I have always snickered at the DOE motto under Mayor Bloomberg it was "children first...Always! When the truth is that the DOE does what's best for the DOE not for the children in the classroom. The DOE gobbles up way to much of the money it receives from the City, State, and Federal governments while keeping schools at near recession era budgets by giving them only 88% to 90% of
their fair funding. Many of the DOE departments are bloated, especially the Office of Legal Services and the Accountability group. It's little wonder that teacher 3020-a hearings are as high as ever, as the DOE lawyers needs to justify their bloated budget. While paperwork overloads teachers as the Accountability group needs it for their useless data mining operation.Overall the DOE Central Bureaucracy absorbs an increasing amount of funds at the expense of the schools and the children in them. Many of the DOE Bureaucrats are not the brightest bulbs when it comes to innovative programs to help schools best educate their students. Moreover, they allowed class sizes to be highest in the State. Finally, the DOE hires Superintendents based on who they know and not what they know. Just take a look at two of them Amiee Horowitz and Juan Mendez.,
Not only is the DOE the enemy of the classroom teacher but are a bunch of imbeciles as well. Just take a look at the Anna Poole story.
Anna Poole was n untenured Science teacher who tried to do a Chemistry experiment that was considered dangerous and could result in injuries. No experienced Science teacher would attempt this experiment without proper safeguards but Anna Poole did. Beacon High School, rather than hire an experienced Chemistry teacher from the ATR pool chose an untenured rookie teacher to lead their students. The result was disastrous as her inexperience resulted in an explosion that disfigured one student, burned another and gave a third student PTSD..
Was Anna Poole fired? Nope! She was instead promoted to become an instructional specialist at the DOE. I guess on how to prepare laboratory experimenter that can explode and injure students. Now she has been promoted to become DOE instructional Supervisor to help teachers prepare Science lessons, complete with a $25,000 raise!
Like I said the DOE is run by a bunch of imbeciles!
38 comments:
The first thing my kid's Chemistry teacher did in September was to hand out a detailed news article on this story to all her students. The teacher spent a week on it as evidence of what not to do in a Chemistry lab. The entire Yonkers district had all lab teachers use the article. The students then had to spend a week on the OSHA safety standards. My kid's class was told that this teacher should have lost her teaching license and been barred from ever entering a classroom. Many of the students thought she should be imprisoned. Some of them chanted 'Lock her up!', when the teacher asked them what should be done with her. I'm not sure they would believe she was promoted. There was probably an ATR Chemistry teacher babysitting an out of control class while this was happening. Thank you, UFT.
Subject: Repeal NYS Teacher Evaluation Laws 3012-c and 3012-d
Hi,
I signed a petition to Michael Mulgrew, UFT President, The New York State House, and 2 others which says:
"We must return teacher evaluation to local districts free from state mandates by repealing New York State Education Laws 3012-c and 3012-d.
"
Will you sign this petition? Click here:
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/repeal-nys-teacher-evaluatio?source=s.icn.em.cp&r_by=19930788
Thanks!
She has got to be E4E or TFA
The UFT is a bunch of imbeciles.
I would love to see the paper trail leading up to
Poole’s present assignment. Look, she only almost killed a couple of kids. It’s not like she did something seriously wrong like not putting her students in groups or having ungraded work on a bulletin board
Rumor of ATR buyout coming soon! Why not offer a buyout to all teachers?
Where is the staff for high schools? Students left unsupervised in cafe. Food fights breakout and students roam the hallways at will. Halls and stairwells not patrolled as they really need to be. The smell of pot all over the building. Each staff member is over loaded with ridiculous requests with very little prep time.
Disconnect between security staff and school needs!
Uft where are you?
Extremely sad that you would blame the explosion on the teacher. You want your UFT to protect you and you blame the teacher. Did you know this teacher was in a network at that time led by Nancy Scala? Do you know Nancy Scala's background? Nancy Scala was a school aide who never worked in a school and became a network leader. Her network did not provide any type of support or PD to the schools. They simply could not. The DOE knew they were to blame otherwise they would have fired the teacher right away. You need to do your homework and get your facts straight. You blame the teacher and then say UFT does not support teachers. I happen to be assigned to the school as an ATR and know firsthand what happened.
I want to know who she knew in the department. I saw that the daily news covered this story. I hope they continue to cover this story until they get to the bottom of this.
Same goes for Mariza Cerff. She is a blithering idiot who couldn't get a job cleaning toilets if she looked outside the DOE. She was fired from her post at Region 4, tooled around as an AP at a number of schools, screwing over countless innocent teachers in the process, and was then promoted to Director of Pre-K for District 30. This is fitting, as she has the mental capacity of a 4 year old so she can relate to her clients best.
Well Shady, you don’t need PD to have enough common sense to know you shouldn’t let kids play with combustible chemicals. As an ATR you should have been in there with her. You were probably changing diapers in 9th grade Romper Room. The teacher is to blame, the DOE is to blame and the UFT is to blame. If you really felt strongly about this you could have called Sue Edelman (still can) to explain your views, she’ll respect your anonymity.
The chemistry teacher at my school did an experiment with Hydrogen Peroxide. One girl got a drop on her arm and it bubbled, as this substance harmlessly does. She told her mom, and the mom complained to the school. This is another tenure-approval year for this teacher (third time trying because: Danielson's garbage).
Because of this 'incident' her tenure application was denied and she has to wait 6 more months before she can apply again. True story that happened this year.
How did this Poole lady get rewarded?
Another result of the Bloomberg error administration was the reduction if not elimination of qualified lab specialists. That said, I bet this employee is connected through a relation or close friend to someone at the DOE. The Nepotism/Cronyism is pervasive.
Our schools are also run by Principals like Dwarka whose only mission 8s to completely destroy the school.
Mulgrew is as much corrupt as the DOE.
I read that the two lawyers for the respected students are suing for 25 million and 10 million. If I was on the jury and evidence was presented that the person who was the cause of the explosion got rewarded by becoming an instructional specialist with a higher salary I would reward the complaintant with two hundred and fifty million dollars each.
My one question: Who does Anna Poole know? That is the essential question. As they say, it isn't what you know, it's WHO you know. Someone is not only protecting this imbecile, but promoted her. How fair is that to the many COMPETENT chemistry teachers, many of which are ATRs, and how fair is that to the students, who depend on the teacher not to burn them or blow them up?
And yes, the elimination of lab specialists so they can hire more lawyers to harass and terminate teachers was a move of sheer genius---NOT. Especially when you have all these newbie teachers who simply cannot lay out the logistics of what demos would be most effective to illustrate a point, what equipment is available for use, how it works, does it work or is it, like much of the DOE lab equipment, broken, how to run a lab class (how to containerize materials, how to explain the lab, making sure cleanup occurs soon enough before the period ends, etc.), what to do if there is an emergency (broken glassware, fires, toxic chemical spillage, contact burns, etc.), and so on. An experienced lab specialist is truly a partner most science teachers can't do without for making sure the myriad of demo materials are available, the solutions are mixed correctly (you wouldn't believe how many teachers used to ask me how to mix up a solution of X strength!), teachers have access to scarce materials equally, chemicals are adequately stocked and stored correctly, safety equipment is present and working, microscopes are maintenanced, live specimens are maintained--the list goes on and on. Especially when veteran teachers are becoming scarce, an experienced lab specialist is essential. But no, the DOE needs their lawyers to continue harassing veteran teachers out. Actually, the DOE needs to be brought up on serious charges of negligence, bullying, failure to ensure student safety, etc. Of course, that will never happen. Teaching, as a profession, is basically OVER.
Shady 7:53’s comment sounds incredibly plausible. Sounds like the teacher took the fall for teaching a lesson her network probably gave her. DOE likely gave her a promotion to keep her quiet. What else can explain this?
To those people who believe that Anna Poole should not have been fired. I must disagree.
Erst, she did a dngerous experiement and did not take the safeguards necessary to protect her students.
Second, she was not tenured and teachers are usually disconinued that cause mental or physical harm to students, intentional or not.
Finally, she most certainly had a DOE official who protected her and hid her at the DOE.
We need to find out what the findings and recommendations of the Special Commissioner of Investigation’s Office were.
The report is available to the public under the Freedom of Information Law.
Anna Poole is still being paid as a teacher.
Her “raise” was due to moving downward on the MA column and the contractual increases.
www.uft.org/files/attachments/secure/teacher-schedule-2009-2018.pdf
Poole probably checked all the boxes on Danielson (no box for student injuries BTW).
Obviously, somebody looked out for Poole. She's probably angling (with the help of a friend or two) for the administrative track (the destination of so many failed teachers who want to remain in the teachers retirement system).
By jumping on the "Instructional Specialist" position (despite her complete lack of experience) she gets herself away from the demanding role of actually teaching students.
In a rational world she would be the last person one would want teaching teachers how to teach.
@11:51 Science is not my subject and I was assigned to change diapers. I would not be changing diapers had I not been assigned. You sound disgruntled. Were you u-rated? I am sorry to hear that. Maybe if you were able to teach and do your job then you would not be so disgruntled and upset. Maybe if you were competent then you would have gone up the ranks instead of posting on here and attacking a teacher who clearly was able to pass you by while you jerk off in the classroom thinking you are teaching.
There are always two sides to the story but attacking this teacher is not the right thing to do. Plus, she is not going to blow up any more labs especially now when she is conducting PDs without any chemicals. Blame the system and schools for not having the right lab equipment not the teacher.
@8:59 Thank you for agreeing. I love how the public bashes teachers and then we have disgruntled idiot teachers who do this to each other out of jealousy.
How about @7:04's comment? The comment about she's probably angling for an admin track (destination for many failed teachers)? Here's a comment from a failed teacher and a failed human being who probably has been u-rated over and over, could not find a job in admin and is miserable in their life. He/she sees someone become an admin and the ugliness and bitterness kills them to death. Why don't you try to become an admin? See if anyone hires you? Try to make a difference in your life and in the life of others.
As for me, I am happy with what I am doing and if that is changing diapers (according to a comment above) then be it. I LOVE CHANGING DIAPERS. Maybe one day I will change your diaper in the teachers' lounge.
A former colleague of mine has an open and shut civil rights case against my principal (case is still pending), yet principal continues to work. The DOE won't remove the guilty because it makes the plaintiff's case stronger.
In any other system, Poole would be terminated and allowed to swing in the wind; rather, I bet she has a DOE provided attorney.
Hmm? Would have been interesting if this was an observation for Poole.
Shady, I’m 11:51, an ATR and change diapers daily. (I don’t jerk off because I get laid at least twice a week sometimes while I’m on the clock.) That doesn’t change the fact that the teacher (and the system that allowed it) is to blame.
No Freedom of Information Law request is necessary because the Special Commissioner’s report and a press release are online.
The mystery deepens:
www1.nyc.gov/assets/doi/sci/releases/06-14-Beacon-Experiment-Rel.pdf
www1.nyc.gov/assets/doi/sci/reports/06-14-Beacon-Experiment-Rpt.pdf
@11:51 and 6:57 You are too disgruntled. Here you are still complaining, bitching and wishing some teacher got terminated when she clearly outshined, surpassed you and will one day supervise you and u-rate your dumb ass. Now, you are claiming to get laid on the clock. Get a life. Make a difference. Do not worry about the teacher passing you by - worry about yourself and your career. Trying actually teaching a class. You are too jealous. Leave her alone. Clearly, if she was guilty in any way then she would have been fired.
As a person w 13 years experience and I’m an atr(and loving it!), I’ve seen a lot
Mostly, I have seen that the less work you do and the more inept you are, the higher you will rise in the doe.
Being a doe shill helps, too.
I have told my kid and my nieces and nephews that going into this job in this city in the future is like throwing a 100,000 dollar education down the toilet
Hard work, intelligence, experience and common sense are frowned upon in this job.
Each day, I see and hear threats, awful language, kids leaving the building, cheating etc and you know what I do? I pretend like none of it exists. Why you ask? Because I’ve learned that the less you do, the easier your time is in this job.
Being a yes man and pretending like this job is ‘a good job’ are survival techniques.
Anything else makes you look ‘negatice’
This seems fishy. I imagine there is more to the story than what we have seen so far. To me, it sounds like it is definitely something that would have been investigated. However, I tend to believe the adage that the poor performing tend to get rewarded over the high performing.
I have personally asked UFT to pay me no salary but 1 dollar for every principal I hear there's an open and shut case against. I am repeatedly told I won't make over 1 dollar a year. Maybe this is the one I'd get paid on.
More of the DOE doublespeak at work. As someone else said, she must have had her class arranged in groups all the time and she did an "engaging" demo so she gets the cushy job. Meanwhile someone with common sense who does a more sensible demo, teaches a full period and keeps kids in rows and maintains a Delaney book (how my teachers taught me Chem) gets on the express train to Ineffectives, 3020-a, etc.
Hey Shady, tell your bullshit to the kid that was left disfigured for life. There’s no way that teacher should rewarded. Use your lunch hour and get laid - you sure need it.
11:56 I am laughing my head off. First, do you really care about the kids or about the disfigured kid? Had you cared you would be teaching 5 periods a day instead of ATRing.
Here you are too dumb to become an administrator or move up from teaching. Too disgruntled that you have to pick on a first year teacher who made a mistake even though she had no supervision, no real professional development and no support. Had this teacher been found guilty of anything - she'd be fired right away. Instead the city knew they would have to pay her millions in a lawsuit. The lab at Beacon High School was not a real lab. The chemicals were not properly identified. Get your facts straight.
Now, she gets a job supporting teachers, training teachers etc... She moved on. You are here bitching and complaining because your loser ass could not figure out a way to continue teaching and being happy. Too dumb to find a job outside of the classroom.
Get a life. I am not looking to get laid during my lunch you pedophile pervert. I work in a school with children around. Fuckin moron. You give teachers a bad rap. Getting laid during lunch, fingering your butthole in the teacher's lounge and playing with yourself makes you sound very professional. This is why teachers like you end up on the front page and then cry "where's my union? my peepee was not that hard. I was on viagra" LOSER!!!
Stop complaining. Do something positive. Last week I told the principal I was not feeling well and needed to workout for 3 hours a day to feel better. She said, "No problem." You know why? Because I can teach. Whenever she needs me to teach - she knows I can teach. If she needs me to dean. I can dean. If she asks me to program I will go and program. Like this teacher we both made ourselves useful instead of sitting in the teacher's lounge complaining and crying. Leave the teacher alone. She suffered enough and yes the kids did too.
Shady, you are a total asshole. That covers it. I hope that teacher involved at least let’s you get to second base.
I'm not getting into the personal stuff being thrown around here.
I read the SCI report linked above. Of course, that's the City's version of things, but some things stood out to me.
1. She wasn't a first-year newbie, she taught AP Chem at Bronx Science.
2. She herself admits - and granted, she should have kept her mouth shut - that she attempted to pour the methanol from the jug. Anyone with a shred of common sense knows not to do something like this. You wouldn't do something similar with a can of gas in your garage, nor do you add oil from a jug to a hot pan.
3. Why in the world is the teacher's mother there?
4. Only 1 AP, etc., speaks to the folly of these small schools and gives some credence to Shady's comment in regard to lack of supervision.
5. The (more) experienced teachers were able to explain the proper way to do the experiment, and she did not do it the proper way.
While I understand the point of view Shady is putting out there in regard to looking out for fellow teachers, there's a monumental difference between someone who slips and says something that's not PC, yells at a kid too vigorously when he doesn't put the cell phone away, etc. and setting a kid on fire. If my kid's teacher muttered a curse word in class I wouldn't be happy about it, but I would get over it and chalk it up to frustration; getting lit on fire is a whole different ballgame.
@2:19 T.J.L.
I hear you and respect your comments. I understand where you are coming from.
The principal and the AP had their CSA reps at the school within 10 minutes. This teacher was fed to the investigators who feasted on her. In other words had she received proper union representation or even an attorney then there would not be an comments and/or statements that would have come from her. She should not have talked to the investigators and nothing would have been used against her. Look what happened with Wildlife this year. There was a stabbing but yet no report came out. The reason? Someone and not UFT made sure the teachers do not speak to investigators.
On the other hand, I am 100 percent for protecting teachers. I see things differently and in this case I was at the school. As a matter of fact, I was contacted within the last 2 days to stop discussing the case any further because I will be subpoenaed. Plus, this was a very sad day in my career. I am going to have to remember happier days like when I was in Legacy High School with Daniel Hernandez as my student. I now look back and think maybe Daniel was right when he said, "yo bitch you'll make more money workin for me." I will elaborate more in days and weeks to come but I wish I was in Legacy again.
Shady,
It sounds like you are on the side of teachers-Shady for AFT President!
The 3020-a Arbitration charging process used in New York City, requires a vote in Executive Session by the New York City Panel. The UFT and NYSUT are not enforcing the law. They are basically looking the other way so the DOE is getting away with it.
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