A Teacher At PS 51 In The Bronx Fights Back

Today quite disconcerting news came across the SBSB newsroom desk. Nancy Tomassi, a teacher at PS 51 in the Bronx has filed a lawsuit against the DOE alleging that the former building that housed PS 51 led to her unborn child being diagnosed with anencephaly which resulted in her ending her pregnancy.

The crack team at SBSB and myself would like to first take this time to show how support and sympathy to Nancy, her husband Mike, and their entire families in this time of sadness and need. This must be an extremely difficult time for them to not only to find the strength to bring civil action against the city, but furthermore, to do so publicly by sharing with their world their plight, shows just how grounded both Nancy and Mike are. I and the crack team wish to pass along our condolences, thoughts, and most importantly our support at any time it is needed to both Nancy and Mike.

The loss of a child, whether born or unborn must be a feeling that is not only unfathomable, but heart wrenching to parents. Sadly, the idiocrats at Tweed and anyone associated with the NYC DOE are unable to share these feelings.

To know that since January 2011 that a school is infected with a known carcinogen, trichloroethylene, which has been known to cause birth defects and inform all those who worked in the school, should not only be considered irresponsible and unethical but borderline criminal.

Who is responsible for this? Who needs to pay? Let's not even look back to the yutz who decided that a former light factory, with all the chemicals that are involved in the making of, was a good place to place a school. Who was in charge since the discovery was made in January that this school was toxic?

Did Cathie Black who was chancellor of the NYC DOE at the time of discovery of toxins notified? One would assume that if toxins were to be discovered in a school that this should land on the chancellor's desk. Was Uncle Mike, the man that has given a longer life to millions of New Yorkers notified in January? If so, did he abscond on his fiduciary duties as the ultimate guardian of the children of NYC for he felt that little boys and girls of color, and teachers as well, are expendable? Did Dennis Walcott, the current chancellor know anything when he assumed the throne of chancellor? Surely, when Walcott said, “I am the chancellor, and I will take full responsibility for this,” his words should be taken literally and be named in the lawsuit.

But, who is ultimately most responsible for a school building? The principal. To paraphrase former senator Howard Baker, "what did Principal Paul Smith know and when did he know it?" This is a question that should be asked. This is a question that should be asked of Principal Smith during a deposition, under oath, on the witness stand under penalty of perjury.

Whomever tested the school surely did not walk into the school incognito. Why, if the school were to be tested would a principal be left out of the inner circle of knowledge? When someone, especially toxic testers (?) walk into a school, wouldn't the first person they report to be the principal? If so, WHY DID PRINCIPAL PAUL SMITH NOT IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY PARENTS AND STAFF? Are we to believe that Principal Smith was completely out of the loop in a major undertaking at his school? We call on Principal Smith to make public and to the Tomassi's the sign in books in the office and call upon DOE School Safety to make public the sign in books at the security desk.

Like a ship's captain a principal is the one ultimately responsible for their school. That is why we not only encourage the Tomassi's and their attorneys to utilize discovery to find out once of for all what Principal Smith knew and when he knew it, but if through discovery it is found that if Principal Smith is even 1% culpable that he is not only named a defendant but that like a good and well trained UK prime minister (see Howard Macmillan) that he do the honorable thing and resign immediately.

I know that the Tomassi's will not only find support, warmth, and empathy here on these pages, but in the hearts and mind of every teacher in New York City that sees what Uncle Mike has allowed a once great school system to become.

Teachers Of Los Angeles It's Time To Party With Educators 4 Excellence!!!

Hello teachers of Los Angeles! Do you ever get tired from the same old boring Friday nights? Are you looking for something to do other than attend another boring Clippers or Kings game? Well, look no more. We here at SBSB have a most exciting suggestion for a Friday night in the history of mankind.

As many of you out there in the City of Angels are aware, or not aware, a new Aryan youth group, Educators4Excellence has pitched a tent within your fair city. Seems that E4E has failed here in New York and like the Corleone family has been run off in the attempt to influence, and certainly degrade, education at the LAUSD. What does this have to do with you?

Well, at the behest of E4E, and its co-founders and co-executive directors Little Evan Stone and Princess Sydney Morris in conjunction with their newly recruited de facto Los Angeles leader, Ama Nyamekye (who comes to LA by way of NYC) the crack team wishes to invite you to E4E welcome kegger on Friday, January 20, 2012 at the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. Actually it is a dinner, with guest speaker your leader, Superintendent John Deasy. Rumor has it that preppy casual is the dress code.

How you may ask does one get their name on the exclusive guest list? Simple. Go to this link and sign up. If you have any issues with giving you name, be sure to check the official SBSB list of pseudonym's that one can sign up with. Once you are signed up to E4E, and of course sign the loyalty oath, not only will you be able to sign up for this gala event, but will be able to view all upcoming E4E events.

But not to worry. E4E is so full of themselves and their righteousness they will not even notice that there are moles at the event. Best of all the food and alcohol will be flowing and you will be able to drink and eat on E4E's dime. In fact, a little birdie has shared with the crack team that there is a strong possibility of a mic night! Oooh.

So sign up early and often and have fun.

ATR's!!! Look Upon Little Evan Stone And Be Led!

I read Chaz's latest blog posting this afternoon with a heavy heart. It seems that jolly old St Nick is not immune from the pratfalls of the long arms of the ATR (Absent Teacher Reserve) system. We here at SBSB feel for Santa on this last night of Hanukkah 5772 and pledge our support to the man in the red suit and hope he finds a permanent position.

We also feel for Chaz as well. I have spoken with Chaz many a time and have had him on as a guest on the radio show. Chaz should be in a school and classroom permanently. He is a wonderful person and a smart man. Perhaps if I had Chaz as a science teacher in high school I would have done better.

We also read, with a heavy heart a fairly new yet thought provoking blog, NYC ATR. In this blog the trials and tribulations of every day teachers who for no fault of their own are thrown to the proverbial wolves and left better out of sight and out of mind.

But in both blogs a common thread runs through. The lack an official voice granted by the UFT to the ATR teachers. The UFT poohs-poohs the ATR's concerns, Tweed treats the ATR's as some form of pox infected creature that lives beneath the auditorium stage. No one listens, or cares, about the ATR's. What can be done?

During tonight's game of dreidel myself and the crack team formulated an answer to what ails the ATR's. The answer was so obvious we were shocked we did not think of it sooner. Now mind you, the solution is somewhat controversial and out of the box, but it is guaranteed to work.

Look to Little Evan Stone of Educators 4 Excellence and thee shall be set free! Yes, I am not kidding here. What? You ask how can I and the crack team suggest the ATR's look to Little Evan to lead them from wondering the desert? It's all very simple. Little Evan and E4E advocate on their website;

"Educators 4 Excellence works to ensure that the voices of classroom teachers are included in the decisions that affect our profession and our students." 

Surely, this statement must include the ATR's that are toiling about New York City? Does E4E only advocate for teachers that are under 30 years of age, graduated from elite colleges, and have rich mommies and daddies? Isn't E4E inclusive of all NYC teachers?

To every ATR reading this it is time you contact Little Evan and let him show just how much he thinks he cares about you. Contact him through FB (which an email address is located), or this email, or this email, or you can Tweet him! Oh, you can also write Little Evan c/o Educators4Excellence, 333 W. 39th St. Suite 703 New York NY 10018, or call him at the office, (212) 279-8510. Let Evan now how much you agree with that E4E is an organization that wishes to give a voice to EVERY teacher!

But remember ATR's, give no quarter. Stand firm. Don't let Little Evan change what you want. You will not be working for him however, you ATR's will have Little Evan do your bidding.

But there is one downside to all this. It could be that mission statement and what Little Evan believes in is all a crock of shit. In that case, Little Evan will just confirm what everyone knows he already is.

Oh, just a disclamer. This post was a wee bit on the sarcastic side.

E4E's Laura Klein Of IS 217 Bronx Mocks Student In Foster Care

I keep going and keep coming back to an article that was written by Educators 4 Excellence drone Laura Klein which appeared on December 19. Her article, "'No Excuses' Is Not Just for Teachers" though written to encourage us as teachers to encourage our students not to use excuses for their mistakes, is yet another left-handed swipe at teachers by the notorious Borg Collective which is E4E and which Laura Klein surely is just another mindless, interconnected drone.

Again it is beyond laughable that a Jewish American Princess that attended Northwestern is one to lecture about pulling one's bootstraps up to cure all ills that affect students. Plus on top of that to seemingly lecture to teachers, and the public as well, the obvious continues the condescending, patronizing, self-importance of anyone associated with E4E.

Not only that, but Laura Klein is from a school, I.S. 217, Rafael Hernandez School of Performing Arts in the Bronx, which seems to be not doing well. What with only 13% at a 3 or 4 in reading, and Leadership Academy Seth Litt leading it into the toilet, one must wonder what Laura Klein has contributed to the impending train wreck and it's C rating.

In her first statement; It’s our job to teach them no matter what. We are often the adults that children see with the most consistency and frequency, and we are responsible for their educations, in the broadest sense of that word. But to truly help them be successful, we ourselves have to embody the “no excuses” attitude.

This seems to be written by Captain Obvious. But of course the condensation needs to be thrown in with the statement, 'we ourselves have to embody the “no excuses” attitude.' Yes, teachers will bitch, moan, and kvetch about their students. But at the end of the day we do the right things. Just because we bitch, moan, and kvetch does not mean we give up. We all do the same regarding our family members, it is a natural human way to let off steam.

Klein goes on; Students don’t complete an assignment, and we give them a second chance. A parent comes to school, upset to hear that his or her child is failing math, and we say, time and again, “they can make up the work.” A test is failed and we provide a chance to retake it, or do test corrections for extra credit.

Funny how E4E never bites the Uncle Mike hand that enables it. The above statement can very well be an indictment against credit recovery and the pressure that high school principals feel in producing outstanding graduation rates. Guess what Laura? You and your ilk would have much more credibility if instead of attacking teachers, education, and the union instead E4E channels itself towards those with power that have screwed up the system. Just look at the last month or so of principals being accused in jacking the credit recovery system. Where is the E4E outrage?

There’s a girl in my class with atrocious handwriting. “Illegible” is a gentle word to describe her work. We joke about it, and tease her, and ask her to take her time and write carefully.

“Maybe if I had a mother who had taught me that, I would have better handwriting!” she exclaims. She has been in and out of foster care for years. She has an explanation for her bad handwriting — but when does it become an excuse that inhibits her ability to communicate for the rest of her life?

This is an example? Big deal. My 8th grade English teacher called my handwriting spastic. It still is. However, jeez Laura, the girl has been in and out of foster care. How would you feel as a teenager if you were being shuttled from one family to another? You don't think this affects the student? Or should she just ignore this fact and pull herself up by her bootstraps?  Of course Laura you must be thinking that you are the Great White Hope that she feels she must model herself after. 

I was going to quote more from this frivolous article of self importance but now that I think about it, another thought has creeped into my ADD mind.

Two things. One is not ironic, or sad, that these twentysomething TFA's come into the South Bronx and with their arrogance and ignorance think they and they alone have all the answers? What is the truth is that 99% of them have been feeding from the silver trough of their self importance for so long that they feel only someone as elite a person that join's TFA and has gone to an elite school knows what is best for the brown boys and girls of the ghetto. But in reality, there self importance comes back to bite them in the ass and they soon get their comeuppance from the students and reality. This is not to say that all TFA's are like this. There are many TFA teachers that I know of who keep their mouths shut and their ears open. But the ilk associated with the collective mind speak of E4E are particularly appalling and smug in smelling their own farts.

But I just keep coming back to Laura Klein belittling a student that gets passed around in the foster care system the same way a pack of Newports gets passed around a prison yard.

I put it to you Laura, renounce any and all trusts, allowances, etc... that you receive from your your elite world. Go shopping for clothes on Fordham Rd, shop for groceries at Associated, live in a rat infested apartment. You look down from that perch and just think that you are better than what you are forced to deal with everyday.

We here at SBSB feel badly that you feel that you must mock those that are in foster care and wish to play the world's smallest violin in deference to your horrible work conditions. Perhaps you will feel more comfortable in a white, less transient community of students or students that have easy access to bootstraps. 

We wish you well Laura Klein. Perhaps in your next career, lawyer, lawyer, or lawyer you can associate yourself with those that are more like you.

A Very South Bronx School Christmas

Was wishing to blog about something tonight, but unfortunately have a touch of writer's block. However, I would like to share some videos that reflect upon spirit of Christmas with all the loyal readers of SBSB. As usual with this blog the selected videos are sure to offend some. Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo
Get More: SOUTH
PARKmore...

Red Sleigh Down
Get More: SOUTH
PARKmore...

Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics
Get More: SOUTH
PARKmore...

Venting In A Dramatic Monologue Sort Of Way

I am getting sick and tired of teacher bashing. I am sick and tired of blaming the teachers. I am sick and tired of the deformers.

Imagine what it is like to come to work every day and be hit by the equivalent of a 2X4 in the face every day. Imagine what it must be like to come to work when the night before your spouse left you, your child said they hate you, your parent is dying. A teacher has no choice but to shove it all away the minute 8 30 comes and turn that frown upside down in some demented smile while knowing that they are not allowed to be human.

I am getting fed up with hearing that every student deserves a great teacher when it is statistically impossible to have every teacher great. What is wrong with pretty darn fu**ing good?

Want to keep blaming teachers? Guess what ed deformers? Teachers do not choose the boneheaded, incoherent curriculum that has been heaped upon the children of New York City. It is the higher ups in the CSD's, Tweed, the dudes at McGraw Hill with the envelopes of Knicks tickets, cash, and prizes.

Hey, what about those kids who like at MS 203 in the Bronx that do not do anything in class? Why aren't these students reprimanded? Why aren't the parents called and told that it is about fu**king time they start acting like parents and ensure it themselves that their children get educated?

Let's not forget the 20 something and 30 something useless Leadership Academy principals who have never been in education. And this doesn't mean the,"Oh look at me, I got my administrative license after 5 years and am now an AP because my mother's best friend hired me" wastes. These types have nothing better to do than to harass any teacher that is over 35, shows independent thought, and is past step 8b on the salary scale. As one SBSB groupie shared with me, "if a teacher is being harassed and therefore so concerned with this harassment, does this not take away from his or hers ability to properly teach?" Think about it.

Hey, here is a good one. Why are there so many failing schools? It's because those schools are set up to fail. Yeah, the dirty little secret of Tweed is, "Fu** The Students," because what is more important is all the hedge funders, charter systems, and the $$$$ that can be used to complete the makeover of education into a has and will never have system.

The PEP members, that is of course except ((((HAWT)))) Manhattan rep Patrick Sullivan and his borough crew (think about it, Patrick Sullivan is like Fonzie) don't give one rat's ass about the students, the families, the schools, the teachers, and education in this city. How dare they sit there looking down on the people of NYC? How dare they accept whatever favors they receive from Uncle Mike. Just wish to know how do these people sleep at night.

Testing is now going to be a total of 4 hours? This is maddening. How can we expect a 9 year old to have that kind of attention span? How can we expect a 9 year old to love to learn, to love to come to school? To not come down with serious anxiety problems?

What other professional job will allow someone with only 50 hours of training be allowed to have the responsibility of so much in their hands? Will anyone hire a doctor, lawyer, rabbi, or priest with similar training?


I am sick of every ATR I have seen being over the age of 40 and having to worry day in and day our about whether or not this will be their last day earning a paycheck.

The time for teachers to rise is now. The time for the families and the students to rise is now. Our schools, our lives, the educational process must be removed from those that are involved and planning in the destruction of American education. It is not too late. It can never be too late. But it must be done.

A Bronx Student Thanks Mayor Bloomberg For The Education He Has Received

The crack team would like to welcome a guest blogger tonight, a student in the NYC DOE by the name of Throckmorton. Throckmorton plans to share with us how much Uncle Mike has done for his education. So without further adieu, please welcome Throcky.

Hi, I would like to thank Bronx Teacher and the crack team here at SBSB for allowing me to share with the SBSB readership the wonderful things Uncle Mike has done for my education. Without Uncle Mike's policies I would not be where I am now.


It all started in Kindergarten for me. I was born the first week of December so already I am somewhat behind the 8 ball. Most of the kids in my class were several months older than me and at that age a gap like that makes a big difference in learning styles. Also, my parents were fighting a lot. Seemed that whenever my dad had too much too drink, which was like every night, he would shove my mom's head into a wall.


Anyway, I withdrew and with no support at home I was really behind. I remember meeting with my mom and my principal. I was told I was being left back. I was so upset I cried. But I recall the principal telling my mom that if students were to be left back it should be wither in grades K or 1. Anything other than being held back in those grades was just a waste of time and just for political means.


I eventually got over it and looked forward to K all over again. Unfortunately the teacher we had, who I really loved and had been making progress with me all of the sudden went away. Yeah, just like one day she did not show up. I found out later she was sent to this place called the Rubber Room because she farted in a non-prescribed official NYC DOE manner. We went through 3 more teachers until March when it was decided to just split the class up and send us all into already overcrowded situations. I became lost and alone and I regressed, but darn if I wasn't promoted to 1st grade.


The first day of 1st grade I was so excited. I had a man teacher. His name was Chad Pennyworth and this was his first teaching job ever! He told us how smart he was because he went to a college named Harvard. He didn't even call us students! We were scholars. Even our tables had weird names. Let me see if I could remember. Oh yeah. The table names were Greenwich, Scarsdale, Bronxville, Upper Saddle River, and Roslyn. We were told to call the cafeteria the dinning hall, and the gym was the physical arts centre. We really felt important.


We really didn't get to do much in 1st grade. We had 3 students that took almost all of Mr Pennyworth's time. These kids, Moe, Larry, and Shemp threw chairs, overturned desks, hit other students. Mr Pennyworth did not know what to do. When he turned to administration to help him, nothing happened. Funny, when the other old teacher's came to help him he always said, "That is not in my TFA manual."


I went into 2nd grade and I had this old woman teacher. She must have been 90 years old! But I learned so much in the short amount of time that she was my teacher. The last day we ever saw her was October 5. After that, no one knew. Only now did I find out she was sent to that Rubber Room place again because she bought a house plant for the school. Again, we went through 3 or 4 teachers before the class was split up and I felt anger at being attached to a teacher yet again and having her taken away from me.


Third grade was going to be scary. From day 1 I was told that if I fail the test I will be held back again. That if that happened my parents, my grandparents would hate me. I dreaded that test coming up. But guess what? Mr Pennyworth was my teacher again. He told us the first day this was his last year as a teacher. He got accepted at some NBA program at Stanford Connecticut. But this time our tables were named Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, and Dartmouth.


We had the same kids in the class that caused all these commotion as in first grade. Moe, Larry, and Shemp got bigger and scarier. I almost got hit by a chair. Nothing was ever done. Also, we didn't any science or social studies until April. All we did was study for the test.


Sadly, my mother got pregnant my my father's best friend. He flew into a rage in front of me and beat my mother so hard she wound up in Bronx-Lebnon Hospital for two months. My father was arrested and had a vacation at an island named Rikers for a long time. I missed my father and mother so much. But I got to stay with my Tia. She was 67 years old at the time, had bad diabetes, and didn't speak any English. She never left the apartment. She had my cousin take me to school. More on him later.


Anyway, the test came and I threw up the night before all the tests and peed myself the morning of the tests. There was a crazy question on the test about poloponies. What is a poloponie? I was so sad I got 1's on the math and ELA. The day my mother came out of the hospital I was told I would have to go to summer school.


Summer school sucked. I was so angry being there. If only they knew about the problems I had in 3rd grade someone would have come in and saved me. I was in an old building that was built in 1904. My class was on the top floor and it was hot and there was no air conditioning. I hated it. I hated the teacher. I hated everyone. I wanted to leave but I knew I couldn't. I took the tests again and I got 1's. I had to do 3rd grade again.


I was planning on buckling down in 3rd grade. I knew if I had an old lady teacher I could do good. But that September we had 15 new teachers and a new principal who told us he was 25 years old. All the old ones suddenly either died or vanished.


My mother tried to get me into resource room, or SETTS, or meeting with a guidance counselor. But the new principal in a meeting with her and his 6 new AP's explained that there was no money for these positions. I remember looking at the new gold plated sink in his office as he said these words.


I managed to get a 2 on the math and ELA and the same the following year in 4th grade. Yeah, I fooled them. I am at a 2nd grade reading level. I started to get in more trouble in 3rd and 4th. I was suspended a couple of times. I left a deuce in the urinal once, and another time I told the principal to fuck off. But, hey I was hanging out with my buddies. School I learned was not for me, nor did these big shots truly care about me.


So here I am in finally in the 5th grade. I just turned 12 while everyone else in my class is 10 years old. My mother has been trying to get me some support services at school, but she is told there is no money. We finally have a guidance counselor, but I only see her once a month because she has so many students, not scholars, to service. I feel so ashamed that I am starting to shave and my friends in my grade aren't. But I have other friends.


Remember my cousin? He runs with a gang. I hang out with them a lot. Sometimes until midnight. Yeah, midnight even on school nights. What's the big deal? My mother is watching the baby all the time, my father is in jail. School sucks. The teachers that I liked leave, the teachers that say I am a scholar can't teach me and talk to me like I am a wimp. The principal just wants to take care of his cronies.


Last week some rich white guy came to talk to the 5th grade. He said we can be rich like him if we just put our minds to it and pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. Yeah, now I know what I am doing wrong.


I just want to be a kid. I want someone to let me explore, to let me learn on my own, to give me the boundaries I want so bad.


Thank you Mayor Bloomberg. Your education policies have made me feel like a failure at the age of 12.

Little Evan Stone Is 99% Road Apples

Did you know that Little Evan Stone of Educators 4 Excellence is amongst the 99%? Yes, that is a fact. We here at SBSB couldn't believe it ourselves when we were sent the link to Little Evan's Google+ page last week. The photo was very grainy and since the crack team and myself believe in objective bloggerism, we had to wait for all the facts to come in before we decided to have a go. Wait, that is not the truth. The truth is we it took us about a minute to confirm that Little Evan's profile photo on Google+ was truly him at Zuccotti Park, and about a week of laughing our asses off, and the cleaning of the subsequent mess we made, to share with the loyal readers this joke.

Since Little Evan in all probability will delete the photo of him supporting OWS, we feel that screen shots will best explain. Here is Little Evan at OWS (click to enlarge);

Now just in case there is any doubt observe the buildings behind both of Little Evan's shoulders. We would like to thank the programmers of Google Street View for their cooperation. The crack team has ascertained that Evan is standing on Liberty St towards the corner with Trinity Pl. (again, click to enlarge);

Why share this? The first thing that was discussed was not the hypocrisy of Little Evan ingratiating himself with those at OWS, but rather what the photo in his profile is telling everyone.

This is just another case of Little Evan Stone having to be the center of attention. Little Evan could have posted a generic photo of OWS, but noooooooooooooo. It had to be a photo of him, a photo of him "being down" with those at Zuccotti Park. Keep in mind this is a young man that has lived life through a silver prism. A young man that attended one of the most elite (we will not give away personal information here) high schools in Pasadena CA.

A high school that is so elite, it sucks in children that refuse to attend the public schools of Pasadena for there are one too many children of color in the Pasadena school district and that is predominantly white.

A  high school that is so elite, the average class size in the upper, or high school is 17 students. In fact, why isn't E4E sharing with us lower class people a white paper on class size?

A high school that is so elite its primary purpose at one time was to funnel students into Cal Tech.

A high school that is so elite that the tuition is $24K a year.

Little Evan has lived an elitist life. From his day's of dressing for the evening meal, to commanding his wet nurse, to his days at Yale in which he played an elitist sport, soccer. Yes, soccer, as personified by the white, rich elites is an easy and elitist sport to play. Why not baseball? Probably to afraid to get hit by a rising fastball coming at him at 90 MPH. Football? Too many people of color for sure.

For Little Evan to think that he has anything in common with those at Zuccotti Park or those in the Occupy movement is pathetic. The only thing he has in common is that they and he both need to realize that he is the enemy, the 1%, part of the problem. But Little Evan will never realize that as long as he wishes to be the attention whore, the "me too" person that he is.

Little Evan is nothing more than a $3 bill. Both lack values. Both are not real.

An Inane Soliloquy Of Venting

I am thisclose to being fed up with teaching. With education. With the NYC DOE.

I'm tired of hearing the rhetoric of "students first" or children first." It's all bullshit. The more one claims its about the students, the less it is.

This "passing the buck," shit ain't working either. The only people out there who do not pass the buck are the teachers. Everyone else, administrators, parents, superintendents, short mayors with several Freudian complexes, chancellors, Tweedies, politicians, school shrinks, hedge fund managers, when are they going to see what we see? When will their eyes be pried open to not only look in the mirror, but to look around at the true reality?

How can a teacher teach, a child be educated, when in a classroom bursting at the seams has over 30 students with at least 3 major behavioral problems? I'm not talking wise asses, I am talking students that when they don't get their way have serious outbursts that turn violent. Throwing chairs, flipping over desks, and attacking other students. And believe it or not this happens every day.

Hell, let's get away from the violent ones to the at least 5 more who disrupt by being more than wise asses. Those that come to school and see school as a six hour social hour.  These students are rude, lie, do not do any work. They will tell you to go fuck yourself just as easily as they manipulate their parents into believing that they are the persecuted in school.

These students are degrading the educational process for all. But what is done? Nothing. Nada. Bupkus. No one wants to take responsibility for these students. Even the parents of the students who are affected do not rise up and head to an administrator en masse and demand that these students be removed from the learning environment.

Even when the school support team gets off its collective asses 99% of the time they come in with their liberal agenda and poo-poo the teacher even when hundreds of pages of anecdotals contradict their own liberal leanings. 

Administrators that just pass the buck, they don't wish to make the hard decisions. And even when these administrators do decide to make the hard decisions they are shot down in the suspension hearings because there is some old fart former principal on F status who wishes to inject his liberal philosophy on a school.

What about these parents? To get a parent to come in is like pulling teeth. Gosh darn it, it is your child, your progeny, you must be there and come in when you are asked to. You are not under any circumstances your child's friend. You are your child's parent. Start acting like it. I promise you that the student who will talk to a teacher like that teacher is a nothing or say to a teacher to go "fuck themselves" is getting it right from that parent's mouth.

Teach your child to take responsibility. Teach your child to have values. Stop letting your child go to sleep at 11 PM after watching inappropriate television. Stop taking your child to R rated movies. Set boundaries.

Yes, I know poverty is tough and it can be pretty shitty out there. But I see awesome support systems out there. They need to be taken advantage of. I also know that while we look at poverty as a culprit in what is ailing students in the inner city with their education there is something much worse.

What is it? It is the pervasive values and culture that is out there. Gosh, I sound like an old fart saying this, but there is a value and cultural system out there that education has a tough time competing with at times.

We live in a culture that has over the last 20 years has rewarded and allowed to become celebrities criminals, stupid people, and liars. In my opinion it all started with Joey Buttafuco. Oh yeah, and anything on the FOX Network.

I walk into the bodega at lunch time and I hear rap being played by the Yemini gentleman with mother******, c***, bit**, etc... Kids at 8 years of age hear this. They want to emulate it. Students in 4th and 5th grade are so pulled to the street, the  colors and the easy bling, the easy money, and the easy sense of camaraderie.

These kids need so much more than just testing, testing, testing, staying late and coming to school on weekends. They need to learn how to think of others, think of a team. I could go into my son's classroom and ask for a show of hands of how many kids play some type of organized team sports. Every hand but one or two will be raised. In almost any school in the South Bronx maybe one or two hands, if that many, will be raised.

It is so sad what has become of education in NYC. No one gives a hoot except the teachers. Everyone else, all they care is about looking good and covering their asses. It is time for education and teaching to return. It is time for students to be allowed to be students and let them be free from students and their parents who do not wish to learn. It is time for students to learn as children learn, by exploring, by being inquisitive, by being themselves. It is time to limit class size to no more than 14-17 students per class.

The students are being harmed exponentially. Is there anyone out there in a position of power other than the teachers that gives a damn?

Teachers Of Los Angeles, Introducing Education4Excellence's Princess Sydney Morris

Hello teachers and educators of Los Angeles. This past Saturday, December 3, Little Evan Stone, co-founder and co-chief executive officer was profiled in these pages. Tonight in the promise to share all we know here at SBSB about Educators4Excellence with our Los Angeles brethren we would like to introduce the Left Coast to the other brain behind E4E, the other co-founder, the other co- chief executive officer, Princess Sydney Morris. Of course any teacher can go to the E4E bio of Princess Sydney and read her bio, but we here at SBSB believe that one should at the very least not embellish their accomplishments and stay away from cliches.

The first embellishment of Sydney's bio lies in the first ten words; A native New Yorker and a product of New York public schools, 

Yes, Princess Sydney is a native New Yorker and was a product of New York public schools. The crack team will give her the benefit of the doubt that she is not fibbing in claiming she is from New York. Of course we know being a New Yorker can mean from New York State. What we do take issue with is claiming to be a product of the "New York public schools." This is implying that Princess Sydney came through the rough and tumble world of the New York City Public Schools when nothing could be further from the truth. If one went to Yonkers Public School would one claim that they are a product of the Yonkers schools or the New York schools?


No, Princess Sydney is a product of one of the whitest, richest school districts in Westchester County, New York. Princess Sydney wishes for all to see that she is, "down," when in reality she is not. This Los Angeles teachers is something, the lies, the twisting of the words, that you must face when dealing with E4E.

The bio goes on to share; Sydney joined Teach For America as a teacher in the Bronx, NY where she taught second and third grade at PS 86. 

Yes, Princess Sydney was a teacher at PS 86 in the Bronx. But what kind of teacher?  Hmmm, let's read about it. Here is a little more truth about what Princess Sydney wants and how her and Little Evan Stone operate.

But, enough of this. Princess Sydney decided to become a teacher because; "I knew my students would teach me more than I ever thought possible."

Wow! Reaching into the teacher book of cliches. So mommy and daddy spent all this money for you at Tulane and all you thought about was that your students would teach you things? We here would have accepted to not be drafted and go to Vietnam as not only acceptable, but truthful as well. But, I recall a professor of mine in college sharing with me that many become teachers because they felt they were not educated correctly. Of course that answer would have been acceptable. 

Princess Sydney's favorite thing about E4E (of course it all returns to E4E); having the opportunity to talk to the thoughtful, passionate, dedicated teachers that are part of this work and hear their insightful ideas about how to improve our schools.

Yes, the passionate, thoughtful, dedicated teachers that are under 28 years of age and clueless.Of course a loyalty oath anointing Princess Sydney and Little Evan Stone as your lords and overseers, but what's the biggie?

One of Sydney's most memorable students; .....was already a teacher the day I watched her helping the other kids at her table master 2-digit multiplication.


So she is a teacher already? Maybe she just has a big heart? Maybe she likes to help. Another cliche. Jeez!

These inauthentic bios in which accompany Little Evan Stone and Princess Sydney are truly written to show them in the best artificial light imaginable. There is no real there. There is no there in their reality. Only these politically correct responses.

But, this is what is awaiting you in Los Angeles. Be sure to sign up and keep track of E4E. E4E failed in New York City, they must fail in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Teachers Please Welcome Little Evan Stone Of Educators4Excellence

Hey Los Angeles teachers! Since Educators4Excellence has now slimed its way into the workings of the Los Angeles public schools, we here at SBSB feel it is time to learn more about your new overseers. Today we will learn more about E4E co-founder and co- executive officer Little Evan Stone.

Evan offers a fascinating biography on his E4E biography, but we'll get to that in a moment. But first, let's examine Little Evan's bio from when he was a panelist at the Yale School of Management Education Leadership Conference from March of 2011.

Of course the bio starts off with the continued fabrication that E4E is an independent voice in education;

a dynamic non-profit organization that provides an independent voice for educators in the policy debate surrounding education reform.

Wait, but more embellishment on the greatness of Evan is coming! As of now, December 3, 2011 E4E is claiming over 3,200 members. But in his Yale panelist bio it is claimed that in March, 2011 E4E;

......has quickly grown to represent over 1,000 educators who desire a system that prioritizes the needs of students.

Hmmm. Is someone cooking the books? But wait!! Hold on! Here comes the biggest story ever told!

For three years Evan was a 6th grade classroom teacher where he demonstrated excellence with dramatic student gains.

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! I guess Little Evan believes in the Michelle Rhee method of making one look better than they are. Which seems to contradict what he told out mole here (10th paragraph), as well as here.  We here at SBSB are quite befuddled. As mentioned in yesterday's posting Little Evan promised to release his test scores once the new website is up. We here at SBSB call on Little Evan to man up and release is test scores as promised and to prove the dramatic gains.

Little Evan seems as well to be biting the proverbial hand that feeds him when it is claimed;

He also focused his academics on the achievement gap by writing his thesis on how “No Child Left Behind” was negatively impacting local school funding in New Haven.

Bashing the NCLB? The bible of the deformers? We here at SBSB are hard on the case attemtping to locate his thesis from Yale. But enough of Little Evan's fabricated, if not embellished bio from Yale. Shall we look at his E4E bio?

it seems that Evan did not begin his teaching career in 2007 as he has stated. It began much earlier;

as a coach - running the VIP soccer team for children with special needs and coaching both a boys and girls AYSO team while in high school.

In light of Little Evan's admission I to would like to change the start of my teaching to career to 1975. That year I was in 5th grade and I assisted my father in coaching my younger brother's Little League team. I kept score. Also, in 1979, when I was 15, I was a Camper in Leadership Training at YMCA Camp Sloane in Lakeville, CT. So technically I have been teaching 36 years.

Evan became a teacher because.....

a quality education is a gift that can never be taken away.

Wow! Did he reach into the book of teacher cliches to come away with that? Impressive.

Evan's finest moment as a teacher came when a student upon Jerry Spinelli's "Loser" exclaimed;

“This book is not about a loser – it is about a winner.”

Fascinating! If this kid did not have Little Evan as a teacher, this kid never would have said that. What is even more amazing is that Little Evan is amazed at a 6th grader is able to come up with an answer like that.

But last but not least, Evan reaches back into the cliche bag to blabber about his vision for education;
a prestigious, respected teaching profession that drives positive student outcomes.

Yes, only Little Evan wishes this. Only Little Even is doing everything to destroy this vision. As the Vichy government collaborated with Berlin, E4E, Little Evan, et. al are nothing more than Collaborationists  in league not with Berlin, but those in Washington DC, Los Angeles and New York City.

Los Angeles teachers, be wary, be careful of E4E and Little Evan Stone. He will say or do anything to push further the policies of his puppet masters.

The SBSB Tour of the New Educators4Excellence Website

The crack team would like to congratulate Educators4Excellence on the introduction of their new website. Good luck E4E and may the force not be with you.This coincides with E4E's announcement that they have now infiltrated Los Angeles, an announcement that we here at SBSB scooped the entire world with on October 5, 2011.

On March 16 in a blog post, I wrote of how I had spoke with Little Evan to invite him on the radio show (which is returning after the 1st of the year). Little Evan informed me that that not only is E4E in the process of upgrading its website but one it does, Little Evan said that he would finally post the scores of his students (9th paragraph). Apparently from looking around this website, Little Evan did not keep his word.

So what is new about this website? First, all must re-register. Yes, Heywood Jablowme, Mike Hunt, Seymour Butz, and any of those sock puppets that were used to register with E4E in the past will not be able to get to the innards (more on that later) of the website. Our advice? Register early and often.

Now, you ask yourself, what are these innards of the website that are in question? The innards are a message board/forum, and even more fun only those registered will be able to see E4E events.

There is the multimedia page in which one can see videos of testimonials of E4E sycophants, but even better. One can see photographs of E4E members hard at work contemplating education's future. Notice how in these photos that no one seems over 30 years of age. That is except E4E groupie and hanger on Barbara Gsovski. 

Wait, there is more! There are links to chapters, news, and issues. But most fun, most revealing is we finally get to see beyond Little Evan and Princess Sydney and see who else is running E4E.

The hilarity starts when we are told the mythic beginnings atop the mountain of E4E. However, it fails to mention how E4E has been financed from the get go. Why no mention of Gates Foundation money which was laundered through Education Reform Now/Joe Williams? Surely, Little Evan and Princess Sydney believe in accountability?

One line does make us roll on the floor and laugh our fucking asses off. E4E claims;

In just one year, we have grown into a national movement of teachers leading the charge to change our education system.

They have got to be joking. What have they succeeded in in NYC? What legislation they have championed has passed? What positive changes to NYC education have they spearheaded? Nothing and nothing. Like the Moe Green telling Michael Corleone that the Corleone family is being chased out of New York to Las Vegas, E4E is being chased out of NYC to Los Angeles. National Movement? The only movement E4E can claim is when Princess Sydney has her laxative laden weekly bowel movement.

We all knew that Little Evan and Princess Sydney were Führer and Fräu of E4E, but did you know that they spawned others working at E4E? There are a total of 6 Gruppenführer's underneath and serving Little Evan and Princess Sydney who all happen to be under the age of 30. We look forward to disseminating their lack of skills in the coming weeks with great glee.

Teachers of Los Angeles, meet E4E at the gates. They must and can be stopped and made irrelevant. I leave with these words from Robert Skeels, a true do gooder, a true friend, a true activist, and author of the Solidaridad blog;

Yet another fringe-right, astroturf "teacher" group springs up in Los Angeles. No surprise that they tout "research" from the highly discredited NCTQ and other right-wing think tanks, and advocate for VAM/AGT, culling experienced teachers, kiss up pay, elimination of due process, etc. The establishment of the Los Angeles faction is praised by none other than Bircher Elise Buik of the United Way.  

While some of my New York contacts might be overstating how dangerous this group is, my take is that they are one more reactionary Broad/Gates element to keep an eye on like all the other vile trojan horses like NewTLA, Teach +, New Teacher Project, etc.

They must be stopped. Seek out Robert Skeels for support!

Did Bronxdale High School's John Chase Jr Try To Relieve His Guilt?

On November 18, the amazing powers that John Chase Jr, principal of Bronxdale High School were analyzed. Not only is he able to contort his wee wee into the strangest inanimate objects, how he prefers inanimate objects to human flesh, but amazingly whilst under investigation for sharing said information concerning his hoo ha, is still in place at Bronxdale High. We congratulated him, somewhat sarcastically, on his ability to not be removed and the possibility of being rewarded sometime in the future for his indiscretions.

An interesting comment was left on November 22 at 10:01 PM by Anonymous;

Is it possible that this adult male was merely joking with his adult peers??? Many people do make JOKES with other adults that have nothing to do with the job they hold. Once again people over react and point fingers. At no time do I read that this man had any inappropriate contact or discussion with children and yet some wingnut calls him a predator. Notice, too, that a post from a Bronx teacher may be a teacher who has been disciplined in some way by the principal and is now getting "revenge". Don't read too much into a few stupid remarks. 

The crack team and myself thought it a bit odd. It did not seem as much of a defense of Principal Chase's behavior as much as it seemed as an excuse of his behavior. A rationalization if you will. But  the following evening, November 23 at 10:39 PM by another Anonymous left this comment which more or less confirmed our original thinking;

Thanks for that comment, Mr. Chase...next time remember those teachers aren't your friends, they're your subordinates. Keep your pecker in your pants.

Now, we have no proof who left the first comment. The crack team does agree with the commenter that is would be beneficial for Principal Chase to do all he can to keep his pecker in his pants. However, the original comment does seem a wee bit strange.

A  comical bent on this excuse left by the commenter would be from the 1982 movie Diner. Boogie (Mickey Rourke) bets his friends that he can get Carol Heathrow to grab is ding dong.  Boggie's tallywhacker somehow wound up in the box of popcorn they were sharing at the movies.  Boogie's  excuse to Carol Heathrow after she reached into the popcorn box and found quite a surprise was classic. 

So to was this excuse. Either way, if this commenter was Principal Chase or not, but it would give reason to some confirmation of the unfortunate actions taken by Principal Chase. More so, this person fails to see the inappropriateness in the comments that Principal Chase allegedly made.

As a principal and a leader of a school building with the vast majority of his subordinates female, one can see that how wrong making comments like this are, even if they were said in jest. Comments like the ones Principal Chase allegedly made should not be made, especially to people you do not have the type of relationship to make those type of comments.

But worse, it just skeeves us up here at SBSB that these type of comments, places he would stick his manhood, were made in a school. Only a narcissist would make these comments to females and only a narcissist would not see anything wrong with the comments, or where the comments were made.

We here at SBSB call on The Commissioner of Special Investigations (Condon's office), to examine Principal Chase's home computer and/or any other device that he owns that his connected to the Internet and settle once and for all whether or not he was the commenter of November 22. If he was, the comment that was left seems like an admission of guilt.