I keep e-mailing him, every time he e-mails me:
Me: Just to let you know--I did not say anything bad about security. I said there is no security, which Terence admits is true.
I too, try to maintain a good relationship with security.
AP: I know you did not. But he [Suit] blamed you for it to the security. You should know him by now.
Have a good evening.
Me: I said nothing bad about the security staff and I want them to know it. I will speak to them.
AP: But the net effect of your complaints was that they got into trouble.
In Chinese, there is a saying: "When doing calligraphy, do not attempt to do the same stroke more than once. If you do, you will make it worse." I would just leave it alone if I were you. It will look like you got them into trouble and now you try to talk your way out of it.
Me: I spoke to Sergeant []. I did nothing wrong and told him so. He agreed with me. He did not even know that I started the thing. I don't care what anyone else thinks. I have a right to my opinions and to speak my mind and I will keep speaking out against injustices. My words got the trailer door and the gate fixed.
Hopefully the e-mails will now end. I will not let his be the last one. Fighting for what is right is not complaining.
I now know that Suit has been behind all of this. I suspected this from the beginning. He never liked my letters and had my AP ask me to stop. I won't stop. My letters are not abusive and they are not threatening. I have a right to say whatever I want. Suit is stuck with me. I think I will hang around a few more years to get on his nerves.
The rantings of a teacher who retired from the classroom but not from education.
8 comments:
You did mention the parents and the media. If you hadn't, Suit would have done nothing.
Schoolgal
So, if you bring a problem to admin.'s attention, that constitutes "complaining"? This is not just idle whining. This is a serious issue. Sounds like Suit is a whiny baby.
It is only complaining if it comes from a teacher. If it came from the mother of the injured student I think it might have been called "lawsuit".
Viva la libertad!
I read your blog religiously and LOVE you and admire you for it. I am no longer with the NYC DOE by choice and it's the best decision I ever made in my life. What you deal with on a daily basis is what I was living through, and made me realize that my life was too short to spend 20 more years dealing with a broken, dysfunctional system while watching hundreds of great teachers be demoralized and thousands of students wander aimlessly in the system.
My only caution is this...my principal knew I had a "voice" and that I'd use it when necessary...always standing up for what was right, without being offensive etc. However, she still viewed that as a threat. Little by little, all of the "strong" teachers in the school were tortured with letters in their file (myself included) and false allegations until they either left or "shut up". She wanted complete control from a group of devoted zombies. It was at this point that I left because I had too far to go in the system and had a great opportunity to leave. I w as lucky. I just get worried that even though you are 100% RIGHT for speaking up and not backing down, just remember that with today's horrible contract and tyrannical principal control, it could get messy. A friend of mine (with over ten years experience too) was sent to a rubber room two YEARS ago for false allegations (really, just that her principal did not like her) and is still there today. I get sick to my stomach that those of us who have the brains and courage to insist on the right thing being done by our students, have to worry about such things but it's the way of the world in the DOE today. Good luck in your battle for security. I admire you!!!
I can retire whenever I choose, so I really have nothing to lose.
I started teaching to make a difference and I am going out making one.
"Their ability to punish us is matched and surpassed by our ability to love and absorb the pain."
Dr. King
You go girl!
Keep standing your ground, Mrs. PO'd! Your students (and even your crazy APs) will thank you... one day.
My principal labels any question about a decision or any alternative posited as "whining," "negative," or "complaining." It's her divide and conquer through faction creation.
Keep up the good fight.
Post a Comment