Another Good Teacher Leaves

I met a wonderful retired teacher in my UFT origami class.  We chatted and she asked me if I am familiar with any blogs and then mentioned Chaz's School Daze.  I told her that not only did I read it, I knew Chaz and thought he is a great guy and fantastic teacher.  I then introduced myself and she said she was a fan of my blog, read it regularly and even said my words helped her make her decision to retire.

Anyway, all this is background.  I knew I met a kindred spirit when she told me about the harassment she received at the hands of a baby Principal, treatment that lead to her decision to leave.  She knew the Principal expected her to leave her room with all its beautiful decorations behind for the teacher taking her place, the teacher who was a good friend of the Principal..  But she stripped the room bare and took everything with her or trashed it.  She told the Principal she knew a new teacher would want to start with a clean slate although she knew in her heart the opposite was true.

This teacher has seen pictures of the new room and it is not very nice.  She says she doesn't care but I know there is a part of her that is gloating.

Another good, older teacher has left the system.  Children are now being deprived of a caring, experienced, competent teacher.  The Principal only cares about the friend she was able to give a job. Education continues its downward slide and no one cares.

The Principal Who Puts Her/his Personal Agenda First

It is hard to fathom what is going on in the mind of this Principal.  I can't believe any Principal, entrusted with the education of thousands of students can make such a lame, self serving decision, but s/he did.  I find it hard to believe s/he can justify this, even to her/himself.

The department I am referring to needs a new Assistant Principal.  There are experienced, competent teachers in the school who hold the appropriate license and want the job.  Instead, a person with zero days in the classroom, zero days as a supervisor and zero experience in this subject has been put in charge.  This person is not familiar with rules and regulations and will be able to offer no guidance to the teachers being supervised.  Yet, this person will be making all the decisions and will be deciding who is effective and who is not.

If this was the plot of a movie or a television show anyone with half a brain would say it was too stupid to be true.  Sadly, it is true.  A pompous ass of a Principal is making a mockery of the system because of a grudge or a favor s/he owes someone.  It  hurts to see so many people being put at risk because one uncaring, unknowing individual is in charge.

Teacher Life Expectancy

With lots of PD coming their way teachers will feel their life is more than doubled thanks to those wonderful sessions put together by the boobs commonly called Principals.

Please Tell Me This Is Not True

Someone told me that two book rooms at Packemin have been turned into a classroom for 34 students.  The room has no windows.  The only air comes from a fan.

PLEASE SOMEONE TELL ME THIS IS NOT TRUE!!!

I remember those book rooms.  They were claustrophobic.  I know teachers who used to work in there because it was the only quiet spot, but it was gross.  I can't imagine children being forced to learn in that environment and a teacher being forced to work there.

I know the school is overcrowded, but still.  What happened to OSHA rules about healthy work places?  There is a requirement to provide outside ventilation.  If this was true, the union would surely intervene.  What happened to caring administrators?  The Principal has a huge office with an even larger conference area and the secretaries have a pretty nice space too.  This story has to be false.  No caring administrator would keep a comfortable, extra large work space while forcing children into such an educationally unsound place.  No, two book rooms could not have been combined into an airless classroom for 34 students.

If all this is true, maybe classes will be in here soon.

Dread

This is my 5th year free from returning to work after the summer but those memories are still clear.  I was sad to see my days of lingering in bed and having lots of free time end but I was also excited about the new year, seeing colleagues and former students and meeting new ones.  Oh, don't get me wrong even after 30+ years I still got butterflies in my stomach and didn't sleep much the night before but walking in that door the first day was a high I will never forget.

I am blessed because I still get that feeling the first day of classes in the college and whenever I get a call to cover another class.  I won't say I don't enjoy the money because it is very nice but I wouldn't work if being there didn't make me feel so good.  (Thank you pension for providing me with the means not to work, the pension that cost me blood, sweat and tears.)

I listen to teachers who went back this week who dreaded going back.  They knew no matter what they did the year would not go well.  Supervisors who had been gunning for them last year have already written up this year's review.  Their fate has been predetermined.

Principals and assistant Principals are supposed to care about the students in their charge.  They are supposed to want the best for them but how can this be when they make the people in their immediate care so miserable?  How can a teacher be expected to do a great job when their is someone pointing a smoking gun at their head?

All you incompetent, miserable APs and Principals, you guys know exactly who I am talking about.  You, with little or no experience.  You, who took licensing exams multiple times.  You are getting your kicks now but your time will come.  May you have as many sleepless nights and stomach problems as the ones you are perpetuating on good, caring teachers.

New Principal-Same Crap Administrator

The new Principal came up through the ranks.  He understood what went into making a good teacher and he really wanted to be an effective administrator.  I so wanted to believe him and then he told me about his school.

The first thing the Principal told me was that 87% of his staff was rated either effective or highly effective.  And, although he knew how these ratings were arrived at,, he didn't seem to care.  He talked about the 62% graduation rate at his school and gave me the impression he would do whatever was necessary to raise this statistic.

I felt discouraged after my meeting with this Principal.  He worked his way up in the system but he was still a Leadership Academy graduate.  Stats were all that mattered

What's Wrong With This Principal?

Everyone knows that schools do better with experienced staff.  Even a teacher with only three years under her belt will do better than a newbie straight from college.  And, even experienced teachers transferring in need a bit of time to learn the procedures of a different school.

So now I'm starting to wonder what is wrong with one particular Principal.  The school is in a great neighborhood with easy parking and access to public transportation.  The students are relatively good, no gang violence or any real problems of any kind.  Heck, there is even a great teacher's cafeteria, something very few schools have now a days but teachers are still leaving in groves.

I've heard that 10 teachers (I might be wrong on the exact number) walked out of one department this year, a department with very needy students.  Now I am not around but I am guessing that 10 teachers from one department can only mean there is something wrong with the supervisor.  Does this person know how to be a supervisor?  How does this AP do when it comes to training and helping teachers?  Can the AP deal successfully with problems that arise?  Does the AP treat all teachers fairly and equally?  I've heard stories (count them as stories as I am not giving any proof) of shenanigans with grades and credit recovery and with regents proctors who supply answers during exams.  Can it be the teachers don't want to participate in this cheating scheme?

Now back to the title of this post.  Shouldn't a Principal notice something is wrong when so many teachers walk out the door year after year?  Or, maybe the Principal doesn't care.  Maybe this Principal approves of this behavior.  After all, the school's statistics are still good and the school is still one of the highest rated in the city.  

The Principal and The Boy With The Cell Phone

The Principal began his PD address with a story of the day he left his office.

"There was a day I had to leave my office to attend to matters on the third floor.  Since this does not happen very often I lost my way back.  While wandering the halls I came across a young Caucasian man leaning on window sill on a cell phone.  I asked the young man where he belonged and he told me to be quiet.  He was talking to his friend.  I repeated my request and again he told me to wait and asked me if I ever talked to friends.  He then went on to tell me to be respectful.  Finally he got off the phone and we could chat.  I again asked him where he belonged and he told me the class he should have been in.  I walked him back to class and told the teacher to let him in.  I waited at the back door and watched, ready to write the teacher up for not handling the situation properly.  I saw the teacher say something, saw the boy start to cry.I walked away.  Now I must decide whether to write the teacher up for verbal abuse or for not taking proper action or both.  Our students must learn to respect our authority and we must earn it and then demand it.  We as a staff have a long way to go."

I heard the story and wondered why the Principal did not confiscate the phone and take the boy to his office and call a parent.  At the very least I wondered why he did not bring the boy to the dean or guidance.  I wondered why the poor teacher was being dumped on again.  I wonder when the Principal will start earning the respect of the students and the staff.

Not A Good Principal

A good Principal works to create a pleasant environment for students and teachers.  Everyone does better when they are happy.  Teachers who are taken care of take better care of their students.  Yet, not all believe this.

When a Principal and an AP join forces to undermine the teachers in the school, they are working together to destroy morale and to bring the school down.  I never got to know the Principal of my first school, the one who came on board while I was on child care leave.   He realized the tenured 25-year AP was U-rating some good teachers and making life unbearable for others.  He joined forces with our UFT chapter leader and took control. He stopped the detrimental behavior instead of feeding into it.

And that my friends, is one of the things a good Principal does.  Too bad there are almost none of these around anymore.

Here is to another snowy day in paradise.  It is so good to not be a part of that craziness anymore.

Six Principals

Principal One never left her office on the first floor.  No one ever saw her do anything and, as new teachers, we all wondered what purpose, if any she served.  I was in the school with her 7 years and never spoke a single word to her, and maybe saw her 5 times in total.  She never even ran faculty conferences.

I only worked with Principal Two a few months.  He was a jovial guy who got along great with teachers.  In fact, he worked with the union rep to try to get rid of an awful AP.  The only contact I had with him was when I needed his permission to transfer and he refused to give it.  (I was caught in a political struggle between him and the awful AP.)

Principal Three was a very bright man who loved to hang out with tough boys from south Queens.  He walked the halls constantly and all the kids knew him well.  While I wasn't a fan, I respected his intelligence and cringed when he observed because I knew he knew a good lesson and a good teacher when he saw one.  One of the problems with him was the blatant favoritism he showed some of the staff.

Principal Four barely left her office.  I, along with others, believed she spent her days searching for another job.  She swore she would be there forever but as soon as she got an offer, she left.

Principal Five ran the school like he ran the summer camps he was in charge of.  He wanted all the classrooms set up in a horse shoe as that was the current trend.  He played annoying music between classes and loved the sound of his own voice over the PA system.  He loved being the center of attention so much he even made us sit through pictures of his summer vacation during a faculty conference.  He hated any kind of criticism and expected everyone to be subservient to him.

From reading this, you can imagine I didn't have any great expectations from Principal Six.  I figured he would either be another pompous ass full of ideas that were not educationally sound, someone who became an administrator because he didn't want to be in the classroom or someone who hid out in his office in front of the big screen television all day.

The first time I saw Principal Six he was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and I believe I wrote he was so young he still had his mother's milk on his breath.  Imagine my embarrassment when he came up to me and asked if I was taking pictures for my blog.  He had been reading it for quite a while.  So now, he knew me and knew the disdain I had for administrators.  Over the years, I gradually started talking to him and came to respect some of his decisions.  Believe me, there were many I didn't agree with and I let him know.  I found he was someone I could talk to.  He even helped me deal with Mr. AP (although he did nothing lasting and I am still pissed at a grievance he denied.)

Principal Six has moved on to a new job.  He hopes to be able to make education better for kids today.  I wish him well, not only for him, but for the kids of NYC.

Pat On The Head

This cartoon made me think about all the Principals and Assistant Principals who have gotten big bonuses and better jobs because of the "work" they did improving graduation rates.  Of course, improving graduation rates had nothing to do with education.  Principals approve credits for breathing.  APs encourage teachers to give out answers during exams and pay per session so teachers can do on line assignments for their students.  When it comes to education, the pat on the head is money in the pocket to those on top.

By the way, I know there are some of you reading this that know this post is all about you.  I'll be laughing when the pat on the head turns into a kick in the butt for all the damage you have done to the students in your charge.

Let's Be Friends Now That I No Longer Have A Need To Abuse You

Teacher  said...

I thought I would pass along the goodbye letter my former principal sent out last week after her resignation:

Dear Staff:

I can't believe after 9 years the time here has come to an end. Many of us have become friends, and many of us are here as acquaintances. I know we don't always get along. I know I can be a bitch. I am a bitch because I know you can do it. I know you can always try harder. I know that I pushed you because you can do it. I have enjoyed mentoring all of you over the years and look forward to staying in contact in the future. You can find me on facebook under my name. We can now be friends since I am not your boss. I feel like a mother to so many of you.

I thank you for your allowing me into your lives over the past years. It is you that has helped prepare me for my new experience in life.

My cell phone is ***********

Call me for anything you need. I don't bite. I only bite food.

Signed,

Former Principal

----------------------
That is what my former boss sent out over district email a few weeks back - only thing changed was the phone number and left out her name.

Teacher sent me this letter and truthfully, it made me sick, and here's why.

Teachers are adults.  They have their own mothers and don't need another one, especially one at work.  My former AP considered himself every one's father and that did not work out well.  As for the pushing, if her pushing made her a bitch, then she pushed way to hard.  Teachers are not athletes, they are human beings and their endurance does not need testing.  This former principal might have enjoyed working with her staff but I wonder how many, if any, enjoyed working with her.  As for her new experience in life, slave task master is no longer a valid occupation so heaven only knows what she will do now.  From the sound of this letter, I am sure the teachers at this school must be having a party.

Greeting For New (And All) Teachers



 

Leadership academy principals and many others are probably not as bright as Bobo.  But, they are all puppets having their strings pulled by politicians and with hands up their asses manipulating their every move.

Something Smells

Two ATRs got jobs at a nearby high school. The principal asked them to sign letters stating they knew they were provisional employees and could be excessed in June. In fact, she insisted they sign. They worried about signing and called the UFT. The UFT said, "Don't worry, the letters mean nothing." The teachers signed but were not happy about doing so.

Last week both teachers got excess letters. They called the union. The union said, "Stupid you, why did you sign those letters?"

Target

The arrogant, crotchety, ignorant principal has an agenda. S/he wants to "U" rate a specific number of teachers every year. Everyone knows this is true because s/he told this to an AP and is on this AP's case because of the refusal to do so. Since the AP is honorable, Principal From Hell ( PFH) has picked a target his/herself.

Target teacher has been teaching for many, many years. S/he has always been well respected and liked by fellow teachers, students, and even administrators. In over 15 years, Target has never received any evaluation short of glowing. Target however, has one major flaw. S/he speaks his/her mind. S/he does not let people walk over him/her and when something is not right s/he says something. PFH does not like this. PFH is not that bright and does not take any of these conversations well.

Target teacher was recently observed by his/her AP. The lesson went well, the kids were engaged and the AP was very happy with what s/he saw. PFH was not happy when she read the observation and decided to pay Target a surprise visit. PFH visited Target's worse class, on the first day back from spring break, without any warning or pre-observation conference. Target was intermittently showing a film and stopping for discussion and question time. The majority of the kids were engaged and working. One student did say the work was boring and did not want to do it, but that happens in every class. The class ended and Target was reasonably satisfied with the lesson she taught. PFH was not happy. To quote Target, "S/he ripped me a new ass hole. Nothing I did was right. S/he did not understand the topic I was teaching although the kids knew exactly what I was doing and did not stop finding fault." Target was given a "U" for the lesson.

Target is strong, and a fighter and PFH is weak and stupid. Target will end up winning this war, but, how many teachers, in similar situations will not emerge victorious? How many are sitting in rubber rooms or are in schools, worried if there livelihoods will be taken away from them by principals like PFH? All the victims of these sick, stupid, ignorant despots, will be on the streets if Klein and Bloomberg have their way.

UNITY just won the election. The people have spoken. Now is the time for UNITY to stand up and protect teachers like Target and all the ones falsely charged and unfairly incarcerated in these reassignment cents.

Enjoying My Last Few Days

Riding home on the subway, my friend encountered a former assistant principal from her school who is now a principal. When he hugged her I cried "Principal Cooties!" Everyone who knows me knows I have poor verbal control. Luckily, this guy laughed at my comment.

It turns out that this guy is retiring soon. His job has consists of doing things to make Bloomberg and Klein look good and he just can't take it anymore.

I immediately retracted my comment.

Pictures taken while walking through Central Park, near the lake at 110th St on one of my last vacation days. We were on our way to a walking tour of Harlem. I'll post those pictures soon. Sorry the pictures are not as sharp as usual. I forgot my Nikon at home.

Seeing Red

I just have to answer this Daily News article. Since I know they would never print my response, I will just post it here. My comments are in red because that is what I saw when I read this article. The black is from the News.

With the new school year nearly here, with principals bracing for budget cuts, almost 2,000 teachers are getting ready to pass their days at full salary - doing nothing.

DO NOTHING!!!!!! The author of this article has not seen an ATR at work or he would never write this. One of the ATRs in my school taught 5 classes (some not even in her license area) one term and the other term she taught 4 classes and mentored two new teachers. Yes, the teacher that is deemed too unfit to be in a classroom was asked to help two young newbies. She was also asked to run staff development. Another ATR worked in the college office and spent almost every period counseling students, helping them fill out college applications and all the other stuff that goes with applying for the universities. Still another one worked as a daily sub (not her choice.) She got to know some of the most difficult students in the school and was able to help them. They are more than earning their salaries and if there are schools where they aren't, the administration is to blame, not the teacher.

They have no place to go because the city's more than 1,100 principals have not offered positions. Which is a biting commentary on how well-suited many seem to be for the classroom.

HOW WELL SUITED!!! The problem is not the ATR, it is the fair funding policy and the fact that principals want the young, moldable teachers. The mentor program no longer exists so quite a few ATRs are former mentors. Klein told them they were the cream of the crop. Now they are undesirable. Take a 30 something principal who is lucky he can wipe his own bottom and take his word on suitability. Give me a break!

The roster is now a couple thousand long, at a cost of $200 million a year. The Education Department has offered résumé-writing help and other job-hunting aid. And Chancellor Joel Klein has assured principals their budgets will not take a hit if they hire pricier, more experienced teachers rather than younger peers.

All the help mentioned is true however most of these people don't need the help. They are experienced, qualified people who know how to present themselves. And, schools will take hits in the long run. Principals don't want teachers who might ask why instead of answering "Yes sir, may I have another."

The longer teachers stay idle, the smaller their chances of finding work. Long timers are more likely to have unsatisfactory performance ratings than colleagues outside the pool. More than 325 have sat for over a year.

Isn't it interesting that only older teachers are undesirable and have unsatisfactory ratings. I smell a rat here. The three ATRs I know all have satisfactory rating for their entire careers and they still cannot get teaching positions.

The waste is unconscionable.

IT SURE IS. Klein ought to force principals to hire these wonderful teachers.

I know I am rambling on a problem that is not mine. But, it could be. Besides, I grew up in an era where people stood up for others, we weren't afraid of consequences. We stood up for what is right.

This is only a little blog but when I look at the counter in the sidebar, I know it is well read. I would be just as guilty as Klein, Bloomberg, the principals out there who won't hire ATRs, and the writer of this article if I kept silent. My message has to be heard and it has to be repeated over and over again. We can't let ATRs lose their job because of the negative propaganda being spread.

You might be safe in your job today, but you never know what tomorrow will hold. Your "A" school today might be an F school next year and Klein will decide to shut it down. You will then be an ATR. The principal that loves you now might be replaced by a teenie bobber leadership academy one next year. You might then become an ATR. You might be young now but trust me, if you are fortunate, you too will be old and the system will want to put you out to pasture as well.

Vampires Amongst Us

At a high-school faculty meeting midway through the school year, the principal had presented an agonizing list of our sins, failures, flaws and transgressions, and we were all feeling rather tense. Then the principal announced that the science-club project would be a blood drive, and that in order to promote faculty participation he would donate the first pint of blood. The meeting burst into laughter when a voice from the back of the room demanded anxiously, "Whose?"

Bridge Anyone?

I heard that there will be three principals will be in one building this summer.

Too bad there won't be four.

How are they going to manage the bridge games now?

My Family Is Probably Right

My husband and son think I am crazy. I am starting to think they are right.

For the first part of my career, I worked in a school where the principal did not even know my name. It never even occurred to me that she should know my name, or anything about me for any reason. I went to work, did my job and went home. Everything was good. When she retired, a nice guy took her place. I met him for the first time when I needed him to sign my papers to release me so I could join the faculty of Packemin. (I was on child care leave at the time, he was in a major fight with the math AP and refused to let me go. My story about getting out is for another post.)

The first principal I ever really spoke to was the one who hired me at Packemin. I think he hired me because of my answer about the kids with the guns. I don't think he thought much about me after that, nothing particularly good or bad. I know he liked my rapport with he kids, particularly his "boys", the rough group of kids he liked, but that was about it. We existed in the same building but our relationship ended there.

I don't think the next principal was overly fond of me either, but we stayed out of each other's way. The only time I really ever spoke to her was when we were both drinking at a retirement party. Wine makes me sociable, even with administrators.

The next principal was Suit. Anyone who has been reading this blog can have no doubt about the way he and I felt about each other. While I never wished him any serious ill will, I wouldn't have minded watching him suffer with a bad case of poison ivy. Anyways, I got used to working with a principal that hated me and wanted me to transfer and I kept doing my own thing, teaching and helping my students as best as I could.

So now I am no longer anonymous and I am no longer hated. This is something I can't get used to, I keep thinking something is wrong. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. I'm no different now than I was 20 or 10 or 5 years ago, or even than I was 6 months ago.

My family thinks I am crazy because I am never happy. Maybe if they worked with the craziness I've worked with for so many years, they would understand.