As a teacher in NYC for over 35 years, I've noted that teacher morale is at a new low. For one reason, it is virtually impossible to manage and educate grossly overcrowded classes. (what DO you say to yourself, looking at a class of over forty pupils; "I shall give that child one minute of attention and that pupil four minutes and that one thirty seconds?). Having nearly forty pupils or more per class in a high school setting nullifies the individualized attention often needed for pupil success.
Monsters in Suits
In addition, administrators except in rare cases seem predominately and uniquely unqualified to administrate the teaching of teachers. They have been trained specifically in only one regard and that is to perceive administration as the use of gross and harsh bullying tactics towards teachers often using tactics that we as teachers would come under fire for if they were used in our own classroom management. Administrators are also uniformly the poorest role models for new and even seasoned teachers as they unerringly conduct inane, tedious and boring faculty meetings and teacher training workshops lessons that would surely fail in the classroom and quickly lose our pupil's interests if we endeavored to employ them.
A Failing System with 50% Dropout Statistics
The insoluble problems to New York City education persist in badly outdated curriculum, crumbling school infrastructures, an a priori pupil ennui, widespread parental carelessness and untrained and inept assistant principals and principals who are unprofessional as well as untrained except in a new tactic of widespread mean -spiritedness.These principals are taught in closed workshops and secretly encouraged by the Mayor's office and the Chancellor's office to rule by such bullying. Under the Mayor's new total control, these principals have new found medieval powers over teachers in the New York City educational system.
Bully Tactics
A teacher interviewed by me recently had spent many months in a rubber room after being falsely and unfairly accused of insubordination by such an unscrupulous principal. And this, after 27 years of unblemished service. Removed from the classroom and sent to Linden place in Queens he was suddenly aloft and facing pending charges, sent to a holding cell crowded with teachers from all walks, also charged with similar frivolous and goofy charges. It was truly a illegal detention of a professional Union.
Like a Fish Out Of Water
The psychological damage of sudden detention for months and for some, years, in a crowded holding pen with dozens more, locked in a rubber room, with many more such rooms hidden away around the city, did enough damage to those around him, all accomplished and dedicated teachers.This daily inglorious restraint destroyed all of his teaching muscles and challenged his morale. Eventually, it forced him and other senior teachers to resign. "We can make these charges all go away, if you resign", is what DOE attorney Fox told him and others; where's the due process in that?
Guilty Before Proven Unfairly Guilty
These suddenly burgeoning rubber rooms are illegal violations of Civil Liberties and due process. He observed that swift fair adjudication and fair treatment was given to much younger teachers accused of similar charges.They didn't languish for long months or years for adjudication that strove to prove them guilty; it was odd that younger teachers were treated fairly. Senior teachers as a group were forced out; could this reflect a systemic move by the State Legislature and State Senate to balance the State budget by removing senior staff everywhere, or is this Mayor Bloomberg's rancor at the UFT? These teachers have been abandoned by their union and are forced into a semblance and a cynical facsimile of due process.
865 teachers awaiting charges
Whoever has ordered this sudden unfair treatment that bounces teachers antiseptically from schools into "rubber rooms" and paints them all with the same punitive brush has doubled the rosters of detained and tightly corralled teachers for similar charges of insubordination.This is unprecedented in the history of New York City. The injustices abound. When 'troublesome' teacher's classroom lessons are observed,assistant principals watch with 'unfriendly eyes' and the observation reports are twisted into"unsatisfactory" ratings by these vendetta seeking A.P.s and power crazed principals, perverting the observation 'tool', itself, into just another weapon in their unscrupulous hands.Teachers are left unable to defend themselves against the lies and distortions purposefully put into those 'reports.'
Bloomberg's fascism
Why does the teacher's union, the UFT, allow these rooms to exist and persist? No other so-called professional Union would tolerate such treatment of its members. But principals continue to remove teachers who show any personal unionized initiatives in questioning principals or their new bullying tactics and clearly the blame rests at the Mayor's door.
(Bloomberg will likely be re-elected as the public knows nothing of his fascist inklings. His evil, behind the scenes regime against teachers will continue to gut the UFT.)
A very interesting article Paul, but very discoraging to hear. I am not at all surprised though, it seems that nothing anymore is done for the good of our youth, but just for a livelihood of those in command.
This article sounds unbelievable to me, because I never thought such thing exist in the USA. But, I believe it because it witten by an experienced teacher, who should know the gravity of writing such article on a platform where people all over the globe would see it. It's a great information and revealation to me
when you said;"Keep up the good work ... I'm impressed (smile). But, I knew you could do it! ";you sounded like a cougar complimenting a much older man(lol)
The injustices abound: when 'troublesome' teachers classroom lessons are observed,assistant principals watch with 'unfriendly eyes' and the observation reports are twisted into"unsatisfactory" ratings by these vendetta seeking A.P.s and power crazed principals,perverting the observation 'tool',itself, into just another weapon in their unscrupulous hands.Teachers are left unable to defend themselves against the lies and distortions purposefully put into those'reports.'
You write this from experience and with passion. It is so well written and greatly informational. What can possibly be done. Can you submit to the editorial pages of various newspapers - can more of this be exposed to the Boards of Eds? How about specific examples to your political (I almost hesitate to even mention this because I am in such low esteem of anything political now) representatives. The comments to your article substantiate the fact that many of us do not really know what is happening in the schools - with teachers or students. Getting this on - say Fox Cable News or a local tv station as a discussion point - might shed light on it. You do write it with passion and concern and, just for having written on this tough subject, you deserve a thank you!
» left by paul schroeder from nyc (35 days 4 hours ago.)
(No, YOU deserve a thank you! );Bloomberg will likely be re-elected as the public knows nothing or little of his fascist inklings and his quiet,behind the scenes evil regime against teachers will continue .The vampire resembling Chancellor of Education is a lawyer who also hates teachers and their union and like all good Germans,follows orders from his billionaire Fuehrer to gut the UFT.
Healthcare is all the talk, while education is under siege. Great article Paul. I am married to a high school teacher and can sympathize with all that you're saying. Teachers play such an important role in our children's lives, and yet more and more are facing disrespect not only from students and their parents but from the administration as well. Something has to change. Good article.
The detaining of teachers in prison reminds me of what LAPD did in the 20's to manipulate their image (Angelina Jolie stared in Changeling that depicts these truths). Also reminds me of what Woodrow Wilson did to suffragette protesters during his admin. The teaching profession, if I can call it that, is in total disarray. 3 out of 5 going into the profession only use teaching as a stepping stone to another profession. While working on my graduate degree, time and again I ran into former high school teachers getting their masters to teach college because "High schools are out of control." My friend, now a lawyer, used to teach high school English while working on his law degree. He was told by the experienced teachers (there were only new (1 to 3 yrs) or close to retirement teachers working there) that he was either going to do what the kids wanted him to do or he'd quit. During an assembly, he was told by a student he was disciplining "Go ahead, call the cops even. Nothing's going to happen to me." The power has gone to the students and parents who now, almost regardless of the truth, blame teachers and stand behind their kids without exception. A truly sad state of affairs. Thanks for the important read.
Sad isn't the word,the progressive dumbing down of the public is exactly tied to poor education as much as it is to stupid T.V. broadcasting ;pupils watch more T.V. than they do reading and the populace is quiescent convinced that government officials are smarter than they( are) and therefore don't question politicians or public policies and it's actually true for the first time in decades.
True. I teach at the college / university level and will get out as soon as my business can sustain my family, for I am so tired of asking simple political, history, geography, etc. questions and getting blank stare after blank stare. The stench of stupidity is staggering. And being an involved citizen making informed choices is just too much work for the mentally lazy who let popular opinion pull them by the snout from one uninformed decision to another. So true.
Very well written article that brings to the surface what unfortunate shape our public education system is in. I happen to personally know an assistant principal at a San Diego, CA public high school (my fiance's aunt), and having met her and had multiple discussions with her I was shocked when I found out that the school actually hired her for that position. Not to cast judgement on her or anything but let me just say, she was beyond unqualified, and her opinions were unapologetically rude, insensitive and rediculous, making me never want to even sit through dinner with her again. As far as teachers go, I compare them to doctors, there are many great ones, but it takes luck or privilage to have one of the great ones instead of the many not so great ones. I think for each semester of school I took I had one teacher who I felt was actually good at teaching, those are the ones we need more of, but unfortunately they are rare in todays public schools and community colleges.
Our mayor,the notorious billionaire,King Bloomberg and his vampire facsimile,Chancellor lawyer, despise the UFT and most teachers for their tenure and have PURPOSEFULLY trained simians to imitate principals
That's what's wrong with the kids nowadays- they know just enough of all this to sense the rest, and this subconscious knowledge has caused them to lose all respect for anyone connected to the educational system... and the government. It's terrible how a whole group of people can be blamed for the actions of a few, but it has always been that way throughout history- . This realization causes us to feel overwhelmed and defeated. But the human spirit is never quite defeated- we continue to strive in the face of the most unbelievably horrifying circumstances, and eventually WE DO WIN.
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