Rally and Presser On August 1 For Removal of Jennifer Rogers, Principal at PS 29 in Queens

For those that do not know, there will be a rally tomorrow morning, August 1, at 11 AM in front of
PS 29 in College Point, Queens to demand the ouster of incompetent, mean, arrogant, principal Jennifer Rogers.

Jennifer Rogers, probably one of the least qualified people ever to hold the job of principal, is totally
in over her head and unqualified. Her job, which in all probability she got do to her connections of her mother, Carolyn Jones (and the Leadership Academy) former principal at PS 23 in District 10 in the Bronx.

But as with being a principal in NYC, one can do anything short of murder and still retain their position. Or just read the comments here.

The students are afraid of her, the parents are afraid of her, the community is afraid of her, and so are the teachers (except the sycophants). But not anymore after tomorrow.

Remember, press conference at 11 AM, followed by rally. And, all it takes is a politician, teachers, and a few parents for the presser and the rally. Hey, that gives me an idea....

Governor Cuomo and DFER Screw First Graders

I was not planning on writing anything tonight. I was cruising through Facebook, catching up on the latest person's dinner, reading the 60th birthday wishes to Geddy Lee, and checking out Badass Teachers Association. I came across this disturbing post by the blogger, Chris Cerrone, over on @thechalkface.

I rarely post someone else's blog verbatim because I feel it is not right, I find it lazy, and I find it not

being original. But this to me is, well disturbing is not the word, fucked up is the word, of what the reformers are doing to education in New York State.

 We have Governor Andy to thank for this and him being DFER's bitch boy. I wonder Governor, does Joe Williams at DFER have the decency to give you a reach around?

I can go into why this is so FUBAR and the train wreck that is coming but I have a new book, "Washington: A Life" by Ron Chernow that I wish to read.


From Chris Cerrone; 

Holy Mesopotamia Batman: First Grade CCSS vocabulary.

July 29, 2013 By Chris Cerrone 17 Comments

 

I have been giving the New York State Education Department’s new Common Core curriculum modules a study over the last few weeks. I see these modules as an insulting scripted curriculum that favors test preparation skills over learning.  I teach middle school social studies so new reforms such as the Common Core have not had much of a direct impact on my classroom yet, but as a parent the Common Core and its related high-stakes testing machine has my full attention.

I came across this First Grade curriculum module on Early World Civilizations that I have found troubling.  I have my doubts about the historical content of this ELA module. I am putting together a piece I hope to finish soon on the random nature of the history topics contained in the NYSED modules so I will pass on analyzing if the social studies content is appropriate for six year olds for now.

So primary grade educators:  I need your help:

  What do you think of the vocabulary contained in this unit of study?

From Core Knowledge Language Arts- New York Edition “Early Civilizations- Tell it Again Read-Aloud Anthology
Follow Chris Cerrone on twitter: @stoptesting15

DR Alison Coviello; PhD and Principal, Puts PS 154 in the Bronx on LOCK DOWN!!!

 For those that would like some background music whilst reading this post, please be sure to right click here so it will open up in new tab or window. Enjoy!

Tonight we have something that shows how one gets in over their head, one can't admit they were wrong, how one can't lead, and one is out of touch with reality. Yes, it is time to play, "this shit can't

be made up!"

And tonight's subject of TSCBMU none other that DR Alison Coviello; PhD and Principal, or in this instance, PhD and Warden of PS 154 in the Bronx.

Back in March, the beginning of March, give or take a few days, there was a near riot within the confines of PS 154.

Now this riot was touched in these pages back on March 7. The riot, some would say a gang riot, pitted five 5th grade girls against a lone 5th grade girl. In fact, one of those girls from the group of 5 had become so agitated she picked up a pair of scissors and went after the lone girl.

But you ask, how could this be when PS 154 is known world wide of its state of the art school PBIS discipline code? From the March 23 blog post;

...Now remember before the tale is told, The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School uses the most awesome as well and most excellent PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) system. The key to this system is the card. A student starts at neutral (white), they do well and the student gets a green then a blue card, and when you are a bad child you go from yellow to red. Got it?

But it had gotten to that point because the PBIS crud does not work. Especially not with the true cause of the problems in the 5th grade in this past school year. There were approximately 20-25 (some would say more) hard core extremely challenging students in that grade. For these students having their card on red was a sign on cred, a sign of respect, a sign that they are the "baddest." What happened to this students previously when having received a red card or their behavior was out of line? They were forbidden from going to an assembly, like a puppet show, or Santa, or the Easter Bunny.  But for someone suckling on a silver spoon and never having any wants in their live, how can one understand this?

So this day of the riots, there were several little riots out in the yard that day. Well, that was the last straw, for the next day DR Alison Coviello; PhD and Principal issued the ultimate punishment. LOCK DOWN!

Yes, it was lock down. Not only were the students prevented from changing classes (the teachers now changed classes), but the students had their specialty classes inside their classrooms, were not allowed to go to the bathroom alone, were not allowed to walk the halls at all, were not allowed to go to their IEP provider, were not allowed to go to the cafeteria, and were not allowed recess, and were not allowed to out of their classrooms. How long did this go on? For nearly a month.

Their lunches were brought up to them, as one who was in lock down in a jail cell had the trustee bring them their meals. Since there were about 75-80 students in the grade and all the classes were on the top floor, this meant someone had to haul all these lunches upstairs. What did the students receive most of the time? Peanut Butter and Jelly, milk, and a fruit? Where was the hot lunch? Aren't hot lunches required by law?

Why were the vast, vast, vast majority of the students, the ones who behaved, the ones who did not cause problems day in and day out punished for the actions of others?

Why for nearly a month were the challenging students not given a chance to redeem themselves or invited to redeem themselves (Readers, make a mental not of this for a future blog post to highlight hypocrisy)?

How did the parents feel about their children being locked down like a bunch of convicts on cell block 4? Were these parents notified? Was there any parental input?

Was the upper echelon of District 7 and Tweed notified of said action?

It never had to come to this. It never had to be.

No that old saying, "Would it play in Peoria?" How about this saying, "Would it play in Harrison NY?" No. Why? Because problems are solved the first time.

Is DR Alison Coviello; PhD, Qualified to Lead in Harrison NY?

I often stay up at night wondering how things differ in my son's school (Harrison NY) vis a vis how things are done in NYC, in particular, PS 154. We can say, "What Would Harrison Do?" or WWHD? But please make a mental note of Harrison, for this soon will be the topic of another blog post in the

not too distant future.

First a little background.

We had a SAVE room this past year at PS 154. Not really a SAVE room, more like a Happy Good Time Emotion Response SAVE room. It was poorly run and students that got in trouble were rewarded with ice cream parties and candy. For reasons the Crack Team can only speculate, the Happy Good Time Emotion Response SAVE room was shut down in February of 2013.

Now, with elementary schools having SAVE rooms this means that such schools become suspension centers for other elementary schools from within and without the district. Students put on superintendent's suspensions are sent to such schools.

With me so far?

So these students, students that are deemed too dangerous or violent to be in their normal school setting, are sent elsewhere to schools that have a SAVE room. In fact, we at PS 154 received such a student in March.

What's that you ask? How can we have a student sent to us from another school to the SAVE room in March when you just shared that the Happy Good Time Emotion Response SAVE room at PS 154 was shut down in February?

Someone, ***COUGH*** DR Alison Coviello; PhD ***COUGH*** obviously had not. Now, was it a outright "liar, liar, pants on fire," lie, or a lie of omission?

A 5th grade student, Ezra Horowitz, was sent to PS 154 from District 10 for about 3 weeks. He punched out a teacher.

But where did they put this student that had no SAVE room to attend? Simple.

With another 5th grade class. And of course, the parents of the students in this class were never notified.

If this is not a breach of state law and the being concerned with not only the safety of the students of the 5th grade class at PS 154, but what about the education of Ezra?

According to Chancellor's Regulation A-443, Ezra is supposed to receive a classwork packet from his class. Ezra had not.

Ezra is also entitled to all related services that are on his IEP, provided he has one. Did he? Don;t know, but if he did, I doubt it.

Were Ezra parents notified that he would be in a classroom? Was his school? Were the parents of the 5th grade class.

These are all pertinent questions that should have been addressed. In fact, never needed to have been addressed, if DR Alison Coviello; PhD was doing her job and following, and not interpreting NYS law.

But apparently Ezra had some issues. On one occasion Ezra told a teacher that he wants to go bring a gun to school and shoot all the students in the 5th grade class he was assigned to at PS 154. That teacher immediately went to the chain of command to share this information. Nothing was done at all.

Which brings us back to Harrison NY.  This school year a troubled student in my son's grade, whose father happens to be a New York police officer, threatened to bring one of his father's guns to school and shoot up the entire grade. My son and a friend heard this and shared it with the principal. At no time was the buck passed, heads buried in the ground, or excuses made. This student was dealt with fairly and in an extremely timely manner. He was suspended (I forget if it was in house or at home) for two weeks.

Which leads to this question. Is DR Alison Coviello; PhD, qualified to be a school leader in Harrison NY? That is for you the reader to discuss. Remember, having PhD. really doesn't mean anything.

And would DR Alison Coviello; PhD, be able to get away with what she does at PS 154?

My son's principal doesn't have one and he knows bulletin boards are bullshit.

Does Principal, DR Alison Coviello; PhD of PS 154 in the Bronx Believe in Students First?

 Does Principal, DR Alison Coviello; PhD. care as much as she claims she does about the students of PS 154, or does she have some nihilistic agenda to rid the school of teachers she does not care for no matter the cost and damage to the students?

Now the type of teachers that are victims of her nihilistic approach are those that are primarily of color, over the age of 40, due for tenure, make too much money, and possess an independent streak in which they
refuse to sip the laced Kool-Aid Principal, DR Alison Coviello; PhD serves up.

But The Crack Team has suggested not answer the above concerns on these pages. Rather, it will be you the reader, to decide whether or not Principal, DR Alison Coviello; PhD had the best interests of the students or the best interests of her agenda at heart.

This past April in the middle of teaching a lesson, a 2nd grade teacher allowed a man into her classroom. This man, unbeknownst to the teacher, was about to serve her with 3020a papers for being incompetent. This teacher received a U rating from Principal, DR Alison Coviello; PhD in the 2011-2012 school year after Principal, DR Alison Coviello; PhD had been on the job 7 1/2 weeks.

Now one must ask themselves, how can Principal, DR Alison Coviello; PhD decide that the teacher in question was unsatisfactory for the year after barely two months of her exalted supervision? And why did Principal, DR Alison Coviello; PhD feel the need to not only have to humiliate and defile this teacher in the middle of the lesson?

But it gets more interesting.

The next day of course the teacher is removed, the students have no teacher, and of course the parents are not informed immediately of the change. Someone must teach this class, but whom?

Substitutes! Not only the regular run of the mill, hit or miss, substitutes that are ubiquitous in any NYC school, but a special breed of substitute never before seen at PS 154.

The substitutes brought in were white, female, and disciples of Principal, DR Alison Coviello; PhD, Teachers College, and Lucy Calkins. Now this is important for not only is Principal, DR Alison Coviello; PhD a disciple of Lucy Calkins but Principal, DR Alison Coviello; PhD is an adjunct professor at Teachers College as well.

This being a rough class as it was, and the inability of Principal, DR Alison Coviello; PhD to look at the bigger picture and see how the teacher was an expert in classroom management, needless to say all hell broke loose in this class.

Not only were these special subs in above their heads, but zero instruction and learning was achieved. Principal, DR Alison Coviello; PhD had to go in there many times to calm the class down, to give support to her disciples, only for the class to revert back to mayhem once she had left.

And this class was not the only class to be affected.

This past school year, the 2nd grade changed classes for math. The students that went to the removed teacher's class ceased going to her for math. All that they had worked for and worked to was all for naught for only but decision of Principal, DR Alison Coviello; PhD.

 But we should not fault the Teachers College ATR's alone. The normal subs had the same problems.

As did the ATR's, except one, but that ATR was not always assigned nor available to that class. Once, there was an ATR guidance counselor that was assigned to that class.

Worse, during this time of ineptitude, or I meant to say "substitute roulette," Ari Epstein, a smart student, a student that does have some challenges, was removed at the beginning of the day and sent to another 2nd grade class. Ari was never invited in to be with his classmates nor given the chance to show he can behave. His education was crapped upon and I am sure that his mother never was informed of this (Readers please take note of this. The hypocrisy will be unveiled in an upcoming blog post).

But the biggest slap in the face to this class came about at the beginning of June or around that time. The class was permanently split up for the remainder of the year. Not just to 2nd grade classes, but 1st grade as well. What was the point? Who did this benefit? How did this benefit the students, especially the students that spent a month with 1st grade classes? Will these students come into 3rd grade this September behind?

Who is being held accountable for this boondoggle? Why is this allowed to happen? This would never happen in Harrison NY, Scarsdale, Ardsley, Putnam Valley, but this behavior by principals and other administrators is enabled time after time.

It happens because those in charge know that they are dealing with a compliant populace that will not and cannot stand up for its rights. God forbid what was shared on these pages was attempted in Riverdale or Forest Hills.

Now it is up to the readers; decide whether or not Principal, DR Alison Coviello; PhD had the best interests of the students or the best interests of her agenda at heart.

Cover Up at IS 162 in the Bronx? Let's Ask District 7 Superintendent Yolanda Torres

On June 10, 2013, I wrote a post, "Where is the Bronx District Attorney When You Need Him?" I left a lot of details out, names, the school, the district, etc... Today, I am rewriting/rerunning that post but not holding anything back. Names, school, everything.

These three miscreants get away with such behavior while Christine Rubino, Francesco Portelos, myself and 8 other colleagues and the rest of the teachers in NYC are crapped on. Accountability from Tweed is bullshit. It means nothing. It is just watching out for yourself, your cronies, and those that live in the rectums of administrators.

Remember, this shit can't be made up! 

This happened over the course of several years in District 7 in the Bronx. The school is IS 162.
Yolanda Torres is the superintendent, the principal is Marilyn Manzolillo and the AP is Greg Papadopoulos.

But everything is true. Everything happened. Everything was covered up.

Greg Papadopoulos put in "long hours" at home doing the scheduling. I mean really really long hours.

There were no time cards to be punched nor signed. Marilyn Manzolillo principal of IS 162 did not have enough money to pay per session so the pay was in comp time.

There was shit loads of comp time involved. Remember, all unverified. No time cards.

The assistant administrator took vacations with this comp time. All during instructional time, for weeks at a time.

Countries and cities of Europe were visited all while the students of IS 162 were busy as Papadopoulos was off gallivanting around.

Meanwhile the school is going into the crapper.

Somehow the Commissioner of Special Investigations office got wind of this. Praise be to God! We all know how CSI can be when going after those who misrepresent time taken off and defrauding the DOE claiming they worked while in reality they did not.

Just ask Matthew Kaye aka Matt Striker or Lynn Stewart's daughter. We know how seriously SCI takes this stuff.

This is where that Yolanda Torres comes in.

SCI, the bastion of all keeping all that is correct in the NYC DOE drops the ball!!!!!!

There was proof up the ying yang!!

They kick it back to Yolanda Torres for the discipline phase.

The Marilyn Manzolillo is buds with the superintendent. She must be, why else would we not hear of this, but we heard of Liza Cruz Diaz at PS 31 in District 7. Ms Diaz stole money. Stealing time is the same as stealing money.

Papadopoulos gets just a letter in the file!

Imagine if a teacher had done this??? OH baby!

Of course Papadopoulos could not have done this without being enabled by Manzolillo.

I might not be a lawyer, but dang, if this doesn't seem like fraud, larceny, conspiracy, and a few other felonies, then I mock my SUNY education.

Why hasn't Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson been notified of this?

But he is a dolt. How about US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Preet Bharara?

It has been said, and by very reliable sources, that  Papadopoulos had much more than a professional relationship with Manzolillo. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Know what I mean? Know what I mean?

So this happens and teachers all across the city, and the country are getting crapped on.

Why? Where is the logic behind this.

It is not us running the schools. We just work there.

Maybe it is time to go after the schmucks in charge?  

These 3 crap all over Stu Schmelz, yet they continue to game the system.
 
Yeah, this shit can't be made up!!!
  
 Update 7/22/13 @ 6:12 PM: The Crack Team as learned that Marilyn Manzolillo is no longer the principal of IS 162. The new IA principal is Angel Fani.

CAUGHT ON AUDIO YET AGAIN!! DR Alison Coviello: "YOU LACK COURAGE!!!!!"

On June 18, I was summoned by the grand exalted poobah, Prinicpal DR Alison Coviello of PS 154 in the Bronx to yet a another disciplinary conference regarding stuff that any other teacher in the school would have been left alone.

Basically, there was one teacher, in fact two, that whined about my tone of voice to them. The irony is that one teacher had besmirched a colleague who I feel is should be the most respected and hard working staff members at PS 154.

This other teacher, well, let's just say, lied, twisted, and distorted the tone of voice and what I said. But I digress. Not to worry. I know what the truth is.

I will not disparage a staff member or be a rat to a staff member. I think rats are the lowest forms of life, next to car salesmen, on this planet and should be treated accordingly. The colder the shoulder the better.

But, even if I did talk to them in the way I was accused of, or anybody in this school talked that way, surely one can assume that this type of behavior has been modeled and seen as acceptable by the staff at PS 154.

We can look no further than the sarcastic, snarky, "I'm smarter than you because you're an idiot," "you are not one of my favored teachers," attitude seen day in and day out by Principal DR Alison Coviello.

So why is it OK, even acceptable, for Principal DR Alison Coviello to talk to me in this manner when I  finally got frustrated by 10 months of abuse and what I believe is a conspiracy to U rate me?

Can you hear the unprofessionalism on her part? Not just the manner and the tone of voice in which she is talking to me, but by how she is trying to egg me on. Not only in that audio but this one as well. Her attempts to either have me explain why I won't give her specifics or worse, to get me to lose my temper fail.

Funny how she is so insecure that just because I told her that she created a hostile work environment she believes that is a threat. Me thinks she actually has a guilty conscience and is afraid that she will be exposed for what she really is.But how is it a threat when I refuse to tell her how she has created a hostile work environment?

It is like dealing with a school yard bully who says, "Tell me to my face," "you can't." And,  I "can't handle it."

My favorite part is how in both audios she tells me I lack courage.

Courage! What makes a king out of a slave? Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage! What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder? Courage! What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage! What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the "ape" in apricot? What have they got that I ain't got? 

I got courage.  I have put up with abuse after abuse all year.  I have never conspired to ruin someone's career (still alleged, but I believe in my heart of hearts), I don't go behind someone's back. If I have a problem with someone I tell them. I truly want to do the right thing. I have time after time asked, pleaded, begged to talk to Prinicpal DR Alison Covielloand clear the air. Either to her her through intermediaries. And believe it or not, I am still willing to clear the air.

But don't ever question my courage. As Principal DR Alison Coviello shared with the staff last year she does not like the emphasis on testing and feels it is hurting the process. Sign this then as did 1,500 principals across New York State did.

And please, do not lecture me on how I talk when you, Principal DR Alison Coviello, can't even practice what you preach.

PS 154 in the Bronx is a hostile work environment. And it is a fearful place in which staff walk on egg shells in which they wonder if they will "be next."

PS 154 is run under an imperialistic regime. That is not the way to run a school

CAUGHT ON AUDIO, AGAIN!!!! DR Alison Coviello: "YOU'LL GET NOTHING AND LIKE IT!!!"

Hey, remember that scene in Caddyshack when Judge Smails nephew Spalding wanted a hamburger, no a cheeseburger?

Well, the same thing kind of happened to me at PS 154 in the Bronx. Except we can substitute Judge

Smails with DR Alison Coviello. And instead of Spalding wanting a hamburger, no a cheeseburger, a hot dog and a milk shake, all I wanted was a demo lesson. Yes, I was told in essence that I will get nothing and like it.

As readers of the blog know I had requested a demo lesson of our AP Rajendra Jimenez-Jailall on January 31, 2013;

I requested a demo lesson from AP Rajendra Jimenez-Jailall (as I have you in the past) and he assured me that he will give me that demo lesson and that it will be a lesson in which literacy will be used to start off the lesson, differentiation will be used and I will learn so much.

As of a meeting with DR Alison Coviello on March 1, 2013 and with my 2nd formal observation imminent, I had yet to receive that exalted, grandiose, all encomposing  demo lesson promised to me by AP Rajendra Jimenez-Jailall.

My curiosity piqued by the lack of the demo lesson I inquired politely to  DR Alison Coviello as to the status of said demo lesson and received a somewhat unique response;

"You dictate what type of support you get?"

And this;

"I make the decision on what support you get." 

And my favorite;

"And we are under no obligation to come in and demo for you."

All this can be heard here. 


Now of course the last three seconds are off DR Alison Coviello claiming that I have received "tons of support this year," which of course is an out and out lie. But that is not what I am focusing on right now, but will another time.

What I do not understand is why not give me a demo lesson? What is the big deal? If I wanted to throw a knuckleball and asked RA Dickey to demonstrate it to me, surely he would. Didn't Daniel-San learn Karate better through Mr Miaggi rather than relying on a book?

This all proves my point more and more that I was set up this year to fail. I know and trust in God that the truth will come out. I believe in my heart of hearts that many know of this set up and that their conscience will soon set them free. The truth is out there.

BREAKING NEWS!!! Principal DR Alison Coviello of PS 154 Bronx Caught in Lie!!!

No one never lies. Whenever I hear that I always think of the myth from Star Trek that Vulcans never lie. So bear with me for an example of lying from Star Trek and let's see how that compares to DR Alison Coviello

In "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" while holed up inside the Genesis Cave, Captain Kirk had this communication with Mr Spock while Khan was orbiting Genesis searching for the Enterprise. 



Kirk: Kirk to Enterprise.
Spock: Spock here.
Kirk: Captain Spock, damage report.
Spock: Admiral, if we go "by the book". like Lieutenant Saavik, hours could seem like days.
Kirk: I read you captain. Let's have it.
Spock: The situation is grave, Admiral. We won't have main power for six "days". Auxiliary power has temporarily failed. Restoration may be possible, in two "days". By the book, Admiral.
Kirk: Meaning you can't even beam us back?
Spock: Not at present.

And of course, Lt Saavik's reaction when the landing party was beamed up from Genesis; 

Saavik: You lied!
Spock: I exaggerated.
Kirk: Hours instead of days! Now we have minutes instead of hours!

Now let's go back in time several hundred years from Star Trek time to the present day at PS 154 (Remember the following is true and can be verified);

Teacher (Any teacher in the school that has been dumped on by Principal DR Alison Coviello: Hey, I want to leave after this year, you don't want me, I don't wish to be here anymore. That's cool. Can you at least give me a decent recommendation?

Principal DR Alison Coviello: I never lie.

To quote Seth Myers, "Really???" Really DR Alison Coviello? Really? How do you explain this (Click to enlarge)?

Never lie? At the time of this ad that was placed in the Teachers College propganda newsletter or whatever it is, there must have been at least 500 ATR's across the city with Common Branch licenses who were seeking meaningful and gainful employment in a school. Were any of these teachers considered or interviewed?

But the bigger lie must have been a whopper. Since at the time there was a freeze on hiring new teachers to the system that had a common branch license, how then was a teacher hired to fill this position? Easy. LYING

The teacher hired for this position, and through no fault of this teacher's, had a license that was not Common Branch. Someone lied about filling this position with a Common Branch teacher and it certainly wasn't this teacher. By the way, this teacher did an amazing job with little support.

But, it is crystal clear that DR Alison Coviello lied to someone. There has to be a form that was filled out asking in which license area must filled out and this must have been filled in incorrectly.

The Crack Team calls for a blue ribbon panel, or just someone with authority, to investigate this and not only ask why and how this was allowed to happen, but why no ATR candidates were not interviewed, let alone considered for this position.

Inquiring minds want to know.

My Fanboi Email To The Principal of PS 154 DR Alison Coviello

This was written to DR Alsion Coviello, principal of PS 154 a week or two before this email. I was quite tired as I wrote this and came out more like a soliloquy or stream of consciousness, or a combination thereof.

I shared this with many. Yet it is time for the world to know. Enjoy.

Dear Dr Coviello-

I find it quite inconsiderate that you have decided to email me on my vacation with news that I will not only be meeting with you on Thursday morning, but will be observed as well on Friday, February 22. I only opened up the jdhyatt email by accident to find this.  In essence, you have given me one day to prepare for our meeting, forcing me to prepare during my vacation. But I have several questions and concerns that have been on my mind for some time and wish to share them with you.

Why is it that I cannot pick the class that is observed? Why am I not able to have more than 24 hours from pre observation conference to observation so I can fine tune and/or correct anything that we discuss in our pre observation meeting?

I also find it curious that not more than 36 hours after my lab site with Teacher's College in which I asked several pertinent questions about the methods and veracity of the TC method that I am now thrust upon by an email during my vacation.

I wonder why that on our first day back, September 4, 2012 that I was told then and there that I will be teaching Character Education "Thru Literacy." Why was I not informed of this when I was in PS 154 in July to look at my file? I also ask why at no time during the summer was I afforded the same opportunity for professional development and offered the same resources that my colleagues were given during the summer? Surely, you will agree that by having been able to use the resources that my colleagues had this would have been beneficial to me. I have not even had the school wide DRA tracker/spread sheet inserted into my Google Drive on my Jdhyatt email.

But since I am doing Character Ed. Thru Literacy, what is my responsibility to the students for their ELA scores this spring? Will I get credit if the student’s scores rise? Will I be blamed if they don't? If their scores do rise and the new evaluation system is in place, will this be beneficial to me? I ask this because in talking with several principal friends of mine and a former superintendent that my program, when the workshop model is thrown in as well as TC is as each one of them said verbatim, "A set up to U rate you."

I also wonder why when I was written up for being outside the building and smoking (yes, I know.) at the time why I was written up? In the school handbook you state, and I am paraphrasing here, "that no teacher shall smoke anyway on the block, the school is on." As you said this includes 135th St from Alexander to Willis Ave, from 135th St up to 136th St. Even though my CL and I mentioned that this contradicts Chancellor's Regulation C-810, you said that you spoke to someone in the legal department and that you were told that you can supersede chancellor's regulations. Can this be verified? 

 Also, as far as me leaving the building, and not being "where I was supposed to be," might I point out that in the 154 handbook it only states that teachers may not leave the building during prep or instructional time. Since this was not a prep and not instructional time, I for one am confused. Surely, this is time between dismissal and whatever meetings, assignments we are supposed to be at. Yes, the announcement start at 2:35 but as we know many a teacher is not on time to PD meetings and faculty conferences. Are these teachers written up "for not being where they are supposed to be?" Are they forced to explain where they were if they are late?

When it was told to you that someone is not following the PS 154 handbook about parking against the wall, you promised you would take care of it. Unfortunately, this person continued to park against the wall or in a non parking space until just last week. Why is this person able to violate the handbook and suffer no repercussions? This person also walked in late, approximately 5-10 minutes late. This was on January 14, 2013. This person walked into the office, right by you and you just made a disappointing face and this person didn't even clock in. Yet, on an earlier occasion when I was held up by serious traffic and made it in under the wire you verbally chastised me.

I also state that of my meeting on January 31, 2013 I requested a demo lesson from AP Rajendra Jimenez-Jailall (as I have you in the past) and he assured me that he will give me that demo lesson and that it will be a lesson in which literacy will be used to start off the lesson, differentiation will be used and I will learn so much. As of today, he has yet to offer me that demo lesson or even mention it to me. This meeting was in response to a informal observation AP Rajendra Jimenez-Jailall gave me the day after he belittled me in front of other teachers in Room 228 and I had asked him politely and professionally not to talk to me in such a manner.

I also find it another coincidence that just within the last 48 hours after a written piece by me on my blog about Dennis Walcott and a video that was supposed to be parody, that you decided on Sunday, February 17 at 5:31 PM that I would have a formal observation during a short week, a week in which we do not know how many teachers might be absent, how many students might be absent, in fact, a week that we have never seen before, a week that was a vacation that is now somewhat of a vacation.

I also wonder why when AP Rajendra Jimenez-Jailall did my first observation that at our meeting he told me that it was based on Danielson? I also wonder why that in the 2 informal observations that AP Rajendra Jimenez-Jailall did on me that all his observation and remarks were based on were the classroom environments? Even the Office of Labor Relations and Teacher Performance Unit in their presentation entitled; "Teacher Evaluation and How To Conduct and Write an Effective Evaluation" states "Some details – e.g. bulletin boards – can support the conclusion, but should not be the focus of the observation." If this is true, AP Rajendra Jimenez-Jailall it would appear that AP Rajendra Jimenez-Jailall has not followed protocol.

Is it coincidental that you decided this morning; a Sunday, February 17, 2013 was a time for my observation? Or did you know this Friday? Surely if you did, why was I not notified Friday or previous to Friday?

Have other teachers had such little notification and turn around time as I have with observations?
Looking back at the notification of my last observation, again, I am notified within 24 hours of a controversial blog post that I am facing an observation.

I also wonder why on September 23, 2012 you sent out an announcement sharing with teachers of PS 154 that all classroom environments must be completed by the "close of business on September 28, 2012 yet I received a U rating for from you on or about September 10 because my classroom environment was not up to par. Coincidentally, this U rating from you came within 48 hours of me filing a grievance.

And according to your transcript vs.my records of my previous observation and your admission that you left much off your transcript and distorted and exaggerated other claims made by you in your transcript, I feel that I cannot and will not get a fair observation from you. I respectfully request if you can recuse yourself from observing me and that someone else observe me.

Maybe I am not being harassed or targeted, but the perception sure seems like I am.
I have let it be known to you over the summer that I wish to meet with you and clear the air. I understand that you have your qualms about this, but I can assure you that whatever is talked about between you and I will stay that way.

I have let it be known that under no circumstances will I be returning to PS 154 in September of 2013. I am currently seeking a transfer either for this year or next.

As you know I am afflicted with Type II Diabetes and in the last 40 minutes from this undue stress brought upon by you during my vacation, a time that I was looking forward to resting, and now have had my glucose level rise above an unsafe level.



I thank you for taking your time from your busy schedule to read this and should assume that if I don't hear back from you that you are not disputing any of this.

Thank you.

CAUGHT ON AUDIO!!! PRINCIPAL DR ALISON COVIELLO DEMANDS PERFECTION OR YOU WILL BE RATED UNSATISFACTORY

As promised, DR Alison Coviello, principal at PS 154 in the Bronx, is analogous to Nomad from the Star Trek Episode, "The Changeling."

For those of you who are not Trekkies;

The Enterprise finds an ancient interstellar probe from Earth, missing for 265 years, which has somehow mutated into a powerful and intelligent machine bent on sterilizing entire populations that do not meet its standards of perfection. 

See? Instead of sterilizing entire swaths of planets and their respective populations, DR Alison Coviello deems to sterilize, or to kill of the careers, of teachers that do not meet her standards of perfection.

So what the Crack Team brings you today is DR Alison Coviello is not only reiterating her pre-determination that my formal observation is unsatisfactory, but that now, it is not perfect as well. 

In this audio file, DR Alison Coviello inflect in my tone (which anybody can understand) that apparently she wants a perfect lesson. DR Alison Coviello replies, "no it's not!" until she catches herself after I question her and denies not saying she wants a perfect lesson.

But, listen here in this other audio file as DR Alison Coviello says, "OF COURSE IT'S NOT PERFECT!" And then, "IT'S UNSATISFACTORY, IT'S NOT PERFECT!"

How is any teacher who is on her shit list supposed to be able to do their jobs? How is any teacher who she has targeted supposed to succeed?

I still believe and I hope it will show that DR Alsion Coviello planned before the 2012-2013 school year to not only target me, but the other veteran teaches of PS 154 as well.

My faith rests in the only perfect person I know. 

DR Alison Coviello and her Calvinist Approach at PS 154

A lot of what the Crack Team wishes to share about the travails suffered by yours truly at PS 154 will be a mixed bag. A stream of consciousness here, not in chronological order there, just what comes to the mind if the Crack Team.

Today's travails pertain to the Calvinistic approach to principality of DR Alison Coviello of PS 154. Yes, when God is not in our schools enough, DR Alison Coviello brings him back. But first a little
background.

As previously stated, my program was changed to include literacy, specifically the so called literacy of the Cult of Lucy Calkins, Writer's Workshop, etc... This I believe (in my heart of hearts and I don't care about the denials) was done to set me up to fail. I have been in touch with enough current and former administrators to know this is a fact.

So basically, no matter what I do, how I do it, it will be deemed unsatisfactory, a failure, no good, and completely wrong. I can have a formal observation in which every student will magically go up 3 grades in reading levels and it will still be deemed a failure.

But at least I want to give it the old college try and at least believe that there is no determination on whether or not my formal lesson will be deemed unsatisfactory.

Well, this ain't to happened at PS 154 for DR Alison Coviello has brought the Calvinist approach to being a principal in per-determining and deeming a lesson unsatisfactory before it is even taught. Please feel free to listen to this conversation obtained by the  Crack Team between myself and DR Alison Coviello. Listen carefully after I say, "You couldn't even find one could thing to say," at about 36 seconds, she will then share that she believes what I had written is unsatisfactory.  Listen carefully.

Again, all per-determined. Not just for me, but for all the others that DR Alison Coviello does not like at PS 154.

Much more to come. Including imperfection, much the way Nomad found those upon the USS Enterprise to be imperfect.

A Love Letter to PS 154 Principal DR Alison Coviello

Been so busy. Sorry for not posting for so long. But now that school is out, the summer is in and I wish to unload about this past year at PS 154. It was a harrowing year to say the least. Not just for me, but for several of my colleagues that all happen to be over 40, and either male, or of color.

Needless to say, starting today I will chronicle (not chronologically) from the files of that the Crack

Team gathered so copiously on the craziness of the 2012-2013 school year. The Crack Team is very good at being copious. The Crack Team believes in verification, verification, and more verification.

Today's entry is a "love letter" I had emailed to PS 154 principal, DR Alison Coviello. DR Coviello is very smart, she has a PhD. But serously, I will be the first one to say that she really, really knows her stuff. Like Ted Williams knew everything about hitting.

I truly believe in my heart of hearts that I was set up to fail. I believe that God, sees what is right and the truth will come through from him.

So without further adeiu, the "love letter," written around the beginning of March.

Dear Dr Coviello-

I wish to thank you for the time you took with me today for my pre-observation. Even though I had been out this week on jury duty, I am curious as to why I was emailed at 6 49 PM EST on Wednesday February 27, 2013 to inform me that I was to have a pre-observation meeting with you today, February 28, 2013 at 12:30 PM EST. Am I required to check my PS 154 Google Apps (Jdhyatt school email) on a consistent basis while at home or not working? If so, what is your recommendation for how often I should check this email?

On February 15, 2013 you did a walk through of my classroom after school hours. You rated me unsatisfactory under the column, "The classroom learning environment is organized and clutter free." Yet in your comments, you said "Writing paper is strewn on the teacher's desk. There are no other materials." What is your definition of strewn? What do you mean by no other materials? In the column “the teacher's desk should be minimized,” if so, should not the teacher's desk be tiny as well? Seriously, my desk is tiny and all the way in the corner. Also, is it not possible and probable that not only am I in the habit of putting materials away each and every day due to the fact that City Year uses my classroom, and materials in the past have been lost and abused, but that I was attempting to clean the room and with the best of intentions, knowing in the past you have shared with me my desk is "too cluttered?" Is there any photographic evidence of my desk in this condition?

You rated me unsatisfactory on my classroom library. Again, on September 29, 2012 Assistant Principal Jessica Cruz told me these books were for me to read to the class. She agreed with me that none of these books were specifically geared to character education. However, I was told to find passages in said books and read to the classes I support that correlate to the topic at hand. Assistant Principal Rajendra Jimenez-Jailall then told me just last month that the library must be to each "topic" of character education. At no time did he offer to assist nor on his own come to assist. In fact, I am still awaiting his demo lesson, which he promised me a month ago and which he told me will be awesome, with great anticipation.

You mention that there are no conference notes. Please share with me when and by whom modeled the proper way to take conference notes. Again this goes back to my previous question of if I must do “Character Education Through Literacy,” am I responsible for the students standardized test scores? Also, being a cluster teacher that sees students either once a week or twice a week as opposed to the everyday that other teachers see students why am I being held to the same standard as classroom teachers? Are other cluster teachers, other providers held to the same standard?

You checked unsatisfactory for materials organized and accessible to students. In which way must materials be accessible at 4 PM or late on a Friday afternoon or evening for students? Again, is it possible that I put these materials away at the end of the day, due to my classroom being used by others?

Again I got a U for inaccessibility for student notebooks. Did AP Rajendra Jimenez-Jailall tell you of the two month wait I had for him to get me these "notebooks"? But I do not have notebooks, I have green folders. Why do I get folders but all other teachers get black and white composition notebooks? Did AP  Rajendra Jimenez-Jailall  tell you that since I have nowhere to put these folders that the students bring them to and from class?

This goes for the U you gave me under "ample student work in folders or notebooks." What is ample? I got the folders from AP  Rajendra Jimenez-Jailall one week before Christmas break. How much material should be had?

Again, I received a U for not having process charts. I do. But apparently not in the way in wish you mandate, which is your prerogative and I respect that. But at no time did AP Rajendra Jimenez-Jailall in his two informals ever once mention anything about process charts. In fact he checked off as S that I do have process charts.

As for the other U's you gave me, I do have the teaching and process of students work up as well as standards. I feel I do have high quality (please define this) work up as well.

One thing I have noticed is the rating sheet that you gave me for this informal observation is quite different (different checklists, goals, standards) than the rating sheet for AP Rajendra Jimenez-Jailall 's observation. Is this an oversight or done purposely?

Are the strewn papers and the books crooked actually harmful to the learning process and actually a mess?

As for as today's (February 28, 2013) you told me that as an 18 year teacher I should know Writer's Workshop. I explained to you that I had Writer's Workshop, briefly, 15 years ago and felt that the support given to me has been insufficient. You then told me that as a Common Branch teacher I should know this. I told you that as a teacher that has not done this for almost 15 years that support is needed which I feel I have not fully gotten. At no time have I been offered inter class visitations for either classroom environment or teaching points. In December of 2012 I mentioned to you that while it was nice to receive training in the TC method that my workshops I had attended had been in pieces and I was not involved in the before planning or the share out with the TC coaches. Why would this be? In that same meeting I mentioned to you that I felt that what I was participating in was being done in isolation and that for me to better understand the process it would have been better for me to have had training in the complete philosophy of TC from the beginning. You raised your voice at me and told me no.

I am still curious, and must say still awaiting some answer, on how a Reading Workshop presentation on 2nd graders picking out the correct non-fiction book will help me with Character Education and AP Rajendra Jimenez-Jailall's edict to me, and yours, that the students must "write, write, write!"
Speaking of TC, in our meeting today, in your reply to my concern on lack of sufficient support, you told me that the coaches from TC are available for me to speak with. Have you shared with me their schedules and the days they are in the building? Email addresses? Have they come by to see me in my classroom?

But, in elementary schools, someone with a CB license can teach Phys ed. If this imaginary phys ed. teacher had been teaching gym for 15 years and was thrust into the position I have been unfairly thrust into. This goes to my analogy of a medical doctor. An ophthalmologist and a cardiologist are both licensed medical doctors. Will one go to an ophthalmologist for heart issues?

I also take umbrage at you raising your voice to me today and telling me "You have a brain, use it!"

But you did bring up an interesting point in that we as teachers must use our talents. I brought up what my talents and strengths as an educator are yet you won't use me to the best of my ability. When I suggest that perhaps I switch places with the current Emotion Response Provider so that there will be no more problems, or considerable less problems with the 5th grade, I felt that your laughter after my comment was inappropriate and mocking. It hurt my feelings.

I thank you for your time and look forward to your response.

Regards,