Comments on: City hands long to-do list to principals of ex-turnaround schools

By: MHaber8643

MHaber8643 — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 00:50:00 +0000

Ironically, life is hell at John Dewey High School in Brooklyn, where the aftermath of “winning” the arbitration has resulted in our name remaining, but all else in the planned “takeover” – I mean “turnaround”- goes ahead full throttle: locks to the entrances have been changed, our teacher lounges are to be closed, we are told we will be observed 10 times this year , and we are to work, work, work…while 30 teachers were excessed, and newbies brought in, the slashin and burnin continues unabated…

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 05:13:00 +0000

Elaine Gorman had done horrible job as a Superintendent for Alternative School. I happen to know a principal in lower manhattan did not observed 90 percent of staff and did not provide support to probationary teachers ( no mentor, no observation for the first 2 years). As a part of a principal evaluation principal must provide evidence how did they support new teachers and address pedagogical problems facing the school. Elaine Gorman gave this Principal top notch annual rating 10 percent ( exceeding standards). Where this rating come from? the principal in that school spend 4 period in a row in the cafeteria. People need to be reminded , federal taxes, our taxes are been used ( wasted ( to pay a principal ( $ 178 .000 ) and Elaine Gorman ( 2012, $190.000) according http://new-york-employees.findthedata.org/l/994020/Elaine-Gorman.

By: guest

guest — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 21:51:00 +0000

Actually I think I read somewhere that there were 6 Principals eligible to return and they have all chosen to take other positions (nI am sure there was nothing done by the DOE to encourage them not to return).

By: Newtown student

Newtown student — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 21:38:00 +0000

Does this mean that the old principals stay (as in the ones there before the turnaround fiasco)?

By: guest

guest — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 16:06:00 +0000

…while of course it is all speculation and they were all involved with the AFT convention I believe this past weekend, why hasn’t one peep come out from them regarding the master teacher business and the documents released on Friday showing Sternberg and the rest of the lackeys were liars when they said they were interested in getting the best teachers and there was no 50% quota and then the demise of the master teacher with the implication being it was the lack of SIG funding that forced the DOE’s hand when we all know that the DOE could easily have used restart or transformation and gotten the SIG grant but we kept hearing from the Supreme Leader that the SIG grants were not the reason for pushing turnaround. Not a peep just we’ll cooperate in trying to help the DOE open the schools as smoothly as possible (which I don’t necessarily disgree with but still is that the proper follow up of this victory?).

Teachers have a long history of being shafted because in most cases they march like sheep to the slaughter. This was true in the 70′s this seems to be true now. Bloomberg, ?Walcdott and all the rest of the lackeys lack any sense of decency and the only way to fight fire is with fire. I am not onvinced that the UFT is fighting as hard as it can against what is being done to its members. Something has to come out of Mulgrew on these matters to convince many members otherwise.

By: Michael Fiorillo

Michael Fiorillo — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 15:10:00 +0000

I don’t doubt that Michael Mulgrew deeply wanted to win this case, and it’s a good thing for all of us (minus the deformers who, rhetoric aside, are so quick to leave public school students in a ditch) that the Union did, but that does not vindicate the union leadership’s collaboration with City Hall and Tweed over the past decade.

Nor does it vindicate their continuing misguided policies (support for mayoral control, VAM-based teacher evaluations, Common Core, the Danielson evaluation checklist, passivity in the face of RttT-driven school closings and teacher firings, etc.) that have given privatizer’s the opportunity to run riot. The UFT leadership continues to support the above-mentioned policies, which are certain to lead to more school closings, no matter who the next mayor is.

By: Jjman36

Jjman36 — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 14:44:00 +0000

TeachmyclassMrMayor, I know that for a fact that Mulgrew deeply wanted to win this case. While I agree with some of what you say, you should stick to the facts. Speculation helps no one.

By: Jjman36

Jjman36 — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 14:15:00 +0000

The DOE treats people like widgets or serfs. Their failed attempt to fire 50% of teachers in the turnaround buildings put people on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Now the DOE condescendingly says never mind. The children and adults in these buildings suffer immeasurably from the incompetence of the DOE who take no responsibility for their actions. Why won’t the press hold these callus and unprofessional people accountable for their damaging actions? Teachers continued to be portrayed as villains by Bloomberg the emperor of the no-bid contract.
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By: TeachmyclassMrMayor

TeachmyclassMrMayor — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 11:25:00 +0000

Guest, the only difference between Obama & Romney on the issue of education is the fact that Romney is more honest. He comes out and flatly states he wants to break up public schools…you know “choice”, more testing, union busting. Obama says one thing, but his actions are the same actions that Romney would take. Which is w it is not an issue in this election. Obama says one thing, and then his Secretary of education, the phony Arne Duncan, takes his marching orders from Bloomberg, Murdoch, Klein, Rhee & company.

By: Dlwstar

Dlwstar — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 11:15:00 +0000

Where is the part about extra support for principals, teachers for these schools that were so horrible they needed to be “turned around”? Notice nothing was mentioned about students and how to help them. I always thought part of a smooth school opening had less to do with budget and more to do with culture.

By: guest

guest — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 10:55:00 +0000

Don’t forget, Randi runs the UFT. Mulgrew is a figurehead. And Randi has put her eggs in a basket destined for Obama. It would be much more difficult for her if she is seen as opposed to some (whatever your definition of some is) educational reform. I would bet dollars to doughnuts that they never thought they would win the arbitration; they were just going through the motions. There has been little or no follow up. Where is Mulgrew calling a press conference and exposing the lies in the document regarding turnaround for all to hear rather than just the people here who read this stuff. Not a peep in the papers. What about telling the world that all the things except the teacher firings the DOE claims they are losing because they are losing the SIG funds would be available under the three other models if only the DOE would agree with them on the teacher evaluation program that was brokered by the Goernor. But not a peep. The tabloids say the UFT is holding up the teacher evaluation system when they should be putting out releases that it is a two way street and there is no way they cdan agree to a system without the right of appeal given the nature of so many of the inexperienced Principals. But not a peep.
Mulgrew has been very silent all summer as the Supreme Leader has gone on radio show after radio show ripping into the teachers. Now, am I missing something?

By: TeachmyclassMrMayor

TeachmyclassMrMayor — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 09:18:00 +0000

Agreed, would love to see the phoniness of the process exposed. Let’s go Mr. Mulgrew, in the school I worked in there were no parents involved in this process, which I understand they were supposed to be,

By: guest

guest — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 03:27:00 +0000

Somebody should foil those 18D notes.

By: Sternberg is a LIAR

Sternberg is a LIAR — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 03:06:00 +0000

Why should they destroy them, by storing this information it will make it easier for them the next time they try this.

By: guest

guest — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 02:54:00 +0000

Those 18D interviews were held under illegal circumstances. Therefore, they should be destroyed. The UFT should grieve to have these files destroyed but they won’t.

By: Papo

Papo — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 01:49:00 +0000

“All files and materials related to the 18D process should be maintained onsite in a locked file cabinet”. In other words: All scarlet letter files must be locked away from the eyes of those teachers who were set to be burnt at the stake.