The Stories Of "Ebony & Ivory" And "Mutt & Jeff" Continue - "Bad Teachers" That The DOE Made A Deal With.

In the LIFO argument some people have claimed that I have said that all ATRs are "great teachers". This is far from the truth. While many ATRs are "great teachers", there are some who are "bad teachers". This post is about four such teachers who, thanks to the DOE Office of Legal Services, were put back into the classroom to bring misery to whomever crosses their paths.

Last year I wrote an article about "Ebony & Ivory". How these two teachers reaped havoc in the "rubber room", calling the police and not following the rules. Both were charged under State Education Law 3020-a in part to their behavior at the reassignment center once removed from the classroom. To call these two "characters" is being kind, they were downright dangerous to everybody who came in contact with them. Incredibly, the DOE, rather than going after the "worst of the worst" teachers, settled with both for a fine and a course. For Ebony it was the second time in the last five years that the DOE charged her under 3020-a only to make a deal with her. Along with "Mutt & Jeff" who I also wrote about previously, they all took deals offered by the DOE and were sent to schools as ATRs. Now it is Spring break of the next year and what have our four "bad teachers" found themselves in.

"Ebony" has gone to two different schools this year as she has had trouble with the Administration at both schools. I have heard that she may be charged yet again under section 3020-a for her behavior at the present school. If Ebony is charged it will be her third 3020-a in the last six years.

"Ivory" went to a school only to be taken out of the school and charged yet again under section 3020-a. She was actually put back to the Children First Network Office despite teachers no longer being removed from a school while awaiting disciplinary hearings because of her behavior at the school. Unbelievably, the DOE made yet another settlement with her, shocking even her own lawyer. She is now in another school and having more problems.

"Mutt" decided that his reassignment was a vacation and would disappear from the reassignment center for hours at a time. he was caught and received a "U" rating for his disappearances and behavior at the reassignment center. However, the DOE failed to add this to his original charges. This school year he was supposed to work for a DOE office and decided he was "Maynard G. Krebbs" and allergic to work. He would sleep all day in a conference room and hide when he thought the Office had work for him to do. Rather than the DOE file new 3020-a charges against him, he was allowed to settle his original charges with a fine and a course by the DOE. He was told to report to a school and showed up unshaven, with his most dingy and dirty clothes he had. It worked, the school threw him out and he decided to wait for a new school by staying home and getting paid for what seemed months, or so as told to me. "Mutt" is now in another school and I pity the children exposed to him.

Finally, we have "Jeff" who seems never to stay in any one school for the entire year. This year he was kicked out of one school and landed in another were the Chapter Leader spends too much of his time representing "Jeff" in "U" observations and is destined for another "U" rating. Remember, the DOE had more than enough evidence to terminate" Jeff" but choose to make a settlement instead.

Yes, there are "bad teachers" but more often then not the DOE chooses to make deals with the "worst of the worst" and send them back to school to cause more damage and we all suffer from it.