Unequal Treatment = Unequal Job Performances

Principals and other adminsitrators should watch this and see how their unequal treatment of teachers will affect work performance

From A Friend's Facebook Page

Ironic! Isn't it? That as the so called corporate model in managing the public schools is being introduced into the public sector, i.e civil service ,the entrance exam you took to get the job, the number of years of experience and training that you have accumulated mean nothing to a principal who needs your experience, training and facility with languages and knowledge of different cultures because an urban area like New York City is so complex and diverse. What's happening today is that because of ageism, a bad economy and ill will on the part of the City experienced workers are being thrown out with the garbage, told they are no longer needed and or wanted. I do know one thing that today it is my turn to be shunted, humiliated and abused so as to leave but tomorrow it will be someone else's i.e. those young teachers they are praising so much that "they" say will be the salvation of public education. If apathy towards your working conditions(read grateful to have a job) and hostility towards your colleagues reigns supreme then think of just how poor your working life is and how unhappy you will be until it your time to be thrown out with the garbage arrives!

I marvel at some of my colleagues who tell me they have a great relationship with their boss/bosses and they socialize with him/her after working hours. I've ne...ver been that lucky nor do I want to be. When the "spaghetti hits the fan" and we all have to "cover our assets" I doubt friendship is important at all. Perhaps the rule below only applies to those in the trenches as I keep meeting colleagues who work in rarefied and privileged work places where everybody gets along and sings "Kumbaya". Not this working class kid!

Longer Day Not The Answer

A longer school day is not the answer to helping students.

Even in a motivated class, kids burn out after a while.  I used to run all day tutoring sessions before the AP.  The kids wanted to be there but after 4 hours, nothing went in and stayed in.

And, when kids don't want to be there, nothing will help the material sink in.

This is just another attempt to make it look like the city is doing something to help its students.

Actions, Not Words

 





I just don't understand what is wrong with so called educators today.  Yesterday I drove past a school that proudly displayed a banner with a motto saying how the school prepares students for success in college and careers.   Yet, after speaking to teachers, I find it hard to believe that the school is actually doing this.

Teacher morale is at an all time low.  Teachers who never considered retiring are retiring in droves.  Teachers who were considered great educators are now being judged by APs with little to no teaching experience.  Instead of looking forward to work (yes, hard as it may be to believe, many of us enjoyed our jobs) they drag themselves in, only showing up because of a strong allegiance to their students. I don't care what anyone says, no one is a great teacher their first two years in the classroom.  You can't learn to teach by sitting in a classroom, you need on the job training.  And, the best on the job training comes from experienced teachers, the ones being demeaned and demoralized and being encouraged and even helped out the door.

As a college teacher, I can say first hand that today's students are not prepared for success in college.  They managed to get high school diplomas with credit recovery classes, "help" on regents exams and heaven knows what other made up courses.  They are used to sliding by.  They don't have a work ethic and they have no education background, thanks to the high schools they attended.

If the school with this motto really wants to do all of this, the school needs to:
1.  Hire APs who have taught a minimum of 10 years and have taught the subject they will be in charge of.  They need to be master teachers in the subject and be able to demonstrate proper lessons.
2.  Hire APs who like the students.  One AP I know has been overheard saying she hates the population she is now in charge of.
3.  Respect experienced teachers.  Listen to what they have to say.  They have been out in the field and know what works and what does not work.
4.  Stop empowering any teacher.  Everyone should be treated equally.
5.  Allow kids to fail.  There is nothing wrong with repeating a course until material is mastered.
6.  Stop passing everyone through just to keep numbers up.

Actions count.  Mottos mean zilch.

(Pictures from Rockefeller Center to cheer everyone up!

Math Ed Justified

VAM

Dilbert nailed this one.

Poor Special Ed Kids

 

What happens to the kids when the people in charge don't know or don't care or don't know and don't care.

New DOE

 

Thanks to Alice for sharing this on Facebook.

Maybe this is the reason so many kids are not prepared for college work.

 

Let Those That Are Affected Decide

 



Trips, classes, seminars, fun.  Keeping pensions coming and good health care alive

That is what retired teachers need the UFT for.

Personally, my biggest problem at the UFT is finding parking spots by the Queens office.

Let's give the votes back to the teachers that need them.  Educate everyone with the issues.  Teach the people that need good leadership to vote responsibly.

Anyway, here are some pictures from the April 16 trip to Carnegie Hills section of Manhattan.  It was great seeing the Central Park Conservatory (north of the area) and learning the history behind the old mansions I walked by hundreds of times.

Quote of the Day

 

Dedicated to the woman sitting at a desk and getting paid for a job she is too stupid and too heartless to do properly.  Many readers will know exactly who I am referring to.

More Proof Class Size Matters





The Tai Chi class begins at 10:15.  At that time, usually 15 people are present.  It is hard to park in the area and many are late.  At 10:15 the class has lots of room to spread out.  It is easy to see the teacher and it is easy for her to see us and to correct our mistakes.

By 10:30 the class is full.  There are 35 bodies moving.  Although the teacher moves around, it is often hard to see her and to follow her movements.  She still walks around and helps but not everyone gets this assistance.

Small classes work!

Tarnishing a Career



One of the worst APs in the city state country world, claims he was mentored by one of the best APs ever.  If he really loves her, like he claims, he wouldn't tarnish her memory by saying this.  The poor woman will never get her eternal rest with this kind of stuff being passed around.

From A Friend's Facebook Page

I think I have been doing a good job of this.

Getting Through H.S.--the NY Way



One of my good buddies wrote that her school wants to do away with all repeater classes.  She wondered what other schools did in that situation.  I told her of an easy fix many NYC schools do--they pass everyone!  This way, there is no need for these classes.

Kids don't need knowledge to pass anymore. All they have to do is answer a few questions online.  They don't even have to answer them all or pass the assignment.  One administrator told her teachers to stop pushing the kids to finish assignments because once they did half, they would get credit.  I've even watched an administrator doing entire assignments for one student at a time on the smart board.  The whole class participated in this child's credit recovery.  Or, they can "attend" after school classes.  I put attend in quotes because too many excuses are made for absences, kids get big breaks, to smoke outside,  to eat, and get rewarded with trips for breathing.

Schools don't want repeaters because repeaters aren't earning the credits they need to graduate.  It is an education system that educates no one.  No one cares as long as the stats are good.  Administrators will keep getting their accolades and their bonuses and that is all that matters.

Tribute To A Fine Administrator



Anyone who reads this blog knows I am not a fan of any administrator, but I want to make an exception here and pay tribute to one of the last great ones, Joyce Prenner, an AP in charge of the history department who just passed away.

Joyce was a no nonsense woman and truth be told, I did not like her much when I first met her.  Proctoring regents in her department was always a chore because of all her rules, but I soon realized her rules were what made proctoring in her department so easy.  There were always clear and concise instructions.  Envelopes were always complete and there was always someone around to answer questions.

I never worked directly for Joyce, so I can't attest to what it was like to be a member of her department, but I know from people in her department that she was truly a master teacher, someone who knew her subject and knew how to teach and to help her teachers become better teachers.

I did get to know Joyce well when I began teaching College Now classes as she was the liaison between the school and the college.  She took care of business efficiently, made sure the teachers in the high school had everything they needed from the college and made sure the college got what they needed from the teachers.  She stood up for us when necessary.

Joyce saw through the nonsense in school.  I often went to her to discuss problems I was having with my own AP and she lent a sympathetic ear.  She reminded me of my worth and my own competence and I could see her feelings on the subject clearly yet she never said a bad word about him.

I know there are some who don't share the admiration I have for this woman, but I hope they can look past their feelings and see the bright, competent person she was.  I wish the administrators of today, the ones with almost zero teaching experience could learn from her.  I never wanted to be an administrator because I knew I was not nearly as smart as the administrators of Joyce's era.  It is a shame that today's teachers have no role models like her.

RIP Joyce Prenner.  You certainly deserve it for the job you did here on earth.

Upcoming Grades

 
Dear All:

If you are teaching a class that terminates with a regents, you should know right now if the student will pass the regents or not.  If you believe the student will pass, give the student at least a 55.  I know you make recommendations which you can change, but you better have a good reason.  And, as you know I have been very nasty in the past to people who changed recommendations and who did not properly predict who would pass and who would not.  I don't want to write a letter for those of yo who did not get it right the first time, but I will.  Give seniors who try a grade of no credit.  If they are seniors they should know better than to cut and not do homework.  Lower class men do not know any better so you can be forgiving to them..

Please put comments on all students report cards.  We must use this opportunity communicate with parents.  I know you call and write all the time, but it is not enough.  We must keep our rears covered at all times.

Ask me any other questions you have.  I might yell at you.  I might not give you an answer that you or anyone else can understand, but that is the way it is.  You can change your grade anyway.

Thank you.

When The Boss Won't Make A Decision





Over and over again the dogs in the pound went to the Chihuahua with problems. She was the one in charge.  She was the one with the best living quarters and the best food.  It was her job to find solutions.  But, she never did.  Little Chihuhua lived in fear of making the wrong choice.  Don't get me wrong, she didn't care how this choice affected others, she worried that a bad decision would come back to haunt her.

The little dogs were left to find solutions on their own.  When the solutions worked out well, she took full credit, never mentioning the true problem solvers.  But, when things went wrong, she was quick to throw the dogs who came up with these decisions under the bus.

The pound is in trouble.  Chihuahua has deputized many of the new dogs to help her run the place.  But, power has gone to the head of these inexperienced pups. Chaos is ruling.  Chihuahau is sitting at her desk, bug eyes staring, never blinking while things fall apart around her.



Why I Had To Leave The Profession I Loved



Teachers lately are writing letters, some about why they are resigning and some why they are choosing to stay and fight.

I was the teacher who wanted to die with a piece of chalk in my hand.  I loved my job and only joked about actually retiring.  My family was shocked when I went through with my decision to leave.  But, even the toughest warriors have to sometimes admit defeat.

I left the system before VAM, so test scores were not an issue for me.  I even took some of the hard core students from younger teachers hoping I could help these kids but, at least I could help the newer teachers have better stats, something my AP really cared about.  Stats weren't a problem for me.  Although my AP would constantly berate me for them, the Principal and the AP of student affairs knew the students I worked with and appreciated what I did with them.  They understood that although I never had a 90%+ passing rate, I got more of those kids through than most other people could.  But, even their approval wasn't enough on a daily basis.

The AP of a department is the lord and master of what goes on there.  He creates policy, programs teachers and students and takes no criticism.  There is no give and take.  It is only take, take, take on the APs part.  There are always a few teachers that the AP has decided are worthy of extra consideration or, for some reason or other the AP fears.  There was a guy several years ago who came  to school in smelly, ripped clothes, taught by handing out copied pages of a book and always found ways to get out of marking regents.  He never got a late schedule, even when it was his turn to take one.  He taught in one room and had one prep.  And there was this woman who had a reputation as being the meanest teacher in the city.  She too always had choice classes, one prep, the same one year after year and he made excuses for her late arrival every day.

Anyway, these teachers left the profession a long time ago and there is no use crying over what was.  But, what is makes another story.  There is obvious favoritism  towards the newbies, where they get the best classes and their opinions and thoughts count for everything.  Being told your grade and that of other experienced teachers meant nothing if the newbie gave the child a lower grade stings.  Being told your exams are worthless because the second year teacher had a problem with it pained.  Constantly being told to retire and that you didn't need new courses and new materials bites. 
And, being ignored and totally left out doesn't feel too good either.  Listening to Monday reports of the parties the newbies attended at the APs house (where you were discussed and ripped apart) hurt.  Having to resort to a bit of blackmail to get a class that in reality no one else wanted just sucked.

This little jabs, while not job threatening, took their toll.  I admitted defeat when the job became a rock around my neck, when my energy was more on survival than my students. 

I was one of the lucky ones.  I had enough years in to retire with a healthy pension.  And, after an initial adjustment, I know I made the right decision.  Still, I wish I could have held on for a few more years.  There is a group of students due to graduate this term that I was especially close to.  Many had academic and other problems and I know I was doing a decent job of helping them through.  I wonder how many of them made it.  And, I wonder how many of them are really ready for college and life.  I know they had potential.  I hope they really got an education, not just a diploma. I wish I wasn't forced to hand in my papers before I was ready.  Those constant hits got me in the end.

Product Of Bloomberg Education

Sign outside Noguchi Museum by a construction zone.  I was hoping it meant no graffiti, but most people think the guy who wrote it just can't spell.

Get The Message To Retirees

 



At my retired teacher class today we all complimented our instructor and then someone said it is a good thing she doesn't have Bloomberg as a boss because her stats, based on our class would be horrendous.  Everyone laughed.  I used this as a good time to tell everyone to vote MORE.

The majority of the people in the room had no idea what MORE was and what principles MORE stood for.  Most had no idea that UNITY and New Action were kissing cousins.  Some had no idea who Mulgrew was and those that did had little to know understanding of how he has sold out the rank and file.

I hope my little speech got MORE a few extra votes.  MORE needs to reach out to the retired teachers and let them know what is really going on.

Why Math Is Important

 

I looked at my pint of beer and thought that it was the smallest pint of beer I ever had.  And, then I noticed the marking on the glass said 0.3 L, which is just a little over 10 ounces!  I called the  waitress over and explained my dilemma .  She answered "I don't do math" but went to the bar and poured water from another pint glass into one like mine and saw I was right.

 

Moral of the story:  Don't mess with a math teacher's beer!

Another Memory From The Past

Found this one too...

I remember this girl had major health problems the year she was in my class and NYS was messing around with her insurance so she had problems seeing her doctor and getting medical health.  I remember bringing her to the school social worker to get some help.  I don't know what happened to her but I do remember she was doing better by the end of the year.

I don't remember the Mike she mentioned on the bottom but I am glad I was able to inspire him and hopefully he did better too.

There is so much more to teaching than test scores.  I know the tide will turn again and teachers will once again be allowed to care, but, until then, generations will be lost.

I Hope She Can Be The Teacher She Thought I Was

I was cleaning up some old papers yesterday and came across this card from a former student.  Just reading it made me smile. 

The student who wrote this got interested in teaching when I asked her to tutor a young algebra student I met in the library.  She worked with this girl all year and it was rewarding for both.  The girl did well and this student ended up going to college to become a teacher.  She is currently teaching math in a middle school in Westchester.

I hope the school she is teaching in is one like the one I taught in when she was in my class.  I hope it is a school that allows and encourages nurturing, where emphasis is on teaching, not test scores.  I hope it is not a school where the AP insists on idiotic methods like left hand, right hand raising and writes insane memos to the staff.  I hope it is not a school where the teacher is always wrong unless that teacher is one of the AP's chosen ones.

I hope I really was as good as her words say but I have my doubts.  I know if the administrators in the school she works in permit it, she will be the teacher she describes.

Doing Hokey Pokey In Math Class





My former AP thinks he has a fool proof method of knowing which kids understand and which kids don't.  He tells them to raise their right hand if they comprehend and the left if they don't.  This way, he believes, every kid is responding and by looking out at the 34 raised arms, the teacher can easily count lefts and rights and know what the next step in the lesson should be.  He doesn't believe in asking "do you understand?"  He has no confidence in the answers the students will give.

The difference between him, the newbies he likes to think are the best and experienced teachers is that we don't need hands raised to see who understands and who does not.  I can tell by the way lips turn up, or down slightly, by a head movement or by a students eyes whether they get the concept or not.  I can see by how quickly they pick up a pencil to begin a problem on their own.  I know from marking exams and homework which kids get things easily and which struggle.  I don't need a left or right hand waving in the air to give me this information.

In my former AP's latest memo, he berated teachers who don't use this method of measuring comprehension.  He claims the teachers that use this have 100% or close to 100% passing, which, quite frankly is bull.  If he really cares, like he claims to, he needs to stop hassling teachers about nonsense, stop bashing and realize there are many ways to measure understanding.  Hand raising might work for him, and those not astute enough to know their students, but it is not for everyone.  Hand raising does not a good teacher make!!!

Morale Hits New Low



The Principal lurks outside doors, clocking the time students arrive and the time teachers let them out.  He watches to make sure the teacher never sits down, that the teacher never lectures and asks questions in the exact right way.  Anyone who steps over the line, even if it is only a toe over worries he will lose his job.  The atmosphere is tense.  Big brother is everywhere, watching every move.

The AP wants to protect his newbies, the ones he parties with all the time.  He worries about how their stats might affect their tenure so he gives them the top classes.  He gives them classes that do not culminate in a regents.  He makes sure the older teachers have the hardest kids to teach.  He wants their stats to be low so he has an excuse to berate them and can get one step closer to getting rid of them.  The AP wants to know why everyone can't have 100% passing, like his little friends have.  He conveniently forgets about the incorrigible students he removed from their classes.  He insists his methods are the only methods that work and that not following them is the reason teachers don't have 100% passing.  He insists left hand, right hand is the only way to know if the kids in the class understand.  He never wants the teacher to ask the class if they understand.  And, if they can't solve an equation, it must be because the teacher did not teach transposing.

And then there is the "teenage" AP with 5 minutes teaching experience who refuses to make any decisions, afraid anything she says will end up making her look bad.  Of course she has no trouble taking credit for the decisions of others that work out well.  Her best qualities are sarcasm, dead eye stares and nastiness.

Morale is lower than it has ever been.  Teachers who loved the job and thought they would die with chalk in their hands are now running out the door as fast as they can, or are making plans to exit as soon as possible. They are too busy worrying about their jobs and the gotcha mentality of the administration to worry about their students.  Even the young teachers are not secure.  They worry about all the money they spent on their educations being thrown out on the whim of an unhappy, impossible to please administrator. 

I'm gone from the toxic atmosphere but I feel for those left behind.  Mostly I feel for the kids.  My generation of teachers was observed 3 times a semester, 6 times a year by people who knew their subject matter and knew how to teach.   We had plenty to worry about, but, we never worried about losing jobs and because of this.  Our efforts went into teaching and caring and we had lots of give back to our students.

(Picture--Public Art 63rd and Park)

Truth In Cartoons



I don't usually watch The Simpsons, but I put it on Sunday night to keep me company.  I started paying attention when I heard the topic--standardized testing.  There was a budget crisis in the town and one school had to be closed.  The kids in every school were given standardized tests and the school with the lowest scores would get the axe.  The kids in the Simpson school were totally uninterested in the exam.  Some played connect the dots with the choices, others spelled out words.  Erasers broke, pencils lost their points and kids passed out and were swept away.  The school ended up having the lowest scores and was scheduled to be closed.  The kids were randomly going to be sent to other schools in the area, separated from friends and siblings and not geared towards their needs.  Teachers were going to be fired.

Lisa Simpson found out her brother Bart skipped the test.  His makeup would bring the school's average up and save the school so he took a make up.  Let's just say some shenanigans were pulled and the school was saved.  The wrecking ball was sent to destroy another school and ended up hitting a community college instead.

This little cartoon show really nailed the farce of standardized testing.  It should be mandatory viewing for politicians and education deformers.

The Demise Of The Boss



The staff at Brig's got along great.  They considered themselves family and worked together for the good of the store.  People thronged there partly for the products and partly for the atmosphere.  Being there was like being with old friends.

The boss did not like this.  She did not feel like she was part of this group and believed they were conspiring against her.  Her paranoia led her to install all sorts of surveillance equipment so she could watch what was going on all the time.  This led to poor morale, which eventually took its toll on the clientele that frequented the store and business dropped off.

As the boss cracked the whip harder in an effort to regain the business she lost, a new problem arose.  Her supervisor got hold of the tapes and caught her doing many illegal things.  She got caught cooking the books and fibbing about the money she brought in.  She got caught sneaking out early and arriving late.  She ended up screwing herself while all she intended to do was screw her employees.

The boss will probably survive this incident.  She is young and pretty and knows how to turn on the tears at the right moment, but she is scared.  She won't let up on her employees but she is thinking that the spy ware must go.

Why Online Education Does Not Work



Here's why online education is so bad.  I'm sure this guy needs answers to some timed exam he is taking.  I wouldn't even waste my time responding.  I'm sure I wasn't the only one he approached for answers.  I wonder if he found someone to do the exam for him:

Hello,I am a senior in college taking a course called XXX. The course involves galois theory and my book is called "XX" by X. Would you be able to help me via the internet in this class?I would need you from 1:25 p.m. until 2:40 p.m. in about two weeks from now. I would send you pictures of the problems by attaching a picture to your email. and I would need you tosend me the correct answers back through email within 75 minutes of you getting the picture from me.Please let me know if you can help.Thank you!

(book and course deleted for privacy)
(picture--Madison Ave in spring) 

Jule For President

 

Just got my ballot and it is already in the mail.

MORE all the way!!!!

Letter To Department



Dear Colleagues,

Welcome back from vacation.  I hope you are all well rested.  There are many things expected of you and I expect you to be ready to handle them all.

First off, make sure your students are buying review books from you.  They know they can download the same exams for free but, we need the money.  Make them feel awful and fearful of failing if they refuse to part with the money.

Secondly, you know those class recommendations that your stupid union leader said you  shouldn't do, but I forced you to do anyway?  (I wasn't worried about doing what I was told not to do because nothing every happens to me when I break a rule or two.)  I submitted these recommendations.  If you have any changes (and you better not, you should know by Sept 10 which students will pass and which will fail) please wait until after finals and regents.  Then, and only then, should you meet with me and I will make a ruling.  I know you work with these kids daily, but in this department I am the supreme ruler.

Third, encourage your students to go to tutoring.  If they squeak by and pass, I might or might not allow you to pass them, but our stats will look better if they pass.

Fourth, keep evaluating your students.  Tell them to put their left foot out for understanding and to wiggle their right foot not understanding.  I know it is easy for you to look out at 34 feet and see which belong to the ones who will pass and which do not.  If you can find a better way, let me know.  Teachers that use my fool proof method have 100% passing.  (Okay, so I removed a few kids who didn't have a chance, but so what?).  If you aren't one of them, you aren't doing a good job and if this keeps up, you may soon have no job.

Fifth, there are some of you that will never have good enough results and will never please me.  I've loaded your classes with kids who have long records of failure.  I don't like you and there is nothing you can do to change this, but keep trying.  I love watching you sweat, making you miserable and I am hoping this well get you to leave soon.

Thank you.  Enjoy your week.

(picture--springtime on Park Ave and 63rd St.)

You Can Fight For What You Believe, No Matter What

 



Leonie Haimson has the resources to send her child to a private school.  Good for her.  And, she is good for the public school children, no matter where her children go to school. 

I retired two years ago.  While no longer teaching, I still fight for teachers rights, exposing crap I know exists.  Not being part of the system doesn't mean I don't care.  And, Leonie not having a child in the system doesn't mean she should stop caring or fighting either.  She knows vouchers and charter schools won't provide quality education for all children. Public school children and parents need to be grateful for all she has done.

Museum Recommendation

I'm not always a fan of modern art but the Guggenheim has some pretty interesting exhbits.  The Gutai wasn't one of them.  The plastic tubes, filled with water an ink, the ones in the advertisements were the best part.  I couldn't even bring myself to see the entire exhibit.  Walking past yellow fabric hanging on he wall was more than enough.  Still, I'm glad I went to see it.  I don't feel anyone has a right to dislike anything unless you give what you don't like a chance.

Now, the Museum of the City of New York is another story. 

 

The Currier and Ives exhibit was great.  They had some great stuff on display with all the prints.

 

I especially enjoyed the Making Room--small spaces in NYC, although I do not approve of the small apartments Bloomberg wants to build.  It was fascinating see all that could be done with a tiny area.  Of course, most people would still feel like a caged rat living in this environment.



 

And the exhibit of NYC protestors was also good. Bright colored buttons flashed on a big wall and there was one of my favorite attractions.

Don't forget the interesting artwork in the street.  I wonder where this big head came from?  It was just sitting in front of someone's  house, next to a garbage can.

 

Benefit of retirement is that I have time to do all this instead of preparing for back to work and for that nasty observation first thing in the morning.  I heard an AP say he couldn't wait to catch a teacher who he suspects will not have a lesson ready.  The teacher is an idiot for not being prepared but this guy was salivating at the thought of his after vacation gotcha.  As for me, I have a ticket to see Edie Falco in The Madrid.