Are These Photos of a Bronx Assistant Principal Provocative and Risque?

Breaking news has come across the SBSB news desk. The Crack Team has learned that Jessica Cruz, AP at PS 154 in the Bronx and BFF of DR Alison Coviello; PhD. and Principal has a special
talent. She is a professional belly dancer.

We here at SBSB applaud Jessica Cruz of keeping this ancient art form alive and sharing it with others. The history behind belly dancing conjures up what had been a great civilization across the Middle East at one time. It also is a heck of a way to keep fit!

What saddens us here at SBSB is not that Jessica Cruz is a belly dancer. But what some might see, certainly not The Crack Team, the inappropriateness of the website she created to share it with the world (And saved here in PDF format).

The Crack Team has nothing against the photos exhibited on the website. We believe wholly in the First Amendment. It is the right of BFF AP Jessica Cruz to show such photos as;

Or this photo;

Yes, she has the right to post these photos! She even has the right to share this with planet Earth;

She has the same right to do this as did a teacher on Long Island that took his shirt off on a reality show. The same right as a teacher in Florida that was forced to resign and had posed in bikinis. Or that guidance counselor in who posed in lingerie years before she was with the DOE and got terminated.  Or that teacher who was forced to resign because a parent found a photo of her holding a beer and a glass of wine on her Facebook page. We here at SBSB support BFF AP Jessica Cruz and her First Amendment rights.

Sadly, there are those that won't be as open minded as we are here at SBSB. Some might see the webpage and the photos of BFF AP Jessica Cruz as inappropriate.

Some might think that a elementary school assistant principal should not have photos of this type on a personal web page which are available on the entire World Wide Web.

Some might look at this photos as provocative or risque or even suggestive.

Some might wonder, and rightly so, was or is DR Alison Coviello; PhD. and Principal of PS 154 aware of such photos and if so, when did DR Alison Coviello; PhD. and Principal of PS 154 know about it?

Some might wonder why teachers will be terminated, sent to Rubber Rooms for such actions and administrators aren't.

We here at SBSB say hogwash to all the assumptions that one might speculate about in seeing photos such as this. Belly dancing is beautiful. It is an art form. People need to be open minded.

But then again, we here at SBSB are just the purveyors of information humbly adding our two cents which are always in favor the United States Constitution. 

We hope you enjoy the following video and excerpts of belly dancing.

DR Alison Coviello; PhD. and Principal at PS 154 Publicly Humiliates a Staff Member

It never stops at PS 154 in the Bronx. Yet, there are those that just take it and won't stand up for themselves and refuse to speak exhort DR Alison Coviello; PhD. and Principal to talk and treat them

professionally.

This past Wednesday, the emails were flying into the SBSB newsroom in a most furious manner. The Crack Team was on the ball as multiple sources at PS 154 shared that another professional, an educator, an administrator, and someone with male bits, incurred the wrath of DR Alison Coviello; PhD. and Principal. This person, who shall remain nameless but shall henceforth be known as AP X, was publicly flogged by the tart, biting, sarcastic tongue, and rolling eyeballs of DR Alison Coviello; PhD. and Principal.

During the staff's after school professional development this past Wednesday, which was to be on blood borne pathogens, AP X was awaiting the beginning of PD as were the other teachers seated across the library in the same state of anticipation as well.

In walks DR Alison Coviello; PhD. and Principal and asks AP X aloud that he is to start the presentation. It was his PD.

With a look of surprise, he glances at DR Alison Coviello; PhD. and Principal and inquires as to the meaning of her statement. DR Alison Coviello; PhD. and Principal reminds AP X that an email was sent to him and that the stage, as it were, is his.

DR Alison Coviello; PhD. and Principal (Sources have shared you can hear the teeth grinding) replied, "You replied to the email!" AP X in the most professional and patient of voices replied that yes, an email was replied to, but it was an email that had nothing to do with that afternoon's PD.

Then in a huff, DR Alison Coviello; PhD. and Principal, in a voice loud enough for the entire staff to hear angrily and disgustedly retorted, 'THE PD IS ALL YOURS!" And exited the room in a fit of pique reminiscent of Bette Davis.

Yes, I have had a difference of opinion, and philosophy, with AP X, but to be belittled, to be humiliated, to be disgraced in front of the staff is unacceptable, unprofessional, and most of all, uncouth.

But this is par for the course at PS 154 where DR Alison Coviello; PhD. and Principal believes that she, and she alone, is smarter (As previously mentioned here) and more capable than all others.

As once she was belittling me taking in a patronizing, condescending manner, I inquired the irony how it is allowed for her to talk to me in that manner yet if I talked to her in that manner she would write me up. Her response? "Yeah!"

But The Crack Team also brought up another reason for this uncultured behavior. Speculation is that she has issues with men, in particular men in elementary education. She has had issues with every male in PS 154 since her principalship began. That is except two, and one of those was so far up her you-know-what, that he ran to her and ratted out his fellow teachers every chance he could.

There is a reign of terror at PS 154 in the Bronx. Top down management does not work and has proven to be a failure as we can see what has become of the DOE in the last ten years.

There was no reason for DR Alison Coviello; PhD. and Principal to take AP X to the side and politely discussed the situation with him. But for whatever reason, perhaps it is the insecurity that DR Alison Coviello; PhD. and Principal feels about herself and her job performance, that leads her to act in such a manner, but it is uncalled for.

We here at SBSB give out support to AP X.  Being shat upon is not in anyone's job description.

Wake Up Parents of Harrison (And New York City) You Need to Control Your Child's Education

Even though this is addressed to the parents of Harrison, NY and NYC, it is for all the parents of New York State and the USA.

Lexington and Concord. The first battle in the American Revolution in 1775, almost 240 years ago.

The Journal News. Saturday, September 28, 2013, the first battle in the Revolution to Take Control
Back of Our Children's Education. All led by a humble reporter, Gary Stern.

I predicted this revolution back in June of last year.

I walked into Vassi's Deli on Underhill Ave in West Harrison this morning to get my breakfast and coffee. My son just had a hitting lesson and we were looking forward to spending some time together. I grabbed my copy of the Journal News and on the front page saw the headline. "Critics: Test Scores Failing, Not Students," by Gary Stern.

What a joy it was to read an honest and thought provoking education article by a reporter that has not been tainted by the poison of Uncle Mike Bloomberg;

Is it possible that 56 percent of sixth-graders in Bedford are not proficient in math? How about 70 percent of eighth-graders in Dobbs Ferry? Or 75 percent of seventh-graders in Nyack? 

Could 50 percent of seventh-graders in Irvington not be meeting expectations in English/language arts? What about 58 percent of eighth-graders in Ramapo Central? Or 80 percent of sixth-graders in Port Chester?

 
This, parents of Harrison is our reality. Not just yours, but mine, your neighbor's, your friend's, and your enemy's. Wake up, this is what has become of education in New York State thanks to the millions our elected officials in Albany have collected from such organizations as DFER and Students (oops!) MichelleRheeFirst.

My son got 2's on both ELA and Math. This after receiving 3's in ELA and 4's in Math from grades 3-5. Some putz who decides what goes on the tests, how to score it, how to take it is telling me my son is not proficient in Math or ELA?

At this past Thursday's parent-teacher meetings I handed out hundreds of fliers sharing with parents of Harrison the dangers and evils of the Common Core Standards from a fantastic organization, Stop Common Core in New York State. I could not believe how, UNINFORMED the parents of Harrison NY are. One parent actually believed that Bill Gates is a great person!

But then again, Governor Andy, Uncle Mike, NYSED, and John King (No link to who John King is. You have a child in school, then you should know. GOOGLE HIM!) all want you uninformed. They want ignorance, they want compliance, they want servitude. This is what is happening in NYC right now and across all urban school districts nation wide. You probably heard about it in passing, saying to yourself, "Well, why should I care, it doesn't effect me or my children."

But guess what? NOW IT DOES!!! It's time to wake up and see the corporate and Federal takeover of education is now in your backyard.

Bill Gates, the Lord and Savior who blessed us with the Common Core, let's see what he said the other day; 

“It would be great if our education stuff worked, but that we won’t know for probably a decade.”

What you talking about, Willis, I mean Bill?

He does not know if it will work? Bill Gates feels it is OK to experiment on THE CHILDREN OF HARRISON? Why didn't Bill test it out on his kids?

Know that teacher you love at your child's school? Well, thanks to Bill Gates and Governor Andy, 40% of their evaluation is based on assessment (TESTS)! Two years without growth, that teacher is rated ineffective and you can say goodbye.  Opt your child out of the NYS tests! You can and it is time!

Parents of Harrison, did you know that EngageNY (No link to EngageNY. You have a child in school, then you should know. GOOGLE IT!), a subsidiary of NYSED is not only in control of your child's school data, but personal information as well and plans on selling it to InBloom (No link to EngageNY. You have a child in school, then you should know. GOOGLE IT!)? What you don't know this? Well, you need to now.

Fight back. You are your child's best advocate for his or her education. Not a politician, not someone who works on Wall Street, not a hedge fund hack, YOU ARE.

And while you are at it, by Diane Ravitch's new book, "Reign of Error," and see how education is being taken over in this country by those who only wish to enrich their wallets.

And please sign this petition  to Assemblyman Al Graf.

I leave you with a clip of George Carlin's take on education today.

Dr Howard, Dr Fine, Dr Howard, Come to PS 154 in the Bronx

Just because one has a Dr on front of their name doesn't mean they are the brightest.

DR Alison Coviello, PhD and Principal of PS 154 in the Bronx Tramples Rights Underfoot

So as readers of the blog know by now, I have been reassigned. I'm biding my time at the CFN at 4630 Broadway. Alone. With no one to talk to. No one to "infect" with the truth.

I felt, and still feel, that I am being treated disparately. I decided to file a grievance citing Article 22a of the UFT contract;

A “grievance” shall mean a complaint by an employee in the bargaining unit (1) that there has been as to him/her a violation, misinterpretation or inequitable application of any of the provisions of this Agreement or (2) that he/she has been treated unfairly or inequitably by reason of any act or condition which is contrary to established policy or practice governing or affecting employees,

So the grievance was filed and I got an email from DR Alison Coviello, PhD and Principal of PS 154 in the Bronx. The email had an attachment instructing me that my Step I hearing was to be today, September 23, 2013 at 9:45 PM. But there was a glitch.

The meeting was not to be face to face, but rather over the phone. What? Can this be done? The Crack Team perused the UFT contract and could find no mention that this is permissible. In fact the exact wording is;

at the conference, the employee may appear personally or he/she may be represented by a Union representative or by any teacher of his/her choice in the school; but where the employee is represented he/she must be present. The Union representative shall be the chapter leader or his/her alternate in the school or, where there is no Union member in the school, any other designated Union representative. 

 

 So I sent DR Alison Coviello, PhD and Principal of PS 154 in the Bronx and email stating;

After consulting with the UFT I was informed that my Step I grievance meeting can not be done over the phone, and must be done in person.

I was rightly concerned. I would have no privacy. I would not be able to consult before or during the hearing with my CL. Others, unbeknownst to me could have been listening in on our conversation. There might be no cell reception.

 

The above was sent Saturday. On Friday, the Bronx UFT let her know in no uncertain terms that this was unacceptable, that this was a violation of my rights and if she had a problem with it she was to call the Office of Labor Relations. 

 

Early this morning my CL asked where the meeting was to be held.  DR Alison Coviello, PhD and Principal of PS 154 in the Bronx didn't budge. It was to be over the phone. I did it. I did not get to consult with my CL before or during. I had zero privacy. I am not sure that no one was listening in.

This is par for the course with DR Alison Coviello, PhD and Principal of PS 154 in the Bronx. Fiat rules at PS 154. Facts are created, rules are created. And those that dare to point out these fallacies are damned. 

If she did not want me to come to the school, fine. There were other options. The District 7 office a few blocks away, the CFN, or she could have come to 4360 Broadway. 

I am still being setup I believe and this has been going on since September of last year. I believe God will see the truth. I believe in my heart of hearts it is out there.

 

Falling Down The Rabbit Hole Kafka Style With EngageNY

I did it. I emailed EngageNY asking to to opt out my son of any and all data collected and/or to distributed. I had first called (518-474-5922) the office of Curriculum and Instruction at NYSED. I asked whom can I speak to in regard to my request. After several minutes of being put on hold I was told that EngageNY could only be contacted by email (EDP@mail.nysed.gov). OK, so I emailed;

To whom it may concern:

My son is currently a student in the Harrison Central School District. I would like to have his data wipe and not shared at all. Also, I would like to know how I can go about seeing what data has been collected.

Thank you in advance.

Peter Zucker



Several hours later I received a reply;

Thank you for contacting the EngageNY Help Desk. Your ticket information is below. If you have any additional information to add to this ticket, please feel free to call the Help Desk at 1-855-252-6900

The Help Desk's normal business hours are are 9AM to 5PM Monday through Friday.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: sobronxschool@gmail.com

Ticket Number: 265

Date Reported: 9/20/2013 4:04:32 PM

Problem Request: Mr. Zucker wanted to know how can he have his kid's data wiped out of inBloom he also wanted to know which data has been collected.

Message to Caller:


​Hello Mr. ​Zucker,


Thank you for contacting the EngageNY Portal Help Desk.


Only school districts can determine who has access to student data and for what purposes. InBloom is not authorized to alter or remove student records from its data store; those records are owned and controlled solely by the school districts. You should contact your child’s school district to inquire about their policies.


To answer your question, the Portal will include student demographic, enrollment, attendance, behavior, course performance, and state and formative assessment information.
In order to make the Portal data dashboards most useful to teachers, students, and parents, districts can add local data for their constituents (and only their constituents) to view. Districts and the state decide what data are shared with contracted vendors under strict contract
terms consistent with FERPA (The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974). No social security numbers or photos are collected or shared.


Please visit https://www.inbloom.org/faq and http://www.engageny.org/resource/engageny-portal-faq to learn more.

So I am told to contact the Harrison Central School District when in fact back in June a big wig at HCSD told me to contact the NYSED.  Confusion.

So I called the number they had given me. It was the number for the EngageNY help desk. I asked the young lad who answered to whom can I speak to concerning my request. She told me she does not know and besides, the help desk number that I called is for people that need technical support. So why then was I given the number?

I asked for a supervisor and a rather pleasant, yet confused woman came on the line. She explained to me that there was nothing she can do and suggested to email again. I then asked her, "Who is in charge there?"

She replied, "Well, me, of course."

"No, no, not the help desk. Who is in charge of EngageNY?" I asked.

"I don't know."

"Is there another phone number besides the toll free number I can call to speak with someone?"

"No," She replied.

I thought to myself, no? How can that be, every single department at NYSED, even the custodian,  has a phone number, why not EngageNY?

I decided to try another tact. Since we were getting dangerously close to an Abbott and Costello routine I decided to try that tact.

"OK, explain this to me about no phone numbers. What happens if someone there at EngageNY is working and his wife wants to call to ask him to stop by Stewart's to bring home eggs and milk? What number do they call?

"They just don't"

UGH!!!!!!!! OK, I asked her who is in charge of EngageNY.

"Commissioner King," she said.

"No, I know that, technically he is, but who is in charge of that department? Who makes the decisions in that department?"

Her answer, "I have no idea."

I explained to her this is so Kafkaesque. That there is more secrecy at EngageNY than there is at the CIA. I said thank you and I hung up.

Where is the accountability? Better yet, where are the humans?

I emailed the person at HCSD in charge of this and await a reply this Monday. There is a school board meeting Wednesday, and back to school night on Thursday so I look forward to getting some answers.

Whitney Tilson Gets Caught Yet Again With His Pants Down

What a day yesterday was! The new phone books arrived, I, with other education bloggers, got to engage in a video conference with Diane Ravitch, and I found out that not only had Whitney Tilson finally make some sense, but he confirmed that he is in education for the moolah and lying hypocrite as well.


So Whitney, in a obvious display making up for some Freudian shortcoming shows just how smart
and investor he thinks he is. Remember, this is the guy who shorted Netflix.

I know the company and the space well (K12’s primary business is running online charter schools in 33 states and DC), and it’s a VERY high conviction short (meaning the funds I manage will profit if the stock price declines). I think that the company has run amok in many, many ways, inappropriately targeting the most at-risk students, with dismal academic results, off-the-charts student turnover, coming under increasing scrutiny. K12 reminds me of the subprime mortgage lenders and for-profit colleges when they were flying high – and the ending will be similar I believe.

Funny how this email was sent by Whitney at 9:32 PM, many hours after the official release of Diane's book. My bet is, and I doubt I am incorrect or Whitney can be that smart, is that Whitney read what Diane wrote in "Reign of Error" about K12 and decided to short K12 based on Diane's unveiling of their incompetency. We here salute Diane and her stock portfolio acumen.

Whitney goes on in a blabbering manner; K12's aggressive student recruitment has led to dismal academic results by students and sky-high dropout rates, in some cases more than 50% annually;

I wouldn't be short K12 if it were carefully targeting students who were likely to benefit from its schools – typically those who have a high degree of self-motivation and strong parental commitment

But K12 is instead doing the opposite; numerous former employees say that K12 accepts any student and actually targets at-risk students, who are least likely to succeed at an online school

But K12 is instead doing the opposite; numerous former employees say that K12 accepts any student and actually targets at-risk students, who are least likely to succeed at an online school

One former employee said: "K12's recruitment of inner-city and at-risk "last resort" students had another benefit – these students used up less of K12's educational and teaching resources while permitting K12 to collect full funding from the states."

Hmm, this sounds so familiar. This might not have been Diane's exact words about K12, but what Whitney has written is pretty much the gist from "Reign of Error." Plagiarism, Whitney? Copyright infringement? For shame

The Crack Team has commanded me to suggest Diane put a call into my brother in law who is a crack Copyright and Trade Dress attorney. He is a fine attorney, but he is suspended from the bar and hiding out in Thailand due to back child support and  teaching English. 

In fact The Crack Team believes that Diane has action for a lawsuit against Whitney for publishing an excerpt of  "Reign of Error" with out hers or Salon's permission. That excerpt does not fall under Fair Use.

More spewing from Big Head; There have been so many regulatory issues and accusations of malfeasance that I'm convinced the problems are endemic. Enrollment violations, uncertified teachers, conflicted relationships with nonprofit charter holders.

Gosh, diddly darn Whitless, you have just about described 90% of charters including your favorite run by the Sith Lord, Eva.

I have been looking for years and have not found a single K12 school that is free of scandal and posting even decent (much less good) academic results.

Guess who been saying that for years Whitless? Guess. That echo Whitney hears in his head are all the education bloggers and real teachers throughout the country.

 States (and the IRS) are waking up to what K12 is doing and the company is coming under increased scrutiny, which is beginning to impair K12's growth – and I believe this trend will accelerate

Oh please send the IRS into Success, Bronx Classical Charter, KIPP, Whitney Tilson's hedge fund, his palatial 5th Ave home. It is time to see the truth. Time the IRS goes after the charters instead of Mike Tyson or Jerry Koosman.

Face it Whitney, the jigg is up. It's time to find another toy in your Hamptons sandbox to play with. You have been exposed.

Whitney just exposed himself in that he is all about the money, has no loyalty, and really does not want those with learning issues anywhere near KIPP, Success, him, or anywhere lest he gets a case of hedge fund managers remorse.

For those who are not aware, Whitney has written some pretty mean and misogynistic stuff about Diane. He even created a website for the sole purpose of attacking her. Last night, I wanted to tease Diane that Whitney is her nemesis, her super villain. Then I thought better. Whitney does not have the brains or the class to be in the same league as Lex Luthor, or Bane, or Scarecrow, or Dr Octopus. He's just a street level stick up man, if that. Yeah, or a thug.

DR Alison Coviello; PhD and Principal of PS 154 Channels Super Villain Bane

A very wise man within the realm of the NYC DOE once paid me a great compliment, "You're the Howard Stern of education bloggers." I loved it! I shan't name him, but I have the utmost of respect for him and I know of some female bloggers, one an SBSB groupie, that have a wild crush on him.

One thing I guess that I'm like Howard is that I won't hold anything back about myself. And this is a
time I need to share some information.

On September 3, our first day back at 10:05 AM during PD I was summoned to the office. I knew right away why. When I arrived there was a man there to have me sign 3020a papers. DR Alison Coviello; PhD and Principal couldn't wait. In fact it was done in such a classless way. She knew this was coming. She could have had me wait in the office or wait until the break that was due in 10 minutes. But, she had to humiliate me there. In the office.

I had left personal belongings in the library and went back to retrieve them. Immediately I was surrounded by two of the biggest School Safety officers I have ever seen. These two weren't even assigned to PS 154, but my guess is they were sent there for me. 

They told me I had to vacate the building. When I explained I left personal effects in the library they allowed me to proceed but walked on either side of me as I walked. When I got to the library the entire staff saw that I was accompanied by School Safety and I was degraded again. I got my stuff and left.

I was on to 49-51 Chambers St, 12th Floor. That is the DOE's processing place for teacher jail. Much like Fishkill Correctional is the processing for New York State prisoners. I was told that there was no place at Fordham Plaza, no room at the in at the CFN on Zerega Ave, and was places at PS 48 at 186th St and Broadway at the local CFN offices.

Two things I do not understand. One, two other teachers, damn good teachers from 154, are in the same predicament as me and have been allowed to stay in the school. What else is curious is that if I am such a danger to the students, why then am I parked in a school?

I know what it is. I am being isolated. I am being kept away from infecting anyone else. I am in effect a political prisoner. Though I have been allowed to keep my shoelaces and belt.

That is now 3 teachers from 154 being brought up on bogus 3020a charges. Like Bane did in "The Dark Knight Returns," when he needed to make an example of those 3 commandos, we are being made an example by PS 154's Bane, DR Alison Coviello; PhD and Principal. That is not counting the 5 other teachers that received U's. One teacher left to another school and one teacher was discontinued.

Bane, er, DR Alison Coviello; PhD and Principal has made it clear. She will rule through fear. Those who question her, think independently of her, think differently, will look at the 3 examples she has set forth, as did Bane, for the all the school to see.

And those that do not question, think independently or differently, that drink the Kool-Aid when and how she serves it, must think that they are on top of the mountain and have it made. But they forget, Bane turned on his allies as did the Joker.

Fear will rule at 154. It's turned into one big Collectivist school. The nail that stick up will get hammered down. The Bane playbook is in effect.

I will not give up the fight. Again, I believe in my heart of hearts that DR Alison Coviello; PhD and Principal conspired against me and set me up last year. I believe that God will see what is right and be sure that the truth is seen.

A New Day Will Reign Over Education Thanks to Diane Ravitch

There was one particular point, the chapters about charter and the e-learning, in reading Diane Ravitch's new book, "Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America's Public Schools," in which it all seemed so familiar.  Like something out of a Mel Brooks movie. I pondered.

Yes, I seemed to satired the charter movement in this post about 3 1/2 years ago. But due to what I
learned by reading "Reign of Error," the satire might need updating;

Max Bialystock: Don't you see, darling Bloom, glorious Bloom? It's so simple. STEP ONE: We found the worst charter school ever , a surefire flop. STEP TWO: I raise a million bucks. Lots of little old ladies, NYCDOE, hedge fund managers, foundations created by billionaires, lawyers,Wall Street, presidents, mayors . STEP THREE: You go back to work on the books, two of them - one for the government, one for us. You can do it, Bloom; you're a wizard! STEP FOUR: We open a charter in the South Bronx. STEP FIVE, We act like we care, like we really believe the crap we're laying on the public And before you can say STEP SIX we kick all the kids who are not doing well and keeping up !!! STEP SEVEN: We take our million bucks and fly to *Rio!*

I wish this deform movement were a Mel Brooks comedy, but it is turning into a Shakespearean tragedy and right now the only ones ahead are the money people.

I'm now more scared than ever for the children, the families, the communities, and the real educators of this country. I thought I had a pretty good handle on what has been done to destroy education in this country. My knowledge just scratched the surface before reading "Reign of Error."

Diane is methodical and relentless in the first part of the book. Like a conductor leading an orchestra she begins to introducing to the layperson who and what are behind this so called reform, or rather, deform movement. So many of the players, so many of their games. So many of the worst of the worst. We learn how this corrupt web of education deform has all the players; the politicians, the hedge fund managers, the charters, the Rhees, the educational companies all in cahoots with one another all looking out for each others interests and all feigning interest in what really matters, the children.

She takes the lay person through the fabrications of the deformers by the hand, step by step as if even someone like myself is hearing this for the first times. Her crescendo is building. At this point she is no longer just conducting in front of the orchestra, but rather now from the the mountain top telling the country to open their eyes, look around and see what has become of education in this country and that something must be done, but it is not hopeless. That we all can fight back, we must fight back and not only save our schools, but to save our communities, ourselves, and most importantly, our children.

Diane comes up with solutions, not catch phrases, or talking points as her critics do when criticizing her, but solutions that are common sense, that won't break banks, that is except the Wall Street firms and hedge fund managers. One can only wish, no?

Common sense like what we know as teachers and parents that actually works. Class size, true early learning for children, services for the most needy and desperate of children, their families and the communities.

But it is time for the country to listen to Diane and take ownership and control of education away from those who only wish to subvert it for their own money making ways.

I predict, in fact I know, that Diane will go down in history as have Jacob Riis for "How The Other Half Lives," and Upton Sinclair for "The Jungle."

I was going to end this by insisting parents or would be parents to buy "Reign of Error." No, I can;t do that. If you care about the future of America, the future of the millions of young minds out there desperately seeking someone to lead them out of the wasteland of what the deformers had wrought us, you must buy this book.

Diane has shared her knowledge with is, it is up to us to deliver what she has bestowed to the masses.

PTA Meeting on 9/18/13 Concerning Survey of Principal Jennifer Rogers of PS 29 Queens

Hi folks, remember PS 29 in College Point? I certainly do! How could I forget? Over 200 comments (And still counting), accusations of who, or is it whom? (Somebody please share), is boinking whom or who, pubic lice, mental illness, 4th cousins twice removed, several threats to me, and one person thinking I would cry over some bogus p**** name they called me a long, long, long time ago.

I heard a lot of about PS 280 in the comments section and more juicy stuff that I heard privately from former staff members at PS 280. Shocking!

But again, we must leave personal information out of the comments section and no sharing of administrators genitalia malfunctions.

The Crack Team at SBSB came across the parent survey for PS 29 and it does not look so good.

   PS 29 Survey

Apparently, the teachers of PS 29 feel that Principal Jennifer Jones does not place the needs of the students above her own needs. This is a direct contradiction of Mr Spock's dying words to Captain Kirk in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; "The needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few."

The vast majority of the teachers at 29 also believe that Principal Jennifer Rogers is not an effective manager of the school. This might be because of all the crying and hissy fits and the corporal punishment allegations against Principal Jennifer Rogers.

And not surprisingly, over 60% of the teachers can't trust Principal Jennifer Rogers at her word. Trust is an issue. To be an effective leader, see Captain Kirk above, a leader must have the trust of their crew or their school staff.

But it seemed curious to The Crack Team that Principal Jennifer Rogers, as did Captain Jean-Luc Picard with Ensign Wesley Crusher at one time, does not understand how children learn. Where Principal Jennifer Rogers and Captain Picard differ is that Picard was able of self introspection and was able to learn about the learning process. Principal Jennifer Jones can't or won't.

I hope the staff of PS 29 in College Point finds a leader as fine as James T Kirk and a school as smoothly run as the U.S.S Enterprise.

Why Did DR Alison Coviello; PhD. and Principal at PS 154 in the Bronx Ignore Anniversary of 9/11?

Twelve years ago today I was sitting in my car on Concourse Village West and putting stuff in order to head into the old PS 156 (now PS 385 or 365) in District 7. I had the car radio on WFAN and Imus was on the air. He had just announced that a plan had flown into the North Tower at the World Trade Center. I recall looking up at the sky and seeing how crystal sky blue it was that day. How could this have happened as I heard Imus speculate that it was a Cessna that crashed and attributed it to pilot

error.

I walked into the school and a few minutes later heard that a second plane had crashed into the South Tower. One plane, I thought to myself, is an accident, two planes, an attack. My son was ten weeks old at the time. I found a place out of the way in the school and sobbed. What kind of world did I just allow my son to come into I thought to myself.

I could see the towers burn from PS 156, which is right off the Concourse, near the Bronx Courthouse. Parents soon came, and the school was empty of students by 11 AM. I then made the trip home.

Driving up the Concourse seemed surreal. There were cars driving about, but there was an obliviousness to the cars. Were the people in the cars ignorant of what had just happened or trying to reach a safe place?

When I got up to DeWitt Clinton High School on Mosholu, I heard and saw a fighter jet. Man, that was just too much. Was this jet on patrol or after another plane? So many conflicting reports were coming in at the time.

What was not conflicting is that a reading specialist I worked with in the District 7 office saw the plane hit the South Tower on the TV set up in a conference room. Her husband was on the 101st floor of the South Tower.

This reading specialist was a teacher at PS 154. She was loved and respected both at 154 and in the DO.  Many still remember her fondly at 154.

Today as school's across the City of New York, New York State, New Jersey, the nation and the world took a few minutes to pause in a busy morning to remember 9/11, life went on at PS 154 as if nothing had ever happened that morning in 2001. Not a moment of silence, not a discussion, nothing.

At my son's middle school in Harrison NY, a moment of silence was held for whom we lost on 9/11. Class discussions were held and questions asked by students who have no memory of this horrific event.

Yet at 8:46 AM this morning at PS 154, silence filled the PA system and silence and a chill ebbed from the heart of DR Alison Coviello; PhD. and Principal at PS 154 in the Bronx.

Why wouldn't DR Alison Coviello; PhD. and Principal at PS 154 in the Bronx allow a moment of silence, or at the very least, a moment of remembrance for the 3,000 victims of America's most brutal terrorist attack?

America's apologists feel shame when it is time to take pride in our country, in our culture, in our exceptionalism. The radical far left, the Bill Ayers type radicals feel shame and hatred towards the United States of America. I don't. I have raised my son not to.

But there are many out there that feel shame and hatred and feel that the US got its just desserts that day in September in 2001. I don't feel that. My colleagues don't feel that and my friends and family don;t feel that.

We are not perfect as a nation, or as a society. But we are perfect in our ideals, in what we stand for, and how we are there for one another when the chips are down and its 4th and long from deep in our on territory.

DR Alison Coviello; PhD. and Principal at PS 154 in the Bronx could have taken a mere 60 seconds this morning to show students of the South Bronx what positive actions result from empathy and kindness and how hatred and anger will always hurt us. But she chose a different path, a path that some say might have its roots in the 60's and chose to ignore this day.

And to ignore the love all have felt for a beloved educator, someone that  DR Alison Coviello; PhD. and Principal at PS 154 in the Bronx knows well, who lost a husband 12 years ago today.

Is DR Alison Coviello, Principal and PhD. at PS 154 in the Bronx Anti-Semitic?

Rosh Hashanah, is the second holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

How does DR Alison Coviello, Principal and PhD. at PS 154 in the Bronx recognize the beginning of 5774? She "suggests", i.e. calls, for the teachers of PS 154 not to blow the shofar, but rather to come into school to work on their learning environments (classrooms to the normal people).

MILLIONS WERE MURDERED TO HAVE THIS RIGHT

Now, we here at SBSB are not calling DR Alison Coviello, Principal and PhD. anti-Semitic (Though she is a Dartmouth grad and we all know Dartmouth's history of anti-Semitism). At the very least her actions are insensitive.

DR Alison Coviello, Principal and PhD. fails to realize that not only are some of the staff at PS 154 Jewish, but some of these Jewish staff have lives, are not atheistic heathens and do wish to worship with family, friends, and God on such a day.

But what seems worse is even if there are no Jews amongst those DR Alison Coviello, Principal and PhD sent the email to, is how would she know who is and who isn't Jewish? Seemingly, not all Jews have large noses, curly hair, big ears, a nasal voice, and are rich.

But even there were no Jews at all at PS 154, could DR Alison Coviello, Principal and PhD not have shown respect to the Jewish community citywide, or worldwide and keep the school closed. At least on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the holiest of the two days?

Would DR Alison Coviello, Principal and PhD invite teachers to come in on Christmas Day? Easter? Three Kings Day? Thanksgiving? Of course not. But it is OK to disrespect the 2nd holiest day of the Jewish calendar?

This is the attitude Jews have had to put up for millennia (Or is it milleni? We know someone that loves plural words that end in i). Attitudes like this have led to the near extermination of our race, and the near extermination of Israel led by bleeding heart liberals that feel that the Palestinians are the aggrieved and Israel the aggressor, and to deny the Holocaust ever happened.

Two words; Never Again.

PS 154 in The Bronx Can Learn From How The Yankees Treated Alex Rodriguez

I do not like Alex Rodriguez. Never have, never will. I think Alex has cost the Yankees over the years and feel in no way he carried them in 2009. I would take Scott Brosius or Charlie Hayes any day of A-Rod.

Alex is a sneak, a cheat, a liar, and worse, a rat. He dug his own grave. True, he still has not had his day in court, but I support his right to have that day and will respect the outcome.

What I found fascinating is that when the Yanks played the Red Sox a few weeks ago and Alex got plunked by Ryan Dempster (I don't know why the world came down on Dempster. Back in the day if you just breathed funny Bob Gibson or Don Drysdale would nail you. It was old time baseball!)

But after Alex go hit, what happened? His entire team, and his manager supported him. It did not matter what a jerk he was, that he was a rat, a liar, and a cheat. No, the Yankees as a team said to themselves (With apologies to Animal House), "Hey Alex is our teammate, Dempster can't do that to our teammate!"

What do the staff at PS 154 do and react when two teachers are humiliated by bogus 3020a charges and forced to sit in a room by themselves by DR Alison Coviello, Principal and PhD.? Those teachers become persona non grata. They are ignored. They are not thought of. They are non persons.

Eight teachers, most over 40, and of color were given their first U ratings this year. Nothing. No support. No outrage. Nada. Bupkus.

With comments like, "Well, I am not a target so I don't care about others," to "Some teachers, and they know who they are, better start teaching." That one is my favorite. How the hell does a 5th grade teacher know what a 1st grade teacher is doing in their classroom?

There is no empathy, no selflessness, no nothing at PS 154. There are three groups at 154.

Group 1 are The Outliers, in which those fight back or keep to themselves or are shunned.

Group 2 are the fearful, those that no what is being done is wrong. Such as forcing teachers to come in on their Summer vacation to learn some wasteful discipline method, Responsive Classroom. Or they are intimidated into being ratting out colleagues, or given just enough responsibility by the triple headed hydra running 154 to allow them to think they are important.

Then there is Group 3, the ass kissers, the boot lickers, the ones that live inside the rectum and the colon. Those that have no shame, no values, and a lack of independent thought.

Yeah, I know every school has this issue, but it is sad that this happened to 154. This school used to be such a tight knit, close, and supportive school. Then came Cynthia Ballard as principal and she destroyed that closeness. Some say that she was bi-polar. But anyway, Ballard hired what we have in place now. The apple does not seem to fall far from the tree.

The sad part is that those is Group 2 and Group 3 will be sucked into the vortex of evil just as soon as they are not useful to the hydra and will be chewed up and spit out.

Some from Group 2 can be saved, especially those who are in fear. We all have fear, but we can't let fear control who we are or what we do. You need your moral compass to fight against the bully, to stand up and show the bully you are strong. Remember a bully preys on fear, smells fear, and will always manipulate your fear.

Remember, a bully is only as strong as the power you give them.