One of the worst schools for teachers to find themselves in is William Cullen Bryant High School in Queens. This school has one of the lowest Principal trust factors by teachers in the city at 28%. Furthermore, this school has seen all but one Assistant Principal leave the school since 2013 and I have been told of the 176 teachers on staff when the current Principal, Namita Dwarka came in, only 37 are left or 21% have survived her oppressive four year leadership. This unusually high teacher turnover is more reminiscent of a small deep poverty school or a charter school than a large comprehensive high school. The school has suffered from low morale and both student and teacher walkouts as well as protests, yet the DOE ignores the administrative caused problems at the school.
The current Principal Ms. Dwarka, has seen her school's "college and career readiness" rates keep dropping during her tenure to a low point of 34% in the latest school snapshot, despite a student body.that draws from the middle to working class communities of Astoria and Long Island City and has a diverse student population. Interestingly, a Principal favored Assistant Principal who was accused of a sexual relationship with a student and was removed by the DOE has somehow reappeared at her old position back at the school this school year. Was she cleared and found innocent of the accusation or was it substantiated but covered up? The issue should be clarified on why she got her job back.
Back to Principal Dwarka. She has found herself under various investigations for grade fixing, financial fraud, and retaliation. Moreover, Ms. Dwarka has been accused of academic fraud and she is instrumental in pushing teachers out of her school even if it means filing 3020-a charges against these teachers for otherwise frivolous actions. Rather than go over each accusation against Ms. Dwarka you can read my previous posts on her Here. Better yet, the show Crime Watch had a major piece on Principal Namita Dwara and you can watch the entire show Here. Then there were front page headlines of a student who never attended her class but was passed and graduated anyway.
The bottom line is that any teacher who want to work in the school should have their head examined. There is no parking, an abusive and untrustworthy school administration, and accusations of academic fraud that has resulted in high teacher turnover and an unstable school climate. Stay away from William Cullen Bryant High School.
62 comments:
The real question is why isn't the DOE removing these principals. For many of them it's because they have family in positions of power in the DOE.They usually have a different surname and keep it very silent.
Chaz, did you see Chalkbeats article on NYC teacher results for "ineffectives"? They report that 77 teachers received 2 ineffectives in a row in total. Could this be true? If so, isn't this a total and complete embarrassment for the reform movement? 77 out of 70,000+ were rated I for 2 years Straight? All the $$$ they poured in Danielson and it found 99.9% not ineffective?
I worked for a terribly abusive principal. I mean she was an absolute psycho. She was so bad, Preet Bharara is after her. (Minerva Zanca). After what I personally saw her get away with, and she is still working for the DOE, I have come to the point where I realize the DOE is a corrupt city bureaucracy where pure evil reigns and idiocy is rewarded. (Other things have also confirmed this.) Even our UFT is a hellhole of cronies and two-faced liars. The best we can do is survive, invest and insulate our souls from its chill touch. Retire and get out of this facade of a city.
Blige's sister is near the top of the DOE.
Unfortunately many good experienced teachers and APs were push out or left. ATRs are also harassed and terminated. The school has been destroyed, the students are being passed with no effort on their behalf.
Corruption is protected, while good teachers with integrity are being sacrificed and wasted.
6:15
In my LI high school the exam component of the end-of-year evaluation has proven to be a shield for many of our struggling teachers. We happen to have a fairly strong student body when it comes to the ELA Regents (and teachers without a Regents Exam are bizarrely obligated to use those particular exam results whether or not they have ever taught those children any subject at all or even know those children).
Since the exam results must trump the wacky Danielson-based observation in the final analysis, you can see how strong this shield is in a district like mine.
Ironically, Cuomo's insistence in linking student exam performance to teacher evaluation (and positioning exam performance as the decisive factor)is resulting in less teachers in my district, not more, being identified for incompetence.
(I'd imagine in NYC the arbitrary nature of the exam results coupled with wacky Danielson rubrics might result in wildly arbitrary 'ineffective' designations...and not necessarily a huge number of 2-time ineffective designations)
Students have earned 6 credits on APEX over the summer using their phones. It is outrageous the educational neglect.
APEX is the best. Students doing other students work on computer. It's hysterical. No one cares so it doesn't really matter. If they did, they would actually ask the students to attend classes and try to pass them, not relying on APEX. Haaaaa!!!!
I was forced to take a maternity leave their and the morale is horrible. Even the students think the school environment is bad and wish they could go to another school.
I was lucky that I was only there two months and they left me alone but other ATRs were not so lucky.
Harassment, retaliation and a toxic environment is the norm.
Dwarka is stealing tens of thousands of dollars.
A trusted insider
Apex. Hmmm. I see kids listening to youtube videos while taking the online apex exams, which they can take over and over until they pass. I have seen students sitting next to each other helping each other get the multiple choice answer right. I have seen students open other tabs and just look up answers to questions. I have seen students doing the written work by copying off the internet. Others take the packets home and they come back the next day done, but in a different handwriting style. I have been asked to sign off on grades for Apex even though most of the packet is blank or wrong. Apex is really helping the stats for the principals and ultimately the mayor, but it is a joke.
Chaz, you should do an investigation into whether Quality Review Reports provide an accurate picture of what a school is like.
Here are Bryant's Quality Review Reports:
http://schools.nyc.gov/OA/SchoolReports/2014-15/Quality_Review_2015_Q445.pdf
http://schools.nyc.gov/OA/SchoolReports/2012-13/Quality_Review_2013_Q445.pdf
http://schools.nyc.gov/OA/SchoolReports/2010-11/Quality_Review_2011_Q445.pdf
http://schools.nyc.gov/OA/SchoolReports/2009-10/Quality_Review_2010_Q445.pdf
http://schools.nyc.gov/OA/SchoolReports/2008-09/Quality_Review_2009_Q445.pdf
http://schools.nyc.gov/OA/SchoolReports/2007-08/Quality_Review_2008_Q445.pdf
http://schools.nyc.gov/OA/SchoolReports/2006-07/Quality_Review_2007_Q445.pdf
This school has been destroyed. It will take a good principal to lift the school. We do not know what they are waiting for.
Thank you whistleblowers, even when the system is against you. You manage to fight corruption, even though our UFT looked the other way.
Namita Dwarka and her evil APs are a sight to see.
I'm in that "Monday" PD meeting right now Chaz. Do you attend these each Monday? How do you feel about these meeting every single Monday? (High school level)
Be warned.....
You can smell Dwarka and her APs before you can see them.
RUMORS ARE STARTING TO FLY ABOUT THE UFT/DOE GETTING RID OF OUR CAR. Chaz, you gotta do a blog post about this topic asap.
Anon 6:22
The rumors are not true and the CAR can only be negotiated in the next contract in 2019 and that is extremely unlikely.
Rampant corruption.
Last year 45 teachers left. She likes to hire new teachers while she pushes out experienced profesionals.
The UFT lowered the tda to 7% without our consent! Why not the CAR?
What do you mean get rid of CAR? as in: get nothing?
So you lose what you don't use?...Every teacher will take 10 day
Without ATRs she couldn't run the school. Nobody wants to work there anymore. She still has vacancies.
I LOVED THIS SCHOOL , IT HAD EVERYTHING !!
It is shameful that this school's reputation got destroyed during the last 5 years.and all those talented and and experienced people left or were pushed out.
Well, that's what you guys get by electing a lunatic liberal like DiBlasio and his corrupt croonies. You'll NEVER get those bad teachers and principal out as long as DiBlasio is Mayor! I went to Bryant back in ancient times!
Why is it so difficult to get that pshyco out of there? Is there anyone who can help!?
Now they have destroyed it in every sense.
Just lowering the standards and education on the cheap. A complete disgrace and a waste of resources.
Lack of credibility and toxic environment.
I went to this principal n told her my son was really being bullied,she said unless he is going to the mosque across the st or he goes to her school,she will not protect him.just hen he punk that has been hurting my son SPITS in my path with he principal watching n she does nothing!!i ask her n she says nothing she can do,that we should get off bryant property.it was hell.i finally took matters into my own hands since the popo wouldnt do a thing either even thou this kid got others to chase n follow my son.yup i went to jail for it for two hrs.well worth it.that punk never looked at me again!
This is nothing new, if anyone bothered to listen, this has been going on for at least the last 4 yrs under her leadership. Dwarka is corrupt !One teacher went as far as taking her before the DOE & UFT, she must apparently have very strong ties at the DOE & UFT because they turned a blind eye and a deaf ear. This involved monies students raise that went missing and when this "teacher" reported it, they were harassed and ultimately transferred. I am an alumni from Bryant, and its a shame this has happened. At one time, this school was up to be closed... maybe it should have happened !!
How is it that the Chancellor does not remove her?
What is the Queens UFT office doing?
The Queens UFT is sleeping with this bitch. Freiser is a rat who tips her off to every complaint or appeal that is made and Vazquez is a fucking little weasel who is in her back pocket. You ask this scumbag for help and he ignores you. He has let many great teachers get harassed and "U" rated and hasn't raised his ass dunkin finger. Dwarka is a liar and a thief and the UFT and DOE let her get away with destroying careers of wonderful hard working people. She has destroyed the reputation of the school so that only 1 and 2's go there or kids who couldn't get in any place else. The climate in that place is devastating. The veteran teachers are harassed and depressed, the new teachers walk around oblivious to the fact that the walls are crumbling around them, the AP's are a bunch of ass kissing imbeciles, who if the worked for a real principal would be exposed as the frauds they are - yea you Jackie, Pelly, Billy, Maria, Henry and lets not forget the head of security Mr. Morales - do you like the dog collar she got you for Christmas. The scholars are running wild and discipline is a joke. Kids pass cause teachers are afraid to fail anyone or they take apex and get a shit load of credits. Thank god I was able to transfer to a normal school, so sad for the good people left behind. I hope all the people responsible for allowing Dwarka to kill Bryant High School are proud of yourselves. Explain this shit to the higher power as you try to slither thru the pearly gates, you smakes. Burn baby Burn.
My question is why you Hatin' for , you are hating very hard whoever wrote this artical , what you want to turn it into condws so no Child gets some what of a education... Stop hatin' mind your business and write about something that is worth it not about another school closing due to some bs. These days you have to show me solid evidence. I believe no reporter or report , look at the woman who said her friend was shot in the night club in florida turns out she was a reporter for fox 29
The change of tone means protecting corruption with the blessing of the Queens UFT office.
A lot of changes have occurred in the last year. Students like Bryant and the new staff is really doing a great job!
Anon 11:42
What fantasy are you living in? Dwarka and her AR's are still there and the academic standards keep getting worse.
Downward spiral. Credits given as candies.
We will see the results in June.
Yah, 45 teachers left including the chapter leader.
Anon 11:42
Your statement defies reality. If Namita Dwarka and her APs are still in charge and the incoming staff are all "newbies" how can you say that your school is improving with a straight face?
In fact, under Dwarka (28% trust factor) your school's college and career readiness scores keep dropping yearly, despite the student body. See my post.
http://chaz11.blogspot.com/2016/12/queens-high-schools-were-college-ready.html
I promise that all of this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are things going on in that building that are NOT happening anywhere else. When people encounter people from that building and hear the stories, their blank, stunned expressions say it all. And they have to be true, because they are so outrageous they can't be made up.
But the chancellor likes the principal so much.
but the kids are suffering....and when they do get into trouble they tell you to send them away to the state...even the cops tell you file a loss of control...but they are out of control in the school....and blame your kid...
Unfortunately nobody cares if the school is on a downward spiral.
The inaction of the DOE to do the right thing has perplexed the whole community.
You need to make some sense.
The UFT Queens Office should be ashamed of themselves.
Mulgrew did you do anything to stop this nonsense?
Specially Vasquez should be ashamed of himself. Acted like Dwarka's informant.
Mulgrew and the UFT likes abusive principals.
Fariña you should be ashamed of yourself for keeping this principal who has destroyed a school.
The Queens UFT office is really worthless. I can't figure oit what they do there.
Amen! Sad but true. Move to another state or country and work with kids from a church with a solid background.
Chaz, speaking as one who was attacked by one one of these new breed of female puppet principals, to no avail, I might add.... I wonder if Ms. Dwarka twistedly thinks she is helping foreign students and Black students by cheating like the ones who have cheated all along? It's not good because these students are going to go out into the US, the same US that elected and love Donald Trump and have to break ceilings and knock down prejudices. They gotta do it my mom's way....GOTTA BE TWENTY TIMES BETTER THAN! That means study and find out all you need to know. Or do menial labor, save and buy the durn place! Racism is America's foundation until Jesus comes again. Come soon. I suggest Dwarka re-examine her faith, ask forgiveness and open her own school where she can then hire Mary Bozoyan as a math teacher.
As your students will teach you. DON'T HATE THE PLAYERS; HATE THE GAME. Free education was never about rich White folks and now they and their fearless leader are ending it so the poor can get back into the fields of picking cotton, fruit and the like and being sexually satisfying to their masters. Look at these concentration camps for stolen children in 2018. How do we know who is touching them or forcing them to work at their homes? We don't! Our principals of color better find their principles SOON.
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