When I went into the bodega yesterday morning I saw the headline on the front page of the Daily News that Fariña sacked 12 out of 42 superintendents. Coming so soon on the heels of the ode to District 7 Superintendent Yolanda Torres one couldn't but help to wonder, as well as hope.Sadly when I turned to page 5 I saw that yet again Yolanda Torres is the Teflon Superintendent. Even though she is responsible for;
....the debacle of Linda Amil-Irizarry as principal of PS 154, to the abuse of students by former 154 AP Derrick Townsend and the subsequent cover-up, the arrest for stealing funds of the principal at PS 31, to the continuing educational failure in District 7, admonishments from the New York State Department of Eduction, to allowing co-locations, to the stealing of time at PS 162 involving former Principal Marilyn Manzolillo and her AP Greg Papadopoulos (In which Papadopoulos only received a letter to the file) and the subsequent death of an AP at 162, and the brain drain (Teachers leaving in droves) at PS 154, one can seriously call into question Yolanda's integrity.Let's also had in the "wonderful" test scores (Click to enlarge);
But in today's Daily News Chancellor Fariña laid out what she expects from the superintendents in today's Daily News;
“You’re the eyes and ears of the chancellor, you’re accountable for the success of the principals. Being on the ground visiting and listening is crucial.”Hey The Crack Team has no problem with that.
But The Crack Team has a problem with this;
city’s supers will get the low-down on strategies for aiding troubled schools, including help getting rid of bad teachers.....But why not work with teachers on how to be the best gosh darn teacher that they can be? But if not, is one of the strategies for getting rid of teachers to have the principal enter into a conspiracy and pre-determine that a teacher will be found incompetent?
But back to the wonderment of how Yolanda Torres has somehow managed to keep her job.
I hate to quote Families for Excellent Schools, but;
" of 11 middle schools in District 7, eight middle schools are failing and only 10% of students are at grade level."And....
What gives? The superintendents at Districts 8,9,11,and 12 were all let go, yet Yolanda stays. We all know why District 10 Superintendent wasn't replaced...too much money flowing in Riverdale, but The Crack Team is perplexed at Yolanda's seeming good luck.Almost 10 percent of the failing elementary schools in the city are from District 7.
The Crack Team wants to know, as well as the entire District 7 community, who is Yolanda Torres' rabbi?
Here's Part 83 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education.
ReplyDeletewww.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/part83.html
Read the following section, and then you can connect the dots.
§83.1(c) states:
(c) Information in the possession of any person indicating that an applicant for a teaching certificate has been convicted of a crime, or has committed an act which raises a reasonable question as to the individual's moral character, may be referred to the executive director of the Office of Teaching Initiatives of the State Education Department. Information in the possession of any person indicating that an individual holding a teaching certificate has been convicted of a crime, or has committed an act which raises a reasonable question as to the individual's moral character, may be referred to the professional conduct officer of the department.