The DOE has a slogan "Children First. Always.". However, the DOE's slogan rings hollow when thevery policies they have practiced during the Bloomberg Era and has continued under Chancellor Carmen Farina show otherwise.
Just look at all the policies the DOE has placed on the schools that has had a negative effect on a student's academic achievement. Large class sizes, the largest in New York State and now our disappointing "its a beautiful day" Chancellor put her foot in her mouth again by saying that we don't want class sizes to be too small. At the District 15 Town Hall meeting on May 6th. Here is her exact quote.
"I have a particular feeling there’s such a thing as too small a class size. I feel sometimes class sizes creates cliques, other kinds of non-social relationships ".
This despite study after study that shows that smaller class sizes are correlated with increased student learning. In addition, over the last seven years the DOE has reduced school budgets by an average of 14% while the DOE budget has increased by billions of dollars. The result is few resources are being directed to the classrooms while the DOE bloated bureaucracy is bursting at the seems with non-educators and managers, especially, accountability experts and lawyers. Moreover, the schools, in an effort to save scarce funds, are asking teachers to take a "sixth period" which eventually wears out the teacher and reduces their effectiveness. The result is a less inviting academic environment and a failure to provide the proper conditions for students to reach their academic potential.
Combine that with the "fair student funding" that requires principals to hire the "cheapest" and not the "best teachers" and the DOE's "education on the cheap" policy and you have not "Children first" but in reality its "Children last".
17 comments:
And neither does the union....
I love how the union has set us up by telling teachers we have complete autonomy when it comes to lesson plans yet we will still be evaluated on them
Chaz,
I think you're an admiral individual. Unfortunately, you don't get it. Maybe you just really "don't want to get it". It's different now. It will never be as you knew it. No one cares!!!!! It's not even a really big deal anymore that no one cares.
I see principals who are useless. They are disgraceful, incompetent people who know someone in a network. The networks have "placed" 100% of all the new principals over the last several years. They are in charge, not the superintendents. These morons get in, then they hire their friends as the AP's. They don't even "post" positions anymore. It's just, hey, you wanna job? No problem. No one cares and no one is looking. There are NO rules anymore. Principals do whatever they want with zero consequences. If you're Dominican and barely speak English, I believe you are a prime candidate for an administrative position. Everyone's friends. Everyone is hiring friends. They're all stupid. I'm honestly seeing it before my eyes each day. They can't speak English. They can't write. The memos are hysterical. They just keep ordering food, food, and more food. It goes right on the school account. Chinese delivery, Pizza, anything all day every day. I've never seen such little accountability from the DOE. It's so blatantly obvious that they just aren't qualified. My personal district has real leaders, qualified professionals. We don't have this nonsense. The bottom line is no ones qualified. There are just too many schools and not enough quality administrators. They should at least be able to read and write. My principal strolls on after the staff starts period 1 and is really not around in the afternoon. Useless and making in the 130's. NO ONE CARES!!!!
My atr field supervisor Stark can't write a single English sentence. Pathetic and disgraceful that he is in charge of people. He is illiterate.
Anonymous at 6:09 is right on target. I cannot believe how many illiterate administrators I have met in my travels. They are not as bad as the teachers though. If I hear one more Why didn't you do no homework and similar mangled English. How do people get these jobs ? And keep them?
Some people care. When it all seems hopeless I read one of my favorite quotes...."Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead
@6:09. I guess people don't want to say it but you nailed it. Too many non qualified, illiterate people in high positions who are scared to hire smart people because they're intimidated. They'd rather hire other morons from whatever background they are. I see it too. In my school the principal and administration and most teachers are non English speaking. It's almost unreal. This system is the laughing stock. I live in westchester county. My principal and administrators would have a hard time getting a substitute teacher position in my district. The new teachers they hired at my school couldn't get hired in my district at all. They end have to clean the cafeteria. It's disgusting for real. No one speaks English anymore. They actually speak to each other in spanish in the office and other places. It's really a mess.
I believe that smaller class size is THE MOST important thing to educating students. When I get a class on a day where half of the students are absent we get to accomplish so much and real learning goes on. 30 bodies in a room of any age just will not be as focused or efficient as 15. The time wasted with behavior issues because there are just too many children in a room could be put toward teaching and learning. It's sad that the only contract in a 10 year period doesn't even mention class sizes. This whole profession is just sad now.
anon 6 09
How true and accurate your statement is. I mean its not like we educators like to complain and point fingers but....the principals in these small schools are wierd...I've seen some principals who cannot even look me in the eye during a conversation. So what is happening is like anon 6 09 says is that educators are saying "are you fregen kidding me?" this jerk is in charge of the school?? the realities are that nyc is going through a major population shift...the sharp people who use to be in charge are now gone and doing other things or stuck in a system of flawed immigrants who have flooded not only NYC but now the schools. Administrators (if you want to call them that) are dominicans who cant speak a lick of english but they knew someone in the network. ola my friend, NYC now houses the largest dominican population aside from santo domingo....its called an invasion and our politicians know this and so the rules and laws are being destroyed to salvage some kind of sanity in a system now filled with complete morons who remember how they went out to the out house to crap and now they have brought that outhouse mentality to nyc
6:09 is my hero. I've been wanting to say this for years. It's true! The Diminicans have taken over but the problem is no one understands them. You're right, it doesn't really matter and no one cares nor is anyone watching. Congrats to the networks for placing retards in as principals so they can be retained each year as the promise. People don't know this is happening Chaz?
B - Balls like u cant believ
L - Liar
o - Omit the truth
o - out of touch
M - Moron
B - Bastard
E - Ex asshole mayor
R - Reap the benefits now at 31 B
G - Guns are the problem not people
People, Mike Blooms is responsibiltiy for a lot of misery in NYC. This raging lunatic has destroyed the lives of so many NYorkers it is a crime that he walks the street or sleeps at night with a clear head....But we all know what kind of person he is....you know..its like the n word only with a different letter
blame him and joel google eyes klein who really is the devil in disguise
It's not about education, its about warehousing "students" until they age out.Keep the poor,poor. There are so many things that could be done. Get rid of the CFNs- a complete waste of money on the untalented. Get experienced teachers in the classroom. What's happening to veteran teachers as ATRs is insane (to quote DeBlasio).Bring back discipline. Bring back standard English. Teachers need to have a backbone and facilitation,not constant fear and stress.I think Farina is worse than Walcott because she knows better and can do all I mentioned, but chooses not to.
My supervisor has vanished. I haven't seen her since January. I guess she come around just in time rate me U for my attendance even though I have an intermittent leave.
Anonymous 6:09
You're back? Get a life you pathetic rube.....how was that memorial day BBQ? Why do you chase Chaz down, you're obviously a pin head that voted "yes".
Over 90,000 voted yes Shmuck!
Yeah and almost as many voted for the terrible 2005 contract and see the disaster that became for the teaching profession.
This shows that many of us are not the brightest but the dumbest, just like you!
Cliches, cliches....so easy to come up with empty cliches that sound good and denote action like "Students First". How about "ACCOUNTABLE Talk" and "Student DRIVEN Data"? Anyone else care to continue?
Some of of you Archie Bunker bigot types are so funny. As soon as you go there you lose all credibility. This along with the Daily News pervert teacher articles daily plays into the teacher bashers hands.
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