Eye Opening

This is a "Must Listen" audiocast featuring, "I'm getting too old for this shit" Danny Glover, of Lethal Weapon fame. He and Steve Zeltzer eloquently discuss the facts behind charter schools, their creation, and their true purpose.

For those not familiar, in California since 1992, charter schools were implemented following the win in Minnesota who wrote the first charter school law in the United States in 1991.

Glover and Seltzer discuss charter schools in California and other parts in the United States and the results from their implementation.

They discuss the effects on the children, the teachers, and the unions.

They also discuss the racism behind them and the millions of millions of dollars that drive them.

My favorite quote comes around 14:25, when Mr. Glover discusses teachers and the fact that we are being scapegoated and "...like teachers are at fault for that..." referring to students not learning.

You have got to listen if you're a teacher or love a teacher!

Happy listening!

30 Seconds= 1.5 Million

So my intentions were to recap my last two weeks as ATR but then I find this.

The New York Daily News tells us about the 1.5 million dollar, 30 second spot that our leadership has come up with to celebrate “the passion and promise in our public schools”.

Did they forget to mention a few things? 

Those of us who are in the trenches say YES, a resounding YES!

Those of us being bullied and denigrated by our administrators say YES!

Those of us having been found Ineffective by a vengeful and incompetent administrator say YES!

Those of us having been made ATRs for no reason whatsoever say YES!  A resounding YES!

Where are those millions when we spend our own money to buy supplies that our measly Teacher's Choice does not cover? Oh wait, the Unity Union is using it for a 30 second slot on TV. Where are those millions when we could use them to hire better lawyers to assist the membership when they are brought up on 3020 made up, trumped up charges? You know where they are!

They have no shame. They parade themselves on TV and show the audience that all is good with our schools today. That our students love taking all these extra tests that show nothing. That our teachers are happy with an evaluation system that is made to get the strong teachers out. The teachers who are creative and don't follow a script to get the most out of the students. The teachers who build rapport and discipline with their kids.

There are many, many more things that they forget to mention, many.

No, they have no shame and it embarrases me to be lumped together with our Unity Union.

An Example

Sometimes we need to look to others to help us figure out the best course of action. This holds true when it comes to unions, especially unions. I remember when the fire fighters, (love them, God bless them) stood firm and waited till they were given a fair contract. Ditto for the police force. However, the teachers' union doesn't follow suit.

If anything, I would say, (I do say) that we were sold out and that when the contract was ratified the membership was not consulted. Do you remember voting to ratify the contract? I certainly was not included in that decision.

Well, right now we have to live with the choice made for us and wait for the tiny little increments we will be receiving. Yeah, more like bread crumbs, if you ask me. Sold out, is how I feel and so does everyone I speak to. The contract shows how little our union thinks about its members and how much they think about lining their pockets.

So, I'm looking to Seattle teachers for a little guidance. Maybe a model for when I am part of the new union leadership, Solidarity. They do say, "Imitation is the highest form of flattery!"

First of all, let me set it up for you if you haven't heard.

• Having  the old contract expired, Seattle's teachers hadn't received a cost of living raise in six years. 

• the district wants to increase the length of the school day by 20 minutes without adequately compensating teachers for the extra time.

• The teachers are seeking to address racial and social inequality in Seattle schools by setting up equity teams to study achievement gaps and discipline trends in 60 of the district's 97 schools

• Teachers also want to ensure that every elementary school student gets at least 30 minutes of time to play outside the classroom.

• Teachers also wish to address over-testing by imposing limits on the number of tests students take and increasing teacher involvement in deciding which tests are given and how they are used.

These are just some of the major points they wanted to address in their new contract. I love how they became social advocates for the kids, especially schools with more low-income students and students of color who tend to have less recess than wealthier, whiter ones. 

The talks broke down and they announced on their website, "parents and students (should ) prepare for something not seen here in a generation". Yes, they are  passionate and willing to make sacrifices even in the face of being fined for their action. 


Hear that, New York...


On they went and their strike lasted until Tuesday, September 15, 2015, 6 PM, P.S.T, when the  district and teachers' union bargaining team reached a tentative agreement. They voted to recommend its ratification and end the strike. School would start on Thursday for Seattle students, but the strike wouldn't be officially over until Sunday, when the full union membership would have a chance to vote on the contract agreement.


Hear that, New York...


... full union membership has a chance to vote on the contract agreement...


Membership as part of the final decision... isn't this the way it's supposed to be? I have yet to vote on a contract and ladies and gentlemen, I have been around since 1987!

On this past Sunday, the full membership of Seattle Education Association overwhelmingly voted to accept a new three-year contract with the Seattle School District after months of negotiations and six days of striking. Sure some of what they fought for had give- backs, like their salary increase came with a longer school day for students, but they fought for their beliefs. They stood firm and took on Goliath. That's what a union does.

A union supports and fights for its membership.

A union keeps track of the rising cost of living and makes sure to take it into account when it's time to talk again.

A union does not allow anyone to speak ill of one of its members. No Matter What!

A union does not play politics on the backs of the people who voted them into their positions. They keep in mind, I Am a Representative Of Many!

A Union...

A union...

A Un... I could go on...

It is time for a change. As I walk the hallways of the school I'm in, you can hear it. As I sit in the Teachers' lounge, it is a topic of conversation. Teachers want a change. They are dissatisfied and morale is at its lowest. This is not our doing. This is the result of a leadership who puts itself first. A leadership who plays politics for its own betterment. A leadership whose president belongs to so many different councils and groups that he has forgotten that this is his primary job and that we put him there. Well, not me.

This upcoming June will be the first time that I will vote with much delight and full of hope.
I will be voting Solidarity all the way! Because as their slogan says, "Hope is coming!"

It Can Happen to You

Being that I am now an ATR, I've actually contemplated changing the blog's name. I mean "A Day in the Life of a NYC Teacher"  doesn't seem to be truthful considering the menial tasks I have been performing this school year.

But, I'm not. I'm still a teacher and I will not let this ATR business bring me down. I'm scheduled to be at the present site till October 16th, unless the powers that be make a change.

Every day last week, I entered the school with my head held high. I made eye contact with everyone that passed by me. I smiled at the students and made small talk. It wasn't as bad as some other ATRs have it.

Sure, the first day I spent it on the phone making calls to parents regarding their kid's attendance. Then, the second and third day were spent handing out metro cards and on the fourth day, I was once again on the phone calling parents about a Meet and Greet tomorrow.

It could have been worse. No one thumbed their nose, no one stared me up and down. Well, actually, that's a lie. There is this woman, a dean I believe, who has yet to  smile back. But, I think she's just snooty, nothing to do with me.

It's a beautiful school filled with all the new technology. I was even pleasantly surprised when I was directed to the Teachers' Lounge.

I walked into an actual room with four walls and a door. The hole I came from had a space in the main office, about 8 by 8. It is divided from the main by a row of lockers. There is no privacy.

The present school has about 8 computers, Macs and Pcs. The hole had 3 Pcs that still ran Windows 98.

The present school has black, comfy couches and chairs, several tables for group planning as well as chairs at each computer. The school I came from had a small, round table and a total of 7 chairs.

I can go on but the gist is this school seems to value their teaching staff. Where I came from made the room happen because contractually they had to abide, not because anyone cared. There are several underutilized rooms that could have been used as a Teachers' Lounge.

I do not know what is ahead for me in this ATR journey. Yesterday I checked my DOE email and found two mandatory interviews for this Thursday and Friday. Unfortunately, since I am presently appointed as a 7-9 English teacher, both are in Middle Schools. I want to continue my career in a High School.

I don't know how to go about doing this.....

All I'm sure of right this very minute is that I do not deserve this. I have devoted my life since the age of 21 to teaching. I am a caring and fair person and none of my actions throughout the years led to this.

One piece of advice to anyone who reads my story: It can happen to you!

She  finally did it! The principal rated me ineffective in her part of the evaluation. I am beside myself and wonder what this will do to my final evaluation.

Last year, not really being familiar with the numbers, she rated me developing. At the end it turned into effective and highly effective.

This year, in her own words, she understood the way the numbers weighed and their impact. So, she had to rate me down to make sure I don't receive effective again. I'm not stupid. I read right through her statement.

I have spoken to the union, and continue research on my options (if any). I am gathering all of my papers and creating a timeline to file harassment.  I have 4 years worth of papers to go through! Thank God it's summer!!!

I am still awaiting the determination of EEOC. Although 3 teachers claimed they would also file discrimination charges against her, I am only certain of one who did the same and he too is awaiting the result.

I hate waiting! Not a good trait to possess!

Anyway, she again "excessed" me from the school. This I don't get, because she tried this 2 years ago and when she did this, it was overturned by the superintendent. I have 27 years going on 28. Which superintendent will okay this excess? I have the most experience but she had left her options open by never appointing me in the High School certificate!!! 

She is cunning! That I have to give her. But, she is transparent! Too transparent. Maybe she wants me to know that she does what she does. That's a special kind of evil, one I had never experienced until I came to this school. And, finally, I don't care.

I work at XXX Academy! Tune in later...

The DOE

I have been downtown three times the past four weeks: step two grievance, EEOC, and to answer allegations. Yup, it's been quite a ride. I'm resilient. I fall and get up no matter what.

I am up.

I have several APPRs waiting to be reviewed. The last one hasn't been acknowledged by the principal yet. And, it was given to her two weeks ago. That's OK.

Like I said, I am up.

I thought that simply following her misguided teaching "recommendations" would keep her off my back, but that has not been the case. They still say I am not doing it correctly. The other day, the ELA coach gave me feedback on how to write my assessment so they would get it. Well, I did.

Their response was comical. "This is not an assessment. You must follow the LT (learning target) and CFS (criteria for success) and connect it to the task. Then, mumbo, jumbo, hippity hop..."

So, I told the coach and he shook his head.

Two network coaches came in to do PD. They questioned why we wrote our LTs the way we did.
"This is how she wants them."
Coach: "These are not LTs." HAH...

But, God don't like ugly. The superintendent came in to rate her on Thursday. She was quite the arrogant bitch. (No wonder she has never responded to my letters. I can write an entire post just on that visit.)

She questioned everything in every classroom she visited. Then said, "I saw nothing today that is more than developing." HAH...

Well, everything she saw follows what the principal wants to see in every classroom. We are following her format to a T.

"DEVELOPING."

It's been a rough year, but it's almost over. I'm desensitized and don't seem to care any more. But, I am up.

It's Been a Long Road

It's been four years since I have been struggling under my present administration. I have been subjected to bullying, intimidation, retaliation, scrutiny, micromanagement, and the every day reminder that I am not a good teacher. All of this began after 24 years of excellent service and plenty of kudos for a job well done.

Not that I have needed praise, but it  was always given and it is no wonder that I continued to excel even in difficult situations with an even  more difficult population. I have been a mentor to other teachers. I have been an advocate for my students. I have been entrusted with the coordination of programs and deemed qualified to teach students negotiation and mediation practices as their coach. Right out of college, I was entrusted with supervising the English department at the high school in which I started my career. Heck, even at my present appointment, the principal always gives me the most challenging classes. She thinks I see it as punishment, when in fact, it is more proof that I am the one capable of dealing with them. And, I'm the AP Psychology teacher...

This is why it has been so difficult these past four years. None of this experience mattered. In fact, I was constantly asked to go and look at lesson plans from brand new teachers. The only difference between our plans was simple: I graduated form a graduate education program and learned to write efficient plans. The new teachers did exactly what the administration told them to do and followed their format. Again, my time in the system and knowledge of the contract was and is a threat and I was deemed personae non grata.

Enough of this. I can sit here and keep talking about the mismanagement and intimidation practices to which I have been subjected. That is not today's topic.

After writing to everyone under the New York Education sun, someone finally heeded my plea. I have been contacted by someone in the system who wants to speak to me regarding my allegations. It must have been my threat to go public. And, I don't mean through this blog. I have been careful not to divulge the names of those who on an everyday basis make it a living hell to teach. I finally put it out there: If you do not at least respond to my letters, I will take it to the news media and  will file a complaint with EEOC.

I guess that must have hit a nerve.

I will not be intimidated. I will not be bullied. I will not be rated ineffective by a system whose problem is not its teacher force. Yes, absolutely, there are some bad apples in the city. A very small number. I am not one of them. Even with the negative environment I work in, I still wake up in the morning and teach my difficult students. I still put up with the micromanagement. I still put up with being called a bitch by students because I expect them to excel and don't give out passing grades just because they are there. I still revise lesson plans who began as great and as they give me feedback, lose their rigor in the name of rigor. Yeah, that's what I meant. Every other word out of the administration is rigor, yet, they want us to water down our lessons in such a manner that rigor goes out the window.

I just feel like maybe now someone will investigate my school. Someone will actually come in and see the malpractices that go on every day, every minute. Someone will see how there are teachers doing their very best and yet administration is driving them out, not only from the school, but out of the system, as in my case. I'm 50. They want me out and there is no other way to do it. So, they figure, "Let's show how ineffective she is." And, now thanks to Cuomo, they have more ammunition to get rid of us. Two for one is how they see it and they can tell them what to do because these kids out of college or those who change careers have no clue what their rights are nor what real education is. Because that is not what is being taught in colleges today. Just like the new Leadership programs don't teach administration. They teach gotcha strategies and call legal, as my principal always says whenever she is painted into a corner.

Education is not teaching to the test. That is the case nowadays.
It is not about learning. It is about numbers.
It is not about creativity. It is about conformance.
It is not about our future. It is about money.

Wow, I Feel So Much Better Now

I want to thank Governor Cuomo for having his priorities straight. I was very worried that he would forget about the 1% of his constituents who are in dire need of his support. I should not have worried. He has taken care to include these constituents in his latest budget.

NY Sales Tax exemption

I can finally go and purchase my yacht, as long as it is at least $230,000. I will only have to pay taxes on $230,000 no matter how much more my yacht costs.

Worried for nothing...

I think I will get

I Didn't Think It Could Be Possible

Who am I kidding: politicians with big backers get what they want. What I don't understand is, how can something that I have been working for the past 27 years of my life, something I have gone to school for and are considered "Highly qualified" doing can just be taken from me.

I worked hard to be tenured in NYC and now that I'm about to retire, Cuomo says I can lose it in the blink of an eye. Those of you following my blog know that I don't have a sympathetic administrator. In fact, I'm sure the only thing she is upset about is losing a great portion of her say when it comes to observing her teachers.

But that aside, two ineffective ratings and they can move to fire you! Where do these people live? Do they not understand that the problem is systemic? 

And, this is not about firing teachers who are not good for education. This is about firing teachers who cost too much.  

My school is brimming with Teach for America and Fellows, all of which are under 25, inexperienced, come from the Midwest, and cost half as much as I do. They are sheep and have no clue. The principal loves them and constantly sings their praises. She has gone as far as to send experienced teachers to get tips from them. I am living a farce.


Here are two articles that are a must read.

Budget Proposals

Here Come the Independent Evaluators

Trying to Catch Up

It has been very hectic at work which translates to "I haven't had a minute to update my blog." Even as I write this, I am putting off writing next weeks' plans. But, too much has happened not to write.

The end of the second trimester came and went. None of the ideas the principal used to convince us to switch from semesters to trimesters has yet to happen. Her main idea that students would be able to accumulate more credits in less time and graduate early, turned out to be a joke.

I looked at many of the students' programs and instead of meaningful classes that will help them graduate, they were filled with made up electives, "Teaching assistant" credits, and gym classes they did not need. Not one class that could help them get ahead.

As for me, I finished teaching English 3 and 4 and was assigned to teach a class she made up called "Writing in the Humanities." That would be great except that it is really a Global History Regents prep class, one that I had to spend an entire weekend learning about.

Then, on the day before the trimester began, she walked into my classroom with a change: a repeaters class for English 4. I am now teaching four classes which I had always heard was against our contract. I spent the entire day trying to come up with lessons for the next day. I was losing my mind!

Now, this is all tame and I guess something expected in every school (I suppose) but, to this I must add that in between all this she continues her vendetta against me. I have, once again been summoned to her office for a variety of things as well as receiving letters informing me of some kind of misbehavior.

Every time I receive one, they happen to follow a grievance I have put into the union. None of them ever result in things getting better. In fact, if I was someone else, I would have stopped fighting for myself because they make things worse for me.

My latest grievance brought about several ineffective and two developing ratings in my last observation.  I then filed APPRs, a union  Resolution Assistance Request. 

Of course, these were also found to have no merit. That was that.

So, I grieved my four preparations as well as the fact that my latest observation was not based on classroom observation, but on my lesson plan, which, according to anyone that has seen my plans will tell you, they go beyond what is expected. Both were found by her to have no merit.

She then countered my grievances by filing verbal abuse charges.

I have no recourse. I have written to every person I can think of and no one has even bothered to acknowledge my letters. I do not know where else to turn. I never expected this, 25+ years into my career.

Danielson

One of the many reasons I started this blog was to let everyone know about the inequities that are occurring in NYC public schools on a daily basis. But, one of the major reasons was to share my experience in the system.

Those of you who have been following my blog know that I have been teaching for 27 years and that it wasn't till I came to work at my present school, four years ago, that I had ever been given an unsatisfactory rating on a classroom observation.

That all changed. Since my tenure in this school, I have been harassed, yelled at, called incompetent, and literally made to feel like a failure on a daily basis. All this while the principal smiled at me. I have grieved. I have written the chancellor several times and have had no response. I have written several superintendents, all to no avail.

When Danielson was all but a rumor, this principal began rating our lessons using the rubric and telling us how to write our lesson plans, which components she wanted included and if any were missing, it was an unsatisfactory lesson.

One day, just to prove a point, she walked in  and I performed a lesson that the AP had observed and rated satisfactory. It was on elements of fiction so I switched the element for that lesson. She rated it unsatisfactory. When I showed her the satisfactory lesson she responded, "Well, I don't know what he saw that would make this a satisfactory lesson." By the way, the AP was sitting right next to her.

Last year when Danielson was finally instituted, I received many ineffective and developing ratings according to her interpretation of the rubric. She went as far as to tell me that I did not know my students. And, even better than that, "You have knowledge of your content area."
I was humiliated!


On a daily basis, I work with English language learners who are new to the country, as well as learning and emotionally disabled students. Sometimes several students fall into all these categories at the same time. I worked without the support of an experienced special educator or at least a paraprofessional who could help when I had to differentiate instruction. When I asked her why this was the case she said that the special education teachers needed to be in the classrooms that ended on a state test. I didn't need one because the English regents doesn't happen till junior year. I was appalled.

At the end of the year, after all the tallying and the Danielson equation was computed, I received a rating of developing. I cried all the way home that day.

From Developing to Effective
Teachers work with the least amount of resources and yet are expected to work miracles. Well, I guess I did because after all was said and done, my final rating was effective. Part of the evaluation equation is student success on their tests. I was connected to what is called a MOSL, measure of student learning. All of my students exceeded expectations. Part of my connection was also the state English regents and the majority of the students passed. I had been their teacher two years prior so I had a hand in their success.

This evaluation system makes no sense and what Cuomo wants is even more nonsensical. I think Diane Ravitch said it best when she said, "...excellent teachers will be rated ineffective because they teach slow learners, and mediocre teachers may get high ratings because they teach in wealthy districts. Many teachers who are rated ineffective one year may be rated effective the next."

I know I am a Highly Effective teacher. If not, I would not have the relationships I have established with students who have graduated or with the parents who thank me for their child's progress. I know I am Highly Effective despite Danielson saying otherwise. My principal chooses who she deems effective and also discriminates against those of us who have experience (ARE OLD) and who she cannot manipulate.

Common Core

Now I understand why it is that the PBA and other city unions fought for fair and equitable contracts. They waited it out till they received what they deserve.

The UFT fell for it very quickly and Michael Mulgrew made it a point to instill fear so that the contract would be ratified by the majority of teachers, even when most knew that we were getting the short end of the straw.

It was the Common Core mentality that we have been indoctrinated for the past several years. Look at the next example:

Mulgrew is a big advocate of the Common Core which basically, in its quest to increase critical thinking has made simple math look like a puzzle from the New York Times.

I am not a math teacher but what  I do know is that the increases we will be receiving in no way will match the cost of living in 2020. We were short changed in ways that the union blatantly accepted because they will continue to receive their fat checks as we speak.

Now, I say this in jest, not really but think about, why? Why is it that teachers who are creating the future of tomorrow are treated like second class citizens? Why is it that after three degrees, I am still considered substandard according to the new evaluation system?

My principal who did nothing to support us when it came to Danielson, rated me as Developing. It was only after the test scores came in that the students who took the local exams passed, that I received Effective. Then the state exams results came in and I was found Highly Effective.

Morale is the lowest since I began as a teacher. And it is not just me! It is every teacher who has seniority and is making the top salary. Hell, I worked for that! It's taking me 27 years to get there. Cops hit top pay at five, and trust me, I take nothing away from them. They protect us and keep us safe. But, teachers go through it too. Last week, I was pushed by a student and verbally attacked by another.

The new chancellor regs now stipulate that unless there is an immediate threat we are not to remove students. Well, both were back in the classroom: one the same period, the other three days later. 

Michael Mulgrew Saddens Me

I was very sad when Michel Mulgrew, the head of the teachers union, took it upon himself to  make the call to march against the police on behalf of teachers. He alienated a very strong ally.

Now that the State of New York, heck the entire country blames teachers for the ills of our society, we need as many allies as we can get. The PBA is a very strong union. I am married to a cop for many years and know the dangers that they encounter on a daily basis. Also, many cops are married to teachers. How dare he be our mouthpiece.

Mulgrew took it upon himself to create a divide that will not serve anyone in the long run. Our last mayor was a union buster and now we are faced with a Governor who is out, in his own words to New York State: Your Teachers Stink. I Will Fire Them. I will Break Their Union.

What's going to happen when he decides to go after other unions?

We must all unite and show a common front. We cannot be intimidated by politicians who know nothing about what teachers, cops, firefighters, and EMTs do.

Let's show Cuomo that he will not break us. And, he certainly will not break our unions!

 

The Beginning

Rather than go through everything from the beginning, I decided to post some of the letters that I have sent regarding the issues that I was experiencing. Once I reach the present, I will keep a daily log.

I have deleted the names of the persons involved, for the moment, since I am still trying to make things work. By the way, none of these letters have in any way helped. In fact, none have received a response, but I keep trying.

The UFT has been of no help; everything that I have managed to get resolved has been because I refuse to let this principal continue to create her own laws and continue her power trip. She is drunk with it and anyone who dares to question her practices just gets in her way. And, they pay. 

I am still paying.

                                                                                                                       2012

(Superintendent's name)

Superintendent District 12

Dear Superintendent,

     I am writing to you because I don’t know where else to turn. I am presently at (xxxx) High School under the supervision of (Principal's name). I have reached out to her and she has told me that she cannot help me.

     In July of 2011, I performed a demo lesson for Mr. (xxx), AP and Mr. (xxx), English Teacher. That afternoon, I was offered the job of 9^th grade English teacher at the school. I was very excited because I had tried teaching at the middle school level the year before, and realized that I preferred teaching the older students.

     I began in September teaching two English 1 classes, two English skills classes and one Honor’s English class. I was very happy to be in this school. The principal and AP seemed to be supportive and when it came to discipline problems, they seemed to be on top of things. I was able to walk into the Principal’s office and share my experiences and student work. Everything was going well, until…

     In October, the Principal and AP did a walk-through. That afternoon, the Principal and AP sat with me for a post observation and completely tore down my lesson. Not once did they say anything positive about my lesson! As I tried to explain myself and how English lessons are taught, they would hear nothing of it. I followed a lesson plan format that I have always used and the same one they hired me with. When I brought this to her attention she said, "No, here at (School name) we do things differently. You must follow the format we use and create a learning target and a criteria for success for every lesson." 

     I continued to express my thoughts and she said at one point,  “You frustrate me!” All through the post ob, I was intimidated and made to feel as if I didn't know what I was doing. (Principal) spoke to me loudly and coarsely and then threatened me with a U as a final rating for the year. She said that she would not recommend me for Tenure.

     At this, I quizzically looked at her and said, “I have tenure. What do you mean?” She became more upset and began saying how she was not going to go through this again. “I just went through this with a teacher who said she had tenure and she really didn't.” 

After this meeting, I was told to come back during my administrative period. I was so intimidated with our first meeting that Mr. (English teacher) offered to go in with me for support. 

     When we got to the door, she saw him and told him he couldn't stay. I expressed that I just wanted him there for support. She said, “Absolutely not!!” 

     For the next 40 minutes, I was intimidated, belittled, and treated as if I had no knowledge of English and teaching. She said she was holding me responsible for the kids who do not come to class and fail. I asked her for ideas on how I could possibly do this and she told me to be creative and figure it out. But, that she wanted to see those kids pass. 

     She sent me an email the next day. It was the Preliminary Recommendation page in the Tenure Notification System. She didn't appoint me under my High School license. This is where I am tenured. I explained this to her and she refused to acknowledge that a mistake was made.

     Since she was not willing to help me in this matter, I went to the union. This is when things really went bad between (Principal) and me. The union looked through the information and saw that a mistake was done. They said that not only was I teaching out of license, but that the school is out of compliance. They said (Principal) had two options: she could fix the mistake or she could excess me. This is when everything really deteriorated. I passed this information along to (Principal), who did not believe what I was saying and continued to tell me that there was nothing she could do. These conversations happened before the Christmas break.

     I tried to go on with my week and tried to speak with the (Principal) regarding the license issue. I tried several times until I caught her leaving her office and she told me that she had spoken to HR and they had said that there was nothing they could do about it. So, I asked her to excess me. She wrote me an email where she said that she understood if I wanted to go to another place. 

     I have not found any openings.

Sincerely,

(Me)

Second letter:

New superintendent. (I have no idea what happened to the first!)

(Superintendent's name)                                                                               2013

Superintendent D. 12

Dear Mr. (Superintendent),

     I am (Me). You extended my probation recently. I am writing to you to make some matters clear about me.

     I am a High School Tenured English teacher. I have been working for the DOE for 25 years. The bulk of my HS experience was in (xx) HS under (Principal) and then, (Principal).

     In the summer of 2009, I went to Arizona for a year. When I came back, I was hired at (MS-HS in Bronx). I was offered the 9^th grade ELA position but in September I was told that I would be teaching 6^th grade. When I expressed that this would affect my licensing (Principal) said she would have me on paper as the HS teacher since the 9^th grade teacher was a MS license. I figured it would be okay.

     In October, I found out that she had not done this and suddenly I found myself on probation for MS English. I reached out to several people including the union but to no avail. However, I was told that once I got a job at the HS level things would be fine.

     So, although I enjoyed working with the kids and parents (one actually wrote a letter of commendation to the Superintendent (xxx) and the Chancellor about me, I went on to the Open Market and was hired by (present school). I explicitly told the AP, (xxx) my situation and he said that there would be no issue and that I would be appointed under the HS license. Of course, this makes sense because I was hired by a HS.

     On my first informal walk-through in September, it explicitly said on my report “Tenured”. So, I didn't give it another thought. However, during a walk-through that they deemed “Unsatisfactory” I was threatened with a “U” rating because I was on probation. I explained how that could not be possible and that it must be a mistake. (Principal) said it wasn't. I asked her several times to please change my appointment to the proper license and she, on repeated occasions, told me she couldn't.

     This began a series of unannounced visits and several reprimands for a variety of things. I wrote to the Superintendent at the time and she never responded. I involved the union but to no avail.

     I was running a Drama Club after school and everything was fine. When I asserted myself regarding my situation, I was told on several occasions to cut the session short and leave the building. It happened so often that I finally cancelled the club. I was taken out of a Computer lab where the kids worked on Achieve 3000 because there were "claims" that my students were ruining the computers. And so on.

     Anyway, when I saw that all my lessons were being ripped apart and that I was being singled out, I told the Principal if she would release me or excess me. She said that she would not stand in my way but that she would not excess me. I used all of the information from NCLB and it didn't matter.

     I continued to be made to feel unwelcome at the school. When I was told that I would be getting another “U”, I grieved it. During this grievance meeting, I broke down and told (Principal and AP) how I felt. During this conversation, she made it clear that she could have changed my appointment but that she didn't want to. She wasn't sure if she wanted me in the school. However, I was reassured that I would not be discontinued, but that a “U” was in my future. So I asked again that I receive Pre and Post Observations, and I finally did. I received an S. Then came a walk-through and again I received an S. (Principal) softened somewhat and actually started speaking to me and saying good morning. I thought it was over.

     Then came time for the Tenure process and she said you advised her that my probation should be extended. So, she told me she needed to observe me again. She walked in on April 26. She saw the same elements for which I had been previously rated “S”. She rated the Walk-through “U”.

     I am being scrutinized and singled out. I come to work wondering what they will point out next. Although they claim to merely suggest elements they want in a lesson, they really expect them. I have incorporated everything they have asked of me and it doesn't matter.          I learned an entirely new way of presenting the lesson using the Learning Target and Criteria for Learning. Instead of seeing the progress, they focus on something else. They expect to see a group activity for every single lesson. So, even though every lesson does not lend itself to this practice, I reworked my lessons and do group and pair work. So now they find faults in that. I introduced Accountable Talk; she criticized my last lesson for too much accountable talk. They question the students and if one says they are working independently, they use it against me. Some kids prefer to work independently even when asked to pair up. That’s differentiation! Why am I being rated unsatisfactorily?  

     I am so frustrated. I get nervous every time they walk into my room. I feel harassed. I feel they are setting me up to receive a “U” rating at the end of this year. I really feel this is personal and I wish I didn't. I will go to another school, but who will hire me with a “U”? And, I do not want to ruin my 25 years of satisfactory service unfairly. What does this say of my former administrators who have, year in and year out, rated me “S” and placed me in positions of leadership? I have created curricula for electives, been a mentor, created programs and ran them successfully. I have been a Peer Mediator for an entire school campus. It doesn't seem possible that I am in this situation!

     I would like to meet with you regarding my situation.

Sincerely,

(Me)

It is the year 2014 and I am still awaiting a response to both these letters.

In my next post, I will share the letters I sent to the Chancellor. I actually just sent one to the new chancellor, two weeks ago. I haven't received ay correspondence.