SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: Kristine Mustillo Principal PS 97 District 21 Destroys A Career

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Kristine Mustillo Principal PS 97 District 21 Destroys A Career


A pre-k teacher is in the Rubber Room for two years. Her crime? Her class of 18 pre-Kindergarteners at PS 97, District 21 is in a trailer. She complains to the new Leadership Academy principal, Kristine “Olive Oyl” Mustillo that there is a moldy floor with holes. Seems reasonable. A teacher is thinking of the Children First doctrine created by Joel Klein and so indoctrinated into Leadership Academy drones, yet not adhered to. The class is moved inside the building and set up to resume at two lunch tables in an open area.

Not even a classroom, an area. Where can the children display their work? How safe is it? Are exits secured? Are center areas, which are so important to the pre-K experience, in the “area”? Are bathroom facilities readily available? Does this area have a lot of foot traffic by others?

Just a week later her para is out sick. The new principal, Kristine Mustillo never calls a sub, even though by NYS Education law a para must be in there. The teacher isn’t even informed that the para is out and calls the office.

If you don’t see the making of a set-up you must be blind. Or a principal. Or Joel Klein. Or Whitney Tilson. Or a fucktwit.

The teacher requests a sub several times and is told that the secretary didn’t call a sub because she was “following the direction of the prior principal who had just retired”. The principal insists, “Well I am the principal now and I believe that every Pre K should have a para” As a result, no para was called.

So Kristine Mustillio believes a para must be called, but since she is so incompetent, or desperate to set up the teacher she willfully breaks state education law. The class no better how you slice it is out of compliance with state education law. This is the principal’s responsibility.

The teacher is alone at dismissal. The kids and parents who are mostly Chinese and don’t speak fluent English are still getting used to the new routine. As are the children and we know how difficult change of routine can be on children at that age. That is except Krisitine Mustillo who has never been in education before. A boy in her class follows another boy out the door. The other boy’s mother picks up the boy three days a week and is on the blue emergency card as well. The child naturally gravitates toward this mother who is a family friend. The teacher does not realize the boy is gone until five minutes later when the other boys mother brings him to the office saying that she brought the boy around the building to look for his grandmother. She realized that it was daylight savings time and the grandmother probably wasn’t aware of the change in time.

The principal calls OSI immediately. WTF?? This could not have been handled in house? At worst a counseling memo. Why the need to cal OSI? I know. Mustillo is incompetent and she needs to show she is important. But I think there is more to it than meets the eye. Read on.

In the course of the investigation the parent's of the boy who, for lack of a better word, wandered, insist they are not upset, they love the teacher, and take full responsibility for not having been there for dismissal.

I am a tad confused here. If the parents are not upset, and insist they love the teacher can’t Kristine “Olive Oyl” Mustillo see this or does she have a bigger agenda?

The teacher files a grievance.

Oh no!!

At the hearing the principal admits that she was out of compliance. She says, "I'm new, I didn't know what the rules are."

Ignorance is no excuse. You know Kristine Mustillo a lot of the rules are just plain common sense.

It took two years from the hearing date for the teacher to be denied the grievance.

Denied by the incomparable, and always integrity filled Pedro Crespo.

The teacher, who turns 46 this year has been a teacher for almost 20 and has an impeccable record. Her class had been taken over by a 22 year old first year teacher.

There you have it. There is your answer. A teacher 44 years old making around $85K, and only a mind of her own, but has more knowledge in one eyelash than Kristine “Olive Oyl” Mustillo who has in her own anorexic body.

Why Kristine Mustillo do you feel threatened? Why Kristine “Olive Oyl” Mustillo could you not just let this go with a verbal or written admonishment? Please Kristine Mustillo share your qualifications to be principal. Yes, opposing viewpoints are always welcomed here.

Even more curious is what happened to Kristine Mustillo at her previous school? Seems that she came into a perfectly fine school, as an interim principal because the current principal is on leave. After one month Kristine Mustillo singlehandley ruins the school, and turns all the teachers against her. When the principal returns Kristine Mustillo is promptly shown the door.

14 comments:

John Robinson Ed.D said...

Leadership positions are not for those who feel the need to exercise power over others. Leading to me means treating everyone with dignity, even in difficult moments. The day I am forced to treat others without dignity is the day I leave the principalship.

Anonymous said...

She is evil nasty person.

Anonymous said...

Great job Bronx Teacher: keep exposing these worthless incompetent "principals". You're doing our schools a favor.

Rachel Grynberg said...

God help us all. This should be national news -- ever thought about forwarding it to The Daily Beast or Huffington Post?

Pete Zucker said...

How?

Anonymous said...

Mustillo was always a mean vindictive person. You should investigate more about her. She was the AP. at PS 314 in Sunset Park for a year and had no social skills to treat the teachers. Mustillo went to PS 314 to clean the house with another principal of the Academy 28 year old David Weinner.

Betsy Combier said...

Dear Anonymous (person who made the comment about Mustillo at PS 314)

Would you please contact me at the following address with your contact information? I would like to follow up on this story.

betsy.combier@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Bottom line..you are the sole responsible person for those kids...if the routine was not yet established, kids still weren't comfortable with it..then each child should be behind that door until the guardian comes foward and asks for the child by name. Regardless of language differences, they can ask for the child's name. Everything trickles down from way above these principals. Did you know you can't even leave a para with your class when you go to the restroom...so how exactly would your para have made a difference? I had a class of 32 and was rarely assigned a para..that's the way the cookie crumbles...but I never put the responsibilities of my students on anyone but myself.
Sorry you're in a shitty situation, but is this blog really working to your bennefit or just making you look vindictive and childish?

Pete Zucker said...

Does punishment fit crime?

Anonymous said...

It is mandated BY LAW, to have 2 adults in a pre-kindergarten classroom. In the past, it used to be 2 certified teachers, now with saving money and all, the typical scenario would be the certified teacher who works with an educational assistant.

This is supposed to be mandated throughout New York State. Every district in NYS is supposed to abide by this.
Also, a pre-kindergarten class is supposed to be capped at 18 for safety reasons. Pre-kindergarten children are 3-4 year olds when they start school and are the neediest children because they require much needed hands on attention.

4 eyes in the class are much better than 2. In fact, I always embraced extra volunteers to help out with center activities.

Pre-Kindergarten is extremely different from teaching grades K-5. Before anyone judges, I would like to see how other teachers can handle teaching pre-kindergarten.

Anonymous said...

Regardless of all the rules, I read your blog and have experienced many situations that have been confusing in the sense of "how can we justify this situation". I don't believe a principal would solely base her decisions on one situation. Think as a whole, what could I have done different in this situation and what have I done to have my principal choose this decision.
Writing a blog about someone is unprofessional, so were you professional. I'm sure you had great qualities of a teacher, but lets face it some teachers after 20 years get burned out and 22 year old's don't. Maybe you weren't ON that day. Sorry your going through this, but it's time to evaluate yourself and maybe a career change.

Pete Zucker said...

^^^ What have you been drinking and/or smoking?

Anonymous said...

Don't tell me that she's that evil? I was going to send my children there for kindergarten. You mean I have to talk to MR. ED THE TALKING HORSE. How can I keep a straight face. Do you remember that show?

Anonymous said...

so in the end what happens with Mrs kristine Mustillo. she becomes principal of Ps 97 the high;awn school, after having drastic results as interim pricncipal. In her previous school. then has this power issue as principal of PS 97. then leaves Ps 97 in ruins ans moves up the ladder in a higher position in the board of education. whats wrong with this picture. we need to correct these issues