SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL

Did I Have a Dream or Did The Dream Have Me?

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:20:58 PDT

"Did I have a dream, or did the dream have me?" Peart, Neil, from the song Nocturne off of Vapor Trails 2002.

There I was the other night about 3 AM, lying in my bed, my cat sleeping ever so peacefully at my

feet, my wife with the cold cream covering her face and the curlers covering her hair, sawing wood ever so unquitely. Me? I'm lying wide awake, in a cold sweat, and not knowing if I had a dream, the dream had me, or was whisked away to some other dimension and made part of a vision. All I know is the setting was my school.

Was it all just fantasy? Reality? A warning? Or some combination thereof? All I am sure of is it took place in my school and I was seeing what was happening there.

I saw a person that never lies (so this person says) kinda of like that Romulan chick that Spock once tried to get it on with once.

This Romulan came to us from an elite Ivy League university in Manhattan. A university in what was called Afternoonside Heights. And in this university is an elite school where people from all over the world come to learn how to be a teacher and fail to become leaders, Educators College. At Educators College these, let's call them elitists, oh wait better!! Cultists, of EC, of which the Romulan is part of, but also is an instructor there involved in some type of unseemly conflict of interest.

In the dream it appeared that whilst the Romulan was employed part time by Educators College, the Romulan also brought into the school the cultist, failing reading and writing program of EC. Yes, the one that spew forth all those inane drones who are willing to pay $995 a credit to keep the boys and girls of color ignorant so that they will learn that only the white Aryan types know what is best for them.

But this conflict of interest I see

But wait, don't go away, there is more.

There it is, the summer of 2012. The In Reality It's a Closed Market system is up on the on the DOE website. But strange, even though there are vacancies I see in the dream at was is my school, there are no vacancies listed on the In Reality It's a Closed Market system.

In the dream someone shares with me a classified ad from the Educators College propaganda newsletter. In this news letter it is asking for a teacher that will be happy, joyful, and gosh diddly darn tootin the most sycophantical person ever. The position is for a general ed, or rather COMMON BRANCH position.

So ever more strange is that the position was filled not with one of the many hundreds of ATR's who were scouring In Reality It's a Closed Market system desperately trying to find a school but with someone, albeit someone very good yet unsupported.

That is all I truly remember from this vision, dream, or whatever it was. Just still remember a bunch of other lies, falsehoods and bullshit, but no details.

Soon, soon more details will emerge. Then all will be clearer.

Mr Portelos Picks the Ottawa Senators and Enjoys Lessons From Richard Nixon

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:12:06 PDT

We here at SBSB know this might come off as snarky and a tad sarcastic, for that is the style here. As should be known, The Crack Team has the utmost of respect, admiration, and love for Francesco Portelos.

One can learn so much from Francesco Portelos. For instance, if one were to ask Mr Portelos which team were to win this years Stanley Cup he would say with a great degree of self confidence that it

will be the Ottawa Senators. Or, where one can fine a good pastrami sandwich he would declare that it would be Katz's Deli on Houston St.

So when it comes to the New York State law on he legality of recording someone, he is the man to turn to. He basically has not only written the primer on such recordings, but has shared his techniques, secrets, and his annoying of others.

So, Mr Portelos, we here at SBSB put it to you. Please, can you share some of your vast knowledge with the readers of SBSB?

Can one in New York State record someone without their knowledge?

Yes, we know the answer to that. As long as one person being recorded gives permission the answer is an resounding, yes.

Can one share, say on a blog, or other social media, said recordings?

The Crack Team says yes. Unless, that is David Letterman calls you at work and has previously asked you for permission. Or when a radio disc jockey asks permission when he calls your house. But then again, The Crack a team will defer to Mr Portelos.

Mr Portelos, we here at SBSB assume that you are too young to recall Nixon's Watergate Tapes, but do agree that Nixon was on to something?

Mr Portelos, would it be safe to assume that there is something more damning out there than the Nixon Tapes?

Mr Portelos, do you think those that are taped, like Ehrlichman and Haldeman liked the sound of their own voices?

We here at SBSB await with bated breath not only the response from Mr Portelos, but guidance and direction as well.

Principal Ron Smolkin Gets Advice From Steve Martin

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Sun, 12 May 2013 20:06:42 PDT

Another, yet a same, principal is in the news today for attempting to destroy a teacher's life and career. The New York Post reported today that Principal Ron Smolkin of Independence High School put fraudulent material in a teacher's file supposedly written by a parent. Recall, this is the same principal that wrote a teacher's co-op board in which a claim of pedophilia was lodged against the

teacher and his partner.

Too often, in fact, all the time in my opinion, a principal will and can get away with whatever he or she wants to short of murder, and even then, only if they find a weapon with prints.

But it got me to thinking about that old Steve Martin bit from the 70's. You know, the one in which he says that two simple words can get you out of any jam you're in.

You.. can be a millionaire.. and never pay taxes! You can be a millionaire.. and never pay taxes! You say.. "Steve.. how can I be a millionaire.. and never pay taxes?" First.. get a million dollars. Now.. you say, "Steve.. what do I say to the tax man when he comes to my door and says, 'You.. have never paid taxes'?" Two simple words. Two simple words in the English language: "I forgot!"

Well in NYC, three simple words in the English language can get you out of anything, any jam. "I'm the principal."

Let's see if this theory can work for principals.

Lie? "I'm the principal."

Hide a vacancy on the Open Market system and give the vacancy to a first year teacher with zero experience and get caught? "I'm the principal."

Allow an AP of yours to do scheduling from home without using a time card and not reviewing actual hours worked and give that AP weeks of comp time? "I'm the principal."

Contribute to the death of an AP? "I'm the principal."

Cover up corporal punishment reported by a teacher in regard to one of the principals favorites?"I'm the principal."

Send a nascent, ignorant AP to write a teacher up for uttering the word shit in school when the school year has yet to start and no kids are in school? "I'm the principal."

Offer no curriculum to the students? "I'm the principal."

Yell and scream and berate a teacher? "I'm the principal."

Write up a teacher for passing gas in violation of the prescribed NYC DOE method? "I'm the principal."

Use a failed method of teaching reading and writing from a vendor in which also employs you? "I'm the principal."

Send a teacher to the rubber room because they were carrying a Coca Cola in their hand? "I'm the principal."

Charge a teacher with professional misconduct because they had a cup of coffee in their hand? "I'm the principal."

Tell a teacher that proudly announced she was pregnant to use condoms? "I'm the principal."

Fail to give a teacher proper training in a program and then blame that teacher for not properly implementing said program? "I'm the principal."

Tell female teachers of your school that you wish to stick your ding dong into the copier and holes in the wall? "I'm the principal."

Favor your sycophants with loads of per session while those with independent minds fail to get any per session? "I'm the principal."

Tell OSI that you want to "get that teacher?" "I'm the principal."

Never worked in education before and went to leadership academy to become principal? "I'm the principal."

Blame others for your incompetence? "I'm the principal."

Don't support your teachers in discipline issues? "I'm the principal."

Don't walk the walk? "I'm the principal."

Just clueless? "I'm the principal."

Belief in the fact you might be some deity brought forth by mystical powers? "I'm the principal."

Seriously, any of the above, will it be tolerated in Harrison? In Scarsdale? In Dobbs Ferry? In Poughkeepsie? No. But in NYC, this prevails.

Again, this shit can't be made up.

Anthony Lives at PS 154 in the Bronx

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Fri, 10 May 2013 20:19:33 PDT

Remember that Twilight Zone episode, "It's a Good Life"? Yeah, that one, the one with Billy Mumy as Anthony in which he wished people into the cornfield who annoyed him and the adults were all scared shitless of him?

And if today is any indication, Anthony is alive and well at PS 154 in the Bronx. But, not all adults are afraid of Anthony at PS 154. The teachers, the aides, the paras, the custodial staff, the cafeteria XXXXXXXXXXXX has a fear of Anthony. Only XXXXXXXXXXXX doesn't want Anthony to get angry.
workers, school safety, have no fear of Anthony. Only,

Today was a typical day for Anthony at PS 154. Anthony as usual was roaming the halls, banging classroom doors, bullying other students. When XXXXXXXXXXXX was apprised of this situation, all that was muttered was, "We want to keep Anthony happy, we mustn't make him mad."

Oh, but that is not all Anthony did to make someone happy today. Anthony told a teacher, a young lady with virginal ears to "suck my dick!" Later when XXXXXXXXXXXXXX found out about it, all that was heard was, "Oh that is just wonderful how Anthony knows wonderful euphemisms."

Anthony gets in the face of the aforementioned teacher goes around and proclaims that the teacher "sucks the dicks" of most males of the population. The Crack Team has thorough spoke to several deep sources at 154 and learned that XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX was quite happy with Anthony for that remark and reportedly said, "That's so nice that Anthony is able to use such colorful language."

Oh but there is more. When done with the rants of sucking body parts Anthony tell this teacher that "I am going to mess with your car," and when he does not hear that this is a good thing and is actually confronted by the teacher then claims, "I will get someone to do it." As of press time The Crack Team at SBSB has not heard from its sources but is willing to go out on a limb and predict that XXXXXXXXXXXXXX when told of this said, "That is very good Anthony."

Sadly this is the case at PS 154 where it has been made crystal clear to Anthony by XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX that he can get away with anything whenever he wants to.

This behavior by Anthony is a daily, all day occurrence at PS 154 and zero is done other than for XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX to keep on encouraging such behavior.

Do not the children of Anthony's class have a right to an unfettered, uninterrupted education devoid of Anthony's hijinks enabled and encouraged by XXXXXXXXXX? Of course! But XXXXXXXXXXX is too busy caring about the liberal racist social engineering XXXXXXXXX is trying to install at PS 154.

I swear, you can't make this shit up!

A Hockey Game Breaks Out at PS 154 in the Bronx

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Wed, 08 May 2013 20:26:27 PDT

We here at SBSB are admitted Trekkies. We have also had a chill go down our collective spines when either Captain Kirk or Captain Picard always take the ultimate responsibility for the actions and decisions of not only their crews, but the second in commands as well.

And that is how it should always be. Just like the Skipper and Gilligan, Ricochet Rabbit and Droop-Along, Sheriff Taylor and Deputy Fife, Gomer and Goober, the Captain and Tennille, Steve Douglas and Uncle Charlie, Colonel Blake and Major Burns, Han Solo and Chewbacca, etc... Get the point?

So should the same theory not be in place in our schools?

Yesterday, was like any other day at PS 154. Out of control as usual. A student that has the run of the school, who we have mentioned under one pseudonym or another on these pages, but for today we will address as Yankel Teitelbaum, has been given carte blanche to leave his classroom whenever he wishes to, provided he spends that time not with a pedagogue, but rather a non DOE payroll, service provider, vendor type.

So coming back from lunch and the outside yard young Yankel declared that he needs a break from the hum drum rigors of learning. Off he went to the non DOE payroll service provider, vendor type, but one should only wonder if that is where he truly goes.

Seemingly, he never went there. Instead he loitered around the hallways bullying and being a general nuisance until he wondered to Freida Weintraub's class. For those who forget, Freida was mentioned here the other day.

Yankel was standing in the doorway giving the business to another students when somehow, someway, he and Freida caught each others eyes. Soon, Yankel was cracking on Freida's kinfolk and the like when suddenly, like one of the Hanson Brothers jumping over the boards from the team bench at a Charlestown Chiefs game going after Olgethorpe, Freida went to town on Yankel and it took two "linesmen" to hold her down, and this after punching out the window of the classroom door.

Sadly, the ostriches all have their heads buried at 154. Why is a non-pedagogue charged with the safety and well being a student? Why is this student allowed at will to dictate when he shall be in class? This is not an isolated incident. This has been going on for years. Would such behavior be tolerated in Green Acres Elementary School in Scarsdale? Of course not! And please, do not give me the "oh these kids have it tough, you have no idea what they go through." Bullocks! Beliefs like that are patronizing to the community and racist. These students have the right to have the same education and the same expectations of students in Westchester or Long Island.

Again, we call on an independent third party inquiry by the Swiss School Administration Investigative Service of Zurich to lead an investigation. We also call for the Institut für schweren psychiatrischen Erkrankungen, or in English, Institute of Severe Psychiatric Disorders to check for insanity. For a true sign of insanity is if you keep on fucking up the same way time after time and each time expecting a different result, well then you must be insane.

We also look towards the heavens to Tatooine and call upon Obi-Wan Kenobi. He is our only hope.

Christine Rubino Pw3ns the NYC DOE

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Tue, 07 May 2013 19:58:43 PDT

During the first inning of my son's baseball game tonight I get a tweet from embattled Brooklyn teacher Christine Rubino. Curious, I read it an notice a link. The link directs me to New York State Courts page and what is there you ask? Christine Rubino kicked the DOE's ass! The Appellate Division found that she was unjustly terminated.

My favorite quote of the decision goes a little something like this;

Supreme Court properly found the penalty of termination to be shocking to one's sense of fairness

Way to go Christine! Keep up the good fight!!!

Michael A. Cardozo, Corporation Counsel, New York (Deborah A. Brenner of counsel), for appellants.
Glass Krakower LLP, New York (Bryan D. Glass of counsel),
for respondent.
Order, Supreme Court, New York County (Barbara Jaffe, J.), entered February 2, 2012, which granted the petition to set aside respondents' determination to terminate petitioner's employment
with respondent Department of Education upon findings of misconduct to the extent of remanding the matter for the imposition of a lesser penalty, and denied respondents' cross motion to dismiss the petition, unanimously affirmed, without costs.

The record shows that petitioner teacher posted comments on a social media website alluding to a tragedy involving an unknown student at a different school. Although the comments were clearly inappropriate, it is apparent that petitioner's purpose was to vent her frustration only to her online friends after a difficult day with her own students. None of her students or their parents were part of her network of friends and, thus, the comments were not published to them, nor to the public at large, and petitioner deleted the comments three days later. Despite petitioner's initial denials when confronted about the incident several months later, she admitted to making the comments at the disciplinary hearing, acknowledged that they were inappropriate and offensive, and repeatedly expressed remorse. Although the Hearing Officer found that petitioner engaged in a plan with her friend to mislead investigators right after the allegations surfaced, the court reasonably concluded that petitioner's actions were taken out of fear of losing her livelihood, rather than as part of a premeditated plan.

Under the circumstances, which includes the lack of a prior disciplinary history during petitioner's 15-year career, and her expression that she would never do something like this again, Supreme Court properly found the penalty of termination to be shocking to one's sense of fairness (see e.g. Stoyer-Rivera v New York City Bd./Dept of Educ., 101 AD3d 584 [1st Dept [*2]2012]; Matter of Riley v City of New York, 84 AD3d 442 [1st Dept 2011]; City School Dist. of the City of N.Y. v McGraham, 75 AD3d 445 [1st Dept 2010], affd 17 NY3d 917 [2011]).

THIS CONSTITUTES THE DECISION AND ORDER
OF THE SUPREME COURT, APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT.
ENTERED: MAY 7, 2013
CLERK

BREAKING NEWS!! PRINCess PAL Misconduct at PS 154 in the Bronx!!

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Mon, 06 May 2013 18:33:14 PDT

Sorry been away so long. Baseball season has started for my son and been busy. He is playing in the local Little League and practicing for his summer travel team as well. Been running back and forth between games, practice, and lessons.

There is so much news and information that I am currently sitting on that needs to come out. To sum it all up in a nutshell, Rome is burning and Nero is clueless.

The breaking news that came into the SBSB newsroom today shows hypocrisy and a lack of ethics at its worse, and incompetency as never seen before.

Today, a 2nd grade student by the name of Hymie Morgenstern was all alone in the main office. No one, not a soul, not a mouse, was supervising him. His reason for being there is that Hymie is no longer allowed to mingle with the other students of his very low grade outside at lunch. The PRINCess PAL using the infinite wisdom gained during 6 weeks of PRINCess PAL training has summarily disallowed Hymie from such participation since, well, since before time began.

So there is Hymie in the office with not one pedagogue, or person contractually obligated, supervising him even though he has been put in the office by,l and is the responsibility of, the PRINCess PAL. Yes, Hymie has gotten into mischief in the past. He is quite smart and has mastered how to use the PA, learned how to ring up class rooms, used the Nixon-esque paper shredder, (I am sure this will come in handy when the time comes), and other bits of mayhem. But nothing today.

Now stay with me.

Along comes Freida Weintraub of a very most upper grade. Now mind you, neither child is in line for a papal beatification. But according to sources, Hymie cracked on one of Freida's close family members which entailed Freida to lose her temper and attempt perform physical harm on Hymie.

Praise be to God that both students were restrained by responsible adults. But a bigger question looms large.

Where was the PRINCess PAL? Was the PRINCess PAL negligent in the carrying out of official duties? Time after time we have been admonished at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Center and School that we are not allowed to leave students in the hall or anywhere unsupervised. In fact, yours truly was written up by the PRINCess PAL for allegedly not reporting that four students left the classroom. Yes, students with zero credibility were believed by the PRINCess PAL.

We hear at SBSB demand a full investigation by a neutral third party of this incident. Being that we all know that the DOE is incapable of properly investigating its own (teachers don't count as their own) we call upon the Swiss School Administration Investigative Service of Zurich to take full control of of this professional misconduct perpetrated, and possible corporal punishment, by the PRINCess PAL post haste.

Of course, this will be swept under the rug or someone else will be blamed for the incompetence and professional misconduct. But, eyes are opening, people are coming in from the dark. It is all there for everyone to see. Destruction all around us.

School Rat Patrol

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:53:15 PDT

On these pages we have taken to task and eviscerated (and rightly so) fellow teachers and UFT members when necessary. Evan Stone, Sydney Morris, Ruben Brosbe, Matt Polazzo, Michael Loeb, etc... or any of the E4E or StudentsFirst turd blossoms the are deserving.

In our opinion here at SBSB, once you start stabbing your colleagues in the back, once you go against the Union, once you go try to separate a teacher from their direct deposit you are then fair game.

So here is my question. Does a teacher in your school that lives in the administration's colon, that runs back and rats you or your colleagues out time after time, do such types deserve not to have the tables turned on them, but upping the ante? Outing them on the blogosphere? Twitter? Facebook?

And mind you, we aren't just talking about the rats. What about those teachers that not only live in the "inner circle," but know it and flaunt it as well? What protections do they deserve?

Opinions please.

Martin Burney and PS 154 in the Bronx

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:58:00 PDT

What was it with that movie, "Sleeping with the Enemy?" Every girl, including my girlfriend at the time, wanted to see that movie. Not the best movie, but definitely creepy, and who can forget Patrick Bergin as Julia Robert's husband Martin Burney? Certainly not the staff of PS 154.

Remember Martin? He of the anal retentive, OCD, perfectionist, micro managing, control freak,
patronizing, condescending, and smarter (so Martin Burney believed) than everyone else type? One must wonder. Did Martin Burney met his demise in the movie? Maybe not. For he has been seen at PS 154 in the Bronx.

Remember how Martin was so fastidious in his insistence that all the cans in the cupboard were facing the same way with the label out? Well, Martin Burney at PS 154 has no labels to insist upon facing label, but does insist that all bulletin boards are the same all over the school. There is to be no deviation from this. If there is, instead of the physical beating that Julia Roberts got, staff instead is subject to a written beating in the form of a 300 page treatise criticizing you in the most raw form imaginable. This treatise oozes with venom, sarcasm, and worse type of condescension possible.

Recall how Martin Burney, after a night of beating Julia Roberts said, "Oh, how I hate it when we quarrel?" Seems the same thing happens at PS 154. But after a beating of hearing how horrible you are as a teacher, 154's Martin Burney will act concerned and claim that the abuse is only to help you grow as a teacher.

Oh, how about this? When Martin Burney beat up Julia Roberts because he thought she was checking out their neighbor? Martin Burney at PS 154 does the same. Only just a verbal beat down when one shows a modicum of independent thought.

So what is it with Martin Burney? What makes Martin Burney such a anal retentive, OCD, perfectionist, micro managing, control freak, patronizing, condescending, and smarter (so Martin Bruney believed) than everyone else type?

We here at SBSB asked back Dr Hans von Schlaggel from Vienna, Austria. Dr von Schlaggel is currently the director of the Institut für schweren psychiatrischen Erkrankungen, or in English, Institute of Severe Psychiatric Disorders. For those that might have forgotten, Dr von Schlaggel discussed malignant narcissism back in 2009.

So we here at SBSB turn it over to Dr von Schlaggel.

Danke, Herr Teacher in the Bronx, and guten tag to all the loyal followers of this blog. I hope this evening finds you well.

So, vhat ve vant to know is vhy someone such as Martin Burney is a control freak, or as we say in Vienna, "Ein total verrückter geistige Arbeit"

Oh Dies ist so einfach, er, I meant, this is so simple. A control freak is a perfectionist, or in German, a perfektionistisch. This person sinks that;

Control freaks are often perfectionists defending themselves against their own inner vulnerabilities in the belief that if they are not in total control they risk exposing themselves once more to childhood angst

If we read the DSMR-V control freakishness is a diagnosis and eet iz caused by childhood traumas. Now in dee case of Martin Burney they are perfectionists as adults because they feelt that they did not get love from their daddy. In der minds they felt that nothing they did was ever guden for daddy.

Ah, but there is more;

Such persons manipulate and pressure others to change so as to avoid having to change themselves, and use power over others to escape an inner emptiness.

Oh my! Such Menschen are, how you say in English? Ah, yes, miserable, so they must make others miserable as well and make others conform to they own version of perfection. But such people have an inner emptiness. Like they are missing zomething in their lives. Perhaps neglecting close loved ones.

Control freaks appear to have some similarities to codependents, in the sense that the latter's fear of abandonment leads to attempts to control those they are dependent on

See, like the Frau already mentioned, Martin Burney has a feeling that Vater will say Auf Wiedersehen to his kleines Mädchen, er, I forgot I am not in Vienna, his little Martin Burney, but the little Martin Burney feels if Martin Burney is perfect Vater will stay.

Ja, it iz very complex, but a control freak is very insecure and iz that way from child hood trauma caused by daddy.

Ein thing I would like to add. Control freaks, or perfectionists, love the John Lennon song, Instant Karma.

As we say at the strudel shoppe in Vienna, "That Martin Burney is one fucked up person!"

Thank you so much Dr von Schlaggel. We here at SBSB look forward to you joining us again and let's hope and pray it will be real soon, not another 4 years.

Martin Burney is nuts. Martin Burney needs to go to Vienna.

Landru Pervades PS 154 in the Bronx

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 15:58:23 PDT

The clarion call came from far and wide. A meeting there was to be. For some, it was a rally, for others it was a march of doom. But this entity that controls PS 154, Landru (OK, I know, another Star Trek reference, but it is so appropriate. For those that don't sleep in their parents basement, click here to learn more), was determined to be heard and and be heard it must.

All those who gathered for the meeting sat down amongst the self perceived greatness and perfection of Landru as it served ice cold, chilly coolattas to those awaiting its knowledge. A hush fell upon those assembled as Landru began to speak.

"There is not a discipline problem at PS 154," Landru bellowed to the mass of the beaten, the downtrodden, the blissfully ignorant. Besides, Landru shared with everyone, "We have a plan in place as we speak." The downtrodden, the beaten, those who are "not of the body" snickered and laugh.The general feeling is that these types must be "absorbed."

A plan? There is a plan at PS 154 for discipline? The Crack Team here at SBSB went into investigative mode and indeed there is a plan, the contents of which will be published now;

Psych! Really, The Crack Team does suggest a plan used several years ago and published on these pages. They come highly recommended. Though the Crack Team would like to add an idea that was omitted several years ago; close eyes really, really hard, and hope that when the eyes are opened the problem will have gone away.

After that Landru offered another edict concerning the following year, "Those that think that they can arrive at 8:15 AM and leave at 2:35 PM, those days are over!" The exclamation is added to simulate the tenseness in the jaw as these words were spoken.

But those not of the body were reassured, there was something they could do to continue "those days" that were supposedly over, "You can use the Open Market and leave," they were told with the same tenseness in the jaw.

On a happier note, those not of the body were reminded that there will be only happy, condescending, patronizing talk in the future with all students no matter if they tell you go fuck yourself or if they throw a chair at you. Happiness is what it is all about.

WARNING!!! All Those Seeking Open Market Transfer, Stay Away From PS 154 in the Bronx!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 18:00:42 PDT

Pennywise is alive and still at work in the South Bronx. Only this time, Pennywise is not only destroying the lives of children, but of teachers as well.

Pennywise in and of itself has a benign appearance to children and adults, but the true form of

Pennywise, the IT entity, resides in PS 154 in the Bronx. With Open Market season soon upon us, this is an open warning to all teachers interested in a transfer to PS 154. Stay away.

PS 154 should be seen by anyone seeking to use the Open Market to transfer (That is if transfers are not hidden again like they were last year) to 154 as the Starfleet's General Order 7 used to for Talos in the year 2264.

As the Talosians destroyed and toyed with the lives of the crew of the USS Enterprise, so does the IT entity destroy and toy with the lives of the staff of PS 154.

IT demands only perfection from staff, those that are imperfect are dealt with in much the same way that Nomad dealt with imperfection.

IT can only criticize and condemn those that are not perfect nor drink the Kool-Aid it offers to those that wish to be one with IT. If you're looking for praise, a pat on the back, a "way to go," then 154 is the wrong place for that.

IT believes that the lack of discipline at PS 154 is due to the non-liberal, non-coddling, non-happy views of the staff. Only if the staff rewarded bad behavior would there be a sense of discipline at PS 154.

IT believes that every act, every thought, everything a staff member does, should be controlled and mapped out. The staff handbook is not a handbook, but rather a manifesto. From the proper method of washing your hands, to how many steps you must take from your classroom to the bathroom, it is all there for you to read and pull your hair out.

IT believes in only praising those that drink the Kool-Aid with IT. All others, no matter what praise worthy activities they do, well tough you know what, you ain't getting praised.

IT wants you not to have a life for IT has no life and IT only can see ITself and you through that prism.

IT only believes in GroupThink. No independent thought allowed. Only drones are wanted at 154.

IT has driven away many good staff members and will continue to do so.

IT is living in denial, seeing that with the transformation of District 7 to no more zoned schools and a charter moving in, IT believes that 154 will still attract the top of the line students.

IT teases you with professional development.

IT is a cultist of Lucy Calkins and Teacher's College Readers and Writer's Workshops. Though this is a failed method and the NYC DOE is no longer supporting it, 154 is going full throttle into next year with continuing failure. By the way, isn't a sign of insanity doing the same failing thing time after time, thinking there will be a different outcome? Just saying.

IT is unable to use introspection.

There is zero discipline at PS 154 thanks to IT.

IT tries to be your pal, tries to show IT cares, but it is all a facade, a scam, moral is at an all time low.

IT can't and won't admit any failings. IT is perfect.

IT lies, omits facts, twists truths.

IT won't listen.

IT is a bully.

If you see PS 154 on the Open Market, run far away, do not apply. You will be so much better off elsewhere, like a prison in Mexico. Your well being is much more important.

The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School Part XI: More Crazy Shit!

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 06:28:23 PDT

More from the "You can't make this shit up department."

Oh my God! The wheels are falling completely off the bus at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School. The fail is going to be epic, but unseen by those with their heads so deeply buried in the ground or the (CENSORED) sphincter.

How nutty have things gotten? The shit just gets crazier by the day!

A student, one of the oldest students at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School, but for the sake of the blog we shall call him Abe Vigoda turned and ratted out a teacher, who we shall call Phil Esposito.

Now Abe is the type that never ever stays in his classroom, goes where he is supposed to be, or follows any rules but his. The (CENSORED) is scared of him, or worse, has given up dealing with him. Now this has not been going on just this year. It has been like this for Abe Vigoda at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School for 4 years! Four years of getting away, and knowing he is getting away, with anything and everything.

Now there is a teacher at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School, for the blog we shall call him Phil Esposito. Now Phil is a pretty decent guy, a good teacher, and has gone above and beyond for Abe numerous times in the past. But sadly, it has come to an end.

A while back Phil got a letter from of office of Equal Opportunity, or something like that, requesting a meeting with that office and a UFT rep. Why? Seems Phil was being accused of sexual harrassment.

Phil Esposito wracked his brain trying to come up with whom he sexually harassed, or something that perhaps he said that was taken the wrong way. Nothing came to mind, not even when his UFT rep called him to tell him that all he was being investigated for was that he told a female student that she was wearing a nice dress.

So he finally schleps out to Brooklyn for the meeting. Even the rep from EOE, whatever agency, tells him and the UFT rep this accusation is a joke and that he had nothing to be concerned with.

But, Phil Esposito did find out that it was Abe Vigoda that made the complaint. Now conjecture would lead one to believe that either (CENSORED) encouraged Abe to make the phone call (Which the Crack Team highly doubts) and complaint, or even more worrisome, that Abe Vigoda made the phone call on his on from his own home.

There are any number of reasons why Abe did this. First and foremost is that Abe knows he can do and get away with anything he wants, whenever he wants. That is the culture of The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School. As long as he his happy, we all are happy. Just like that Twilight Zone episode with Bill Mumy.

But Abe Vigoda has the run of The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School and he knows it and takes full advantage of it. But as long as he is happy and everyone else is miserable, well, that is all that matters.

BREAKING NEWS!!!! Former NYC Principal Caught On Audio!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 20:06:14 PDT

Way back in June of 2012 I reported on my former principal at PS 154, Marsha Elliott, lack of true Christianity. She repeated a lie, and repeated it repeatedly.

But first a little back story. In May of 2011 I was teaching character education, which is basically

citizenship. I gave up being dean and SAVE room coordinator due to a senior teaching whining and kvetching about filing a grievance. Honestly it is a fantastic curriculum. But needs to be kept away from stupid decision makes that tend to ruin curriculum.

I wanted to do a lesson based on the late 60's experiment Jane Elliott did in Iowa, the “blue-eyed/brown-eyed" experiment. Unfortunately being in the South Bronx negates such an experiment, since all the students are brown eyed, and me being the only blue eyed person in the class or for that matter, that the students have ever seen, I would have to come up with something different.

I switched it to the "left handed-right handed experiment." Sadly, I did it with 2nd graders, I took it a bit to far, and the lesson went a bit awry. However, I thought outside the box and if certain people were not so shrill and unrelenting in how righteous that think they are, the hub bub would have subsided quickly.

Typically, a collegue decided to share with Elliott (and as reported in June 2012);

....finding out that after a former principal accused me of having porn on a computer and being completely cleared by SCI, claimed not only that

"XXXXXXXXX (District 7 Superintendent Yolanda Torres...which Yolanda vehemently denied.) said you can't be the computer coordinator" A blatant lie

But worse said,

"even though they didn't find anything and cleared you doesn't mean it never happened."

But in that meeting in which Marsha Elliott perpetuated these blatant falsehoods, she suggested that it was time for me to leave the school, that as a common branch teacher that was a cluster, and out of classroom teacher, a dean, a computer coordinator, someone that did everything I could to help out the school without asking for much in return, was useless, a nothing.

Lunch duty, mass prep coverages, when a student was throwing chairs in the classroom it was me they called upon. I did this for the school, for the students, and for the community. Running a soccer program without getting a dime of per session.

Before I give a link to the audio, I just was reminded of something.

In August of 2009, I had knee surgery for a torn meniscus. I came back to school pretty much healed that September. Around the 2nd week of September during lunch duty a 3rd grader threw a tantrum in the yard. I attempted to hold back the young man from punching another student. This boy kicked me in the side of the knee that was just surgically repaired. Something happened. A few days later I went back to my surgeon he told me that I had a grade 1 tear ligament tear. I had to wear a knee brace and my PT was pushed back months.

I asked Marsha Elliott if I could park my car in the school lot. It was quite difficult to walk from the parking lot in the Mitchel Houses to the school. She told me no.'

Here is the audio. Principals lie, deceive, obfuscate, manipulate, use subterfuge, whatever they can to fuck you over. It's all about power. The reason they do is they know how incompetent and in over their heads they are. If they had any confidence in their abilities 99% of the shit that happens in schools won't happen and Francesco Portelos will not be where he is.

CLICK HERE TO HEAR THE AUDIO!!!

The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School Part X: Fun With Dick

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:24:00 PDT

Oh what a joy it is to be back at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School after almost two weeks. Sadly, what was is, and what is, will be for the foreseeable future.

Today, one of the teachers at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School was attempting to teach a 5th grade 12:1 one class. Yes, this is a rough class, but the kids are generally
good.

Today the class was different. Keith Partridge and Danny Partridge happened to show up today. Keith, a student who never stays in a classroom and wanders the halls all day started up immediately with the teacher. He was disrespectful and was getting the other students to be disrespectful as well. Keith was openly mocking the teacher even after he was warned that the Responder on Duty (ROD) would be called if this anti-social behavior continued. It did, and even though the ROD was the BIGGEST ROD, BIG ROD was called.

Well, as soon as the call was placed, Keith got up from his seat threw several chairs and a garbage can and told the teacher to, "fuck off, you're an asshole," while flipping the teacher the middle finger.

Meanwhile, Danny Partridge feeling that he was not getting attention of his own continued his own anti-social and somewhat curious behavior as well. When threatened with an immediate call placement to his mommy, Danny said, "I don't care." The call was placed.

Danny immediately was deflated and lost the tough guy persona as mommy was letting him have it. After he handed the phone back to the teacher and the teacher said goodbye and thank you to his mommy, Danny had exhibited the wisdom of a lesson well learned.

"Suck my dick!" he screamed at the teacher as he stormed out of the room. Again, following The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School protocol a call was placed for the BIG ROD to come and take care of this.

No mind you, the teacher also followed the protocol of reducing their color cards, though both said they don't care. As well as they shouldn't for there are no real consequences.

But back to Danny, he eventually made it back to the class, came in, and asked the teacher another call would be placed to his mother for his suggestion several minutes early. Danny decided to raise the previous suggestion and countered this time with an observation in which he called the teacher, a "dick sucker!"

With this observation, Danny left the room. Only to return several minutes late again with Keith just as the BIG ROD showed. Oh, and while the BIG ROD was standing at the door, Keith was attempting to conspire with Danny in how they can lie and make all that happened the teacher's fault.

After this all happened, the students went to lunch where Keith and Danny were seen having fun in the lunch room and even more fun outside in the yard. Yeah, they really learned their lesson.

So why does situations like this continue to occur at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School? Simple, because those in power have low expectations of these students as well as believing that they, the great white, upper class no what is best for this students.

Too often we hear in our schools, "Awww, this behavior is normal because of the lives they lead, what they have been through, etc..." I say BULLOCKS! Quite the opposite, because of the lives these students have, of what they seen, of what they have been exposed to we must set the boundaries, mete out immediate, yet fair consequences for unwelcome behavior and let the students know that they are students and the teachers are there to teach them and give them life lessons.

But being the white, upper class, Ivy bred, upper echelon type that believes they know what is best for these students, well, how can you know the culture of the South Bronx when you have spent your life being raised on silver spoons in Upper Saddle River?

This kind of language to fellow student and to staff would never be accepted in Upper Saddle River or any district in Bergen County. And if won't be accepted there it mustn't be accepted in the South Bronx.

Whitney Tilson: Hates The USA, But Loves Ignorance and EAG News!

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 20:12:08 PDT

It's been some time since I ripped Whitney Tilson on these pages, hell its been almost a year! But The Doucheney again is letting his really, really tiny head do the thinking for his not much bigger head as he still shows us he does not know when to speak or shut up or whom to trust.

Whitney in today's convoluted and mentally twisted he mass emailed, lamented how the unions, and I am sure he means the UFT most of all, protect sex offending teachers. Even more disturbing, Whitney looked to EAGnews.org as the true arbiter and defender of those that are sexually abused and tormented by those, TEACHERS, that do the abusing.

But a little background. What or who is EAGnews? EAG is run by real estate agent and FOX News favorite Kyle Olson. Kyle is loved by the likes of Rush Limabaugh, Sean Hannity, and the poster boy for mental health, Glenn Beck. Hey Whitney, Olson is meshuga, and so are his buddies. Do some research first.

How are we at SBSB aware of EAG? About a year or so ago,myself and Shaun Johnson aka The Chalk Face, got into it pretty good with Kyle on Twitter. This lasted a good month or so until one day Kyle took his ball and ran away and blocked us both. Oh well. Truth can hurt some people very much.

So what is Kylie like? Olson and his partner Ben Velderman (in fact, Velderman looks like Corky) eschew such rants as this one directed at Shaun and his good friend Tim Slekar deriding their lack of patriotism and insinuating a belief that Shaun and Tim are attempting to turn Kindergartners into Godless communists.

So what has my knickers in a knot tonight? For it is Whitney and this line of **** from his email;

...about how the union protects sexual predators in its ranks and fights legislation to make it easier to remove them really burn me up;

No asshole, that is not how it works. Pardon my French, but it needed to be said that way.

What unions do Whitney is to ensure that each and every teacher is afforded the right to due process. Nothing more and nothing less. If the charges do not merit dismissal or are unfounded, then the teacher keeps his or her job.

Let's play pretend for a moment, m'kay? Say one day Whitney is alone, bored, and looking for companionship. He gets in his car and starts traveling the interstates and byways looking for an appropriate rest stop to take care of those needs and urges he gets. Sadly, Whitney is unable to score any action and heads home.

Instead of heading on the interstate to 5th Ave he takes the back roads instead. After about 30 minutes of driving he comes upon what appears to be an abandoned farm with a lone farm animal, a donkey, alone in the field. Whitney pulls over, looks around and hops out of his car and walks towards the donkey.

Before you know it, Whitney is buggering that donkey pretty good. Soon enough Old Man Jones sees what is happening and calls the law.

The state troopers arrive and arrest Whitney and haul him off to county jail. The next day Whitney's attorney (thanks to the magic of the 6th Amendment), bails (thank you 8th Amendment) Whitney out of the slammer. Whitney is then afforded a trial by jury (oh there is that pesky 6th Amendment again) and if found guilty doesn't have to spend the next year getting buggered in county or picking up the donkey's doody (again, the 6th Amendment).

And all this happens because in our great country each and every person has the right to due process thanks to the 14th Amendment to the Constitution.

Oh, and before Whitney, Kylie, and the sycophants at EAG start kvetching how those in the real world don't have these employment rights, well those in the real world are not employed by a government entity. That's how it works.

I think it is time for Whitney, and Kylie, and the rest of the EAG sycophants to go back and watch Schoolhouse Rocks.

The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School Part IX: No Library Allowed!

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 20:32:41 PDT

All is not happy, least of all the books in the library at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School, where learning, reading, and writing supposedly come first.

For several months now, The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School has been without a professional in the library for several months. For years there had been a professional in the library, but alas, there is a professional no more. What is the The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School to do without one?

One can safely assume in a place such as The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School in which a premium is placed on the students having a happy good time learning, reading, and writing. One can assume that students needs and having a library professional in place would take precedence over those with ego and control issues. Sadly, The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School is not such a place.

Not only is there not a professional in the library at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School, but worse, the library is closed. Closed by a (CENSORED!) due to no library professional on staff. Why? Spite mainly. But more so out of having to control everything at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School.

One could ask why not ask those that are not of a professional nature to receive training and volunteer their time on a rotating basis in seeing to the upkeep and professional duties at the library at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School? Yes, these volunteers won't bring to the table the full library experience that a professional does but they will be just as valuable in providing services to the students that are always deemed to come first and that the (CENSORED!) claims are so important.

These volunteers can be in the library supervising the students, checking books in and out and re-shelving books. The dividends would be extraordinary. Students will be able to check out books and have a lifetime love of reading. Maybe the hours won't be the entire school day, but something is better than nothing.

There are also computers in the library that not only the students don't have access to, but staff as well. For some reason the (CENSORED!) seems to think this is a good thing. Students can't access learning and staff are unable to work on their craft.

But this is life at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School. Where everything, down to how one shall make a proper doody is in the school handbook. The North Korean government is less controlling of its citizenry than the (CENSORED!) at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School.

The Next MORE Bronx Happy Hour on April 5

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 20:08:13 PDT

Come one, come all, the next, best MORE happy hour and is this coming Friday, April 5th at 4 PM in the Beautiful Bronx.

Again, mention Frank Sinatra Jr and get a glass of vino on the house.

ATTENTION : BRONX UFTers

MORE (Movement of Rank and File Educators)

ANNOUNCES......

PRE-ELECTION

H A P P Y H O U R @

Friday, April 5……… 4 pm to 7 pm

"G" BAR and LOUNGE

579 Grand Concourse @ 150th Street

Across the street from the big

Bronx Post Office

The same spot as Giovanni's Pizzeria!!!

Just 1 block north of the 4 and 5 trains

The 2 train!!!!!

Or take the bus,

Bx1, Bx2, or the Bx19

Valet parking , street parking available

WHEN: Friday, April 5……… 4 pm to 7 pm

Why: Meet other Bronx-based UFTers

Talk about the UFT Elections, Teaching, Testing, Danielson, etc.

Get lit to distribute at school

Find out about other MORE events

Share problems/strategies for building a chapter that *matters*

DRINK, EAT;

Have a good time!

The Frustrated Substitute Teacher

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 07:10:20 PDT

My friend The Frustrated Teacher wrote a quite funny, yet sad, post on Facebook the other night about a foray of his into substitute teaching. It really hits home at what is happening to our society and to our educational values.

With his permission, I am sharing it here.

Putting the 28 most dysfunctional kids in the same split 4th/5th class is a bad idea.

Today's experience marks the first time I have left a classroom because I couldn't handle the kids. Admittedly, they were running around with scissors threatening to kill each other, and there were 2 fistfights in the room, and 2 kids called their moms on banned cell phones, who then showed up at the door demanding I release their kids, or else....

Split the kids up. Move them to other rooms. Stop giving them boring worksheets (which were my sub plans for the day, and obviously what goes on most days, as the regular teacher can't handle them either, I hear). Stop coming in the class, Principal and her henchmen to tell them it's the African American kids who are shaming the AA adults, and that's why they should behave.

Clean the room; I saw a custodian.

When a parent shows up to pick up their kid, who called them from a phone they weren't supposed to have, only to complain that the sub is trying to teach and in the process asked for quiet, which was apparently offensive, mom, send that parent back home without the kid. Or demand that the parent take the phone from the kid, then leave. But don't support this ridiculous, anti-teacher, anti-school behavior from parents.

When the teacher called my mom it was because I was in trouble. If I called my mom it was because I was hurt. Nowadays, kids call their moms from smuggled cell phones, make shit up about the teacher to get mom to come, and the 'bad teacher' meme gets perpetuated, erroneously. The parent/school partnership does not mean that stupidity or bad parenting gets respect. That's just stupid.

If we are going to attempt to solve poverty inside schools --which seems to be the idea, lately-- then schools can't pander to horrible parents.

The cycle of generational poverty was on display inside that room today.

Surely it was all my fault. I mean, I was the teacher.

Vote For Julie Cavanagh and the MORE Slate in UFT Elections

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 18:23:47 PDT

It is getting to be that time of the year. On April 3, the ballots will be mailed to all UFT members for the UFT elections in which we will decide whether or not to keep Michael Mulgrew as UFT president and Unity in control.

We here at SBSB, myself and The Crack Team, endorse the entire MORE (Movement of Rank and File Educators) slate and Julie Cavanagh as president. This endorsement does not come just because yours truly is on the ballot for executive board, but because I truly feel that a change, and a
worthwhile change at that, is needed in the UFT leadership.

Ask yourself a very simple question. Are you better off now than you were three years ago (the last Union election)? Are you better of now since October 31, 2009? That is how long we have been working without a contract. Are you better off than you were in 2005 when Randi Weingarten, then UFT president gave away the seniority rights and grieving letters to the file? Are you better off than you than you were January 1, 2002, the day Bloomberg became mayor and Weingarten started her collaboration with him?Yes, financially we are better off since 2002. But think of the grander picture.

Think ahead. Will you be better off a year, two years, three years from now? Stop and think. I mean even financially you can be worse off. God forbid you are rated ineffective 2 years in a row on the basis of junk math. Then what happens? Take away the pension, will you be better or worse off in the future emotionally, physically, job wise?

The answer to all the above questions are pretty obvious. Of course not, and do you know why?

Because the current management of the UFT serves only themselves, not you! Yes, there might have been a time when the UFT cared about its members but those days are long gone. That is why it's time for a change.

I know Julie was attacked by the UFT last week for daring to be concerned about her son instead of showing up at a delegate meeting, but come on. The delegate assembly is nothing more than a Supreme Soviet meeting. It is nothing more than an arm of Mulgrew and harbors no independent thought. Going to a DA meeting is like watching the Politburo in action.

I know Julie, I have met her, and she is real. That is what we need, real leadership. A real person. The beliefs, morals, and honor from the top will trickle down to the borough leaders, to the district leaders, to the chapter leaders. Your wants, concerns, and feelings will be not only recognized, but actually heard and respected. Never again will you be told to be silent, or told to take it, or be told to acquiesce. Having to deal with the DOE from weakness will be a thing of the past.

Julie and the entire MORE caucus (Please read MORE's platform), will put the needs of the students, the schools, and the teachers ahead of the city's. Never again will there be cowering and fear shown to the mayor. Never again will teacher's fears be unanswered. Only you, and each one of us that looks to the UFT to be true leaders in education, to be when a city turns its head to the union, can make sure this happens.

The ballots are being mailed out April 3 and it is safe to assume that the ballot will arrive in mailboxes just a few days later. Apathy is our worst enemy. That's what the city and Unity want. It is time to change that.

Instead of tossing that ballot in the garbage, or putting it with the other junk mail, fill out that ballot right away. Vote for the MORE slate. All it will take is 30 seconds to mark the box. Put it in the envelope and mail it.

This election can't be won with just Julie and MORE. It can only be won by you. Julie and MORE can't change the culture alone, they can only do it with you. You are the most important person in this election. You have the power alone to change education in New York and the country.

The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School Part VIII: This Shit Can't Be Made Up!

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 21:00:47 PDT

It is getting goofier by the day at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School. No one, not even the good Lord himself can make this shit up.

Now remember before the tale is told, The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School uses the most awesome as well and most excellent PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) system. The key to this system is the card. A student starts at neutral (white), they do well and the student gets a green then a blue card, and when you are a bad child you go from yellow to red. Got it?

The problem is twofold. One, the students who get to red on a consistent basis, and there are plenty don't give a shit, that no matter how often their card lands on red it ain't gonna change a thing. Two, what are the consequences of getting on red? The students who are from the above group supposedly get a phone call home but these are the students of the parents who do jack as parents anyway so what is the purpose of the red card and the phone call?

So today at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School a class of over hyper 4th graders just after lunch went to their specialty class out of control. Oh, and with their portable (from their homeroom) PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) card system.

First, Izzy Rabinowitz was screaming at the teacher, cursing the teacher and telling the teacher to go to hell. The reason for this was the teacher had promised punitive measures to Izzy that if he did not stay on line and discontinue his abhorrent behavior towards the other students and the teacher. Luckily for this teacher, a concerned non pedagogue took pity and seperated Izzy from the rest of the class.

Meanwhile Izzy's best friend, Shecky Green annoyed that he was facing the same consequences as Izzy due to his bad behavior started having a tantrum and throwing chairs in the classroom and threatening to hit other students with a yard stick.

The teacher, following proper protocol for The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School, notified the office so the ROD (Responder on Duty and this will be explained in another blog post) will whisk these two students away. The person on the other end of the line recommended that the teacher call a quite high up, but not the highest up upper echelon type person to respond. The teacher promptly did.

What follows is the truly from the files of "you can't make this shit up."

Teacher: Shecky is throwing chairs, threatening students with a yard stick.

The quite high up, but not the highest up upper echelon type: Did you change Shecky's card to red?

Teacher: He came into the class with his card on red, there is no other card to put him on except double secret red.

The quite high up, but not the highest up upper echelon type: Did you try other strategies to keep him from throwing the chairs?

Teacher: Yes, I asked him nicely and said please.

The quite high up, but not the highest up upper echelon type: (frustrated sigh) I'll be right there.

There you have it. There is no way, no how, no chance this shit can be made up.

I wonder (as I rub my chin looking skyward) does this happen in Scarsdale? Does a version of The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School exist in Chappaqua? I wonder.

Read How Lucy Calkins Ruins A Life in 2023

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 20:04:21 PDT

On March 6 we here at SBSB shared the wisdom of Robert Pondiscio and his thoughts on cult leader Lucy Calkins methods of of abusing children with her failed Reader's Workshop. Later that evening I tweeted Robert and asked him if he had ever shared his thoughts on the other abusive Calkins failure, of Writer's Workshop. He indeed did.

A few things stick out in his article. Just for full disclosure, I have been blessed this year to be at several Writer's Workshop workshops given by 25 year old presenters. I have also been blessed with reading those writer's notebooks that Lucy so loves and must say how amazed I am by the writing in these notebooks. Amazed at how all the bad grammar, spelling, and lack of any writing mechanics whatesoever.

Rob wrote, Of course children will be become better writers if they write personal narratives instead of book reports.

I think, I pray he is being sarcastic with that statement. I know he is, but it got me to wondering.

Yes, the students are always supposed to write about that life experience garbage and make a list of what they can write about because "good writes pick stupid fucking things" from their lives to write about. But how does this help you get a job or show that you understand widgets?

Think years down the road when that student that was abused from years of dealing with the Calkins methodology gets a directive from his boss.

"Jones, I need a report on the widgets we're shipping in from Hong Kong tomorrow, stat!"

Jones, wanting to make his boss happy will undoubtedly say, "Yes sir!" and then proceed to sit at his desk staring into space wondering to himself and scratching his head, "What the fuck is a report?"

Jones scours the Internet to find out how to write that report. Sadly, he has no previous knowledge to assist him and he falls back into familiar habits.

He runs to Staples and buys a black marbled notebook, turns to the front page and writes; "Good writers create reports from life experience about widgets."

He lists everything he knows about widgets excepting the widgets arriving in from Hong Kong the next day.

He then puts pen to paper and and writes his first draft of the report. Sadly it is not a report but more a personal narrative of his knowledge of widgets.

With his first draft, he scampers from cubicle to cubicle in the office looking for a colleague to edit the so-called report. His work colleagues, already with a command of the English language and proper writing mechanics, tell him to "piss off!" whilst laughing hardidly at him.

Ashamed, Jones does the best he can to write the report. When his boss reads it and sees that it is not a report but rather a narrative of Jones' experience with widgets the Boss promptly fires him.

Fired, Jones goes home dejected and explains what happened to his pregnant with twins wife. Fed up at last she tells him that she can not be married to someone so ignorant and promptly orders him to leave their home.

With nowhere to go, Jones moves into the local homeless shelter. He is unable to get Unemployment benefits due to being fired for cause and without medical or dental benefits he can't have the gigantic goiter removed from his neck and see a dental professional for his bleeding gums.

With a goiter and no teeth, not one company will hire Jones. Penniless, homeless, and with a new goiter prominently protruding from the other side of his neck, Jones is left to wander the streets of Morningside Heights ruing the day that his idiot principals, who were mesmerized and brainwashed by Lucy Calkins, allowed him to turn into an writing illiterate.

When things just can't get any worse he sees Lucy Calkins get into her $55k car on Amsterdam Ave. At that moment, he figured out what matters most to Lucy. and it was never him or his classmates.

The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School Part VII: THE TRAIN WRECK

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 20:47:05 PDT

When last we visited The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School we saw how the proverbial doody is hitting the proverbial fan. That ain't nothing.

The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School is now nothing more than a train wreck awaiting the clean up crew wreckage of corpses of hope and education of what will ceased to be, especially after tonight's PEP meeting.

To say that there is no direction at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School is an understatement. Yes, we here at SBSB do believe that the intentions of the decision makers at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School were the best, however one can only look and see with the carnage of all about The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School. Incredulously, those in charge saw that what was intended wasn't working, and they didn't alter course. They did not see that to continue to wish that they're failings become success is nothing more than complete negligence on their part.

As mentioned in back on March 7 about a the riot, who is paying the price for this at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School? The students involved in the riot? The students on the periphery of the riot who though not rioting do involve themselves in severely disruptive behavior day in and day out? No, of course not. That will be too difficult. The easy way is to make every student pay. Yeah, the students who come to The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School expecting to learn, expecting to be safe, and expecting to be happy, are the ones that are paying the price. Why? Simple. Because God forbid the "disruptors" are made to feel sad about themselves, not happy about The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School. It is all about placating such students and "to hell" the students who wish to learn.

There are simple reasons why this is happening. One is the general attitude of The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School Christ induce figure. The figure looks down at these children of color and sees them as group that needs to be conformed, to be saved, to be tamed, to be corrected. This reminds me of meeting Evangelical Christians who felt that I as a Jew needed to conform, to be saved, to be tamed, and to be corrected. So like the Jews, the boys and girls of color at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School, will have their souls saved by the "Mythical in their Own Mind Great White Person."

Besides, there is no place to put the disruptive students. There had been a place to save them, but they can be saved no more for that avenue is closed. Instead of these students truly being saved (CENSORED)saved them is busy at the (CENSORED) running contests, ice cream parties and assuring that (CENSORED)fecal matter shant ever smell again. Rumor has it that cherry flavored Kook-Aid keeps the smell (CENSORED)at bay.

But who cares about the students at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School being SAVEd when other outside violent students need be saved? These students look to be saved but instead are thrown into the population of The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School where the disruption they have caused elsewhere just continues and destroys another child's education.

Maybe the good Lord above can come down and save these students. For these students need a deity, or Jeebus to come to them. Or someone that is not too busy.

Sadly, almost all eyes at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School are closed wide shut. Almost all heads at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School are buried in the sand. Almost all eyes at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School all closed real tight wishing that the problems will go away. Those that have tricked themselves into believing that it is better at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School than the before time have truly tricked themselves. These people can be saved. They must be saved.

For those that look to the top of The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School and only see Jim Jones spoon feeding them the Kool Aid, sadly it is too late.

Where is The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School's only hope, Obi Wan Kenobi?

Introducing the Master Race of South Bronx Classical Charter School

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 18:47:47 PST

Every charter school has a board of trustees, a bunch of do gooders if you will. South Bronx Classical Charter is no different. Therefore, we here at SBSB wish to introduce the trustees of SBCC to the District 7 and PS 154 community. See if you can notice a pattern.

First up is C. Stephen Baldwin; Chairman of the SBCCS Board of Trustees.

Steve is...currently a writer, has served as counsel with the United Nations, executive director of the Learning Disabilities Association of NYC, third grade teacher in the South Bronx, and arbitrator/mediator with the United Nations, Population Council, and Ford Foundation.

Steve seems really old and we are curious on how long he taught 3rd grade in the Bronx

Next is James Maher; Trustee. Steve's education background consists of;

Mr. Maher is a Vice President of Real Estate Acquisitions at BlackRock Kelso Capital Corporation, where he evaluates and underwrites potential real estate acquisitions in the New York metropolitan area. Mr. Maher received his Master’s Degree in Real Estate Finance & Investment in 2011 and his BA from Brown University in 2003

The first chick is Kathryn Moore Heleniak; Vice Chair who happens to be an artist or something like that.

Dr. Heleniak is an author and a professor of Art History at Fordham University. She was a residential fellow at the Ligurian Center for Arts and Humanities, a recipient of a Mellon Fellowship at the Yale Center for British Art, and was named an Outstanding Teacher in the Humanities at Fordham College.

This is an interesting board member. J. Kevin Murphy; Board Secretary is a NYC DOE teacher at PS 96 in Harlem. Quite interesting. Whose side is he on? Oh, The Crack Team has not found a photo of him as of press time. Could he be "Black Irish?"

Mr. Murphy is a technology teacher at P.S. 96 in East Harlem. Previously, he was an agent with Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company and a vice president at Morgan Guaranty Trust Company of New York.

What is disturbing is how a NYC public school teacher is sleeping with the enemy.

Melissa Brown; Treasurer. Impressive background;

Ms. Brown is a vice president in the Leveraged Finance investment banking group at Barclays Capital. Melissa earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Mathematics from Williams College.

Glad to see the eyebrows are close to her hair color.

William F. Higgins, Trustee, already commented on him. Fake football here and disgraced former FBI agent.

Larry Hirsch; Trustee

Larry is important. He is a senior CPD representative with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Previously, he served as director of government and community relations for the Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City as well as in various other housing and development roles.

Larry is 2nd from the right. I'm sure the people of the projects feel that you are on their side, right Larry?

Kristi Jaques; Trustee

...is an associate attorney at King & Spalding LLP, specializing in international arbitration. Kristi earned a J.D. at Duke University School of Law and a B.S. from the University of Michigan.

Wayne and Garth think she is babelicious. Schwing!

Louisa Childs; Trustee

...is General Counsel of The Dwight School. Prior to joining Dwight, Ms. Childs was an associate at King & Spalding.

Wayne and Garth are unimpressed. Though one physical attribute reminds them of another celebrity.

So there you have it. The entire politburo, er, I meant junta. no wait, it will come to me. The Reich cabinet of South Bronx Classical Charter School.

Ironic how not one person is of color or has any education background. People of the South Bronx you are being duped.

The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School Part VI: The Doody Has Hit the Fan

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 18:52:21 PST

With what metaphor do I use to describe the state of The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School? The proverbial shit has hit the proverbial fan? The wheels of The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School are coming off? Turn off the lights, The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School is over, all good things must end?

The first sign on the poop hitting the fan came several months ago when students were kept away from the room in which they can hit and kick the Bobo doll so they can feel better about themselves instead of owning up to their disruptive and destructive tendencies. Apparently it was deemed more worthy for students to create make believe feel good worthless acting projects, or finger paint, or to play board games, or just running out of class and being rewarded with ice cream. Oh, and candy.

There was a near riot last week at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School. It was inevitable. This was bound to happen. Some say what triggered the near riot was what could be called a gang assault. But not to mind, all is well. All is happy.

It never had to come to this. Sadly, The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School has been using the discipline code suggested on these pages 4 years ago, though with one caveat. The dreaded card system of PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) in which when you do good you get a green then a blue card, and when you are a bad child you go from yellow to red.

So what if this has been proven to be a disaster at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School.

So what if this system of rewards has a plantation "the massa or the missus" type of mentality.

So what if the Assertive Discipline advocated and found by Lee Canter works.

So what if the rewards promised through this bogus card system don't work because the students want instant gratification, the rewards now, not when the accumulate enough "credits."

It is all about taming, sublimating, those great unwashed boys and girls of color. Because only the great white hype in their own mind knows what is best.

So what if the problems that started in September were stopped then and there, the shit flying now would not be happening.

But of course, all the children must come to The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School to be happy, for they all come from unhappy homes (BIGOTED THINKING!!). School is a happy (puke) place. Just an aside, my 6th grade son has no business being happy in school. He is there to learn. Sorry. That is reality, that is how it is.

But if students are supposed to feel happy at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School how can you feel happy when you feel unsafe?

But the men of The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School have been effectively neutered if they are not bleeding hear liberals and the flunkies are rewarded.

A student who gets in the most trouble at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School shared something very interesting with The Crack Team. This student, Chaim Rosenberg, said "the teachers are too nice." What does that tell you?

The Cracks Are Beginning to Show in the Cult of Lucy Calkins

noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 19:57:52 PST

What a week it has been for Lucy Calkins and her cult of failure. Aside from being vilified on these pages twice in one week, yours truly had inquired, when confronted with "the students are not reading and writing" by a self important person high up the NYC DOE chain with the answer, "so why are we using a program like TC then?" Of course that question was met with silence.

But then lo and behold what is it that is gracing the pages of in the Op-Ed section of today's Daily News? Simply, a great piece by former NYC teacher at PS 277 in District 7, Robert Pondiscio ( I wonder if I know him from back in the day).

Robert brought up some really great points in his piece; in fact he educated me a great deal. Without stepping on his toes, I would like to comment on some of the points he made.

....And the big news is that the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, a “balanced literacy” curriculum developed by literacy guru Lucy Calkins, was left off the city’s recommended list.

It would have been safe and easy to stay the course, since the city has spent tens of millions of dollars on this approach in the last decade. Instead, the Education Department is steering teachers in a different direction.

Here is what I wonder. Though it seems I might have some facts incorrect, it seems from what The Crack Team has picked up thus far it will still be a schools prerogative whether or not they stick with balanced literacy or shift to the new recommended curricula the DOE is introducing.

Say for instance a school, let's say a school in which the entire administration has been brainwashed into believing balanced literacy works, and the leader of said administration believes the leader itself is never wrong keeps balanced literacy, then what? Should the administration share with the parents not only why but announce that balanced literacy is staying. How can such an administration justify this when up to 70% (numbers that expected) of schools across the city are using the recommended curricula? Who will be held responsible?

The reason for the poor performance is that Calkins and her acolytes have never fully understood the way kids learn to be fully literate.

True, because one thing that Calkins and her personality cult do understand is how to promote Lucy Calkins. This is nothing different than walking into an airport and seeing the Moonies and their deification of Rev. Moon. Only difference is the brain wished walking dead cultists of Calkins are not trying to pin a flower on you.

All of my students could decode words, which meant, technically, they could all read. But the vast majority struggled to make sense of the words in front of them and consistently demonstrate comprehension.

In other words, for all they’d been taught about the skill of reading, they hadn’t been given the necessary knowledge to truly make sense of the words and sentences.

An aside, I always have believed that students do not get the skills to decode due to Calkins and her folly.

Several months ago a cultist of Lucy suggested some great books on friendship, character, etc... Ronde and Tiki Barber wrote a series of books, great books in fact, that revolve around kids football. It was heavily suggested that I read these books to the students. I had second thoughts (You'll see in a few words why) but I gave it the old college try.

I sat down with a 4th grade class and read. After 3 pages all I saw were blank looks and confusion. Not that they weren't interested, but the football lingo left them confused. Terms like first down, safety, wide receiver, tight end, flanker, linebacker, were foreign to them. Not just the girls mind you, but the boys! And these were boys that enjoyed football.

It’s hard to understand even a simple story about baseball, for example, if you know nothing about baseball.

It's just not baseball, but so much more. It all comes back to the vocabulary. I wish I had the exact numbers, but the vocabulary of a Kindergarten student from the suburbs vs a student from the South Bronx is astronomical. And not just vocabulary, but life experiences as well.

They generally arrive in school with smaller vocabularies and less general knowledge than children who grow up in book-filled homes with educated parents who read to them, take them to museums and enrich their lives with everything from sports to dance classes.

Whoops, spoke, I mean, typed too soon. Though I might digress with Robert that educated parents just can read to the children and give them a worldwide experience.

Teachers encourage children to choose books at a level that’s “just right” for them and read only what interests and engages them. That sounds sensible — we want kids to enjoy reading — but over time, it’s like eating only what you like instead of a well-rounded diet, or exercising only your biceps at the gym.

Great! So many times I have taken my son to Barnes and Noble to buy a book. He is in 6th grade and reads several grades above. He loves those sports themed novels, and anything sports. But I have made him, usually saying a sports themed book bought a classic or a fiction book or two must be bought. But better, his ELA teacher saw the pattern early this year and put the kibosh on Mike Lupica.

Its central premise is that an essential goal of reading instruction must be to ensure that all students — and disadvantaged kids most specifically — are explicitly taught the knowledge and vocabulary that speakers and writers assume they know.

It understands that science, history, geography, art, music and everything else a child learns contribute mightily to his or her ability to make sense of the world through reading.

In short, it stops treating reading comprehension as a skill to be taught and sees it as a reflection of everything a child learns about the world. The more children know, the more they can read with genuine comprehension.

Freaking beautiful.

In my opinion, in the opinion of The Crack Team, and humankind, not only would it be a travesty for any school administrator to continue using balanced literacy, but it would be child abuse, yes, a criminal act.

I hope Mr Pondiscio will contribute more to the Daily News. Would love to hear his opinion about Lucy's method of teaching writing.