SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL

Abbott and Costello Meet the Teacher Data Reports

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 19:07:33 PST

It had to happen. The farcical world of Abbott and Costello has hit the NYC DOE.

Abbott: Well Costello, I'm going to New York. You know NYC DOE Chancellor Dennis Walcott gave me a job at Tweed as long as you are a teacher.

Costello: Look Abbott, if you're at Tweed, you must know how the Teacher Data Reports work.

Abbott: I certainly do.

Costello: Well you know I've never read mine. So you'll have to tell me my rating and then I'll know how I am doing

Abbott: Oh, I'll tell you your rating, but you know it seems to me they give these teachers now-a-days very ratings.

Costello: You mean funny ratings?

Abbott: Strange ratings names, like Shitty, Great, Sucks, Good

Costello: Oh and….?

Abbott: Poor. But the NYC DOE and an economist have solved those names with better names.

Abbott: Well, let's see, we have as ratings for teachers, Highly Effective, Effective, Developing…..

Costello: That's what I want to find out.

Abbott: What did I say, Highly Effective, Effective, Developing…..

Costello: Are you the principal? What do these ratings mean?

Abbott: No, I am not the principal.

Costello: What are you?

Abbott: Just a nameless bureaucrat

Costello: And you don't know what the ratings mean?

Abbott: Well I should.

Costello: Well then am I a highly effective teacher based on my ELA TDR reports published in the New York Times of February 24?

Abbott: Yes.

Costello: So you think I am highly effective.

Abbott: No.

Costello: I’m not. I’m a baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad boy!

Abbott: Yes, you are not. There is a +/- rating of 75% according to Yoav Gonan of The New York Post

Costello: So The Times gave me a 85%. So what am I now?

Abbott: Screwed. Among the worst in NYC you are down to 10%

Costello: So I’m…..?

Abbott: Ineffective!

Costello: Wait, I have The Times here. The Times says the +/- is 50% for ELA so I am no longer ineffective.

Abbott: That's not true.

Costello: OK, I’m effective?

Abbott: Yes.

Costello: Well go ahead and tell me.

Abbott: That's it.

Costello: That's effective?

Abbott: Yes.

PAUSE

Costello: Look, how do you say that I am effective? First you say I am ineffective, than developing, now………

Abbott: Highly Effective.

Costello: What?

Abbott: In Math.

Costello: How am I highly effective in Math?

Abbott: You got a score of 35 right.?

Costello: Right!

Abbott: The Yoav Gonen +/- margin of error in math is 60%.Costello: The guy that gets...

Costello: So now I am highly effective...

Abbott: Yes!

Costello: Do these score accurately show what kind of teacher I am

Abbott: Yes. What's wrong with that?

Costello: Look, all I wanna know is are the scores accurate.

Abbott: What.

Costello: The scores

Abbott: Why

Costello: So I know I will have a job, so I know what kind of teacher I am.

Abbott: You have the scores; figure it out your self.

Costello: Yes

Abbott: So you are, as long as you fall into the margin of error.

Costello: All I'm trying to find out is how can I be all over the place with my ratings

Abbott: You can

Costello: Can what?

Abbott: Be effective, highly effective, ineffective and developing all at once.

Costello: One rating at a time

Costello: Let me ask you this,

Abbott: Take it easy, buddy, but OK

Costello: I'm only asking you, several of my students moved into the school a week before the tests

Abbott: That's right.

Costello: Ok.

Abbott: All right.

Costello: So how can I be rated on what I taught these students.

Abbott: You can.

Costello: I can?

Abbott: Yes.

Costello: Why?

Abbott: They’re your students.

Costello: But they were my students for a week. The came from ANOTHER state!!!

Abbott: Were they on your roster?

Costello: Abbott……

Abbott: Yes Costello……

Costello: As a teacher I have one thing to say.

Abbott: What's that?

Costello: The DOE is doing everything it can to make me not give a darn and retire.

Abbott: That’s exactly what we want to do.

UFT VP Leo Casey Live Internet Radio February 28!

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:19:44 PST

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bronx-teacher/2012/02/29/the-mind-of-a-bronx-teacher-1

This Tuesday night, February 28 at 9 PM EST United Federation of Teachers Vice President Leo Casey joins us live to discuss the new NYS as well as NYC teacher evaluation that Governor Andy Cuomo brokered.

Mr Casey wrote a piece defending, as well as explaining, the new evaluation agreement at Edwize (the official blog of the UFT) yesterday, and has taken a lot of heat. Though we at SBSB disagree with Leo, we do applaud him for taking the heat.

The call in # for the show is (213) 943-3735

Little Evan Stone of Educators 4 Excellence Influences Governor Cuomo

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:02:31 PST

I have had it. Enough of the kvetching, the bellyaching, the whining, the blaming. We are directing out anger, out outrage, our concern over the new evaluation system at the wrong people. Governor Andy, Uncle Mike, Mulgrew, Randi, they are all just pawns of some bigger entity, a bigger force.

We must bequeath our anger, our collective anger at the person behind it all. The true Svengali, the ultimate puppet master in this abhorrent agreement. We must all direct our anger and scorn to Little Evan Stone of Educators4Excellence. He is the one to show vengeance and dislike towards. Little Evan is the one to give an atomic wedgie to. Little Evan is too blame.

How do we know this? Simple. Little Evan Stone told us so. Yes, he told us that in his latest video in which he more or less shares his happiness and joy in the new evaluation system.

Little Evan said, "This entire policy proposal is based on last years E4E policy team."

So, we have Little Evan to thank for this? He said so himself. So for all the teachers out there that will be screwed by this new evaluation system, please drop a line to Little Evan Stone at 212-279-8510 ext 11 or email Little Evan and let him know how you feel!

We here at SBSB find it rather presumptuous that Little Evan is taking credit for this. Yes, he is all smug that what E4E policy dweebs created. But seriously, do you think that any time anything other than what Little Evan was directed to do by his handlers was going to get passed? It's like on the first day of school when we make the class rules. We let the students think they are creating the rules, when in reality we are guiding them to what we as teachers wish the rules to be.

Little Evan starts off the video by letting us know that it is now a great day for educators. He says that everyone put politics aside to do "what's right for the students and the teachers of New York."

How was what's right being done for the students? With yet another level of tests and/or assessments that means that more time, much more time, will be taken away from instruction and be funneled into time taking tests. More reason for students to have anxiety and a sense of worthlessness. Do we really need to judge students art work, music, physical abilities?

What about teachers? How do we judge the art teacher, the phys ed. teacher, the music teacher? What happens when, and this will happen, a veteran teacher who has had years upon years of accolades, honors from students, parents, and the school community year after year has her VAM go down 2 years in a row due to outside influences that teacher has ZERO control over? This teacher no matter what will be deemed ineffective and be terminated. That teacher will have Little Evan Stone to thank.

Little Evan says, "that for the last two years we have been waiting for a system that gives us meaningful feedback,"

Well, dude we are still waiting. When is it going to happen?

Little Evan seems so happy when he says, "any teacher that is rated ineffective that will get an outside observer."

The devil will be in the details. To whose allegiance will this outside observer be? Who will be paying this outside observer? Aren't there better ways to spend the money than on outside observers?

The cheating scandals coming down the pike will be nothing like we have never seen in the past. When a teacher is cornered into risking feeding their families or risking manipulating students test scores, the latter will win out. No one will benefit from this. But it doesn't matter. The little worm, parasite, Little Evan Stone got what he wanted. He manipulated and cajoled and lied.

Remember, so many people to blame in this mess. But as he says, Little Evan Stone is most responsible for this evaluation system. When a teacher is on the unemployment line, struggling to feed their family, look no further than Little Evan Stone to blame.

Oh, one more thing. This week the TDR's will be released. Let's see how Little Evan, Princess Sydney, and the rest of the E4E jackboots do.

Internet Troll Anthony Krinsky Debases Mona Davids

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:28:47 PST

It seems that gadfly, education deform blogger, and poster boy for the psycho-pharmaceutical industry Anthony Krinsky has found a new person to create fantasies about. That person is student and parent advocate Mona Davids.

When we last visited the fantasy world of Anthony Krinsky we explored, then easily debunked, his criticism of Mona. This past Saturday, February 11, Krinsky again created innuendo and fantasy in again defaming and defiling Mona.

But Krinsky does not know Mona. To paraphrase Mona, she is "a black mother of a public school student running a grassroots parents organization fighting for a quality education for all children in NYC, children who also happen to be majority black children."

I think the point Mona might be making is that she, a black woman, a woman that lives in an urban setting, a woman with a child, knows more what is best for a school system that is majority black than a condescending, white, trust fund parasite, suburban, childless, Ivy League grad, smart ass.

Krinsky speculates, or at least fantasizes; What are we to make of a teacher union supported parents organization calling itself "NYC Parents Union" that had no support or endorsement from Ben Austin's Parent Revolution organization.

Firstly, we here at SBSB suggest that a extra dose of Lithium should be taken by the erstwhile writer. This perhaps will help to calm the nerves and bring the writer back to a reasonable reality. But we are diverting from the accusations made by Krinsky, and the facts in this case.

Krisnky whined that Mona's organization, NYC Parents Union is "teacher union supported." Using the English language in a correct manner, this would imply that only teachers unions, and in particular the UFT, are the only supporters behind initiating and supporting NYCPU. Yes, Krinsky probably got his information from a New York Post article, but then again we all know how loose with facts The Post is. Besides, if NYCPU were in fact solely supported by teachers unions, why then does Mona use Word Press templates in her do it yourself website? We here at SBSB suggest that Krinsky do some fact checking and actually prove this statement. Perhaps Krinsky wishes that a more glitzy look to her website is in order? Perhaps akin to his own blog?

But what else is Krinsky whining about? Oh yes, what does Ben Austin and Parent's Revolution have to do with Mona's website? Krinsky, are you appalled that Mona had the temerity to use the word "Revolution"? Or do you think that any organization advocating for parents must be approved by your idol Ben Austin. Oh, just as an aside. Parents Revolution disavows you at every chance they get and does truly hope that there is some sort of intervention in your very near future.

It seems as though Mona Davids and her teacher union backers are quite comfortable perpetrating this deception

What deception? Someone can't be pro parent? I am pro-mental health and mean it. I truly support those in our community that have undiagnosed bi-polar disorders. I truly support those that have been diagnosed with narcissistic and malignant personality disorders as well. I don't need the mental health professionals to tell me to do it, I support these troubled people because it is the right thing to do.

But Krinsky decided that as the arbiter of all that he thinks is sane to have a litmus test for Mona. Krinsky demands that Mona answer; Do you support rewarding individual teaching performance (ie. paying great teachers more and laying off bad teachers regardless of age)?

Let me take a stab at that question. Krinsky, can you even articulate what a great teacher is? Is it statistically possible to have only great teachers? What about darn good teachers? Can you articulate what a bad teacher is? Oh, and please don't give us that fantasy you created about West Philadelphia High School. We all know it never happened.

Do you support policies that encourage the non-unionized, independently run schools (ie. charter schools and private school scholarships)?

Did you know that Mona has, or at least had, a kid in a charter school? Did you know that Mona fights for charter school parents to have PA's which many charter schools deny the parents even though it is state law? So many charters though are non-unionized, yet only 20% of charters do as well or as better than the local traditional public school. Krinsky, would you want a .200 hitter batting cleanup for your baseball team?

Krinsky goes on and shows that he thinks he understands trade dress law; There can be no doubt at all that this is a premeditated plan to impersonate reform organizations and trick parents into supporting the status quo. Would such a hijacking of "StudentsFirst" and "Parents Union" fail a "likelihood of confusion" test under US trademark law?

Yeah, this was a good laugh. However, on Governor Andy (I Love The Kock Brothers) Cuomo's website he has a "NY Students First Page " (3rd tab from the left). So does Florida State. So does the Minnesota state colleges and universities. So does this book written in 2007. It must suck to be swaddled with facts. But to quote Neil Peart from the 1993 song Roll The Bones, "A fact's a fact Jack, from Nome to Rome."

In an arena where credibility matters, Mona Davids is proving that her depravity has no limit.

Mona has more credibility in one blood cell than Krinsky has in his entire body. This coming from someone that seems incapable of writing factually, a person that creates what the story shall be in his mind, a person that has no problem criticizing teachers yet is scared to put his money where is mouth is. Please Krinsky, share with the world your credibility. Not as you see it, but with hard verifiable facts.

Does the consumer protection bureau need to protect poor families from predatory scammers like NYC "Parents Union"?

Call! Oh God this is just so funny. Please, I am peeing all over myself! Someone get me a Depends. PLEASE!!!!

I expect that StudentsFirst will protect their brand to the fullest extent of the law. Both infringements must be tried case in the court of public opinion.

Oh the hyperbole, oh the hyperbole!!!!

To go on to another topic, we here at SBSB wish to let everyone know that May is Mental Health Month in The Untied States, but it is never too early to reach out to those who are close to us and encourage those to seek out treatment for their disorders. Be it bi-polar disorder, schizoid effective disorder, some type of personality disorder, or even one coping with low self esteem from a severe Freudian physical shortcoming, help can be had.

There are many avenues available that such a person as described in the above paragraph can receive help. Seeing a trained psycho-therapist several times a week can do the trick. So can traveling to Vienna and seeking out a team for intense personal care. Also, there are many psycho-pharmaceuticals out there that are FDA approved and known to help those with such disorders. And the old stand by, electro shock therapy ain't gonna hurt.

So if you know someone whose life is being controlled by his mental disability, if you know someone that lies, distorts reality, a person that will not back up his accusations to someone's face, this is the time for you to have that intervention and help that person be rid of their mental disorder.

The Mistake Major Nelson Made

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:54:39 PST

Major Tony Nelson made quite a mistake one day in the South Pacific. While stranded and awaiting a rescue team the good major saw a bottle and opened it. What popped out? A genie and his life was never the same. There is a lesson to be learned there. Can you figure it out?

The lesson is that once the genie is let out of the bottle, you ain't getting it back it in. It's out for good. Think of how much better Major Nelson's life would have been if he had never let Jeannie out of her bottle. All the nutty things that happened, the near nervous breakdown of Dr Bellows, the attempted manipulations of Major Healy, the constant mauling of uniforms by Jin-Jin all could have been avoided it Major Nelson just turned away.

How does this relate to the school atmosphere you might ask? It does in the fact all the zany, stupid, incompetent happenings of teachers lords and masters in the public school building. Time after time crises, lack of learning, lack of leadership, lack of discipline, are consistently dealt with the closing of the eyes and wishing the problem goes away. Teachers are made to feel as if they are on a sinking ship with just a bucket in their hand to scoop out the billions of gallons of water. Yet, it is to no avail. Even when the genies let you know that the iceberg is 50 miles away, nothing is done.

Nothing is done until it is too late. Yeah, that iceberg was seen from even 25 miles through 75X binoculars on a clear day. But not to worry! There is a plan.

But the plan says it is time to get serious. All the crap for the 7 months is out the window. A new day will reign and all will be forgotten for on this day, a new leaf is overturned. That new leaf is brown on the other side. It is dead. It should have been turned over the 2nd week of September when the genie was still in the bottle and the leaf still had life.

When that genie is out and about and you decide that this time it will be not be allowed to ruin a school, to ruin the learning process, it is too late. The genie has heard it all before and laughs in your face. Why should the genie listen. It is in charge. It knows that just a change in tone of voice, a change in inflection, it can go back and do what it wants. Why? Because it has been that way all year.

Remember, the next time you see that genie in your school, think of who opened that bottle. It never should have been opened.

The New York Post Blows

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:25:25 PST

Not too long ago I came across this article in the New York Post. This is about Christine Rubino, who taught at PS 203 in Flatlands, for posting “repulsive” comments on Facebook.

Several thoughts came to my mind. One, is it not ironic how the Post (and of course News Corp.) the harbinger of freedom is quick to mock someone for defending their constitutional rights of freedom of speech. Secondly, why the Post must claim how hard it is to fire a teacher. And lastly, geez, we never once said how, and even posted on FB, how we would like to see a close family member meet with an unfortunate accident?

So in light of this inanity by The Post I, in conjunction with The Frustrated Teacher, have set up a contest. In 6 words, describe how The Post has distorted the facts. You can reply to me on Twitter, or to TFT, (#NYPostBlows) or leave your comment here. The winner will win either dinner or a pitcher of beer with me and TFT.

Have fun. Be creative.

The Sycophancy of Little Evan Stone and Educators4Excellence Continues

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:02:52 PST

Every time I see a Little Evan Stone and Princess Sydney Morris propaganda column in The New York Post or in fact anywhere I feel that it must be treated as if one were looking directly at Kollos, the Medusan ambassador. But in reality, Little Evan and Princess Sydney are not Kollos, but more like Twiddle-Dee and Twiddle-Dum and just looking at them and reading what they wrote, or at the very least, what they were told to write invites laughter and derision.

In their latest mindless missive in the official propaganda publication of the NYC DOE, The New York Post, Little Evan and Princess Sydney start my sucking up mightily to Governor Andy's colon when they say, "Gov. Cuomo recently called himself “the students lobbyist.” In fact, he just may be the only effective lobbyist that teachers have right now, too.

Yes great start. So proud.

They blither on; For two years, classroom teachers across the state have been waiting for a new system of evaluation they were promised as part of the state’s Race to the Top package, a package passed into

Yes, of course. Every teacher I have spoken with is just sitting on their edge of their seat with pins and needles just gosh darn waiting for that evaluation agreement to be approved. Not. Rather I know teachers who are waiting for a computer that was built after 1999 to be placed in their classroom. A computer that prints. A ream of paper from Staples. A proper curriculum. A curriculum. Competent administrators. Administrative accountability. Toilet paper in the bathrooms. Respect. Less paperwork. Less testing. Les Nessman. Text books. Basic supplies. A photo copier that works. Shall I go on. I think most people get the idea.

It’s hard to believe, but New York teachers have never been offered consistent, objective job-performance reviews,

It's hard to believe that a mayor that has systematically destroyed education in this city has been allowed to skate by virtually unscathed. Is that not the bigger horror?

But, again it is the administrator's fault. Every rating sheet has a check off boxes and a comment box. Simple, have principals use them. Require principals throughout the year meet with teachers, either informally, formally, or both and have a peer to peer discussion about that teacher. Simple. By the way, my way would be a lot, lot less expensive to implement.

The biggest sticking point in negotiations was the UFT’s insistence on an unnecessarily arduous appeals process.

So I would assume that both Little Evan and Princess Sydney find that an independent arbitrator that will not be beholden to either the DOE or the UFT is unnecessarily arduous? Then I must agree that both these little elite children must find that an impartial judge and jury in our criminal justice system seems to them to be unnecessarily arduous.

The state teachers union is suing the state over how big a role student test scores should play in a teacher’s rating, thus holding up the process.

Yeah, well they should, no. Why is NYSUT suing? Because.....The law on a teacher evaluation system was originally developed in a cooperative effort between the state and NYSUT. It called for 20 percent of an evaluation to be based on test scores, 20 percent on local assessments and 60 percent on principal evaluations. But at the last minute, the plan was changed, calling for up to 40 percent of a teacher’s grade to be determined by statewide test scores. Please stop the disingenuouty.

Either districts and unions agree to an evaluation structure in 30 days, or he’ll pass one for them during the budget process. It’s a bold yet necessary move to get a deal done.

Oh, oh. Looks like it's going to be a showdown on Western Ave. Looks like Sheriff Andy is going to take on those nasty evil teachers and show them. Whip 'em out at twenty paces. Just think Governor Andy will whip something else out to prove to all that he is a man.

Last year, a group of solutions-oriented Educators 4 Excellence teachers crafted thoughtful recommendations that deserve to be considered. They suggested a multi-measure evaluation system that includes student-growth data (the only objective picture of a student’s progress we now have), but also multiple classroom observations and student surveys, as well as standards of professionalism such as teacher attendance and contributions to the school community.

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah! Already debased, deciphered, and defiled that idea.

These ideas are backed by research, including the recent Gates Foundation Measures of Effective Teaching study, showing that a combination of these factors creates the most fair and reliable system.

Yes of course! If some dumb ass Gates Foundation study says it's true, well gosh diddly darn, it must be true! But, E4E will never bite the hand that feeds it.

In other words, we already know what works.

You do? Prove it. Oh yeah, you two said it is working in Hillsborough County FL, Washington DC, and Colorado. My brother in law is an art teacher in Hillsborough County, let me ask him. From what I heard, they are several years of the screwing up we have yet to happen to us here in NYC.

Teachers don’t need an evaluation system to make them work hard; they already do. But such a system will help us to work smarter.

Huh?

As elementary-school teachers in The Bronx, we knew there were students who left our classrooms well prepared,

As elementary teachers? You mean as former elementary teachers. Let's be honest OK? As far as students that left your classrooms well prepared, the facts seem to differ. Little Evan, we call on you to show us your scores!!!!!!!!

but also that there were others whom we could have helped more if we’d had the support and feedback all professionals deserve.

So why didn't Sheldon Benardo principal of PS 86 give you support and feedback? Nothing was preventing him from doing so.

So it goes on. These two are dangerous. I had quite a Twitter conversation on Sunday night about the dangers these two and their quasi Hitler youth organization present. Yes, they are small, and yes, most of their members sign up to watch a train wreck, but the smugness and duplicity these two show is a danger, could be a danger and we must stop E4E.

We as teachers, as educators, as parents, as citizens of this country can't make the same mistake that Chamberlain made in 1938.

The World James Waslawski Created At MS/PS 279 in The Bronx

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:56:18 PST

MS/PS 279 Principal James Waslawski

Every so often we here at SBSB are lucky enough to get some information that shows what a sham the NYC DOE and it's foot soldiers, the principals and assistant principals, truly are.

Last week we were fortunate enough to have an expose on MS/PS 279, District 10, The Bronx come across our newsroom. The lies, manipulation, and intimidation current principal, Leadership Academy grad, and Cahn Fellow, James Waslawski uses has not saved the school from the incompetence of principal Pedro Santana who left, or was forced out in 2004, but rather has made things worse to the point where nothing might be salvageable.

Anyone and everyone at 279 who dares to disagree with Waslawski instantly becomes a target of his wrath. Yes, as previously mentioned, Waslawski inherited a mess. But rather that was because of the ineptness of Pedro Santana and not the dedicated, talented staff of 279.

In April 2011, the Joint Intervention Team descended upon MS/PS 279. The report was so damning that everyone and their mother truly believed that Waslawski would be gone due to his erratic and confounding lack of management and leadership. But like a cockroach in the middle of a thermonuclear blast, Waslawski survived. Is he the best the Leadership Academy has to offer?

279

One would even think that a if Waslawski would want the brightest, the most talented, the most qualified assistant principals. But Waslawski follows the Leadership Academy playbook to a T in picking an AP. Someone that lives in his colon, someone who shares his ideology, and someone who has few qualifications for the job.

That person is Hallie Iannoli. Yes, that Hallie Iannoli who is the daughter of former Monkee, Peter Tork. While Peter Tork was and still is extremely talented, it appears that not only is Hallie an enigma wrapped in a riddle, she apparently is untalented and useless as well.

Hallie graduated from The New College of California (San Francisco) in 1996. This is a college that operated from 1971, to 2008 in which it lost its accreditation due to many failures including erratic bookkeeping. In fact, Hallie earned her BA in 3 years from such a failed institution should raise eyebrows.

But one cloud hangs low over Hallie. Why did she leave her previous school, Urban Action Academy, a school she helped found to go be an assistant principal at 279? The crack team is working on this at press time.

Troubling too is the fact that Hallie has been teaching for only 8 years. Back in the day, an AP and/or Principal was a veteran teacher with at least 15, sometimes 20 years, under their belt. In fact, even though the AP position was advertised as AP for ESL, Hallie has only a temporary TOESL certificate that expires today, January 31.

Allegedly, what Waslawski told the School Leadership Team was that the C-30 was irrelevant. That he would pick the candidate and too bad what the SLT wants. DOE rules call for the entire C-30 process to be completed in 3 months from date of advertisement. It now has been more than 3 months since the advertisement closed and the DOE has apparently sanctioned the alleged violation of its own rules.

The SLT has gone from delays to a rush in completing the process. At press time we do not know if Hallie's TOESL license has expired, been extended, or made permanent.

Hallie has never had a permanent teaching or leadership license. This should lead one to question the fairness and openness of the C-30 system and the entire system as well. The lack of transparency from the DOE and its principals is not only damaging the great history of the New York City Schools, but inevitably, and it is happening already, will damage education in NYC.

The injustices keep coming. Yesterday we had to read how Little Evan Stone and Princess Sydney Morris were parroting Uncle Mike and Sock Puppet Walcott in coming out against an independent arbitrator for teachers to appeal ineffective ratings in the new system. One would wonder what they would say knowing that Waslawski has given a U rating last year to anyone who stood up to him. Apparently, 279 is becoming more like Iran and North Korea. Threat and intimidation rule the day.

Our sources have told the crack team that former chancellor Klein revised C-30 and put in a clause that any irregularities must be reported within 15 days. At 279 it was more than 15 days since the highly qualified candidates found out that someone else was appointed.

Administration needs to learn that it is the kids that come first, not themselves and their little petty crap. With all this testing, data, VAA, crap after crap, the upper echelon cares nothing about the well being and education of the students. Rather, the upper crust, the elite, of the schools will do whatever self preserving acts out there to save only themselves.

But worse is the fact that the DOE not only enables this incompetency to influence our children, our students, but the DOE turns a blind eye to the inevitable, when these incompetents completely fuck up.

Alexander Nazaryan Signed, Sealed and PWNED!

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 11:14:30 PST

For those who listened to my Internet radio show this pass Tuesday night, thank you for putting up with all the glitches. My erstwhile co-host, The Frustrated Teacher, seems to have the same telephony capabilities that Oliver Douglas put up for so many years in Hooterville.

However, TFT's mind is as sharp as a razor blade slicing up some home made salt water taffy. TFT and myself welcomed self-important New York Daily News "journalist" Alexander Nazaryan and the author behind the sychophantic op-ed column in The Daily News of January 15, 2012 in which Alexander railed against the current evaluation system and supports the mess that Uncle Mike and Governor Andy which to implement.

This all started on January 15 in when I engaged with Alex on Twitter (which using my Twitter name you can find a blow by blow account). When I came back from hiatus I thought that having Alex as a guest and debating the points we both made would be a wonderful idea. Little did I know, and TFT as well, that I would be dealing with someone that chooses facts from make believe, has no foundation in which to base his beliefs, and just like our favorite toy when we were young we just pull a string on the Alexander Nazaryan doll and it just spews out what its master wants us to hear.

One of the points that Alex made in his column was that the evaluation system today does not allow for any feedback from principals besides an S and that a principal can only observe a teacher through a formal observation.

Nothing can be further from the truth. In fact, and this was a point that we brought up Tuesday night and in my tweeting that indeed, a principal can walk into your classroom anytime and informally observe you and write you up, critique, praise you, for those informal observations. Case in point, Francis Blake. Francis had many informal observations used against him in his 3020a hearing several years ago. I had an informal observation once and it was suggested that I use more open ended questions. A principal, or an assistant principal if they do their job properly can and will use the formal observation to not only be aware of what you are doing in the class but use it to help you improve and hone your teaching skills.

But Alex would have none of this (Alex appears about 17 minutes into the show). Alex says that the administrators "need the tools." By what that means, I have no idea. I brought up that the inexperience of today's administrator leaves them hamstrung to be able to recognize good practices. Alex vehemently disagreed. Alex says that they need good tools, especially involving data.

That threw TFT for a loop. Mention data to TFT and he blows a gasket. TFT asked Alex what admins they lack right now, Alex's response was TEST SCORES!! Alex said that they are important because scores can be used to evaluate a teacher then said the magic three words that popped a vein in TFT's skull, VALUE ADDED ASSESSMENT!

Listen to how Alex gave the dictionary definition to VAA. Alex couldn't even understand how one high stakes test can be used to judge a teacher and not even care nor understand that so many factors can go into a child's success or failure in such high stakes testing. Alex failed to realize that professional, in which we are trained for can make these determinations. Perhaps by writing a progress a report. Alex said if it is a good test then it works to which he admitted "we are working to such a test." Alex believes that even though these tests are no perfected, that "no test is ever perfect, but an opinion of a teacher will be less perfect." And that, "an opinion is more subjective than a test."

This statement clearly shows someone that is unable and unwilling to think for himself. But, and this is a big but, as we brought up to Alex, doctors OPINIONS are trusted, why aren't teachers opinions trusted? "Doctors" said Alex, "run tests" Guess what Alex, SO DO TEACHERS!!!!

Alex really wanted to wrap this up quick, but I got one last question in that was submitted by a reader;

...what exactly he would look for in a teacher who teaches students with learning disabilities who come from one or a combination of the following: poverty, are apathetic towards learning, are English second learners who have parents who do not speak English, do no homework, do not study are educationally neglected at home, are addicted to video games, go to sleep at 2 in the morning, don't know they have an IEP, cut class or enter into high school a minimum of five years behind in writing and reading.

Alex Nazaryan showed us all through the magic of Internet radio just down his nose he looks at the world. Alex blabbered, "I would probably try to have a better attitude about the kids I teach. It sounds like you are fairly negative in your assessment of these kids." Alex refused to answer how he would work with a kid like this. Alex would not deal with reality. He was appalled that I would characterize kids in that way.

Alex Nazaryan comes from an elite world of university snobbery in which one his trained in only numbers and nothing else. Yes, Alex did teach for 5 years and his NYSED records show that he had a license for three years, but in his article he fails to name the middle school he taught at in Flatbush and how long he was there, but he does mention that he taught at Brooklyn Latin School. A school in which students must take the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test. How much ELL's and Special ed. students did Alex have to deal with there? I am curious as to the school he taught at in Flatbush.

Alex is a fake, a fraud, a scheister. Rumor has it he taught only to source material for a book he plans on writing. I do give him credit for appearing on the show and jumping into the fire as most other deformers will not. But like all the other deformers when they have to deal with media that is not owned by the Murdoch's and are made to not only state their true positions on education but to back up said positions with clear cut hard facts they make the sound that Ralph Kramden made whenever he got caught by Alice, "hahmana, hamahna, hahmana!"

Alex, we here at SBSB will be keeping an eye on your written tripe and challenge you to be honest and forthcoming in any future writing you do on education. You can start by naming that middle school in Flatbush.

Next Mind of a Bronx Teacher Internet Radio Show

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:06:32 PST

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bronx-teacher/2012/01/25/the-mind-of-a-bronx-teacher
Yes, after a long hiatus The Mind of a Bronx Teacher Internet radio show returns this coming Tuesday night, January 24, 2012 at 9 PM EDT. On the first show back we welcome New York Daily News journalist Alexander Nazaryan. This past Sunday, Alex wrote a op-ed piece in which he supports tougher evaluations for teachers. http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/teacher-evaluation-faking-success-york-city-school-system-fooling-kids-article-1.1006336
A fun Twitter discussion with Alex (@alexnazaryan) ensued later Sunday afternoon with Alex and he has graciously agreed to appear Tuesday night.
For those that have forgotten, the call in # is (213) 943-3735

South Bronx School Gives Governor Cuomo Some Ultimatums

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:11:14 PST

Thank you paid Koch brother's spokesman and current New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for doing the bidding of the evil twins, amongst others, and giving the UFT a 30 day ultimatum that demands we kow tow to Uncle Mike and sign the agreement for the new evaluation system. That's real nice Andy. As a 6 year old does when he doesn't get his way, Governor Andy is taking his balls and not let anyone play with them until he gets what he wants. Worse, is threatening to withhold money shows that he is now akin to some Bond super-villain.

But we have come up with out own list of ultimatums here that we feel are more urgent than some unworkable evaluation system that is not going to be used to help teachers, but rather weed teachers out and ultimately make teaching into a transient profession much like the fry chef at McDonald's.

We here at SBSB give Governor Andy a 30 day ultimatum to address the lack of support we face every day in the schools. If not, we here at SBSB will ceremoniously give Governor Andy a virtual wedgie.

Governor Andy has a 30 day ultimatum to demand of Uncle Mike and Sock Puppet Walcott an end to the ATR system and place these teachers in positions full time in schools. If not carried out, the governor's mansion will be TP'd post haste.

Governor Andy has a 30 day ultimatum to explain to Sock Puppet Walcott that it is improper for a principal to discuss with his female staff members feats that the above mentioned principal's penis is capable of. If not carried out in 30 days, we will write a blog post about tricks Sandra Lee's hoo-ha is capable of.

Governor Andy has a 30 day ultimatum to disclose all donors, such as the Koch Brothers, Brighter Choice, etc... If not adhered to we will disclose what we know of Madeline, the pool table and the Governor's Mansion in the mid-80's.

Governor Andy has a 30 day ultimatum to find his center, consult with Dad, and stop being a dick and to allow learning to happen in the schools of New York State. If this does not happen within the time frame demanded we guarantee that we will lose a generation of children.

Governor Andy has a 30 day ultimatum to stop this Freudian shortcoming show with Uncle Mike to see who has the bigger, well you know. If not ceased within the allotted 30 days we will expose both of them.

Governor Andy has 30 days to listen to the principals in the trenches that signed the petition against this absurd evaluation crud. If this demand is not met, Governor Andy will have the blood of a teacher that will eventually commit suicide on his conscience.

And lastly, Governor Andy has 30 days to grow some balls, use his critical thinking skills and to be a leader, not some street whore. If this does not happen, Governor Andy will always be though of a someone's little bitch.

I voted third party in 2010 in the New York Gubernatorial election. It was not a wasted vote.

Thoughts About Stuart Schmelz And Sycophantic Assistant Principals

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:59:28 PST

As those regular readers of this blog remember, Stu Schmelz, an assistant principal at IS 162 in the Bronx passed away suddenly last May. Tribute was paid to Stu, twice, on these pages after his untimely passing. We here at SBSB and those that worked with Stu know that he got jacked big time and know that in due time the truth will come out in full.

A lot of truth landed on the desks at the SBSB newsroom of what transpired at IS 162 prior to his passing. At press time we can't reveal too much other than the dirty dealing that was perpetrated upon him was beyond reprehensible. Not only was Stu thrown under the bus, but the bus backed up and ran over him again and again.

Stu was caught up in the world of people having obscene, carnal relations with ghosts and dogs, sycophantic machinations brought on by the de facto leader of the Mole People, chronic disappearances for football and gallivanting with a passport, and literally picking up doody. But for now, what we know will need to remain only referred to cryptically and must remain vague.

Stu was one of a kind in this business. His word was his bond. What you saw with Stu was what you got. You could trust Stu. You could count on him. Unfortunately, education, in particular the NYC DOE has become a world in which the incompetent, sycophantic, unqualified are rewarded, while those who are competent, independent thinkers, qualified are slowly fucked and made to suffer.

Yes, there has been lots of news lately of principals without any morals. Principal Penis, and newly added to the list, Principal Liza Cruz Diaz of PS 31 in the Bronx. But what of those that we call assistant principals? There are much more of them than principals, and with more and more schools being added, there seems to be a high demand for them.

Back when I started teaching in the 90's all AP's it seemed were teachers who had paid their dues through years and years of teaching. Now, all one needs to become an assistant principal is a check book, some college that offers an administrative degree, a compliant friend, and the ability, to cleanse on a daily basis, a principal's colon. Oh, and let's not forget what a joke the C-30 process is. Why others are interviewed when it has already been predetermined who the AP will be I have never understood.

There are too many AP's out there that just take up space and for lack of a better explanation are nothing more than a principal's Himmler. They do the evil bidding of their principal and will move mountains to blame someone else for their own Freudian shortcomings. Assistant principal's such as these are manipulative, bereft of any and all empathy, sympathy, or basic understanding of the human race. In fact, one can wonder if such AP's as these are of the human race.

Fortunately, there is something known as Karma. Karma will always rear its head for such AP's and will, to paraphrase John Lennon, gonna bring them down. Well not actually Karma, but their own manipulation, machinations, inclinations, and general low sense of themselves will catch up with such AP's.

Rally Against Bronxdale Principal John Chase Jr 1/10/2012

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:50:35 PST

We here at SBSB have been right on top of the the "Objects My Penis Loves" scandal at Bronxdale High School in the Bronx. We also provided commentary when the DOE gave Bronxdale High principal John Chase Jr, a slap on his pen..., er we meant hand when it found that yes, he was guilty of guilty of violating Chancellor's Regulations A-830 regarding sexual harassment and allowed to stay on as principal in lieu of the outrage of female staffers and the danger to the inanimate objects of Bronxdale High.

We would also like to take the time to commend NYC Councilman James Vacca for going to bat for the teachers at Bronxdale. Councilman Vacca is outraged that Chase has been allowed to continue on at Bronxdale even while being found guilty of one charge, and two other charges pending.

So in light of this, we here at SBSB would like to announce a rally in support of the community at Bronxdale High and against the perversions of Principal John Chase Jr.

When: January 10 @ 3 30 PM until dark

Where: Columbus Campus; 925 Astor Ave. - Bronx 10469

Speakers; Councilman Jimmy Vacca, the office of State Senator Jeff Klein, several U.F.T. chapter leaders from the campus, and the office of Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera.

Other groups; the N.O.W. Network (National Organization of Women) and local community groups, and The Bronx U.F.T.

Media; A lot will be there

Governor Cuomo Announces A New Education Committee

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:26:23 PST

We here at SBSB wish to take the time and congratulate Governor Cuomo on his call in tomorrow's state of the state address tomorrow night in calling for an education committee to look at education across the state. This is an idea we here at SBSB have mulled over in the past.

Wait, hang on here. A member of the crack team is informing me that Gov. Cuomo's planned ed. committee is not all peaches and cream. Hank is informing me as I write this that the education committee will be staffed by those outside of education. Hmmmm. In light of recent events we here at SBSB wish to withdraw our congratulations and instead flip our collective middle fingers at Gov Cuomo for this asinine idea.

But more news is coming across the SBSB newsroom. Crack team member Shlomo has been working the phones with contacts in Albany and has just had the names of the outsiders faxed to us that will sit on the committee determining the best path for education in the Empire State. Job well done, Shlomo!

The list:

Georgina Bloomberg Her equestrian skills will bring a certain panache and class to the committee.

Jesus, the janitor at The Food Network Originally it was planned that Gov. Cuomo's main squeeze, Sandra Lee was to be on the committee. But she believes in having someone else do the hard work for you so what better way than having Jesus doing it for her.

Father O'Brien Priest at the Church of St John and Mary in Chappaqua and the priest who happened to look the other way with his right palm extended when Andrew Cuomo got divorced, er, his marriage annulled from Kerry Kennedy.

Glen Moreno Chairman of Pearson and what better way to say Thank You! for lavishing contracts upon, and receiving donations from?

Spalding Koch Bill Koch's 19 year old grandson. He is a spoiled rotten kid, but needs something to do with his time. Anyway, Gov Cuomo owes the Koch brothers big time.

Cee Lo Green The committee needs some street cred. Also, Cee Lo feels that he needs to look like he cares.

Wendi Murdoch What is an important education committee without a Murdoch? Besides, it gives her something to do as the Ciallis takes effect on Rupert.

And two more spots need to be filled. At press time we don't have the names but we do know one member will be from Western New York to show that Gov Cuomo cares about that part of the state, and the other member will be a rich, rich person with homes in Bedford Hills, Manhattan, and Hampton Bays. This member has children that are currently educated privately in an exclusive boarding school.

Thank you Governor Cuomo! You certainly made my choice voting 3rd party in 2010 look better and better everyday.

Whitney Tilson Thinks He's In The Army

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 20:39:17 PST

Imagine much to my surprise as I am eating breakfast this morning at Denny's on Wolf Rd in Albany this morning as I open up my email and come across the depraved and confused mind of Whitney Tilson's ramblings. What a way to start off a new year. Hopefully, 2012 we'll hear less and less of Whitney as he becomes more and more exposed for what he is, racist, condescending, patronizing, self-absorbed, and not intelligent. Oh, and I have forgotten, Happy New Year!

Whitney really came up with a humdinger of an idea his email today;

One important analogy is the U.S. military, which I think has a lot of lessons for our schools – both are enormously large, sprawling bureaucracies, but one is, by far, the best in the world, while the other is, at best, middle of the pack. And the U.S. military wasn't always this way – after Vietnam, it was a broken, demoralized institution, just like our schools today. How did it turn itself around? What are the lessons we can apply to our schools? If someone reading this wants to research this and write up something on it, I'll fund it!

Debunking this blabbering is like child's play. It is not fair and it is too easy. To make it a challenge I should find a one cell life form that just might have a 1% chance in not being able to simply state the fallacy of Whitney.

The irony of Whitney using the military is laughable. This coming from someone who if he ever did join the service would be immediately fragged by his troops (look, I'm not stupid, no way Whitney goes in as an enlisted man) the first night in country. Him also lauding the military is ironic considering how some liberal family member of his snagged his way out of the draft and Vietnam and instead "served" in the Peace Corps. This family member should have at least had some backbone like Muhammad Ali, or been a conscientious objector. Not a little pansy that runs to the Peace Corps.

But one can see how Whitney's military analogy is correct, at least in his mind.

KIPP is run like a boot camp somewhat. All students conform to a a proscribed behavior delivered in a drill instructor manner. Students use cadences in the classroom, sit with backs straight, heads held high, and walk in lock step with one another in silence through the halls. If students can't cut muster they are quietly encouraged to leave, or just told to. The same method as in boot camp or Office Candidate School. Anyone recall An Officer and a Gentleman and the DOR( Drop on Request)?

Students in KIPP, and let us not forget other thoughts of education, ***COUGH*** Success Academy schools, ***COUGH*** in which students as young as Kindergartners are forced to assume punitive drills to correct non-conforming behavior.

Now, I am too young to remember much of Vietnam. I was in 3rd grade when the war ended. But do recall wearing a POW bracelet during all of 3rd grade. But I think I am more school on history than Whitney.

The reason Vietnam was such a mess was not because of the military, but the same reason education is screwed up now. Politicians and the outsiders. The generals should run the military and education should be run by teachers. Now there is an analogy.

But as Whitney's ilk likes to say, just throwing money at a problem is no solution. If we use Whitney's analogy about the military one of the things that got us out of our post-Vietnam funk was the lavish spending of the Reagan administration on the military. See, money can solve problems.

But what really got us out of that funk was Desert Storm, which the politicians steered clear of. It was not until the last ten years, especially from 2001-2009, in which the politicians needed to make up for the Freudian shortcomings and fucked up the military again.

But think, is it possible, even probable, that a graduate of the Naval Academy would command a aircraft carrier let alone a ship? NO WAY! Yet in Whitney's mind a young one from an elite college (and I'll take Annapolis over any Ivy League school) that just graduate and had 50 hours of training is good enough to be a teacher. Yes Whitney, let's use that military analogy.

But let's fast forward to the cold war. I recall reading that even though the Soviets had vast military superiority, that the US and its allies would win the battles and the war. Why? Because the Soviet military drilled their troops in a rote style, that there was no use for individualism. Not the US military, in which the troops were taught to think for themselves on the bsattlefield, or as the Marines likes to say, "Improvise, adapt, overcome." Think we are teaching students this with all this test prep? NO!!! Yeppers, let's use the military as an analogy!

What about these school leaders and central administrators that always demean teachers? Do they follow the military principle that the grunts are the backbone of the service? I don't think so. Ask any admiral, general, colonel, major, etc... You find the brass the men go through a horde of gunfire for are the officers that respect their men, work with the ones that need improvement, and leave the ones that can do it alone. They eat, shit, shower, and don't ask the men of anything that they won't do themselves. And more importantly, not counting Abu Grahib, and other dumb ass stuff the last ten years, take responsibility for their actions. Give me a boss like Gunny Highway! Yep, there is another military analogy that can be used at the DOE.

Hey, I, and other like minded smart people always say that as teachers each day is different, each child is different, therefore since we as teachers can not control what comes into our classroom we should not be judged for matters that are not in our hands. Same as the military. They leave base to go on patrol the troops have no idea if they will come back alive. Hell, when they leave home and kiss the wife good-bye they have no idea if that is the last kiss ever. See, teachers and the military can't control outside forces. Yes, you guessed it. Another good use of a military analogy in education.

I wish to thank Whitney Tilson for sharing his thought on this first day of 2012. Again, he shows what happens when one does not think before putting fingers to keypad. And also what happens when one is so full of himself.

A Teacher At PS 51 In The Bronx Fights Back

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:44:09 PST

Today quite disconcerting news came across the SBSB newsroom desk. Nancy Tomassi, a teacher at PS 51 in the Bronx has filed a lawsuit against the DOE alleging that the former building that housed PS 51 led to her unborn child being diagnosed with anencephaly which resulted in her ending her pregnancy.

The crack team at SBSB and myself would like to first take this time to show how support and sympathy to Nancy, her husband Mike, and their entire families in this time of sadness and need. This must be an extremely difficult time for them to not only to find the strength to bring civil action against the city, but furthermore, to do so publicly by sharing with their world their plight, shows just how grounded both Nancy and Mike are. I and the crack team wish to pass along our condolences, thoughts, and most importantly our support at any time it is needed to both Nancy and Mike.

The loss of a child, whether born or unborn must be a feeling that is not only unfathomable, but heart wrenching to parents. Sadly, the idiocrats at Tweed and anyone associated with the NYC DOE are unable to share these feelings.

To know that since January 2011 that a school is infected with a known carcinogen, trichloroethylene, which has been known to cause birth defects and inform all those who worked in the school, should not only be considered irresponsible and unethical but borderline criminal.

Who is responsible for this? Who needs to pay? Let's not even look back to the yutz who decided that a former light factory, with all the chemicals that are involved in the making of, was a good place to place a school. Who was in charge since the discovery was made in January that this school was toxic?

Did Cathie Black who was chancellor of the NYC DOE at the time of discovery of toxins notified? One would assume that if toxins were to be discovered in a school that this should land on the chancellor's desk. Was Uncle Mike, the man that has given a longer life to millions of New Yorkers notified in January? If so, did he abscond on his fiduciary duties as the ultimate guardian of the children of NYC for he felt that little boys and girls of color, and teachers as well, are expendable? Did Dennis Walcott, the current chancellor know anything when he assumed the throne of chancellor? Surely, when Walcott said, “I am the chancellor, and I will take full responsibility for this,” his words should be taken literally and be named in the lawsuit.

But, who is ultimately most responsible for a school building? The principal. To paraphrase former senator Howard Baker, "what did Principal Paul Smith know and when did he know it?" This is a question that should be asked. This is a question that should be asked of Principal Smith during a deposition, under oath, on the witness stand under penalty of perjury.

Whomever tested the school surely did not walk into the school incognito. Why, if the school were to be tested would a principal be left out of the inner circle of knowledge? When someone, especially toxic testers (?) walk into a school, wouldn't the first person they report to be the principal? If so, WHY DID PRINCIPAL PAUL SMITH NOT IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY PARENTS AND STAFF? Are we to believe that Principal Smith was completely out of the loop in a major undertaking at his school? We call on Principal Smith to make public and to the Tomassi's the sign in books in the office and call upon DOE School Safety to make public the sign in books at the security desk.

Like a ship's captain a principal is the one ultimately responsible for their school. That is why we not only encourage the Tomassi's and their attorneys to utilize discovery to find out once of for all what Principal Smith knew and when he knew it, but if through discovery it is found that if Principal Smith is even 1% culpable that he is not only named a defendant but that like a good and well trained UK prime minister (see Howard Macmillan) that he do the honorable thing and resign immediately.

I know that the Tomassi's will not only find support, warmth, and empathy here on these pages, but in the hearts and mind of every teacher in New York City that sees what Uncle Mike has allowed a once great school system to become.

Teachers Of Los Angeles It's Time To Party With Educators 4 Excellence!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:39:30 PST

Hello teachers of Los Angeles! Do you ever get tired from the same old boring Friday nights? Are you looking for something to do other than attend another boring Clippers or Kings game? Well, look no more. We here at SBSB have a most exciting suggestion for a Friday night in the history of mankind.

As many of you out there in the City of Angels are aware, or not aware, a new Aryan youth group, Educators4Excellence has pitched a tent within your fair city. Seems that E4E has failed here in New York and like the Corleone family has been run off in the attempt to influence, and certainly degrade, education at the LAUSD. What does this have to do with you?

Well, at the behest of E4E, and its co-founders and co-executive directors Little Evan Stone and Princess Sydney Morris in conjunction with their newly recruited de facto Los Angeles leader, Ama Nyamekye (who comes to LA by way of NYC) the crack team wishes to invite you to E4E welcome kegger on Friday, January 20, 2012 at the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. Actually it is a dinner, with guest speaker your leader, Superintendent John Deasy. Rumor has it that preppy casual is the dress code.

How you may ask does one get their name on the exclusive guest list? Simple. Go to this link and sign up. If you have any issues with giving you name, be sure to check the official SBSB list of pseudonym's that one can sign up with. Once you are signed up to E4E, and of course sign the loyalty oath, not only will you be able to sign up for this gala event, but will be able to view all upcoming E4E events.

But not to worry. E4E is so full of themselves and their righteousness they will not even notice that there are moles at the event. Best of all the food and alcohol will be flowing and you will be able to drink and eat on E4E's dime. In fact, a little birdie has shared with the crack team that there is a strong possibility of a mic night! Oooh.

So sign up early and often and have fun.

ATR's!!! Look Upon Little Evan Stone And Be Led!

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:41:30 PST

I read Chaz's latest blog posting this afternoon with a heavy heart. It seems that jolly old St Nick is not immune from the pratfalls of the long arms of the ATR (Absent Teacher Reserve) system. We here at SBSB feel for Santa on this last night of Hanukkah 5772 and pledge our support to the man in the red suit and hope he finds a permanent position.

We also feel for Chaz as well. I have spoken with Chaz many a time and have had him on as a guest on the radio show. Chaz should be in a school and classroom permanently. He is a wonderful person and a smart man. Perhaps if I had Chaz as a science teacher in high school I would have done better.

We also read, with a heavy heart a fairly new yet thought provoking blog, NYC ATR. In this blog the trials and tribulations of every day teachers who for no fault of their own are thrown to the proverbial wolves and left better out of sight and out of mind.

But in both blogs a common thread runs through. The lack an official voice granted by the UFT to the ATR teachers. The UFT poohs-poohs the ATR's concerns, Tweed treats the ATR's as some form of pox infected creature that lives beneath the auditorium stage. No one listens, or cares, about the ATR's. What can be done?

During tonight's game of dreidel myself and the crack team formulated an answer to what ails the ATR's. The answer was so obvious we were shocked we did not think of it sooner. Now mind you, the solution is somewhat controversial and out of the box, but it is guaranteed to work.

Look to Little Evan Stone of Educators 4 Excellence and thee shall be set free! Yes, I am not kidding here. What? You ask how can I and the crack team suggest the ATR's look to Little Evan to lead them from wondering the desert? It's all very simple. Little Evan and E4E advocate on their website;

"Educators 4 Excellence works to ensure that the voices of classroom teachers are included in the decisions that affect our profession and our students."

Surely, this statement must include the ATR's that are toiling about New York City? Does E4E only advocate for teachers that are under 30 years of age, graduated from elite colleges, and have rich mommies and daddies? Isn't E4E inclusive of all NYC teachers?

To every ATR reading this it is time you contact Little Evan and let him show just how much he thinks he cares about you. Contact him through FB (which an email address is located), or this email, or this email, or you can Tweet him! Oh, you can also write Little Evan c/o Educators4Excellence, 333 W. 39th St. Suite 703 New York NY 10018, or call him at the office, (212) 279-8510. Let Evan now how much you agree with that E4E is an organization that wishes to give a voice to EVERY teacher!

But remember ATR's, give no quarter. Stand firm. Don't let Little Evan change what you want. You will not be working for him however, you ATR's will have Little Evan do your bidding.

But there is one downside to all this. It could be that mission statement and what Little Evan believes in is all a crock of shit. In that case, Little Evan will just confirm what everyone knows he already is.

Oh, just a disclamer. This post was a wee bit on the sarcastic side.

E4E's Laura Klein Of IS 217 Bronx Mocks Student In Foster Care

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 17:45:52 PST

I keep going and keep coming back to an article that was written by Educators 4 Excellence drone Laura Klein which appeared on December 19. Her article, "'No Excuses' Is Not Just for Teachers" though written to encourage us as teachers to encourage our students not to use excuses for their mistakes, is yet another left-handed swipe at teachers by the notorious Borg Collective which is E4E and which Laura Klein surely is just another mindless, interconnected drone.

Again it is beyond laughable that a Jewish American Princess that attended Northwestern is one to lecture about pulling one's bootstraps up to cure all ills that affect students. Plus on top of that to seemingly lecture to teachers, and the public as well, the obvious continues the condescending, patronizing, self-importance of anyone associated with E4E.

Not only that, but Laura Klein is from a school, I.S. 217, Rafael Hernandez School of Performing Arts in the Bronx, which seems to be not doing well. What with only 13% at a 3 or 4 in reading, and Leadership Academy Seth Litt leading it into the toilet, one must wonder what Laura Klein has contributed to the impending train wreck and it's C rating.

In her first statement; It’s our job to teach them no matter what. We are often the adults that children see with the most consistency and frequency, and we are responsible for their educations, in the broadest sense of that word. But to truly help them be successful, we ourselves have to embody the “no excuses” attitude.

This seems to be written by Captain Obvious. But of course the condensation needs to be thrown in with the statement, 'we ourselves have to embody the “no excuses” attitude.' Yes, teachers will bitch, moan, and kvetch about their students. But at the end of the day we do the right things. Just because we bitch, moan, and kvetch does not mean we give up. We all do the same regarding our family members, it is a natural human way to let off steam.

Klein goes on; Students don’t complete an assignment, and we give them a second chance. A parent comes to school, upset to hear that his or her child is failing math, and we say, time and again, “they can make up the work.” A test is failed and we provide a chance to retake it, or do test corrections for extra credit.

Funny how E4E never bites the Uncle Mike hand that enables it. The above statement can very well be an indictment against credit recovery and the pressure that high school principals feel in producing outstanding graduation rates. Guess what Laura? You and your ilk would have much more credibility if instead of attacking teachers, education, and the union instead E4E channels itself towards those with power that have screwed up the system. Just look at the last month or so of principals being accused in jacking the credit recovery system. Where is the E4E outrage?

There’s a girl in my class with atrocious handwriting. “Illegible” is a gentle word to describe her work. We joke about it, and tease her, and ask her to take her time and write carefully.

“Maybe if I had a mother who had taught me that, I would have better handwriting!” she exclaims. She has been in and out of foster care for years. She has an explanation for her bad handwriting — but when does it become an excuse that inhibits her ability to communicate for the rest of her life?

This is an example? Big deal. My 8th grade English teacher called my handwriting spastic. It still is. However, jeez Laura, the girl has been in and out of foster care. How would you feel as a teenager if you were being shuttled from one family to another? You don't think this affects the student? Or should she just ignore this fact and pull herself up by her bootstraps? Of course Laura you must be thinking that you are the Great White Hope that she feels she must model herself after.

I was going to quote more from this frivolous article of self importance but now that I think about it, another thought has creeped into my ADD mind.

Two things. One is not ironic, or sad, that these twentysomething TFA's come into the South Bronx and with their arrogance and ignorance think they and they alone have all the answers? What is the truth is that 99% of them have been feeding from the silver trough of their self importance for so long that they feel only someone as elite a person that join's TFA and has gone to an elite school knows what is best for the brown boys and girls of the ghetto. But in reality, there self importance comes back to bite them in the ass and they soon get their comeuppance from the students and reality. This is not to say that all TFA's are like this. There are many TFA teachers that I know of who keep their mouths shut and their ears open. But the ilk associated with the collective mind speak of E4E are particularly appalling and smug in smelling their own farts.

But I just keep coming back to Laura Klein belittling a student that gets passed around in the foster care system the same way a pack of Newports gets passed around a prison yard.

I put it to you Laura, renounce any and all trusts, allowances, etc... that you receive from your your elite world. Go shopping for clothes on Fordham Rd, shop for groceries at Associated, live in a rat infested apartment. You look down from that perch and just think that you are better than what you are forced to deal with everyday.

We here at SBSB feel badly that you feel that you must mock those that are in foster care and wish to play the world's smallest violin in deference to your horrible work conditions. Perhaps you will feel more comfortable in a white, less transient community of students or students that have easy access to bootstraps.

We wish you well Laura Klein. Perhaps in your next career, lawyer, lawyer, or lawyer you can associate yourself with those that are more like you.

A Very South Bronx School Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 15:59:24 PST

Was wishing to blog about something tonight, but unfortunately have a touch of writer's block. However, I would like to share some videos that reflect upon spirit of Christmas with all the loyal readers of SBSB. As usual with this blog the selected videos are sure to offend some. Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo
Get More: SOUTH
PARK more...

Red Sleigh Down
Get More: SOUTH
PARK more...

Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics
Get More: SOUTH
PARK more...

Venting In A Dramatic Monologue Sort Of Way

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:17:38 PST

I am getting sick and tired of teacher bashing. I am sick and tired of blaming the teachers. I am sick and tired of the deformers.

Imagine what it is like to come to work every day and be hit by the equivalent of a 2X4 in the face every day. Imagine what it must be like to come to work when the night before your spouse left you, your child said they hate you, your parent is dying. A teacher has no choice but to shove it all away the minute 8 30 comes and turn that frown upside down in some demented smile while knowing that they are not allowed to be human.

I am getting fed up with hearing that every student deserves a great teacher when it is statistically impossible to have every teacher great. What is wrong with pretty darn fu**ing good?

Want to keep blaming teachers? Guess what ed deformers? Teachers do not choose the boneheaded, incoherent curriculum that has been heaped upon the children of New York City. It is the higher ups in the CSD's, Tweed, the dudes at McGraw Hill with the envelopes of Knicks tickets, cash, and prizes.

Hey, what about those kids who like at MS 203 in the Bronx that do not do anything in class? Why aren't these students reprimanded? Why aren't the parents called and told that it is about fu**king time they start acting like parents and ensure it themselves that their children get educated?

Let's not forget the 20 something and 30 something useless Leadership Academy principals who have never been in education. And this doesn't mean the,"Oh look at me, I got my administrative license after 5 years and am now an AP because my mother's best friend hired me" wastes. These types have nothing better to do than to harass any teacher that is over 35, shows independent thought, and is past step 8b on the salary scale. As one SBSB groupie shared with me, "if a teacher is being harassed and therefore so concerned with this harassment, does this not take away from his or hers ability to properly teach?" Think about it.

Hey, here is a good one. Why are there so many failing schools? It's because those schools are set up to fail. Yeah, the dirty little secret of Tweed is, "Fu** The Students," because what is more important is all the hedge funders, charter systems, and the $$$$ that can be used to complete the makeover of education into a has and will never have system.

The PEP members, that is of course except ((((HAWT)))) Manhattan rep Patrick Sullivan and his borough crew (think about it, Patrick Sullivan is like Fonzie) don't give one rat's ass about the students, the families, the schools, the teachers, and education in this city. How dare they sit there looking down on the people of NYC? How dare they accept whatever favors they receive from Uncle Mike. Just wish to know how do these people sleep at night.

Testing is now going to be a total of 4 hours? This is maddening. How can we expect a 9 year old to have that kind of attention span? How can we expect a 9 year old to love to learn, to love to come to school? To not come down with serious anxiety problems?

What other professional job will allow someone with only 50 hours of training be allowed to have the responsibility of so much in their hands? Will anyone hire a doctor, lawyer, rabbi, or priest with similar training?

I am sick of every ATR I have seen being over the age of 40 and having to worry day in and day our about whether or not this will be their last day earning a paycheck.

The time for teachers to rise is now. The time for the families and the students to rise is now. Our schools, our lives, the educational process must be removed from those that are involved and planning in the destruction of American education. It is not too late. It can never be too late. But it must be done.

A Bronx Student Thanks Mayor Bloomberg For The Education He Has Received

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:12:02 PST

The crack team would like to welcome a guest blogger tonight, a student in the NYC DOE by the name of Throckmorton. Throckmorton plans to share with us how much Uncle Mike has done for his education. So without further adieu, please welcome Throcky.

Hi, I would like to thank Bronx Teacher and the crack team here at SBSB for allowing me to share with the SBSB readership the wonderful things Uncle Mike has done for my education. Without Uncle Mike's policies I would not be where I am now.

It all started in Kindergarten for me. I was born the first week of December so already I am somewhat behind the 8 ball. Most of the kids in my class were several months older than me and at that age a gap like that makes a big difference in learning styles. Also, my parents were fighting a lot. Seemed that whenever my dad had too much too drink, which was like every night, he would shove my mom's head into a wall.

Anyway, I withdrew and with no support at home I was really behind. I remember meeting with my mom and my principal. I was told I was being left back. I was so upset I cried. But I recall the principal telling my mom that if students were to be left back it should be wither in grades K or 1. Anything other than being held back in those grades was just a waste of time and just for political means.

I eventually got over it and looked forward to K all over again. Unfortunately the teacher we had, who I really loved and had been making progress with me all of the sudden went away. Yeah, just like one day she did not show up. I found out later she was sent to this place called the Rubber Room because she farted in a non-prescribed official NYC DOE manner. We went through 3 more teachers until March when it was decided to just split the class up and send us all into already overcrowded situations. I became lost and alone and I regressed, but darn if I wasn't promoted to 1st grade.

The first day of 1st grade I was so excited. I had a man teacher. His name was Chad Pennyworth and this was his first teaching job ever! He told us how smart he was because he went to a college named Harvard. He didn't even call us students! We were scholars. Even our tables had weird names. Let me see if I could remember. Oh yeah. The table names were Greenwich, Scarsdale, Bronxville, Upper Saddle River, and Roslyn. We were told to call the cafeteria the dinning hall, and the gym was the physical arts centre. We really felt important.

We really didn't get to do much in 1st grade. We had 3 students that took almost all of Mr Pennyworth's time. These kids, Moe, Larry, and Shemp threw chairs, overturned desks, hit other students. Mr Pennyworth did not know what to do. When he turned to administration to help him, nothing happened. Funny, when the other old teacher's came to help him he always said, "That is not in my TFA manual."

I went into 2nd grade and I had this old woman teacher. She must have been 90 years old! But I learned so much in the short amount of time that she was my teacher. The last day we ever saw her was October 5. After that, no one knew. Only now did I find out she was sent to that Rubber Room place again because she bought a house plant for the school. Again, we went through 3 or 4 teachers before the class was split up and I felt anger at being attached to a teacher yet again and having her taken away from me.

Third grade was going to be scary. From day 1 I was told that if I fail the test I will be held back again. That if that happened my parents, my grandparents would hate me. I dreaded that test coming up. But guess what? Mr Pennyworth was my teacher again. He told us the first day this was his last year as a teacher. He got accepted at some NBA program at Stanford Connecticut. But this time our tables were named Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, and Dartmouth.

We had the same kids in the class that caused all these commotion as in first grade. Moe, Larry, and Shemp got bigger and scarier. I almost got hit by a chair. Nothing was ever done. Also, we didn't any science or social studies until April. All we did was study for the test.

Sadly, my mother got pregnant my my father's best friend. He flew into a rage in front of me and beat my mother so hard she wound up in Bronx-Lebnon Hospital for two months. My father was arrested and had a vacation at an island named Rikers for a long time. I missed my father and mother so much. But I got to stay with my Tia. She was 67 years old at the time, had bad diabetes, and didn't speak any English. She never left the apartment. She had my cousin take me to school. More on him later.

Anyway, the test came and I threw up the night before all the tests and peed myself the morning of the tests. There was a crazy question on the test about poloponies. What is a poloponie? I was so sad I got 1's on the math and ELA. The day my mother came out of the hospital I was told I would have to go to summer school.

Summer school sucked. I was so angry being there. If only they knew about the problems I had in 3rd grade someone would have come in and saved me. I was in an old building that was built in 1904. My class was on the top floor and it was hot and there was no air conditioning. I hated it. I hated the teacher. I hated everyone. I wanted to leave but I knew I couldn't. I took the tests again and I got 1's. I had to do 3rd grade again.

I was planning on buckling down in 3rd grade. I knew if I had an old lady teacher I could do good. But that September we had 15 new teachers and a new principal who told us he was 25 years old. All the old ones suddenly either died or vanished.

My mother tried to get me into resource room, or SETTS, or meeting with a guidance counselor. But the new principal in a meeting with her and his 6 new AP's explained that there was no money for these positions. I remember looking at the new gold plated sink in his office as he said these words.

I managed to get a 2 on the math and ELA and the same the following year in 4th grade. Yeah, I fooled them. I am at a 2nd grade reading level. I started to get in more trouble in 3rd and 4th. I was suspended a couple of times. I left a deuce in the urinal once, and another time I told the principal to fuck off. But, hey I was hanging out with my buddies. School I learned was not for me, nor did these big shots truly care about me.

So here I am in finally in the 5th grade. I just turned 12 while everyone else in my class is 10 years old. My mother has been trying to get me some support services at school, but she is told there is no money. We finally have a guidance counselor, but I only see her once a month because she has so many students, not scholars, to service. I feel so ashamed that I am starting to shave and my friends in my grade aren't. But I have other friends.

Remember my cousin? He runs with a gang. I hang out with them a lot. Sometimes until midnight. Yeah, midnight even on school nights. What's the big deal? My mother is watching the baby all the time, my father is in jail. School sucks. The teachers that I liked leave, the teachers that say I am a scholar can't teach me and talk to me like I am a wimp. The principal just wants to take care of his cronies.

Last week some rich white guy came to talk to the 5th grade. He said we can be rich like him if we just put our minds to it and pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. Yeah, now I know what I am doing wrong.

I just want to be a kid. I want someone to let me explore, to let me learn on my own, to give me the boundaries I want so bad.

Thank you Mayor Bloomberg. Your education policies have made me feel like a failure at the age of 12.

Little Evan Stone Is 99% Road Apples

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 14:33:21 PST

Did you know that Little Evan Stone of Educators 4 Excellence is amongst the 99%? Yes, that is a fact. We here at SBSB couldn't believe it ourselves when we were sent the link to Little Evan's Google+ page last week. The photo was very grainy and since the crack team and myself believe in objective bloggerism, we had to wait for all the facts to come in before we decided to have a go. Wait, that is not the truth. The truth is we it took us about a minute to confirm that Little Evan's profile photo on Google+ was truly him at Zuccotti Park, and about a week of laughing our asses off, and the cleaning of the subsequent mess we made, to share with the loyal readers this joke.

Since Little Evan in all probability will delete the photo of him supporting OWS, we feel that screen shots will best explain. Here is Little Evan at OWS (click to enlarge);

Now just in case there is any doubt observe the buildings behind both of Little Evan's shoulders. We would like to thank the programmers of Google Street View for their cooperation. The crack team has ascertained that Evan is standing on Liberty St towards the corner with Trinity Pl. (again, click to enlarge);

Why share this? The first thing that was discussed was not the hypocrisy of Little Evan ingratiating himself with those at OWS, but rather what the photo in his profile is telling everyone.

This is just another case of Little Evan Stone having to be the center of attention. Little Evan could have posted a generic photo of OWS, but noooooooooooooo. It had to be a photo of him, a photo of him "being down" with those at Zuccotti Park. Keep in mind this is a young man that has lived life through a silver prism. A young man that attended one of the most elite (we will not give away personal information here) high schools in Pasadena CA.

A high school that is so elite, it sucks in children that refuse to attend the public schools of Pasadena for there are one too many children of color in the Pasadena school district and that is predominantly white.

A high school that is so elite, the average class size in the upper, or high school is 17 students. In fact, why isn't E4E sharing with us lower class people a white paper on class size?

A high school that is so elite its primary purpose at one time was to funnel students into Cal Tech.

A high school that is so elite that the tuition is $24K a year.

Little Evan has lived an elitist life. From his day's of dressing for the evening meal, to commanding his wet nurse, to his days at Yale in which he played an elitist sport, soccer. Yes, soccer, as personified by the white, rich elites is an easy and elitist sport to play. Why not baseball? Probably to afraid to get hit by a rising fastball coming at him at 90 MPH. Football? Too many people of color for sure.

For Little Evan to think that he has anything in common with those at Zuccotti Park or those in the Occupy movement is pathetic. The only thing he has in common is that they and he both need to realize that he is the enemy, the 1%, part of the problem. But Little Evan will never realize that as long as he wishes to be the attention whore, the "me too" person that he is.

Little Evan is nothing more than a $3 bill. Both lack values. Both are not real.

An Inane Soliloquy Of Venting

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:34:38 PST

I am thisclose to being fed up with teaching. With education. With the NYC DOE.

I'm tired of hearing the rhetoric of "students first" or children first." It's all bullshit. The more one claims its about the students, the less it is.

This "passing the buck," shit ain't working either. The only people out there who do not pass the buck are the teachers. Everyone else, administrators, parents, superintendents, short mayors with several Freudian complexes, chancellors, Tweedies, politicians, school shrinks, hedge fund managers, when are they going to see what we see? When will their eyes be pried open to not only look in the mirror, but to look around at the true reality?

How can a teacher teach, a child be educated, when in a classroom bursting at the seams has over 30 students with at least 3 major behavioral problems? I'm not talking wise asses, I am talking students that when they don't get their way have serious outbursts that turn violent. Throwing chairs, flipping over desks, and attacking other students. And believe it or not this happens every day.

Hell, let's get away from the violent ones to the at least 5 more who disrupt by being more than wise asses. Those that come to school and see school as a six hour social hour. These students are rude, lie, do not do any work. They will tell you to go fuck yourself just as easily as they manipulate their parents into believing that they are the persecuted in school.

These students are degrading the educational process for all. But what is done? Nothing. Nada. Bupkus. No one wants to take responsibility for these students. Even the parents of the students who are affected do not rise up and head to an administrator en masse and demand that these students be removed from the learning environment.

Even when the school support team gets off its collective asses 99% of the time they come in with their liberal agenda and poo-poo the teacher even when hundreds of pages of anecdotals contradict their own liberal leanings.

Administrators that just pass the buck, they don't wish to make the hard decisions. And even when these administrators do decide to make the hard decisions they are shot down in the suspension hearings because there is some old fart former principal on F status who wishes to inject his liberal philosophy on a school.

What about these parents? To get a parent to come in is like pulling teeth. Gosh darn it, it is your child, your progeny, you must be there and come in when you are asked to. You are not under any circumstances your child's friend. You are your child's parent. Start acting like it. I promise you that the student who will talk to a teacher like that teacher is a nothing or say to a teacher to go "fuck themselves" is getting it right from that parent's mouth.

Teach your child to take responsibility. Teach your child to have values. Stop letting your child go to sleep at 11 PM after watching inappropriate television. Stop taking your child to R rated movies. Set boundaries.

Yes, I know poverty is tough and it can be pretty shitty out there. But I see awesome support systems out there. They need to be taken advantage of. I also know that while we look at poverty as a culprit in what is ailing students in the inner city with their education there is something much worse.

What is it? It is the pervasive values and culture that is out there. Gosh, I sound like an old fart saying this, but there is a value and cultural system out there that education has a tough time competing with at times.

We live in a culture that has over the last 20 years has rewarded and allowed to become celebrities criminals, stupid people, and liars. In my opinion it all started with Joey Buttafuco. Oh yeah, and anything on the FOX Network.

I walk into the bodega at lunch time and I hear rap being played by the Yemini gentleman with mother******, c***, bit**, etc... Kids at 8 years of age hear this. They want to emulate it. Students in 4th and 5th grade are so pulled to the street, the colors and the easy bling, the easy money, and the easy sense of camaraderie.

These kids need so much more than just testing, testing, testing, staying late and coming to school on weekends. They need to learn how to think of others, think of a team. I could go into my son's classroom and ask for a show of hands of how many kids play some type of organized team sports. Every hand but one or two will be raised. In almost any school in the South Bronx maybe one or two hands, if that many, will be raised.

It is so sad what has become of education in NYC. No one gives a hoot except the teachers. Everyone else, all they care is about looking good and covering their asses. It is time for education and teaching to return. It is time for students to be allowed to be students and let them be free from students and their parents who do not wish to learn. It is time for students to learn as children learn, by exploring, by being inquisitive, by being themselves. It is time to limit class size to no more than 14-17 students per class.

The students are being harmed exponentially. Is there anyone out there in a position of power other than the teachers that gives a damn?

Teachers Of Los Angeles, Introducing Education4Excellence's Princess Sydney Morris

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:56:31 PST

Hello teachers and educators of Los Angeles. This past Saturday, December 3, Little Evan Stone, co-founder and co-chief executive officer was profiled in these pages. Tonight in the promise to share all we know here at SBSB about Educators4Excellence with our Los Angeles brethren we would like to introduce the Left Coast to the other brain behind E4E, the other co-founder, the other co- chief executive officer, Princess Sydney Morris. Of course any teacher can go to the E4E bio of Princess Sydney and read her bio, but we here at SBSB believe that one should at the very least not embellish their accomplishments and stay away from cliches.

The first embellishment of Sydney's bio lies in the first ten words; A native New Yorker and a product of New York public schools,

Yes, Princess Sydney is a native New Yorker and was a product of New York public schools. The crack team will give her the benefit of the doubt that she is not fibbing in claiming she is from New York. Of course we know being a New Yorker can mean from New York State. What we do take issue with is claiming to be a product of the "New York public schools." This is implying that Princess Sydney came through the rough and tumble world of the New York City Public Schools when nothing could be further from the truth. If one went to Yonkers Public School would one claim that they are a product of the Yonkers schools or the New York schools?

No, Princess Sydney is a product of one of the whitest, richest school districts in Westchester County, New York. Princess Sydney wishes for all to see that she is, "down," when in reality she is not. This Los Angeles teachers is something, the lies, the twisting of the words, that you must face when dealing with E4E.

The bio goes on to share; Sydney joined Teach For America as a teacher in the Bronx, NY where she taught second and third grade at PS 86.

Yes, Princess Sydney was a teacher at PS 86 in the Bronx. But what kind of teacher? Hmmm, let's read about it. Here is a little more truth about what Princess Sydney wants and how her and Little Evan Stone operate.

But, enough of this. Princess Sydney decided to become a teacher because; "I knew my students would teach me more than I ever thought possible."

Wow! Reaching into the teacher book of cliches. So mommy and daddy spent all this money for you at Tulane and all you thought about was that your students would teach you things? We here would have accepted to not be drafted and go to Vietnam as not only acceptable, but truthful as well. But, I recall a professor of mine in college sharing with me that many become teachers because they felt they were not educated correctly. Of course that answer would have been acceptable.

Princess Sydney's favorite thing about E4E (of course it all returns to E4E); having the opportunity to talk to the thoughtful, passionate, dedicated teachers that are part of this work and hear their insightful ideas about how to improve our schools.

Yes, the passionate, thoughtful, dedicated teachers that are under 28 years of age and clueless.Of course a loyalty oath anointing Princess Sydney and Little Evan Stone as your lords and overseers, but what's the biggie?

One of Sydney's most memorable students; .....was already a teacher the day I watched her helping the other kids at her table master 2-digit multiplication.

So she is a teacher already? Maybe she just has a big heart? Maybe she likes to help. Another cliche. Jeez!

These inauthentic bios in which accompany Little Evan Stone and Princess Sydney are truly written to show them in the best artificial light imaginable. There is no real there. There is no there in their reality. Only these politically correct responses.

But, this is what is awaiting you in Los Angeles. Be sure to sign up and keep track of E4E. E4E failed in New York City, they must fail in Los Angeles.