At PS 154 in the Bronx, DR Alison Coviello; PhD and Principal is ignoring that Audi, and all the freebies that come with it and instead wants that Chevy clunker.
As reported on these pages on March 1, the NYC DOE finally fed up with the ignorance that befalls the students of NYC through the usage of Lucy Calkin's cult like Readers and Writers Workshop method of not learning how to read and write, threw Lucy out with the bath water and instead installed recommended curriculum (Or is it curricula? Is there someone with a doctorate pretentous enough to tell me?) attuned to the Common Core.
But I am not here to get into the details other that through NYSTL the DOE will pay for the entirey kit and caboodle for the schools. The textbooks, the curriculum, everything. Those wishing to continue the path of failure are still allowed to use TC but that money comes out of the school's budget.
At PS 154 the path was chosen to go with what has failed in the past, TC. Even though the DOE says that the recommended curriculum (Or curricula, is there a pretentious person that can correct me?) is in place. Curious.
Curious in the fact that TC does not align with the Common Core. Curious in that having the DOE buy our textbooks, etc... that it will free up money to possibly have a full time SETTS or AIS techer, or even a literacy coach, or pencils for the students at PS 154. But what the heck, as long as one can prove they are impervious to those being able to question their decisions.
Or even to do well on the exams. In this audio, of March 5, 2013, DR Alison Coviello; PhD and Principal shares with me that the reason why TC is used at PS 154 is the "test scores."
But that does not seem to make sense. With the ideology of PS 154 in the 2012-2013 school year, TC or bust, and all apostates be damned, teachers in grades 3-5 shared with members of SBSB's Crack Team that nothing they had taught appeared on the ELA exams.
But we had The Crack Team do some investigating and came up with something quite curious. As you listen to the audio, DR Alison Coviello; PhD and Principal says we use TC because, "that is the best program there is." But not only at no time could she articulate why it is so good, but she infers that TC in PS 154 was her decision.
Even though such decisions must be brought up before the school leadership team. Sources from the SLT have told The Crack Team that at no time was TC, or the new recommended curriculi (I know, I am being passive aggressive), were ever brought up to the SLT to make a choice.
But we, the community, the families, or the teachers of PS 154 have no clue about the process of the SLT for we never see the minutes of SLT meetings. How are decisions made? My consensus? Vote? Fiat?
But, why this devotion to TC from DR Alison Coviello; PhD and Principal? Could it be, and mind you, nothing is being insinuated here, that DR Alison Coviello; PhD and Principal is on the faculty of Teacher's College? Is this not then a conflict of interest? No one has ever seen a budget for PS 154, is it not natural to question the school's link with TC?
We here at SBSB call for a blue ribbon panel or any panel, or an individual to look into this conflict immediately. The students, the families, and the community of PS 154 deserve this post haste.
We cannot allow our most precious gifts be exposed to failure of Lucy Calkins anymore.
6 comments:
I wonder if the principal from PS 154 will stick by Lucy when she see her scores drop far below the rest of the city? Doesn't she realize that if her scores drop so low SHE will be the first to go not her teachers? At one some point don't know when the buck does stop at the principal desk. Let's hope too many students won't suffer for her foolishness.
Has anyone investigated if the principal of 154 has a "pay back" to Lucy and TC? I mean show me the love-- cause it is just plain stupidity to be using TC in the upcoming year. She must owe Lucy big time.
Isn't the school's budget a public document? In California, we have the Brown Act which requires posting agendas for meetings of Boards of Directors/Boards of Education. Budgets are included with agendas in materials available to the public.
Michelle-
Transparency at the NYCDOE? Surely you jest.
There is no doubt that this is a conflict of interest under the laws of New York City and State, but nobody will stand up to Bloomberg and investigate such abuses. Bloomberg's DOE has neglected to follow School Governance Law with regard to School Leadership Teams, and nobody will stand up to him on that point either, the cowards in Albany being at the front of that crowd. We have laws in New York just as they do in California, unfortunately we have a skinny Napolean who sees himself and his cronies as being above the law, and nobody willing to take him on.
Send a nice letter to Samantha Biletsky, the DOE's Conflict of Interest Director. Then watch as she forward the case to SCI and they white wash it. I've learned their game. Do a search on Biletsky and see her history. Quite interesting.
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