Comparing Apples and Oranges

Several months ago, while at a fair at Flushing Meadow Park, I signed up for a year subscription to the NY Daily News, a paper I had not read for years.  The paper came with a really cute umbrella that I wanted and 4 tickets to a wrestling event at Citifield that I wasn't particularly interested it but I did want to see the new stadium and since I don't like baseball, this was a good opportunity.  (We were already parked and the stadium was just a short walk from where we were.)  The paper was only $98 for the year and came with a $50 gift card so I figured this was a winning proposition.

The beauty of retirement is that I have time to read the paper daily and get pissed off by the often obnoxious editorials, primarily those about education.  Saturday had one titled "The real moral duty of charter schools."  The writer, Michael Petrilli talks about how parents want the discipline of charter schools, how kids can't learn in disorderly classrooms and strongly suggests public schools start following the model of charter schools in regard to discipline.  No one would argue with this need.  but, I would like to know what Mr. Petrilli would do with these serial disruptors, a term he uses to describe these challenging students.  Unlike charter schools, these students cannot be counseled out.

If I were the parent of a young child, I might want my student in one of these charter schools, in a safer environment.  I don't blame the parents.  And maybe he is right, we shouldn't pile disruptive kids and kids with learning problems into these schools but then we have to stop comparing charter schools which educate the select to public schools which educate them all.  We have to find a way to educate everyone and charter school selection is not going to do this.

Something Is Wrong



When a chancellor says there are times a 7-year old should be handcuffed.  While he will look into the matter, the Principal will not be removed.

Not saying she should be, but how can he make a blanket statement like that before looking into the incident.

NYC--we are in big trouble with people like this leading our education system.

What To Do With Him?

I called a parent of a boy that keeps walking into class late. Each day he manages to be a few minutes later than the day before. It is almost like he is seeing how far he can push me.

Today I insisted on a late pass which, of course he could not supply. When I tried to send him to the office, he refuse. When I started to call security, he left on his own. He pissed me off so much that I stayed late to call his mom.

I was overheard while on the phone. Someone yelled out "Jimmy doesn't do well with women teachers." To which I replied, "I'm not getting a sex change operation to make him happy."

The person then went on the explain that Jimmy does better with male teachers (although I have seen him in those classes and he is pretty much the same) and suggested I transfer him to a different class. The person speaking said Mr. Y would not put up with him, he would just fail Jimmy.

Failing Jimmy is not something I want to do. Academically, he has been doing great. He happens to be a bright boy who fails because he is walking to the beat of a different drum. He is difficult but extremely intelligent. (I also like him i spite of the stress he is causing me.)

So now I am at a loss as to what to do. Jimmy's mother might be able to get him to behave for a few days but then it is back to the same behavior that has been going on for years. Passing him to another teacher is just passing off the problem. I might be better off but, will Jimmy? Will Jimmy actually settle down in another classroom or will he make that teacher miserable too? I want to be the one to save Jimmy. Do I keep him or do I throw him out like spoiled milk?

Kicking Butt

Art is the top student in my calculus class. Art transferred to this school in October from a very prestigious Catholic school in the area. I always wondered why, but never had the nerve to ask. I assumed it had something to do with tuition.

On Monday Art told us he was going to be the valedictorian of his Catholic High School. His bragging got on my nerves so I asked "Why did you transfer? Is Packemin HS a better school?" He looked at me calmly and said "I got expelled." I could not believe my ears. He then told us that he got expelled for egging a house.

Those Catholic schools rock! Here is the smartest kid in the school, a kid destined to attend a top notch college and the Catholic school kicked him out! The school didn't worry about how their statistics would go down. They didn't worry about Art's rights. He screwed up and they made him pay the price. They kicked him out to send him and everyone else a message. This kind of behavior would not be tolerated.

Too bad public schools cannot follow this example. I have a feeling our schools would be a lot better off if we could.

Merit Pay

My AP has been berating all us old timers, telling us constantly that the young teachers are the only ones who never have discipline problems. In fact, one of the young teachers (brand new) took over a class mid year from a teacher going on sabbatical last year. The teacher had lots of problems with the class she left. My AP has been going on non stop about how this young teacher had such control, you could hear a pin drop in her room. Today we learned the secret to her success. HE REMOVED ALL THE TROUBLE MAKERS AND LEFT HER WITH THE NICE, QUIET ONES! Too bad he won't share this recipe for success with the rest of us.

We had a teacher in my department a few years ago who had the best regents results around. The reason???? Any kid failing was removed from her class. That would explain other teacher's poor results.

And thus we see the reason that merit pay will never work in the city of New York.