Occasionally, the news media cannot ignore wrongdoings by principals and the latest "bad Principal"is the grammatically-challenged Andrew Buck of Middle School Art & Philosophy in Brooklyn who tried to pressure parents and teachers to wrote supportive letters to the DOE to lobby for tenure. Today, the Daily News editorial wanted to know why he is still Principal? In fact, Principal Andrew Buck first came to the newspaper's attention when it reported that the UFT survey found him to be the most "untrustworthy Principal" in Brooklyn back in 2008. Despite, seven of his eight teachers leaving the school because of his failed leadership, the DOE kept him on. Andrew Buck is another member of the infamous "Principal Leadership Academy" and the Daily News has questioned both his academic credentials and how he landed up as a Principal here. Yet despite the many questions about Andrew Buck, the DOE did nothing.
Things for Principal Buck got progressively worse as he was "C rated" and his school suffered from mass defections, and low morale. During the 2009-10 school year sexual assaults against female teachers and violent acts by students were being reported as the Principal's school safety plan was in tatters and the teachers felt they were under siege. The DOE responded by extending his tenure period rather than firing him. Unbelievable!
Then came the most egregious of actions by the "untrustworthy Principal". He refused to order and give textbooks to the students and when parents complained, Andrew Buck wrote his infamous grammatically wrong and misspelled e-mail. In the email he said there was nothing wrong with students learning without textbooks and that they can use Wikipedia. Incredibly, he defended his email and took no responsibility to it's content. Despite another Daily News Editorial asking for his removal, the DOE did nothing.
Now we find that Principal Andrew Buck is pressuring parents and teachers to support his tenure and the DOE has called in the Special Commissioner of Investigations to dig into the mess. The Daily News reported that the Principal did not follow protocol and violated the DOE rule on pressuring staff on the school evaluations. Even the 2010-2011 Quality Review rating of "Developing" must be taken with a grain of salt.
Accountability by the DOE appears to be lacking as an "untrustworthy Principal" is allowed to continue his incompetent and dangerous leadership at the expense of the parents, students, and teachers. It truly is "children last" when it comes to Principal Andrew Buck.
Chaz:
ReplyDeleteYou have done it again. You have tied up the failed history of Andrew Buck in your post and the DOE only needs to follow the trail of student tears to see why this Principal should be fired.
What percentage of eligible teachers have received tenure this year? How does it compare to other years?
ReplyDeleteAnon:
ReplyDeleteNobody knows yet this year but I assume that it will be a much higher percentage than the last few years as the DOE is pressuring principals to deny tenure.
It's good the Daily News exposed this creep. It would be better if they had a series on "bad Principals". I am sure there are many of them.
ReplyDeleteWhen the news wrote about a 'bad teacher' you bashed the news saying they were completing wrong and out of line. Now that they are bashing a principal you are in complete agreement????
ReplyDeleteLooks like you will support any teacher and will bash any principal.
Anon 11:06
ReplyDeleteLike usual you miss the point. The newspapers have "bad teachers" articles (teachers not teacher) and paint all these teachers with the same broad brush. In the rare times they actually write about a "bad Principal" (not principals) they show the problem in detail.
If you cannot see the difference, I can only feel sorry for your lack of understanding of the big picture.
By the way, if you really follow my blog you would know I do write about "bad teachers".
"By the way, if you really follow my blog you would know I do write about "bad teachers"."
ReplyDeleteYou do but not nearly to the extent that you cover bad principals.
From the time i met mr buck, i knew he was a bad principal. I covered a class for him and saw his disposition as an educator myself. when i got on the children's case so they can learn,he got on mine. It is and was terrible working for mr buck and his disrespectful and out of character staff. He has turned the school into a zoo where the children are mostly in charge. He does not know what he is doing.
ReplyDeleteI am a first year ESE teacher already on a medical leave due to a corrupt principal. I am her scapegoat for her not addressing the needs of twin boys in my class appropriately and in a timely manner. Mom was furious and called the higher ups. Needless to say, I have lost my career before it began. I find comfort in knowing the mom of my students knows the truth has tried to clear my name from all the lies and slander and right the wrongs on my behalf. I was a fantastic teacher. I loved my students. Sadly, my principal will not pay any consequences. I am not the first or last teacher she has done this to. Shame on DOE for moving ineffective principals around to other schools or giving them promotions to get of school grounds. Parents need to pay closer attention to the schools principals as well as teachers. It is a political and caustic environment.
ReplyDelete