public non-profit corporations. All information is public information - financials, by-laws, charter, salaries, everything.

I know ENYP parents want their school to remain open. I’ve received phone calls and emails from parents asking me why can’t their school remain open and just replace the principal and the board. In District/DoE, they’d just replace the principal, why not the same with ENYP?

Charter parents do not understand charter law and how charters are governed? Had the complaints of parents and teachers at this school been taken seriously by the DoE although not all being a violation of the charter (e.g. expelling low performing students etc.), the school could have been saved. We’re now beginning February, the co-location agreement expires on June 30 and they’re not on the PEP agenda to extend their co-location. There is no proposal before the February PEP for a change in space utilization - HINT, HINT, WINK, WINK - ENYP won’t have a home on July 1 anyway.

Best regards,
Mona
Former Teacher
January 30th, 2010 2:49 pm

To all the parents that support Sheila Joseph, I want you to know that she is robbing your children of many of the educational amenities they could be enjoying.

ENYP is currently occupying space within a public school. However, because Sheila Joseph has ruined the relationship with the principal of that school, your children CANNOT EVER use the gym and library. I have watched Sheila Joseph demean and disrespect the librarian of that school. It is that disrespect that is causing your children’s education to decline.

That library has multiple, new Apple computers that your children can use for research and thousands of books that can encourage your children to read more! Currently, your children don’t even have access to one computer in their classroom! What a shame since this increases the technological gap between your children and the other children in the NYC school system.

In addition, your children are learning in much smaller classrooms because Sheila Joseph has put up dividers in each classroom. She uses the other half for office space. Your children could benefit tremendously with a larger classroom if she determined proper space allocation.

Also, your children only get 40 minutes of yoga 2-3 times a week which is not enough physical exercise for any child. A child cannot have 10 hours of academics without releasing physical energy several times a day (recess and gym). I have seen how your children lose focus after recess because they are forced to sit in their seats for another 4 hours consistently.

Furthermore, I would like to mention that Sheila Joseph robbed your children of bathroom privileges. She would only allow your child to go to the bathroom in the morning and during lunchtime. She would send students back to my class if I sent them during instructional time. That’s inhumane, Sheila.

Go to any of the other charter schools in Brownsville or in NYC. You will see that they can thrive with a rigorous curriculum, but also enjoy more classroom space, computers, school activities, and other resources that will supplement your child’s educational career.

Don’t you want the same for your children?
Neutral
January 30th, 2010 3:47 pm

Mona Davis, Are you a professional? You sound like a child. Wink wink, grow up. Former Teacher who commented at 2:40 PM the dividers are up for exclusion classes so that students who are advanced can be taken aside and taught at a higher level. Children go to the bathroom all times during the day anyone in the school can tell you that.
The only people that should be commenting are current parents of students, who are concerned, not former teachers who are scorned, and so blinded by anger that they are going on ranting foolish comments. All of you do your self a favor and think…? WHY WOULD THIS DUFFY CHARACTER WANT TO CLOSE A SCHOOL THAT IS PERFORMING ACADEMICALLY WELL? Maybe because of how the parents and staff made him look like a fool in the previous year. And if the report by the state was so detrimental why they weren’t notified in Dec. instead of Jan. /Feb. as soon as the news broke they would be moving to a new building. The DOE employees are all guilty of stealing dollars. Mona Davis why don’t you go after the UFT unions that stopped NYC from receiving 700 million dollars in money… Hmmm bet you don’t care because you’re on the hush hush to. How much they give you to shut up about that one?
Don't Get It Twisted
January 30th, 2010 4:33 pm

Mona and “Former Teacher” - you two are frauds and we are on to you. Why are you making calls to parents trying to PRESSURE them to say bad things agaist the school that are not true. Mona Davids, if you care so much about ENYP and the students, how come no one ever saw you or heard of you before this? If you had been around at all, you would no how DOE has played games with this school from beginning, bouncing us from place to place, refusing to allow our children to use the facilites like the library, cafeteria and gym and on and on and on. I’ve seen Ms. Joseph fight with the librarian before too. Yeah, fight FOR our children to be able to utilize the space. And fight with the custodian too. Fight to make them allow us access to the buidling so staff, parents and chilren could access the building on the weekends. She fights for us, and I’m glad she’s a fighter becuase now she has to fight agains gutter tramp scum like you!

If you people who claim now to care so much about us had been around HELPING us the last few years, you would know all of this history. But no! You - MONA DAVIDS and FIRED FORMER TEACHER - lurk in the background and help Duffy and his lackies sew seeds of dissention, then you bubble to the surface like turds from a mud puddle to fuel the flames. You are no different than the race traitor-turncoat-agent provocetuers who infiltrated the Black Power Movement in the 50’s and 60’s, spreading rumor and flaming passions through lies and inuendo, leading BLACK folks to turn on one another and to kill Malcolm, turn on Martin, infighting and back biting, self destruction of the Black Panter Party, and on and on and on. This is straight out the playbook. Wow, really creative! Yeah, Mona Davids you have “Former Teacher” in your pocket no doubt! But the two of you dis-respect this community when you think we can’t see through your wicked ways. True, you might fool some with your lies and get them to do the white man’s bidding with you, but most of us have seen this before which is why we see right through you frauds. Silly rabbits, tricks are for kids. Stop playing games. These are our children’s lives you are playing with. Are Klein, Duffy and the Union hitting you off that lovely that you’re willing to sell your souls and our children’s futures in the process? As so many havd said, we the community and parents stand united in support of OUR school and OUR children.
Mona Davids
January 30th, 2010 5:00 pm

Neutral and Don’t get it twisted:

Your school is closing because your school leader violated the charter and did not comply with the by-laws on many occasions.

This has nothing to do with race - mine, Klein, Duffy or anybody else’s. If that’s your strategy to fight for your school, you are wasting your time.

You need to focus on finding your child(ren) a new school.
Don't Get It Twisted
January 30th, 2010 6:33 pm

Mona Davids -

Do you get commission for every black child you sacrifice? Do us a favor, bring your organization’s IRS 990 with you when you come to the meeting. We want to know who is on YOUR board and who YOU get YOUR money from. Either you are on the take our you are just plain dumb and naive or you are one of those Clarence “Uncle” Thomas self-hating negroes who got yours but wants to stop my children and others form getting theirs too.

Keep telling yourself this is not about race. Yeah right! They come into our neighborhood to close one of the TOP PERFORMING CHARTER SCHOOLS IN BROOKLYN which just happened to be founded and led by an African American woman, but meanwhile much poorer performing schools operated by your white bosses as well as white non profits and white for profit corporations get to remain open remain open, with their executive directors drawing the same or often much higher salaries than at ENYP. Yeah, all sounds perfectly innocent. Nothing to do with race whatsoever, right?

You’re supposed to know so much about charter schools, then you should know what kind of personality and skill set and tenacity it must have taken - especially as a black woman - to obtain a charter in the first place and to get the school off the ground - initially in the same district and in direct competition with an AWFUL charter school being operated by the UFT - with the teachers union and DOE trying to undermine her all along the way. And you should also know that to do that it took a stubborn and determined but visionary kind of person to make that happen. And yeah that personally type might not be touchy and feely (”wink wink”) and win any popularity contests (”wink wink”), but you know what? She runs a damn good school. You don’t know the first thing about it because you never once came down to see what support you could offer us or this community, but you sure jumped on the first opportunity you got to stick you nose into a situation that doesn’t involve you and that you know nothing about. If you care so much about charter school children and parents, why don’t you start a school and run it better and get better results. If you did, I’d be the first to send my children there, no matter how big a WITCH I think you are, because if I lose sight of what matters, my children and their education, then I have lost sight of everything, JUST LIKE YOU.

Don’t forget your 990 next week.
Former Teacher @ENYP
January 30th, 2010 6:56 pm

Mona Davids

I’m so glad you didn’t fall into the trap of stooping to the level of misinformed parents and resort to name calling. Hopefully, they will attend your upcoming emergency meeting and learn why their children’s school is really closing. I have been trying to assist parents in trying to find other charter schools for their children. Many have left and are thriving at their new schools.

Don’t Get it Twisted

God bless and good luck! Again I will see you at the meeting.
I have Sheils's Back all the way!Im very powerful!
January 30th, 2010 7:09 pm

Ms Davis U bettter pray every night from today until Monday Febuary3,2010 that our school closes. cause its not going to happen not in this life time! u better believe it. ENYP will stay and we will see our Scholars will be the next Presidents, Doctors, Lawyer, Mayors ect. You can bet that! so stop trying and give up while u have the chance Ms Davis.
M. Davids is Ridiculous - Tom Tom
January 30th, 2010 7:45 pm

MONA DAVIDS IS A COMPLETE LOSER…For someone who wants to help the children of ENYP, you sure are doing ALOT to help it to close…If this was your child’s school under fire, I’d bet you would be on the other side of the fence…
Tom Tom!
neutral
January 30th, 2010 8:37 pm

To Ms. Davids, the school has 30 day to fix issues that were stated in the letter, majority of which were fixed before the letter was sent out to Parents.

The school will not close and you will eat your hard, its gonna be a hard pill to swallow. To the former teacher: DO you have that much of a HARD-ON for Ms. Joseph, get a life.. why are you even concerned Ms. Finney? get over it you were fired for a reason.
LaTrace Finney
January 30th, 2010 9:12 pm

This is funny! I’m out at dinner and I’m getting calls about this bullshit? I’m so over ENYP. Neutral u have some nerve! I was laughing my ass off when I read the reports! I don’t know who Former Teacher is but its definetely not me dummy! I’m so happy in my new position and doing what I have to do! Sheila is going thru this cuz she put herself there. So say my name all you want! I don’t run a school about to get shut down! Real talk! Call duffy, klein and bloomberg and talk that nonsense! My name aint on that report NEUTrAL! I’m laughing at all of this! I have a job and I’m so good. Holla at me after Wednesday and we could talk!
LaTrace Finney
January 30th, 2010 9:27 pm

Like let’s seriously cut the nonsense and I’ll just watch the news on Wednesday! Wouldn’t dare entertain that circus!
Parents of future leaders
January 30th, 2010 10:53 pm

This is nothing but a witch on Ms. Sheila Joseph. This has nothing to do with the interest or the business of education out children at the East New York Prep. Many of the people that posted negative comment about the school had their own agenda. Due to the fact that Ms. Joseph stood her grounds and fought for the best interest of educating our children many of these persons with their pseudo names turn against her.
In addition many of the past teacher and support staff with whom I encountered lack the knowledge and the know how to teach, educate and show leadership to our children.
Our children are learning now. Our children are showing their potential that they are being educated in the right way. This shows that the past teachers were lacking the ability to educate the children of ENYP.
I cringe at the thought that many of these so call license Professional Teachers who were at ENYP are teaching at other schools. I would hope that those that spend their time and energy being disgruntle use that same time and energy to change the system. Stop the back biting and unite to help educate the children for the future.
Wepa Mami
January 30th, 2010 11:19 pm

Ms. Finney - why you cursing? Is that why you were let go? LOL. Seriously, u were an ok teacher and I liked you but the schol didn’t crumble when you leff and it will still be standin when this over. 100% testing level 3 or 4. Thats unheard of and you know it. U and all the past and current teachers get luv for that! Thank you! Nobody wants our kids to shine like that and u know it. Real talk. Thats the only reason they want t shut it down. Ms Josep may not be the nicest woman I ever met but she cares for those children and you know it just as good as me. My daughtr always going on and on how Ms Joseph said she can be this or she can be that or do anything she wants to do in life. I’m really not feeling these johnny come lately parents who dont come out to the events and support the children or the school but want to scream murder when the school enforces its rules on the uniform or whatever other rule which everyone knows the rules before they start. “Nutral” was wrong for calling u out like that, but she right that you and “Former Teacher” need to move on. You got your little shine now its the kids chance to shine because one day a ENYP child is going to have Bloomberg job and then we’ll have good schools for all the kids in this city. Real talk. Finnish you dinner and stop cussing!!! You set a bad example for thekids. LOL!
Are you kidding me!
January 30th, 2010 11:23 pm

I find it interesting that all of these people in support of Joseph keep commenting on how there must be something wrong with the effectiveness of all the past teachers. First of all, you do realize that ENYP does not only have a shameful amount of turnover among teachers, but also in every other staff position as well. Nobody stays at the school for long. It seems like there is a new office staff weekly, and she cannot hold on to TAs or aides to save her life. And never mind how many administrators she goes through! So parents, if you really believe that all of these past teachers were not “good enough” then do you also believe the same of all the other past employees at ENYP who have also been fired or quit? And if you do believe this then what does that say about Joseph as a manager and school leader if she can’t even seem to hire competent faculty and staff that are actually willing to stay?

Wake up people! I understand how horrible it must feel to think that you will have to find a new school for your child(ren) next year, but ENYP is not a stable or healthy place for children. School is supposed to be one of the constants in a child’s life. Children shouldn’t have to go to school every day and wonder whether or not there teacher will be there.
confused..
January 31st, 2010 12:04 am

Who the hell is MONA DAVIS? and why is she holding an emergency meeting for ENYP? Is she out to gather more negative info from former teachers & Parents or is she going to help us keep ENYP open if not she should mine her business……I haven’t received a letter from anyone saying the school was closing the letter that I received said if the school does not respond to the letter in 30days it will close…..30days is not up and from my understanding the DOE has answers to most of they’re concerns…..I read a comment from “Former Teacher” talking some nonsense about the kids getting only 40mins of yoga do she really think yoga is really a main concern ….And yes they do go out for recess!! How come when former teachers & parents are angry the parents that are happy become misinformed,naive,uneducated,etc,etc, no one was puttin a bug in my ear a year ago when all this was going down.No one was tellin me to take my child out & I was very friendly with a few former teachers now because your angry I have to be angry with you? I like many other parents never had a problem with the school or Ms.Joseph and there can be some truth to what some former teachers & the DOE is saying because no one is perfect but how much of it is being exaggerated? This all takes me back to when I was a teenager with the he said /she said thing people are quick to tell what someone else said or did but never want to mention their part……….
LOL
January 31st, 2010 12:32 am

WHO SAID THE SCHOOL WAS CLOSING?!! I DIDN’T GET THAT LETTER YET!!! SO I GUESS BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY UPSET FORMER TEACHERS/PARENTS THAT WANT TO SEE THE SCHOOL CLOSE WE”RE SUPPOSED TO STAND TOGETHER AND SEE THIS HAPPEN..I UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR FEELINGS BECAUSE NO ONE WANTS TO BE FIRED BUT I HAVE YET TO HEAR ANY OTHER OPTIONS FOR OUR KIDS COMING FROM FORMER TEACHERS ALL I HEAR IS CLOSE THE SCHOOL BECAUSE” SHEILA DID THIS, SHEILA DID THAT” IT SOUNDS LIKE ITS MORE ABOUT SHEILA THEN THE KIDS…..EVERYONE IS GOING TO BE SO HAPPY IF/WHEN SHEILA HAS “HER DAY” AND WHEN IT’S ALL SAID & DONE THE PARENTS ARE GOING TO BE HOLDING THE BAG & YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO GO ON WITH YOUR LIVES AS NORMAL….WAKE UP!? I’M WIDE AWAKE & WILL FIGHT TOOTH & NAIL TO KEEP THE SCHOOL OPEN!! BECAUSE ITS NOT OKAY FOR ME TO ALLOW MY CHILD TO GO TO REGULAR PUBLIC SCHOOL TO SINK & FAIL LIKE SOME MANY OTHERS DIDN’T THEY JUST CLOSE 19 SCHOOLS FOR NON PERFORMANCE? SO HOW DO YOU CLOSE A SCHOOL THAT IS PERFORMING WELL UNDER CERTAIN CONDITION?
WOW!
January 31st, 2010 1:02 am

This reminds me of the movie Lean On Me, The scene when they had that big ol meeting and the anrgy parents & teachers were screaming for the East Side High to be shut down….And there was one angry ghetto ass parent heading the meeting….lololol…..I loved at the end of that scene when Joe Clark told the parents ,teachers, & school board to kiss his black ass!!!Thats what Sheila is going to say to those of you & the DOE thats trying to shut ENYP down!!
Joke School
January 31st, 2010 1:19 am

It is sad to see how parents, truly believe Sheila Joseph. She is excellent with words, and has a way of making you believe anything. For God’s sake, she is a lawyer or is she?

Her school is a joke! She know nothing about educating students. However, she has inspired me. I want to open a charter school and make $ 200,000.
Joke School
January 31st, 2010 1:29 am

I really believe that who ever these supports of Sheila appear to be, are totally not true. They honestly do no exists.
.....
January 31st, 2010 1:32 am

how could she not know about educating students she was a teacher before. and her salary is nothing compared to half the lazy ass teachers in the DOE that cant even teach your children but they are earning 80k-100k and they want a raise? please stop it
Citizen
January 31st, 2010 1:41 am

That’s a great way to show your children what tolerance and integrity look like!
Joke School
January 31st, 2010 1:49 am

WOW! All these parents are staying up for this! Very hard to believe!

Please, go and spend one day at the school and just observe the school. How come the office staff has changed like three times since the beginning of the year. Go figure! Please, Please, Parents ope you minds!
come on now!!
January 31st, 2010 1:51 am

Mona Davis, Do we really need to have another meeting about accountablilty?! Were going to have that meeting om Wednesday this just another way to gather more info to use against the school…Why are you so involved why didn’t you get involved a year ago…..now you say you want to have this meeting to give charter parents info about how charters are govern so it won’t happen again…….UHHHH excuse me!!! your fightin with them to close the charter that my child attends so why should I come to your meeting?! When you & I know damn well the chances of getting into another Charter is slim to none!
Joke School
January 31st, 2010 1:54 am

Responding ……

What for three years…. I read the reports. Three years mean NOTHING to open your own school.

I have to say she is smart for pulling it this far. Her career is coming to an end. She is truly damaging the students. Please do not let her to continue. ….
come on now!!
January 31st, 2010 1:55 am

@Joke School, Open our mine to what?! I’ve walked through the halls plenty of times, I’ve sat in the class rooms ,I’ve done family fridays,I have no problems!!! If you do then TAKE YOUR CHILD(REN) OUT!!! But leave us alone!!!!
Joke School
January 31st, 2010 1:58 am

Then, it is sad to say you truly do not know anything about education. You have done the family Friday, this year?????? Your child is learning nothing…. have him/her compare to another classmate in a different school…
come on now!!
January 31st, 2010 2:08 am

DON’T TELL ME WHAT MY CHILD IS OR IS NOT LEARNING!!!!!COMPARE TO A CLASSMATE IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL MY CHILD WILL SURPASS THEM I HAVE A FRIEND WHO’S CHILD GOES TO PRIVATE SCHOOL & GUESS WHAT THEIR ON THE SAME LEVEL & SHE’S LOOKING TO HAVE HER CHILD GO TO CHARTER SCHOOL….YOU DON’T KNOW ME OR ANYTHING ABOUT MY CHILDS GRADES IF YOU CHILD CAN’T KEEP UP YOU NEED TO CHECK YOURSELF!!!!! MY CHILDS MATH SCORES ARE THROUGH THE ROOF!!! WHAT CAN OF PARENT ARE YOU TO LET YOUR CHILD STAY AT A SCHOOL AND NOT LEARN A DAMN THING????!!!!!
Hope for the Chrildren of ENYP
January 31st, 2010 5:58 am

Writing this comment wasn’t an easy choice because however this turns out the most important players in this mess (the current students of ENYP) will suffer. They suffer if the school is closed because regardless of how terrible the administrators maybe the community desperately needs a school such as ENYP . The Teachers and TAs for the most part are committed to the students’ education and with all her faults Ms. Joseph is constantly driving them towards excellence. On the other hand they will suffer if it remains open because leadership fails to get it together. The scary part in all of this is that the things that have been reported does not represent half of what is wrong with ENYP.

If anyone cares to have a conversation with members of the security team, the school nurse, senior staff at P.S 323 or specific parents of ENYP students pass and present; then, you will truly get a clear picture of all that is wrong at ENYP.

While many of Ms. Joseph’s efforts at ENYP are commendable her ethics and morals are cause for concern. She is hard headed, egotistical, short tempered and completely manipulative. I have seen staff fired for standing up for what was right, in fact, there is a standing practice among some employees not to get to know co-workers because it is seen as a waste of time after all longevity at ENYP is not expected.

ENYP is seen as a joke among the other schools sharing the building because if something is to go wrong it will go wrong at ENYP. While all the focus is on Ms. Joseph, she is not the only member in leadership responsible for high turnover and mismanagement at the school. As Ms. Davis said HINT, HINT, WINK, WINK.

This is my ultimate wish, that the students at ENYP be given the opportunity to continue their education at ENYP. For the most part the staff and faculty there are great people who are completely committed to the students’ education and well being. Even Ms. Joseph is a strong believer in dreaming big combined with education and hard work will open doors for kids that they might not have thought possible. And that is a great thing because I can truly say she is committed to empowering minority children in undeserved communities. However at the same time she doesn’t seem to understand that to achieve such a goal one must also have a true commitment to honesty, integrity, and a willingness to embrace the community as a whole; not just the brightest and the best.

ENYP would be best served with someone else at the helm; however, an ENYP without Ms. Joseph as a contributor to its direction for the future would be a huge disservice to the East New York/Brownsville community because her vision and commitment is needed.

Everyone deserves a second chance and there is no reason why with someone else as the Head of School and some changes in Ms. Joseph character, that East New York Preparatory shouldn’t remain open. However as a caution to the parents and members of the community who support Ms. Joseph blindly there is cause for concern. Major issues need to be address at the school for your children’s well being and for true progress to be made at ENYP. The administration is very good at making cosmetic changes to influence unwitting parents, so let Ms. Davis and the DOE do their jobs, with a watchful eye of course but let them do their jobs. Quite frankly it is my believe that the school should be reviewed immediately so that all the issues can come to light. Some of the people currently in leadership at the school are incompetent and should not be in positions of leadership in any school.

Ms. Davis and Mr. Duffy ENYP can be a great school, with positive changes at the leadership level the sky is the limit for the school. I have seen parents do some things in order to get their kids the school, that shows how desperate they are for answers to the public school system, especially the public school in their communities. In considering whether to support closing ENYP, remove Ms. Joseph from the equation and consider the parents and their kids. Some of the kids in East New York Prep would be lost in public schools and deserves a chance at the bright futures ENYP is currently preparing them for. Whatever else might be wrong with ENYP, the one hundred plus student body is being educated and beyond that inspired daily to be all they can be. If there is a solution besides closing ENYP please consider that as your only responsible choice. After all we all accept that there is no way the entire student body of ENYP will gain acceptance a other charter school.
I noticed that...
January 31st, 2010 10:32 am

Leo Casey, UFT Vice President of Academic High Schools, clearly states the concerns many communities have with respect to the lack of oversight of charter schools. Leo states:

“The fact of the matter is that the charter sector remains unaccountable to students, parents, and the public at large… It is unconscionable that in places like East New York Preparatory Charter School and Merrick Academy Charter School, the students, parents, and teachers are punished for the failures of the school’s Board of Trustees and the city and state’s lackluster “oversight.””

http://www.edwize.org/sheila-joseph-charters-maybelline-cover-girl
Joke School
January 31st, 2010 10:46 am

Wow! Hope for Children at ENYP well said!

It is truly unfortunate that Ms. Joseph was given the opportunity to open a charter school. I do believe in American Education and this situation has shown how this system has failed.

Miss Joseph has been doing the same illegal actions since the school open, and nothing was done. She made all this money for almost four years…. nothing was done. She really knows how to cheat the system. …A guess she is a lawyer……????????????

About the turnover staff. I she cared so much about the children at ENYP to provide the best education, why did she hire brand new teachers this year. No offense current teachers.. I am sure you’re dedicated. 90 % of the teachers are from Teach of America and who just hold a college degree but not a educational degree. They absolutely know nothing about children development and let alone teach them. I am sorry current teachers. it has nothing to do with you, but Sheila who wants to safe money hiring brand new teachers, so she can pocket more money. Smart very smart…..

Sheila, I hope you are reading this…I think it would be wise for you to just get the consequences and shut your mouth about DOE and others. You’re smart!

Good Luck ENYP students and parents.
Truth Sayer
January 31st, 2010 12:25 pm

What is the screening process for this website? Why are they not posting efforts to get the TRUTH out there so people can know what is really going on?

Early, I attempted to post a long and thorough piece detailing how Ms. Mona Davids is on the take, but it was never posted. But here is the gist:

Mona Davids started out as an advocate for the parents of PS 160 in their fight to prevent Equality Charter from sharing space there, but after brokering a deal to get her daughter into that charter school (in violation of the lottery rules) and to get herself on the payroll, she sold out the parents of PS 160 by reversing her position.

Here’s the break down: Jeff Litt is the Superintendent of billionaire Carl Ichan’s network of charter schools, including Equality Charter in the Bronx. Mona Davids works for Litt. Litt sits on the Board of the NYC Charter School Center. Also on the Board are Mike Duffy and Joel Klien. Duffy, Klien and Litt dispatch Mona Davids and NY Post columnist Yoav Goanen to rally support for the schools Litt’s schools and also to foment and instigate turmoil in schools that Duffy, Klein and Litt oppose. For this, they provide substantial financial support for NY Charter Parents Association, the organization that Mona Davids founded and proclaimed herself president of after being bought off and selling out the parents of PS 160.

In just a matter of days, Mona Davids went from being a thorn in the shoe of the City and the DOE to being their most loyal supporter. A quote from a recent article in Gotham news says:

“Mona Davids has rapidly gone from being an unknown public school parent in Co-op City to being known by key players in the debate over charter schools and among the highest ranks of the Department of Education. She pops up everywhere from charter school board meetings and charter renewal hearings to district Community Education Council gatherings. She was even featured in a television advertisement for Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s reelection campaign, in which she blasted rival William Thompson’s education record.” (http://gothamschools.org/2009/11/03/a-charter-school-parent-gains-prominence-as-loyal-opposition)

Mona Davids can not be trusted! Just ask the parents at PS 160 in the Co-Op City in the Bronx. Her job is to keep tabs on parents, report back to Mike Duffy, and get parents to do what Mike Duffy wants. Ever since the parents of ENYP made Mike Duffy look like a fool last year, he has had it in for the school. Now it’s Mona Davis job to stir the pot, create an uproar, to give Mike Duffy cover to do what he always wanted to do.

All this is documented. Do a google search and find out about what she did to those parents who trusted her in the Bronx. Look at the NY City Charter School Center’s website and see who’s on their Board. Look at the Duffy-Mona Davids-Yoav Goanen connection by reading Gonen’s articles. (just google “Mona Davids, Yoav Gonen, Duffy” and see what you find. Keep your eyes open people, and most of all, keep your eyes on Mona Davids and Mike Duffy: evil, twisted, manipulating deceivers.

A little Truth goes a long way!

Truth Sayer
KitchenSink
January 31st, 2010 6:37 pm

Sheila, I mean Truth Sayer, do you really think Mike Duffy would go through all this effort just to settle some personal vendetta because parents of ENYP embarrassed him somehow? Seems a bit illogical, doesn’t it? I mean, this isn’t the pre-Bloomberg Board of Ed, when patronage was the point. This is “children first” at least in name!

I wasn’t going to post again until more facts were available, but I feel compelled to point out that there continue to be a number of posts creating conjecture or suggesting facts with no clear basis in reality.

I think we should all be skeptics about anything these parties say outside of a clear and predictable oversight process. And the only thing we’ve seen so far along those lines is Duffy’s letter.
Hope for the Chrildren of ENYP
January 31st, 2010 6:43 pm

Truth Sayer regardless of Mona Davis or Michael Duffy’s agendas the fact remains that something has to be done at ENYP. As you will see from my previous comment I have admiration for Ms. Joseph and best wishes for ENYP.

However for the sake of the students and parents things need to change at the school. Running the school with a firm hand is necessary however running it with an uncompromising hand lead to the kind of problems that are currently in existence at ENYP.

Closing ENYP would be a mistake in my eyes however a future for ENYP should not be granted with Ms. Joseph and certain senior staff at the helm. There is little or no regard for the parents and policies that should already be in place only goes into effect after incidents occur. Ask the parents who pulled they children out in recent months what lead to the decisions.

The Board is a complete joke, not to mention the Board meetings. I guarantee you this recent Board meeting is not an accurate representation of past Board meeting, simply ask security if you don’t believe me.

I will leave all for Ms. Joseph’s supporters with this. There is no way ENYP would survive if they were placed under review next week. There are real problems at this school people that Ms. Davis or Mr. Duffy didn’t create.
come on now!!
January 31st, 2010 7:18 pm

@ hope for the children @ ENYP……You should’ve attended the meeting you missed out on alot…And as for security LOLOLOLOLOL….most of them are nothing but gossiping females who have nothing to do with ENYP….And I’ve have seen the gossiping go on first hand
Concerned Parent
January 31st, 2010 9:07 pm

I’ve been reading these posts since my Friday morning discovery of this website. I think the behavior of you former parents and staff is disgusting!! My child has been a student at ENYP since day one. I have seen a lot of people come and go, some great teachers and others not so. As a former teacher myself and a woman with a love of learning I value my child’s education. Last year my child had 5 teachers before December! Was a pissed?..thats an understatement! I’ve run into former teachers who have asked how dare I continue to support ENYP and continue to have my child’s name on their roster? The answer is simple, I value her education! I see the difference in her academic abilities compared to her friends outside of ENYP. Do I think she’ll be fine any place else? Certainly! Current parents, the lives of our children are far from over. The closing of ENYP does not declare our children prisoners, or failures. The past teachers should not be discredited because they too have held a place in our children’s education at this point. My mother always said what happens in the dark will always come to light. Ms Joseph will undoubtedly reap what she sews and our lives will go on. She’ll go to bed with those demons and our lives will go on. Our children are academically equipped to excel anywhere! Do I have the time to search for a new school for my child, heck no! My hope is that if the DOE chooses to close ENYP they wont have the pad locks on the door Thursday morning! I hope my child can complete the year with her friends and at the end of June we too will go on. Ms Joseph stresses the T.H.I.N.K model for our children to live by yet there’s a lot being said here. As far as I’m concerned her credibility is shot. It will take a little more than 4 emergency meetings and her gift for gab to convince me that all she’s done was piss off the wrong people. Current parents, I wish you well. But your journey is shared. Former Parents and teachers, Im sorry that your experiences at ENYP were so terrible that you could become such malicious and mean spirited people. Regardless of what happens to ENYP Ms Joseph’s life will not have ended. She has the brains and the resources to move on elsewhere. I pray that this is a lesson learned for all of us. I pray that each and everyone of you find some solace in knowing that our children will be just fine. They are young and still have their innocence. Lets not taint them with anger and vengeance when people “handle” us wrong. Lets teach them perseverance so after ENYP they wont feel that their lives have ended either.
Truth Sayr
January 31st, 2010 10:40 pm

Concerned Parent -

Thank you for restoring some sanity to this conversation. You know I’ve expressed support for the school and suspicion, resentment and anger toward those outsiders who seem to me to be on an agenda/vendetta driven mission to shut it down, but I think that you are dead on right. No matter what comes of this, these children have to be made to know that they they excelling because of the hard work they and their parents put in every single day. A great school is an important but small part of the equation. The bigger piece is children going home every day and cracking open books. Parents checking homework and talking to their kids about what they’re learning. And a community that believes in all its children so the children come to believe that everything is possible if they are willing to put in the work.

The children will follow our lead for better or for worse. We need to show them the way. We do this when we treat each other fairly, and respectfully the way we want to be treated. When we behave in a ways that demonstrate that each individual is beautiful and to be cherished but no individual is bigger than the community. When we find forgiveness in our hearts for real or perceived transgressions against us and stay positive. When we teach them that the rules apply equally to everyone, but we should never judge anyone without the facts. And most of all, when we encourage them and keep reminding them that even though there will be obstacles in life and people who may try to trip them up along the way, our children come into this world possessing everything they need to succeed in life, and no one can ever take that away from them. No matter what twists and turns may come their way, they owe it to themselves and their community not to squander their gifts. And that is the Truth.
Leslie
January 31st, 2010 11:06 pm

Wow, this whole thing is upsetting but so timely to me. I am the mother of a child at another charter school that I am currently trying to find out just how much of the hell they are putting our kids through are in violation of their charter. Although, I suspect their charter is very generally written giving them leeway… I find the entire charter school movement to be quite racist. Making it seem as if what we are getting is the best for free but the profit is really high in charter schools and the propensity for abuse in everyway is very available..

For any of the parents who are arguing because the school will now be closed, please understand HAD MS. JOSEPH WHO IS PRAYING FOR YOUR KIDS BEEN WILLING TO PUT THEM FIRST SHE WOULD’VE RESIGNED WHEN THEY CAUGHT HER AND THE SCHOOL WOULD REMAIN OPEN! Then you could have raised your voice as a community of parents to lead the selection of a replacement. What you need is for your child to benefit, Ms. Joseph can clearly take care of herself.
confused
January 31st, 2010 11:32 pm

wow I dont know who to believe each side sounds correct.. wow if sheila joseph really did steal money and chase away teachers, then she will get what she deserves.. I think alot of problems come from her senior staff, whoever that guy is in the office.. the whole IS 323 talks about him as if he is a fool. I hope the school stays open for the children and the state sends in people to regulate.
Hope for the Chrildren of ENYP
February 1st, 2010 1:14 am

This is my advise to everyone. Focus on what is best for the community that ENYP serves first and foremost; whether you are a supporter of Ms. Davis, Mr. Duffy or Ms. Joseph. Empty speculation on either side benefits no one, what is needed here is complete transparency on both sides.

This is an honest representation of this situation from someone in the know, who has no agenda beyond what is best for the student body at ENYP. However well these students are being served currently, the fact remains that they should be served much better right now, not in the future but right now.

Parents and supporters of ENYP Ms. Joseph didn’t develop the THINK principles, they have existed for sometime and will continue to exist, it is your job to make sure that these principles carry on in your children regardless of the future of ENYP and where your child ends up.

It is time that we as a community start to use our God given ability to gather facts for ourselves instead of following fallible individual blindly. It is time that we stop accepting spoon feed information so blindly and start taking responsibility for that which is ours.

The fact remains that Ms. Joseph and the Board of ENYP are accountable to you the parents and the community. Now some serious allegations have been made against Ms. Joseph and the future of your school have been placed in jeopardy. It is your responsibility to get up and find out the truth about exactly what is going on at your child school, instead of accepting what Ms. Davis, Mr. Duffy, Ms. Joseph or former staff and faculty tells you.

Now I would suggest to you that where there is smoke there is normally fire. Now tell me something, beyond dropping off and picking up your children or the occasional short conversation how many of you can truly say that you know what is going on at ENYP on a daily basis? It is very dangerous in this day and age to trust individuals blindly, just look at surprises we have gotten from our political and religious leaders over the past year alone, not to mention educators.

All I am saying is to do your due diligence first and foremost before you go jumping on anyone’s bandwagon. Instead of allowing Ms. Joseph or anyone to seduce you into supporting them pay attention to how they are operating. Pay attention to the actions taken by all the parties involved after the new broke that ENYP could be closed. Let the actions of individuals speak louder than their words or the cosmetic fixes.

There are legitimate problems at ENYP that needs fixing. I will say it again people, for the benefit of the children there are legitimate problems at ENYP that needs fixing. Parent and supporters ask for access, asked for meetings on your own terms where you have your specific concerns prepared and pay attention the responses you receive. Ms. Joseph is a lawyer and a capable one at that and if there is one thing I know for sure is that she prides herself on being able to out maneuvering individuals, so be prepared.

Here is another thing to pay close attention to, if I know Ms. Joseph she is more than likely making preparations to ensure that former parents, faculty and staff are not allowed in the upcoming meeting on Wednesday. In fact I would be very surprised if they don’t hire their own security for this event to ensure that these individual are kept out. What she would want instead is a room full of her supporter to drown out any opposition that makes it in to the meeting. And guess what unfortunately she know that is exactly what she will get. Parents and supports so determine to put Mr. Duffy in his place that they miss the most important part of being there, to gather information to address, with not only Ms. Joseph but with others at ENYP at a later date. I know this because it has happened before and she is banking on that happening again.

Unfortunately for the parents and the students of ENYP that will only be a temporary reprieve and possibly the biggest disservice to do to yourself. Don’t be afraid of hearing what Mr. Duffy and others have to say, take the information in and address it in good faith with the staff and faculty at ENYP at a later date.

The fact is that your children performed better academically last year than they are on pace to do this year. Regardless of what is said about the faculty that was let go, they did something that cannot be disputed, they produced excellent results. In that alone one has to question the merit in getting rid of all of them. I don’t know how much have changed but the current faculty weren’t exactly thrilled to be at ENYP, trust me Ms. Joseph should be thankful for contracts and a weak economy.
Think for yourself
February 1st, 2010 8:02 am

Current parents of ENYP, Please think for yourselves don’t let anyone past or present fill you up with all the negative things that they have gone through at ENYP this is not about defending Sheila this is about your child(ren)s education…If I listen to & believed in what everyone both positive & negative I’ll be a basket case….I have my own mine and will make the decision on whats best for my childs education.. My child has been at ENYP for 3yrs now & I haven’t had a problem yet & I’m not going to create one because of someone elses problems they may of had at the school…..If your for happy and for keeping the school open unite & support ,If not take your child out..but please don’t make your troubles mine because at the end of the day the parents with the problems that decided to take their chid(ren) out are happy now but what about those of us who are satisfied? what about our kids?
Leslie
February 1st, 2010 8:25 am

Why has Ms. Joseph’s job been linked with your child’s education? Why is it that you will support her, instead of supporting the school that led your child to success. By all accounts Ms. Joseph didn’t develop the academic system that has served your child so well. She didn’t teach any classes - right? So why the fight for her?
You need your school to stay open so that your child can have continuity of education and graduate without any incident. You think the abuses she does that has NOT affected Your child is okay because your child is not the one affected. Are you so unconcerned with the community of children your child will have to associate with as peers now and in maturity? It is high time we start walking the talk and be the first to leave no child behind. We try to hold a system accountable for kids in a way that we are not.

You want to serve the education of your child and all the children who as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lived and died for to have equal opportunity to the best available? Lobby for the school to remain open and the controversy to be removed from there so the children can go on and learn unhindered. Ms. Joseph, must go! and don’t worry this is not a race thing. It is my very desire that she will not be the last to go. There are many that need to go. Many that abuse their unchecked power… They lack character but call themselves equipped to instill it in children they don’t truly care about or respect. It is not right that the special education needs of kids are not met. or that kids who learn differently are expelled. Absolute power corrupts absolutley! Demand excellent character from our leaders of all kinds…

Success can take you to heights where your character cannot sustain you!
A. R. Bernard
Think for yourself
February 1st, 2010 8:55 am

Did you read what I said,” I said it’s not about defending Sheila”!!!Its about my childs education! and I’m not going to let you or anyone else make any decisions for me & my child! I have a mind of my own and can think for myself!
A Former Employee within her adminsitration
February 1st, 2010 9:25 am

Parents, understand that no one wants to see a school for these children close. However, why do you believe your children are learning so much better than others in public school? Why do you believe the DOE targeted this school? This has nothing to do with her being a “positive” black woman who wants to see our young minority students do better. This is about a woman, running an organization under gross ruling. Sure, she had her favorite students and parents and that is probably who is fighting for her right now, all 20 of them. Your children may be learning, but how do you know they are performing above or just as well as others? How are you assessing your childs skills in comparison with neighboring children? Do your homework. The crimes happened to the kids who are no longer there, the ones who weren’t afforded the “opportunity” to learn as well as you believe your children have. The only reason your kids aren’t affected by what has been taking place within that institution is because they made the cut. God forbid your child wasn’t performing the way the school leader deemed fit because it would mean your scholar was in jepordy of being sent back a grade or possibly discharged considering the circumstances. Your children are suffering because they don’t have full access to everyday resources that public school children have. There are mini computers on-site for their use that never saw the light of day just because she wanted to focus on the 3rd graders and their upcoming test. Where is the sanity in that? Math/Reading prep 5 days a week for 80% of the day? What happened to social studies? What happened to science? What happened to History? Oh, she did allow them to celebrate Obama, guess that covered social studies and history. All the things that took place academically were unjust. The things that took place behind the scenes were cruel, treacherous and down right unfathomable. The only reason parents don’t want to see this institution close is because they don’t want to stick their children in a public school. Understand that there are plenty of good public schools with a varied curriculum and plentiful extracurricular activities and resources. And parents, I will say this, some of you have children that weren’t performing well during the course of the 08-09 school year. Some were struggling with homework while some weren’t turning it in at all. If your child advanced to the next grade, especially the 3rd graders, did you wonder how? If you received your childs report card on June 28th, 2009 and found yourself stuck in awe that your child passed, then you should stop ranting and raving. Your kids will suffer at the end of the day when they aren’t able to keep up outside the walls of ENYP so called great academic structure.
KitchenSink
February 1st, 2010 10:55 am

Former Emp, are you suggesting that there was fudging of state test scores going on?
Caring Parent
February 1st, 2010 11:37 am

Whats goign on at ENYP is a total disgrace and shame. Sheila we are not gonna pray with you, we dontn know who your praying to. Parent please open your eyes. Its not about the money, if a black woman with such accomplishment as Sheila holds a position like this she should rightfully be paid twice over. the salary is meaningless to me. But just to take on the job and not do what your suppost to be doing and making speeches and not implement what you are saying. Then when things get out of hand and dont go your way bring god into this. No she dont deserve the title or the salary. Let me say im a former parent. My children have been there since day 1 and were there up unitl this october. I have witnessed alot of Sheilas antics. My children have suffered from them as well. Last year my children where in the second grade. They had 5 teachers from Sept to June becauss of this there quality of education and interest went down. Yes they did get good grades,becasue I stayed on top of them as a parent. Yes the TA weres pulling the kids out of class. Yes there were a 3rd grades in my childrens class. My child had countless bathroom accidents becasue she wasnt allowed to use the bathrrom when she needed it. Sheila decided to take science out of the curriculum and they were fores to take a science test months later and failed miserably. What happned to gym and wheres the computers we was promised years ago. Totally not fair to my child. She lashes ot at teachers in front of the children. She even lashes out at the children. To the parent that says shes not gonna let anyone else make decisions for her child, well guess what Sheila makes all the decisions here. There is no parent involvement in the education here. it should be the parent-teacher decide what best for you child. The teacher has your child from 8 am to 4 30. You the parent has your child front the time they get home to the time they go to bed and on weekends. If a teacher spoke out for your childrens its total anarchy in her eyes. I most defianately can give her this…She hires the absolute best teachers, but she is unable to maintaim them. Let be honest with ourselve and think about it intelligently and not emotionally. 1 or 2 or even 3 teachers you can give her the benefot of the doubt, but when its everybody, something isnt right. All these teachers didnt get fired some left because they had a heart and conscience and truly cared for the children and was not about to stoop to Sheilas level and demean themselves for the sake of a paycheck. They saw what was goign on. The staff turn around is terrible. You can have a situation thats being handled by someone and 2 days later when u try to contact them they are nolonger there and you have to start from groud zero again. what kind of security is that. Thats not even safe for your child. Its like the revolving door to Macy’s (that is a definate sign of bad leadership). To the parent who stated that she didnt even like her childs teacher last year, well that what happenes when you have to hire people in an emergency. And touching on security. If ENYP stays open they wont have a home after June. Has Sheila secured a place for the children yet. I dont think anymore public schools will have her. Remember she was evicted from the first public she was in in ENY. That should have been a clue to me them. It tore me to remove my children from ENYP. I fell in love with the schools mission and I believed in Sheila in the beginning. Now im broken hearted. But it did teach me what to look or and the right questions to ask when choosign a school, charter or not. I am elated to report that my children are in another charter school in which i couldnt be anymore satisfied with. I sincerly hope ENYP doesnt close. I wish there was a way to implement new leadership in charter school with out closing it. A good school is hard to get the children into and alot of parents cant afford private school. which is why we send our kids to charter school. Its the next best thing.
Think for yourself
February 1st, 2010 1:43 pm

This is crazy,why is it so hard for you people to let the parents make the decisions for their on kids based on our experiences at the school….and NO,I don’t want my child in regular public school just because YOU say so, my child was in 1st grade last year and scored one of the top scores in the class so all experiences are not the same!! I see none of you giving ANY other options but public schools…come on you sound so filled with anger its like becuase everyone is not agreeing with you the comments become longer & longer…..Can ANY of you afford for my child to go to private school? cuz i cant! can ANY of you secure my child a spot at a different charter school?because I can’t! Trying to use these scare tactics is not going to work with me..I believe half what I see AND none of what I hear….I make my own judgements!!!!
Leslie
February 1st, 2010 2:05 pm

THERE IS A WAY TO SAVE THE SCHOOL AND DITCH THE WITCH, IF SHE RESIGNS YOU CAN AS A PARENT BODY LOBBY THE DOE/BOE TO KEEP THE SCHOOL OPEN UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP… Maybe the answer is a “Sheila Jospeh Resign Campaign”

BTW, this suggestion is NOT for the poster “Think for yourself”, who seems to think everybody but her/him is angry and really is interested in ordering you around - get a grip. It is because we can ALL think for ourselves that those of us that don’t agree with you continue to have a say. It is not an argument with YOU! How did you possibly become so important to me??!

In the end the greater good for the children will be served, I trust God.
A Former Employee within her adminsitration
February 1st, 2010 2:36 pm

No, public school isn’t the answer. But you would keep your child there just to keep from seeing the truth in what anyone has to say. Unfortunately, you and another parents child scored the same damn way so don’t feel great about your childs scoring just yet. No one knows what is valid any longer. I’m not trying to get you to leave because I’m an angry former employee who is bitter and disgruntled. So, you can play the victim and not have a plan B and wait for the outcome, whatever that may be.
Think for yourself
February 1st, 2010 6:32 pm

@FORMER EMPLOYEE, YOU SOUND MIGHTY DAMN BITTER!!!! WHO THE HELL IS PLAYING THE “VICTIM” SLOW YOUR ROW & WATCH HOW U TALKING BECAUSE THE MORE YOU TALK THE MORE YOU PROVE MY POINT!!!! I LIVE BY PLAN B’S BUT DON’T GET MAD IF PUBLIC SCHOOL AINT ONE OF THEM!!!!!
@LESLIE I MUST BE OF SOME INPORTANCE TO U CUZ U KEEP RESPONDING!!!!! LOLOLOLOLOL….. AND JUST LIKE YOU I HAVE IN OPINION AS WELL!!!
Think for yourself
February 1st, 2010 6:41 pm

AND FORMER TEACHER DIDN’T YOU SAY THAT MOST OF THE KIDS FAILED THE SCIENCE TEST?SO HOW DID MY KID SCORE THE SAME AS OTHERS LAST YEAR?! YOU B’S NEED TO GET A LIFE FOUCUS YOUR ENGERY SOME WHERE ELSE!!
Charisse Persaud
February 2nd, 2010 2:19 am

My child has been going to ENYP from day one. The turn over was alarming however , it did not emotionally affect me or my child. I was not aware of these allegations until recently. Im listening to Ms Davids views and I understand her point. If Ms Joseph was stealing or firing teachers without a reasonable cause ,then she should be penalized. We all have to ask ourselves , Are these allegations the grounds for closing a school that is doing well ? I feel a little offended when I read some of the comments about the parents. Do you believe that the parents of ENYP are a bunch of uneducated welfare recipients that cant recognize above average education? I cant wait to meet you Mona , so I can hear both sides to this story . I have faith in ENYP , things can be better ,I believe we are moving in that direction. Im looking forward to see my child be the first graduating class of ENYP !!! Fix the problem , don’t close this school !!!
Current Employees
February 2nd, 2010 6:08 am

It is time for individuals who are exposed to ENYP on a daily basis to stand up and say it as is, regardless of the the consequences. Ms. Joseph does somethings right and somethings wrong. Her vision is great however her motives might be questionable. Closing the school is the wrong thing to do period, children’ futures are at risk as well as the jobs of hard working people.

Unfortunately none of that will mean anything if the head of the organization remains motivated by the wrong things. The fact remains that because of Ms. Joseph’s poor people skills and constant need to prove herself as being better than, ENYP’s relationships with the schools that share our building has suffered and thereby has limited the ability of our students to fully spread their wings. Whether Ms. Joseph continues to run the school is not up to us and we do not care one way or the other. What we do care about is strong qualified leadership both academically and operations wise. Enough of unqualified, part-time and temporary people acting as Principal, Registrar, Office Manager, and Head of Operations. Enough of budget pinching on staff, technology and activities that are so needed, while she is making out like a fat cat.

Enough of the disorganization and constant turnover which creates a sense of taking a step forward and ten steps back. Enough of a former lawyer and CPA without real education backgrounds running the school towards this unfortunate point, uncompromising and unwilling to accept input from real educators. The ball is in your hands Ms. Joseph, it is time that someone stood up and say that you and you alone can save the school. Now isn’t the time for survival games now is the time to accept that the futures of innocent boys and girls are in limbo and your actions at least contributed to that to some degree. So now is the time to put ego and grand standing aside, you want to teach these kids something then teach them how to assess themselves and honestly evaluate how they might have contributed or played a roll in things when they are not going well; by truly assessing and accepting the role you have played in things coming to a breaking point at ENYP. Surprise us all by putting real changes into place beginning this week, prove to us that it isn’t about the money and put $40,000 from your salary back in to the budget. Put qualified leadership into place at full time capacity where it is needed and stop relying on children to run the organization. An individual showing alliance and the ability to kiss ass with the best does not qualify them to run this great organization it is a disaster waiting to happen.

Your vision is grand, what a success story ENYP would be if it could take children from neighborhoods where much isn’t expected by the masses, and put them on a firm path towards college. That accomplishment should to be valued for what it is, a foundation used to plants seeds for bright futures that cannot only change individual lives but the direction of entire families. It should not be seen as a means to reach Oparah or Obama status. Sure there is nothing wrong with dreaming and having ambitions, however to play Russian roulettes with the futures of children who has already been dealt a disadvantage in live, as a means to reach those goals is a selfish and dangerous game to play.

Ms. Joseph if ENYP is more to you than a stepping stone to glory and you legitimately care about the future of our school then you have the power to stop this closing. Start from the top and ensure that you take a step back and listen to what people have been saying about you. Not one person but many bitter or not, it comes a point in one’s life where they have to take a hard look at themselves and their relationships with others and ask am I living this life right? Are there changes the I need to make within myself? And can I truly reach greatness with so many against me? Are there legitimate reasons why they are against me? A strong will, intelligence and education are key components to being a leader; however, to be a great leader one must have compassion, the ability to listen and seek advise, and the ability to develop and keep strong relationships business and other wise. That me against the world attitude will get one only so far in this life. Put the future of ENYP ahead of your finances and ambitions, these wonderfully bright children are worth that much.
Charisse Persaud
February 2nd, 2010 7:16 am

I totally agree with Current Teacher ,well said !!!!!
A Former Employee within her adminsitration
February 2nd, 2010 9:18 am

This unfortunately is panning out exactly how Ms. Joseph wanted it to. For the parents or freinds of Joseph as well former employees up here cursing one another and all the other ignorant banter it won’t solve the problem. The lines of division have been created, unbeknownst to you, since day 1. Parents, you will never appreciate where an employee past or present is coming from. What I tell you is first hand experience. Most of the parents that stayed are familiar with the meetings that happened last february where the school was placed on probation. The probation was never satisfied. Only when the DOE came back to follow up did Ms. Joseph decide to repair the school, hold the meetings with you all. I don’t have to go into another unglorious detail about the background running the forefront because all you seem to see is the DOE targeting a black owned school, in a black community. I won’t slow my role. I won’t watch my mouth and that’s exactly why I was terminated. I spoke on things that she didn’t think was known. I addressed her attitude toward her parents and she didn’t regard them all as educated and caring. She picked and chose the parents she was willing to put up with and it was usually the parents that she assumed were well off or had the popularity vote amongst other parents. Simple as that. Good luck to all of you who still have children going there. Good luck to the faculty/staff that still works there and believe in the same vision Ms. Joseph sold to so many faculty/staff members before. The problems were always there, unfortunately, they ballooned to capacity that couldn’t be looked over.
Charisse Persaud
February 2nd, 2010 6:34 pm

Hey Mona , why didnt you speak to me today ? Where you in a hurry ? Im a concerned parent . See you at the meeting !!!!!!!
Parent
February 2nd, 2010 7:05 pm

I agree with ” current employee ” 100% however I really don’t think he/she is really a current employee because he/she would know about all the changes that are in place for the new location of the school…….. At former employee I’ve read your comments & it sounds like you so desperatly trying to reach the current parents with alot of negativity even after the beautiful written comment from”current employee” your still ranting about Joseph and the part about appreciating you we’re supposed to be thanking you for playing a part in our possible school closure?!Are you looking at this situation from the CURRENT PARENT point of view? Your telling us all the things that happen to you & others in the PAST but you have yet tell us how to continue on in the FUTURE and I still don’t understand your the role you play in this whole situation,I have never been one to kiss anyones behind especially not joseph’s the most I’ve ever said to her was goodmoring if that, so i know I’m not one of her favs but i still never had a problem with her…I just think the school should stay open with or with out joesph….and out of those 19 pending school closures how many are so called “Black Schools”
Parent
February 2nd, 2010 7:54 pm

And another thing, if grown behind adult is going to stand there and let sheila or anyone else disrespect them in any way,shape,or form…..Thats on them, I will not lose my job for someone who is not going to speak up for themselves
Interesting
February 2nd, 2010 9:58 pm

Amazing how Mona Davis was in Albany, NY today at Parent Advocacy Day REPRESENTING in an East New York Prep t-shirt. Really Mona? Is that how it’s done? I find that extremely interesting! How come you didn’t speak to us today Mona?! Don’t be fooled people, DoE is up to tricks and is using Mona as the “front-line”…
Leslie
February 2nd, 2010 10:29 pm

@ Interesting… I highly recommend gathering more facts versus being swayed left and right by every theory that flies by… I can tell you first hand, that Mona is making a difference for kids. In fact I believe God provided her to me as present help from losing my mind fending off a school system that would have my whole community of brown babies, broken spirited and working for the chain gang.

Say what you will, but she IS helping, forming bonds with education reformists, gathering parents that have the same complaints and helping them to support one another. Learning the laws so and creating forms that she readily supplies to parents who need help advocating for their kids. Most recently she helped us to save the education of one of our special education students who was being railroaded for the sake of his IEP money…

You’re really off base. I would’ve believed that she was wearing a t-shirt to highlight the need for accountability/oversight and parent voices in charterschools. That t-shirt has to be a sore reminder to every legislator of how far things have gone wrong.

I can’t even imagine what the story is behind the conversation thing, but personally I wouldn’t want to have to deal with some of the ignorance that has been displayed in this forum… The remarks have just been unbelieveable and completely inappropriate to the subject matter and venue. Worse, when you are paying your own way to help kids that are not yours and they are the ones attacking you?! Quite frankly most of you couldn’t even begin to navigate this education maze on your own. If you were up against these big business without help, you would do like most parents and just give up. You don’t know it, ’til your in it.

God Bless Mona Davids, and may she continue to do what she does despite the hate mail. She is in good company though, cause all great people who have tried to help their communities and cultures ended up hated, at least until there was no one left that hadn’t benefited from their works…

HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH! May Dr. King’s dream NEVER die!
Daughter of a Former Employee
February 2nd, 2010 10:34 pm

In reference to the concerned parents of ENYP, it is understandable why you feel the way you do. Your child will in event be relocated from this school and transferred to another mid-education. But to support this “superintendent” is ludicrous. We are referring to a woman who has solicited funds from you, without ever intending to put it towards your child’s education, but instead to stuff her own pockets. When it comes to those teachers that were let go, you have to understand that the working conditions we less than satisfactory. Teachers were being forced to stay for 3 to 4 hours at least after school was dismissed just to sit in meetings that you could hardly call necessary.
They were made to be there from 7 am to 7 pm. Imagine if you had to work such long hours non-stop with at least 15 kids to attend to. Her methods of creating lesson plans was …. absolute bullshit. Who wants to sit and map out hour by hour, day Also, the pay is horrible. Some teachers put a large sum of money into buying materials (that should have already been provided) for the students and the checks hardly cover the costs of what they had to spend. In addition to this, ENYP is a CHARTER school, not the DOE. In the DOE, there are unions in which teachers are protected against such atrocities. In the charter school system there is no one you can complain to and if you were to try and complain that would mean your job. Many teachers had no other option but to keep their mouth shut due to the freeze that was on the DOE hiring market.
I may be speaking from my own viewpoint of what my parent had to endure but it if Ms. Joseph were to remain I am sure these injustices will be repeated again and again and again. Ms. Joseph is a contemptible person for her actions and unfortunately children will suffer in the end but she must, MUST be STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Charter parent
February 2nd, 2010 11:11 pm

This is for “Interesting”

FYI - I was in Albany today and did see Mona. Mona was dressed in a suit along with the other NYCPA parent leaders who were all dressed in suits advocating for all of our kids! Lots of pictures were taken so I’m sure you’ll find pictures posted with Mona in them dressed in a suit.

At advocacy day today, ENYP was the main topic of conversation because of what went wrong and all the families affected. Attack Mona all you want but understand she has never lost a fight for a charter school siting or a charter parent issue with their school.

If there is a way to keep ENYP open, Mona is the person you want fighting in your corner. You need to stop spreading rumors/lies about her and see if she can help you save your school!
Parent
February 2nd, 2010 11:24 pm

LOL@ Lesile you never said why she was wearing a ENYP t-shirt I believe her daughter attends a Bronx charter obviously we’re not like most parents because we are going to fight for our school regardless to what anyone has to say…….be a leader not a follower Lesile!!You really sound like you worship the ground she walks on…..by the way does your child attend ENYP? @ Daughter I’m still hearing the words has, were,let go, those are past tense words to me…No one has yet to say how to move forward……
ENYP Parent
February 2nd, 2010 11:28 pm

ENYP is operated like a business not a school. What gives Ms. Joseph the right to put her child’s father on the board and pay him $5500.00 and last year try to solicit donations from the parents ?? The money should be going towards the school not your home!!! A month ago, I was told by Ms. Joseph through a letter to the parents, that my child had a new teacher with over 30yrs teaching experience, today that teacher is no longer there…..To the parents who says their child is learning and coming to Ms. Joseph’s defense, who should get credit for this Ms. Joseph or their teacher ???
Leslie
February 2nd, 2010 11:38 pm

Parent??? I did say why I would’ve believed she would be in a ENYP t-shirt, as it turns out someone who was there says she wasn’t, so… what are you talking about… I don’t think you can read anything that isn’t hate mail to spur you on. To you and any more nasty repliers who I will no longer address directly. I worship nobody by God Almighty ( El Shaddai, Elohim, Jehovah Jirah, Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah Raffa, and all his other Holy names), have you ever met Him? He is worthy to be praised and worshipped!

And btw you are absolutely right, you are like no parents I know personally… They would fight for their child not the school!

May your joyfully reap what you sow…
Charisse Persaud
February 3rd, 2010 2:24 am

@ ENYP parent ,
You know a lot about Ms Joseph ! Why I don’t know so much ? Who ever you are talking to sure didn’t tell me that . I don’t know why we are not fighting this battle together . I’m not saying not to raise questions. I’m just saying hear both sides. Mona Davids seem like she knew who to call because she never reached out to me. If Mona Davids is fighting for our school , she should contact all the parents not just the ones with complaints and doubts. Ms Joseph didn’t tell me to write this. Ms Joesph didn’t say Ms Persaud you better be on my side. I’m making my own decisions and yes I want her to address every issue the DOE has concerns with. If she is in compliance, what will we be fighting for then ? We need to work as parent body and figure out how we can keep our kids in this school that we know is performing. If you want your child to leave then just find another school and let us fight. Why try to bring down a school that is performing. Numbers don’t lie !!!! We need facts and facts only !!
Concerned Citizen
February 3rd, 2010 2:39 am

As long as Mona Davids keeps getting money from the teachers union and the prison guard union to help keep black children out of school and on a path to prison, why should anyone listen to anything she says?
concerned
February 3rd, 2010 2:50 am

A whole lot of fan fair in a situation that is so simple to address. ENYP if there is nothing to hide open up your records now, not in two weeks after you have gone in and fixed things. Do it now.

Justify your pay increase and the money paid to your ex. It is that simple be open and give the community real answers, to prove that you are trustworthy and deserve a chance to stay open.

No one seem willing to call for full disclosure and no one is offering it. Parents if seems as though you are getting more access at least to some level as never before, I find it interesting that you are made part of the process now rather than before.

Some comments here are quick to point out that these are things that have happened in the past, and want to focus on moving forward because things are getting better. Are they really getting better? What about the future? Sure you will have a building of your own but what happens when this administration is responsible for the operation of everything from building infrastructure, student body security and the endless issues that pops up with running a building? It Ms. Joseph and her team is having so may break down while sharing a DOE building then what will things be like when experience operations people, custodians, medical staff and security aren’t there to fall back on?

What will happen when there is no one there to keep and eye on things? Where will the money go when there is someone with a questionable past running things? Are you sure that you want your kids among that chaos? If ENYP can’t get it together after all this time with 8 class rooms, 8 teachers and a few offices, then what kind of pitfalls await them with a bigger school and more responsibility?

These were just a few common sense things I though should be addressed and contemplated before we all rush to put a school in to certain hands.
concerned
February 3rd, 2010 3:35 am

My advice is to stop focusing on Mona Davis she isn’t going to make the final decisions people. This is just classic but enough is enough.

EVERYONE IT IS NOT A BIG SECRET OK, YES RACISM EXIST OUT THERE! AND YES THERE WILL ALWAYS BE PEOPLE OUT THERE WORKING AGAINST OUR COMMUNITIES IN AN EFFORT TO KEEP US IN OUR PLACE. BROKEN AND DISENFRANCHISED. And guess what those people will always exist, however, once you have this information it is your responsibility to use it to your advantage.

Mona Davis can only fan the flames that exist, if that is her agenda. It should be your agenda to find out for yourselves if this the fire in question was set by ENYP’s leadership our just a bunch of smoke coming at you. Attacking Mona Davis here will do nothing but motivate her to work harder to promote closing the school, if that is what she is working towards. Stop the mindless babble and go find out what is really up at ENYP. Find out what has to be fixed to keep your school open and be willing to face whatever truth comes your way.

The bottom line is that Ms. Joseph is a human being who was fortunate to have a mother with the wisdom to understand that education was the ticket to a brighter future and she did everything in her power to make sure that Ms. Joseph appreciated the importance of that education, and made sure she worked hard to get it.

Vision, hard work and determination lead Ms. Joseph to be the head of ENYP. Those same tools are available to you now, there is no secret formula people. Ms. Joseph wasn’t offered some special anointing that isn’t available to you. Just like her mother did, the parents who applied to get your children into ENYP had that same vision of a bright future for your children via education. Ms. Joseph or ENYP didn’t plant that seed and Mona Davis being alive didn’t hinder you from going after what you know was best for your children.

So stop paying attention to individuals here, pay attention to what is best for your child now and in the future. If Ms. Joseph is innocent then your inquiries will be meet with openness and she will provide real information instead of pumping you up to go in and fight for her.

The most important thing to look at is, did ENYP’s leadership know they were on probation? And if so what legitimate steps were made in the months between the time they were placed on probation and now, to get that probation lifted?

Why is it that the probation was never lifted? And who or what contributed to that? Where did the breakdowns happen within the organization to prevent progress from happening during this time? Why is it that parents weren’t tapped to be a part of correcting the issues that needed fixing? Why wasn’t there good faith efforts made to put a legitimate board into place? Why are teachers leaving mid semester? What is the root cause of the turnover problems and how can that be fixed? Why have important positions remained unfilled by qualified professional? Why are teachers paid less and where did the fund intended for teachers go?

Schools cannot be closed without just cause, regardless of personal agendas. Suspend the typical arguments that someone is out to get you because you are black or minority. While it maybe true, you help promote a sense of hopelessness in the community and among the same children you are trying to remove mental limitations from. If they are out to get you then you go down trying to prevent them from getting you, and that isn’t done by moving away from the root cause of the problem. The first step is to go the source in question and find out all the information you need in order to develop a lasting effective plan to prevent them from getting you.

Ms. Joseph already has her education and unless she ends up in jail somewhere her possibilities are endless. It is time to focus on what is best for ENYP and your children and then everything else after that. And hell if the do get what they wish for and the school is closed what are you going to do? Just give up and let them win? Remember, Ms. Joseph didn’t give you the dream of a brighter future for your children, you had that even before you met Ms. Joseph, so continue on fighting for a better life for that child.
Parent
February 3rd, 2010 7:59 am

MIGHTY ANGRY LESILE……LOLOLOLOLOL ITS FUNNY HOW YOU CAN SPIT RUDE COMMENTS BUT CAN’T TAKE’EM…..AND WE WILL REAP WHAT WE SOW WHEN OUR CHILDREN ARE IN THAT BEAUTIFUL NEW SCHHOL OWNED BY ENYP!!! DOSENT SEEM LIKE YOUR READING THE COMMENTS CORRECTLY IF YOU WOULD WIPE AWAY THE HATE FOG THAT YOU HAVE FOR SHEILA YOU WOULD SEE THIS IS FIGHT IS FOR OUR CHILD(REN) AGAIN DO YOU HAVE CHILD(REN) @ ENYP?!!
A Former Employee within her adminsitration
February 3rd, 2010 8:59 am

@ Parent, I don’t want anyone to thank me for anything. “appreciating where I am coming from” does not mean I want you to thank me, it was used in place of “understanding where I am coming from”. I am not up here to fight with or persuade anyone to feel the way I do, you weren’t there with me everyday. Stop using selective reading to fuel your anger, if you read my comment you would see that I am addressing what lead up to the investigation in Dec 08 which led to the meeting held in February 09. I can’t offer a short term solution to a long standing problem which runs way deeper than you would ever really know. It is unfortunately 50% operations and 50% education issues over there.
Leslie
February 3rd, 2010 9:09 am

Ms. Persaud, numbers do lie - that is how we go into this economic crisis today… But more importantly it is why the school is being closed - for fraud… Fraudulent test scores and fraudulent budgeting…

As for so called “Parent”, I believe you are Sheila herself trying to fuel the fire of this debate… make comments under a few different aliases in order to undermine the process that is designed to unearth all your secrets… I will no longer be checking nor responding to comments in this forum, I just pray the parents who need help and want help, get it and that in the end this can be a story the kids can tell their kids about how they overcame adversity. One Love!
Parent of ENYP
February 3rd, 2010 10:12 am

Is it 6pm yet?
Parent
February 3rd, 2010 1:11 pm

NOPE CAN’T WAIT TILL THEN!!
Worked at ENYP Hell in Summer 2008
February 4th, 2010 11:17 pm

We all knew this would happen, each of us who worked there and were either let go or left on our own. You can only take so much working with a woman who has no clue what she was doing. It was evident and now you can all see it. I hope these children are able to transition back to another school. Working for this teacher/educator/lawyer and leader was torture, the best part of my day was greeting and shaking the hands of the angels every morning who trusted her to prepare them for the future. Thanks for failing them Sheila, real smooth Ms. Georgetown Law, real smooth.
Worked at ENYP Hell in Summer 2008
February 6th, 2010 2:11 pm

Without a doubt Sheila is on here making comments to further push her agenda. A shame.
Joke School
February 9th, 2010 4:12 pm

Wow! No comments!

I wonder if Sheila is going to make the teachers come to school tomorrow!

She is evil. I will have a party, when she is out of education. ….
Charisse
February 11th, 2010 11:38 am

You need to get a life joke School . I’m upset that I got an email for this silly comment .. Smh !!
OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 19th, 2010 10:38 am

well well well!!! All that talk you had to say before! What’s up now?? Its OVER!!! SHE IS DONE!! NOw say something!!!
Lex
April 25th, 2010 7:37 pm

Wow! I see a lot of angry white teachers on this site. You all are really not used to having a black supervisor, are you? These nasty comments are coming from somewhere else, and you all need to search yourselves. The cloud of racism is thick in this situation, and your circle of hate is very thin. So what is Ms. Joseph is proclaiming God. He wants us to call out to him in our darkest hour, and I believe that is what she is doing. It seems like you all have a really hard time forgiving her for whatever she has done in the past, but it’s alright because God is her judge, and He forgives her. Ms. Joseph knows that when one door closes, another one opens, and I proclaim that her future will be brighter. God bless you Ms. Joseph! He takes care of his own. No weapons formed against you shall prosper.
Shelia Joseph Please
April 26th, 2010 10:36 am

The only door that needs to open up for this supposed educator is one that of a jail cell. She has caused education neglect to those 43 students that she had pushed out before the state exams to protect her precious exam scores, gave the father of her child $5500 for sitting on the board, and given herself raises for doing a failing job. Now she has caused an additional 160 to be displaced because of her selfish needs. Applause to you Ms. Joseph!
I Knew It...
April 28th, 2010 8:21 pm

Sheila is out! Sheila is out! I wonder how she is going to keep her fancy car and fancy clothes, now that she is out of job! I can’t believe how blind she is … I would suggest you to leave quietly. This is the beauty of America…it always looks like nothing is getting done, but at the end everything comes… Great laws great country…Sheila you know that!

Good luck to all the parents and students!
Ding dong the witch is out!
April 28th, 2010 8:35 pm

is it true? is she really out? if so we need to break out in song and dance. i guess it’s all good in the hood now!
OUR SCHOOL AIN'T CLOSING..SHELIA JOSEPH IS OUR HERO AND WE AIN'T GOING NO WHERE!!! HAHAHA WHAT A JOKE THAT WAS
April 28th, 2010 9:00 pm

EAST NEW YORK PARENTS, WHAT HAPPENED? I THOUGHT THAT YOUR SCHOOL WASN’T CLOSING AND YALL AIN’T GOING NO WHERE? GUESS THE JOKES ON YOU. KEEP NOT THINKING FOR YOURSELVES AND ALWAYS BELIEVE THE WORD OF YOUR SCHOOL LEADERS. DONT ASK QUESTIONS AND DON’T CONDUCT YOUR OWN RESEARCH ON CRUCIAL MATTERS. SO KLEIN HAD DECIDED AND YOUR SCHOOL IS CLOSING. I CAN’T SAY THAT I DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING BECAUSE I DID AND YOU ENYP PARENTS DIDN’T. I WONDER WHAT SCRAPS OF A LEADER THAT YOU ARE GOING TO USE TO SAFE YOUR SCHOOL NOW THAT IT’S ON LIFE SUPPORT OR SHOULD I SAY ITS FLATLINED. HAAAA KEEP IN GOOD IN THE HOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Charisse Persaud
April 28th, 2010 9:41 pm

Why are you so bitter ??? The fight is on !! You will see the power of the parent . I really feel bad for you . Let all that hate go and move on. Hopefully you found another school cause whatever Sheila did to you scared you for life .Smh
Shelia + ENYP = Closed School
April 28th, 2010 10:05 pm

Don’t know why you ENYP parents are fighting now. The school is closing and it is a known fact. Klein decision is final. So start relocating your kids back to your community schools. Shelia Joseph had pulled the wool over your eyes so keep defending her. While your kids go back to your “failing district schools” I can assure you of one child that will not be there , her son! So keep pledging your to your now publicly known failed school leader. Y’all allowed Joseph mislead you. Hope you all learned your lesson, never trust ANYONE when it comes your childs education!
Charisse Persaud
April 28th, 2010 10:38 pm

Do you think every parent @ ENYP live in the “hood” ! I live in a very nice neighborhood , and my child is taken care of school wise . Like I said ” you are bitter and you need to get over it !! You can say whatever u want after this cause I’m not responding , don’t have the time anymore . I’m so over responding to ignorant rants !!!!!
OUR SCHOOL AIN'T CLOSING..SHELIA JOSEPH IS OUR HERO AND WE AIN'T GOING NO WHERE!!! HAHAHA WHAT A JOKE THAT WAS
April 29th, 2010 12:03 am

the only ignorance going on is that of the ENYP parents. the fact MOTHER cannot refrain from using profanity when addressing someone clearly states my case. It isn’t over? please the jig is up. you ENYP parents previously stated in this post that you did not receive a letter that stating school was closing, but i’m positive that most of you didn’t know your school was on probation. ENYP parents were standing by and supporting your fraud of a leader and played the race card. YOU all stated that the DOE, UFT, and other folks have an agenda. you couldn’t base your agruments on the true facts on why the charter got revoked. 1) that there was a 100% teacher turnover rate, 2) she gave herself raises and 3) also paid thousands to the father of her child who sat on the board just to name a few. Sheila Joseph didn’t have to run me out of the building because i was SMART enough to never step in it unlike you and the rest of your clan. i am not the one FIGHTING for my childs school so late in the school year. unlike you, my childs school will be open in September. so please keep telling yourself hope is alive. i hope that its the same fighting fire that keeps your faces dry as you all start tearing when the doors close on June 28. ENYP parents, do yourselves a favor, if you decided to put your child in a charter school again, why don’t you actually find out what a CHARTER school is and get a full and complete copy of it
ENYP Parent
April 29th, 2010 10:05 am

WHY ARE YOU SO ANGRY?LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
I Thought So
July 16th, 2010 12:34 am

ENYP…WHY ARE YOU SO ANGRY NOW? I KNOW WHY BECAUSE ENYP CLOSED IT’S DOORS…HAAAAHAAAAAA LOL
GUESS THE JOKES ON YOU BOO!!!! LMAO

Our Twitter Updates

+1 economist a/g LAT's use of value-added RT @alexanderrusso: Goldhaber slams #LATVAM in Seattle Times http://ow.ly/2wV3t via @arotherham 3 days ago
N.J. fires its Ed Commish after feds release video of its RttT error. http://bit.ly/aLonNd 6 days ago
Tune in to WNYC this am to hear Maura discuss NY's #RTTT win with @BrianLehrer http://bit.ly/bClF6y 1 week ago
Race to the What? (via @azipaybarah) http://empire.wnyc.org/2010/08/race-to-the-what/ 1 week ago
And by $786 million we meant $696 million of course. NYC will still be getting $250-300 million from #RTTT. 1 week ago

GothamSchools — daily independent reporting on NYC public schools

unchartered territory

January 28, 2010

Head of charter school set to close fires back at teachers, DOE

138 Comments

Leave a Reply

Pleased to meet you

Tips, questions, feedback?

Mapping the Budget Cuts

Chalk It Up

Recent Comments

Our Twitter Updates

Events Calendar

RSS Feeds

Archives

Education Policy

Educators (NYC)

Educators (outside NYC)

Media

Organizations

Parents & Students

Teaching & Learning

Technology in Education

Copyright Notice

September 2010
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
« Aug
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30

GothamSchools — daily independent reporting on NYC public schools

unchartered territory

January 28, 2010

Head of charter school set to close fires back at teachers, DOE

138 Comments

Leave a Reply

Pleased to meet you

Tips, questions, feedback?

Mapping the Budget Cuts

Chalk It Up

Recent Comments

Our Twitter Updates

Events Calendar

RSS Feeds

Archives

Tags

GothamSchools by Email

Education Policy

Educators (NYC)

Educators (outside NYC)

Media

Organizations

Parents & Students

Teaching & Learning

Technology in Education

Copyright Notice