Pedro Santana Slithers Into East Ramapo

Back on June 27, 2010 we here at SBSB reported on the greatest principal in the world, Pedro Santana being featured in the New York Times. The Times, and Pedro Santana led the reader to believe what a dedicated, child first, back to his roots principal Pedro Santana truly think he is. Mr Santana was such a hit with his male students that several sixth grade boys were quoted as saying, "they talk about 'guy things,'as one of them put it, 'like wrestling.'" Kind of interesting and troubling sat the same time.

But a funny thing has happened to Pedro Santana on his way back to reconnecting with his roots. He left his roots. Pedro Santana is now, sit down and have a stiff drink, Assistant Superintedent for Secondary Education/Respond to Intervention/RTI for the East Ramapo (Rockland County NY) school distirct. A CREATED position at $145K a year. This when East Ramapo had to lay off teachers. Don't believe it? Let's have a looksee.


Pedro Santana lasted all of four years where is roots are. Letitia Laberee, 54, the school’s coordinator for English as a second language was so close to being right. “I thought, he’s just another one. Three years, he’s gone.”

But what happened at 391? And what does East Ramapo know, or does not know?

Do they know......

Last year, 59 percent of its seventh graders passed the state math test — below the 81 percent who passed citywide, but enough of an improvement to help the school earn an A on its report card." Of course this is without the adjusting of the grades, so it is probably worse than the 50 percent.

"Ninety-five of the school’s 253 eighth graders did not graduate this month (summer school may save many)."

Pedro Santana has three open investigations against him. According to the Times, "In April 2009, he was removed from the school for several weeks, after allegations that he had failed to properly report an off-campus sexual assault involving two students. The investigation remains open, the most serious of three pending complaints against him."

"she said she saw the mother abusing her child and reported it to the authorities. Mr. Santana, citing other witnesses’ accounts and the counselor’s own comments, later called the child welfare agency to say the counselor’s report had been false."

At PS/MS 279 he went behind the principal's back, a principal that was a mentor, a mother to him, and conspired with parents in a letter writing campaign to remove her around 2002.

Yet, when this year's test scores came out the eight graders who were seventh graders last year, only 16.6% of the students passed. This means that Pedro Santana is sending 80.4 % of eighth graders unprepared for high school math!

Sixth graders this past school year, only 19.7% of students passed and 25.9% of seventh graders passed. Why then is Pedro Santana held in such high esteem?

Where oh where is the scrutiny from the East Ramapo school district? What truly happened in NYC Pedro Santana? Did you leave on your own volition, or was it suggested that you just slither away akin to the snake that you are? Is Dr. Ira E. Oustatcher aware of your past idiosyncrasies?

Parents, the community, and The Journal News should be asking these questions.