SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: January 2021

Saturday, January 23, 2021

Stephaine Edmonds of Bronx Law and Community HS Trivializes The Holocaust and the Suffering of Jews

 Updated 10/2/2021

I originally deleted this blog post after learning Stephanie Edmonds is Jewish. I apologized to her on when I appeared on her YouTube channel and it was a heartfelt apology. But now seeing her use her fake Jewish faith to refuse the tests I decided this post needs to be reposted.I left it as is accept for crossing out some accusations and added new text in green with a blue background.
 
 
To give or not to give Stephanie Edmonds of Bronx Law and Community High School attention? She craves it. Kind of the way Newcomers seek the drug Jabroka. 
 
(The painting, which I am not sure of the title, was by my great great Uncle Maurycy Trebaçz from 1898. Maurycy, his wife, and two children all starved to death in the Lødz Ghetto in 1941 for being Jewish. Maurycy was one of the most famous Jewish-Polish artists of his time) 

But I thought what the hell. Sometimes someone that seeks attention needs to be exposed for all to see. 

Last week we shared on these pages what Stephanie Edmonds really thinks of unions and her fellow UFT brothers and sisters. This week we will see what Stephanie Edmonds thinks of the Holocaust and her fellow Jews. 

I first wish to qualify that yes, it has been extremely tough on students the last 10 months. I feel for them immensely. I feel for their parents. In fact, I feel for everyone that has been affected by COVID in one way or another. Mistakes and missteps have been made. But neither do I trust the NYCDOE, DeBlasio, or Cuomo one bit in their plan(s) or guess work.  I have not been happy with the way the UFT has handled things, but at the end of the day I am sticking with my union and my colleagues. 

This tweet is from Stephanie (@classdisrupti0n) from early December (CLICK TO ENLARGE): 


 



 

 

Let's just sit back a moment and let this all sink in. I'll wait. 

OK? Done?

Before getting into the obvious issues with this series of tweets, let's focus on the first line where Stephanie proclaims that she is "standing for all Americans." This little pissant fart in the wind is going to stand for all Americans? With only 1,293 followers on Twitter? Kim Kardashian has 68.6 million. As much as I think Kim is useless and would listen and follow her way before Stephanie. Is Stephanie being hyperbolic or does she have some deranged sense of self?I shan't comment and will leave it for the mental health professionals and those in the psycho-pharmaceutical field to determine. 

Next.

Maybe Stephanie does not realize that over 6 million Jews were murdered during World War II for nothing other than being Jewish (yeah, I know that there were the disabled, gypsies, and gay and lesbians killed but I wish to just focus on what hits home to me).

What is your problem Stephanie? How dare you trivialize the Holocaust! How dare you use what your fellow Jews have gone through to advance your politics. You're not even Jewish! Do you know what it is like to be a Jew? Do you know what it is like to know the history of Jews and the Holocaust? Have you lost any family members to the Holocaust? 

Yeah, what the students are going though sucks. But this is the best we got. People are afraid. Parents are afraid. We have a disease that is out of control. I know people that have died. That have been sick. But people, meaning teachers, are making the best out of a shitty situation and people like you are not helping! You have all this time to tweet, to have a You Tube channel, Instagram, and now, a website that sells merch (CLICK HERE FOR WEBSITE)!  Every social media site is dedicated to one thing and one thing only. Yourself and your "brand" You don't give one damn shit about the kids. Think I am wrong? Then stop showing yourself off especially when you are handing out donations and freebies. 

The students that are learning remote, in NYC (except for middle schools and high schools right now), are remote because their parents/guardians decided that's how they want their children educated. Stay the fuck out of their business. Focus on your job, not yourself. 

To compare students who are learning remote to the Holocaust? Are students being thrown into ovens? Are their parents? Are the students being used for medical experiments? Are the students being ripped away from their parents? What kind of sick person makes this comparison? 

What Stephanie wrote is beyond the pale. And if you notice the 3rd tweet when given a chance to walk it make she just doubles down. It's all about Stephanie. For a Jew to compare remote learning to the Holocaust is just wrong.

But I am willing to give Stephanie a chance. Stephanie, feel free to email anytime you want. We can have a Zoom or Google Meets meeting. I will bring along several Holocaust Survivors. If you are the person that you claim to be, you won't have a problem sharing with these Survivors what you are comparing the Holocaust to. Or you are more than welcome to speak through Zoom at Shabbas services at my step-mother's synagogue. Probably won't be any Survivors but I am pretty sure that everyone at the service has at least one family member that was killed in the Holocaust. 

Own your words. Put money where mouth is. And while your contemplating your decision Stephanie, have a look at this Auschwitz video. You should be well aware of this!


Thursday, January 14, 2021

The Crack Team at SBSB Solves the Teacher Evaluation Problem

Yay! There was a delegate assembly yesterday. I was smart. I didn't try to ask any questions. But the pattern persists. Most, if not all, of those asking the questions tend to be chapter leaders.

But during Mulgrew's opening remarks he briefly touched on the state of the evaluation negotiations. Same as last month and nothing new.

"We have to have an evaluation system done by this month, but we are getting nowhere with the DOE. People with the DOE we are negotiating with are in la-la land. We need a scientifically tested system to work with. DOE asking for ridiculous things. Our committee has met. There has to be a MOSL. We have to figure that out."

The Crack Team has gone ahead and figured out a way to solve this problem. If the UFT decides to use what is known as The Crack Team Official Evaluation and Pro-Am© Teacher Evaluation Method. We here at SBSB ask for a small honorarium and the promise, to sponsor a golf outing this coming on a Monday in August at Winged Foot. 

Yes, we understand that in complicated times that deciding on an evaluation that must include MOSL can be complicated. So many factors are factored in.

Should teachers of remote learning be evaluated the same as in person teachers and vice versa? 

Is there an impact on students in schools that are closed, then opened, then closed, then opened, then closed? Does this not inhibit student learning?

What of remote students? Would a remote teacher get extra points for students having to learn on this piece of shit iPad minis vs students that have a laptop or a desktop? Does this not inhibit student learning?

Whilst on the subject of remote teachers, what of students with crappy internet connections? Does this not inhibit student learning?

For in person teachers, the lack of any real human contact and students sitting at their desks all gosh darn long day, how does that affect student learning?

What about fear? The fear that a loved one or themselves can come down with COVID does this not inhibit student learning?

I mean I can go on and on but I shan't. There are just too many ways that student learning is inhibited this school year.

And how once a system is in place would admins that are supposed to evaluate us be trained and properly competent to evaluate us? 

And since this evaluation system be in place by the end of January, observations will not start until March at the earliest. Is that fair?

Here is The Crack Team's plan. Simple and very inexpensive.

If on the day the administrator comes to observe, if every student in class, be it in person or remote, has a heartbeat, the teacher gets an S and a happy face sticker. This is the fairest method. 

Just an analogy, a poor one. Can Trevor Bauer be properly judged and warrant a $36 million a year contract off of his 2020 season of 11 starts? No. 

The Crack Team and myself will be awaiting word from the UFT.


Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Stephanie Edmonds of Bronx Law High School Agrees With Tweet Slamming Remote Teachers

About this remote teacher vs in person teacher thing happening, we need to be careful. Being home teaching is not all that it is cracked up to be. 

There are other people home, there are babies, there are other children, and pets that need attending. You don't get a real connection with your students. You really can't work one on one. I can go on. But remember this. There wouldn't be remote teachers if there weren't
remote students. Parents have made the choice that they don't feel the schools are safe for their students. That is their right. And it is our right as teachers that are susceptible to COVID to take the DOE up on its offer to teach from home. Heck, there might be even less remote teachers if the DOE had a real plan back in September. 

We don't need the New York Post to fan the flames. We don't need the ignorant politicians and neo-liberals to create shit storms. Worse, we don't need one of our own to knife teachers in the back.

 We don't need a 4th year non tenured teacher with a fake Bronx accent throwing teachers under the bus.

The Crack Team found this tweet by Stephanie Edmonds (@classdisrupti0n) of Bronx Law High School at the Theodore Roosevelt Campus in the Bronx. Let's have a look see.I believe this tweet was on or around December 12.


Wow! So Stephanie agrees that we, I would assume the rank and file of the UFT, are privileged? Privileged how Stephanie? Privileged like having everything handed to us? Privileged having grown up in one of the toniest areas of Fairfield County? Privileged to go to an exclusive boarding school for high school? Please, explain. We don't understand. Most of us were only born with a plastic spork in our mouths. We don't have yachts on Long Island Sound.

As for as I know, I, and every single remote teacher is doing their ACTUAL job. You're doing your ACTUAL job too. You are remote. Are you better than us? Know more than us? We're in the same boat. But I am sure you're still looking down your nose at "the remote teachers." 

Denial? Excuses? What am I in denial of? What are other remote teachers in denial of? I'm not denying that this situation is rough for all involved. That it would have been better to have had a plan had its genesis back in March. I, nor my union brothers and sisters, are unable to control the incompetency of Mayor De Blasio and Chancellor Carranza.

Are we (and again to be sure we are talking about remote teachers) making excuses for remote teaching? Stephanie, answer this question. I spoke to a colleague over the weekend I had taught with back in 2003. Our children used to play together. She is remote. Why? Her daughter, the same age as my son, has cancer. When one has cancer the immune system tends to get messed up. My friend sought, and received, an accommodation (thanks to UFT Solidarity and Bryan Glass) so she would not have to worry about being in a school or the Bronx. Avoiding a situation in which she could catch COVID and, God forbid, infect her daughter. 

Speaking for myself, I am type 2 diabetic. My BMI is where it should be as is my A1C. But I am 56, and for some weird reason don't wish to die due to COVID. Maybe if I was 30 years old I might think differently. But I am not.

Deflection and blame? Again Stephanie, (check your scorecard, we are still talking about remote teachers) what is it we are deflecting? Explain yourself. Who are we blaming? I've been with the DOE 25 years. There is incompetency all around. I'll blame De Blasio and Carranza. Try your know it all energy on these two dunces.

Yeah, the UFT has been wishy washy and inconsistent, but the mayor and the chancellor are the ultimate fartheads. 

You know Stephanie, when I started teaching I was told to keep my mouth shut and my ears open. Sadly, it's been the opposite for you. Perhaps you should concentrate on teaching instead of what you think is a quasi-media empire on You Tube.

Want to curse the union all you want? Go right ahead I'll be there supporting you. But attacking teachers, your union brothers and sisters, your colleagues, on social media that's just wrong. Do it privately. 

But what's most disturbing is this attitude you have of knowing it all. You know jack. You are in a situation you never were in before. You think you are "down" with your students? Think about what they are saying about you in Spanish. 

Don't think you have cred because you believe you teach in the South Bronx and are the reincarnation of Mr Kotter. You're not. Remember this from September...?

You do not teach in the Boggie Down Bronx unless you teach in the South Bronx. But Damn! There it goes again!! People coming in and changing things!

You're on Fordham Rd. That is not the Boogie Down Bronx. 

Lastly, Stephanie, get rid of the phony Bronx accent. You're from the country club set of Connecticut, you should sound like William Buckley

Would love to hear from remote teachers in the comments section. Please keep it unprofane and professional.

Tuesday, January 12, 2021

It's Remote Teacher Vs In Person Teacher Thanks to the New York Post

In this corner we have remote teachers. In the other corner we have in person teachers. And in the center of the ring we have the New York Post stirring the shit pot and and pitting teachers against one another

This story, which myself and The Crack team believe was planted by the DOE starts off, not with a teacher kvetching, but rather a DOE official. Chances are it's some ass kissing,
narcissistic,  incompetent (And if male has some serious physical Freudian shortcomings) administrator with serious people issues.

 Article starts off....

“Teachers who work in-person are all raging right now,” one DOE official said. 

“They’re all pissed because they feel they’re getting the short end of the stick in here everyday getting exposed while people are sitting home in their jammies,” the staffer seethed. 

“I just feel they should be forced to come back [after getting the vaccine]. Right now there’s many people before them that are in direct exposure that should’ve been entitled to receive the vaccine first.”

Who says they are raging? Where is this DOE official getting this from?  If this source is an administrator, are they quoting some pimply face, runny nose newbie teacher whining that they can't boogie down in Manhattan anymore? 

But to say we are all in our jammies? How gauche! In fact, how unoriginal. Claim we're all in our underwear. At least lie that way. But seriously folks. We get up, we get dressed. We eat breakfast. We go to work. My dad worked from home from the time I was in 3rd grade. Not once did was he at his desk or on his phone in his jammies. 

How do you know that there aren't remote teachers that want to come back to work? Duh. But it won't happen as fast as some would like. From what I have read (And I could be wrong) it could be 3-4 weeks before before one is at full immunity. And that's after the second shot! Lest we forget 4 weeks go by between shots. That goes for everyone. 

One Brooklyn teacher said the request to “wait for further guidance” hasn’t stopped remote workers from signing up for the booster. 

“Remote people are already scheduling their appointments, they had the luxury of being home and were able to refresh [the page] and find appointments today,” 

Yeah, it hasn't stopped remote teachers, and it shouldn't have stopped unnamed Brooklyn teacher. As I stated on Sunday a SBSB groupie shared a link with me Saturday night around 9:30. Unnamed Brooklyn teacher had the same opportunity. Unnamed Brooklyn teacher had all day Sunday to sign up. Did unnamed Brooklyn teacher sign up? Nope. 

You want something bad enough you do it. In 2007 my then 6 year old son wanted a Wii for Christmas. I got up at 4 AM and got to Target by 4:45. I wanted to get it bad enough for him. See how it's done? 

The same unnamed Brooklyn teacher continued to whine... “Remote people are already scheduling their appointments, they had the luxury of being home and were able to refresh [the page] and find appointments today,” the teacher, who works in-person, griped to The Post. 

Again, where were you on Saturday night and ALL DAY SUNDAY? There is no one you could have entrusted to sign up for you? This couldn't be done on your lunch? Prep? Whilst on the commode? Excuses and whining is all this unnamed Brooklyn teacher can do.

And lastly, an administrator came up with the whine of the day:

“Wish I could give my spot to my mom who’s [in her 70s],” the administrator said, calling the vaccination system “not organized.”

My 79 year old step mother signed up Sunday and received shot on Monday morning. Enough said. 

The DOE said “employees working remotely have been directed to wait for further guidance.”

We're not waiting for further guidance. Why? We suffer from heart disease, lung disease, cancer, diabetes, etc... If we don't have suffer from these, then a loved one we live with suffers from these ailments. We are not doing anything wrong, illegal, or unethical. We are following CDC guidelines which the UFT and the DOE agree upon. For those whining about teachers teaching remotely, do you really think it is that easy? Walk a mile in our shoes before you complain. Oh, and I don't wear my jammies but I usually walk around in socks. Last week I stepped in a big wet hairball deposited by Sparkles.  

And let me add. Any teacher who that is in a building and does have one of the CDC comorbidities, you have the right to go ahead of any able bodied teacher as well.

But in retrospect I think it was the DOE all along that wants the teachers in buildings to get vaccine and the UFT went along with it. Sound familiar? Why spend time and medicine on the sick? Just separate the teachers as we get off the 4 train. Those that can work go to the right, those that can't go to the ovens. 

I have no intention of becoming a statistic. Nor should anyone become a statistic. Whether able bodied or with a susceptibility. I don't want to wind up on this list nor do I want to see any teachers on it as well. I know people on this list. My dear friend Chaz is on this list, and I miss him terribly. 

If you are a remote teacher, or a teacher in a school that is vulnerable, you have every right to get a shot NOW. You owe it to yourself and your loved ones. You are no good to them dead. I was raised to believe that we help our most needy and most vulnerable ahead of ourselves. Doesn't the time call for this? 

This Post article was clearly planted by the DOE to sow division amongst teachers and to discourage remote teachers to get vaccinated soon. Perhaps the DOE is wished us to die off? 

There is enough crap on Twitter and social media, by NYC teachers with fake Bronx accents stabbing remote teachers in the back with wacky theories and what not. 

Oh, it'll help if the UFT gets involved in this. Maybe at tomorrow's DA?

Monday, January 11, 2021

Control Your Destiny, Schedule the Vaccination Yourself

I am appreciative of the UFT, NYSUT, and whatever other groups expedited teachers and educators into group 1B so we can get vaccinated. 

What I am not crazy about are the strings attached and what it appears to be that the only way
we can get vaccinated is through the DOE and/or the UFT. Why? Basically to control who gets it. 

Mulgrew and Chancellor Carranza said the same things differently. 

Mulgrew wrote...        

UFT members working in the schools right now will receive priority in our matching process, but we plan to move quickly to match all UFT members who wish to receive the vaccine with a provider.

Carranza wrote...

If you are working remotely right now, please wait for further guidance on when to schedule your vaccination. This will help to ensure that New Yorkers on the front line serving fellow New Yorkers in person in our school buildings will better be able to access the vaccine. 

Though I am not enthralled but what Mulgrew wrote, Carranza is coming across like he hopes plenty of teachers die before the vaccine gets around. 

The UFT is acting as an authorized re-seller of vaccine slots for the city and the DOE. In essence, the UFT is a ticket scalper, or in this instance, a vaccine slot scalper. This is not what the UFT should be doing. 

For shits and giggles I filled out the UFT survey last night. Even though I have a slot. But we don't have to go through the UFT at all. We can do this ourselves. Remember, always be proactive 

Here are some quality websites that can be accessed on your own without going through and/or relying on the UFT.

I think this is for the entire state of New York:


https://apps.health.ny.gov/doh2/applinks/cdmspr/2/counties?OpID=50501188

For NYC:

https://vaccinepod.nyc.gov/ This one came from another fan of SBSB

https://vaccinefinder.nyc.gov/

and let's not forget from yesterday's blog post care of a SBSB groupie

CLICK HERE

And here is article from Journal News in which huge hub will be used at the Westchester County Center for vaccinations. 

Take care of you and your family and loved ones. Do this yourself. It'll get done quicker. 

Sunday, January 10, 2021

The Vaccinations are Here! What to Know

 Sometime last night during my binge watching of Family Guy I got a text from one of the many SBSB groupies. It was shared with me that sign up is available for those who qualifyunder group 1B for the COVID vaccination (I'll post the link at the end of this post).

Finally! This vaccination process, at least in NY State is taking too long. Cuomo has to control it. Why not use all 62 NYS county health departments. Less control for Cuomo one would hazard to guess. Heck, in 1947 NYC vaccinated about 6 million people for smallpox in about a month. Why can't this be done again? 

So for the last week or so we here at SBSB have been hearing rumors that teachers have been moved into 1B and that vaccinations are imminent. Thanks to DeBlaso for finally showing some balls to Cuomo that day has come starting tomorrow. But the rollout has not been exactly smooth. 

This morning on 880 WCBS I heard the tail end of an interview with Mulgrew in which I heard...

"Teachers who are in the classroom will be given priority"

That was a "whatcha talking about Willis" moment for me. It was time to roll up the sleeves. 

I reached out to the SBSB groupie as well as someone in the UFT. I got some decent clarification from the UFT.

If you signed up on the link provided last night with NYCHHC you are still good to go. You don't have to wait for the UFT to do it for you.

You do not need to be a NYC resident to use the NYCHHC link. I am getting my shot at 3rd Ave and 174th St. 

I'm also hearing that each individual must schedule the second shot themselves, but that just doesn't make sense. But waiting to hear confirmation. More likely at wherever you get your shot they will schedule for you.

The UFT has scheduled a paid release time for the vaccination. 

And finally, and this is what is bothersome: That according to Mulgrew's email today members working in school will get priority. But according to what I was told "if you are 1B you won't be turned away." Just those in buildings will kind of have a head start. 

I really must take umbrage. I mean the infection rate nearing 10 percent. With the buildings still open the DOE, and seemingly, the UFT has no issue with such a high rate of infection. Originally the threshold for shutting down the buildings was to be 3 percent. All of the sudden someone gives a shit about the teachers in the building ? Mind you, I am not besmirching these teachers. They are doing a fantastic job under the circumstances and we should support them. But they're mostly healthy. Chances are they do not have a morbidity.

The priority should be those with a morbidity. Whether it is a member or a member's loved one that they live with. These people are the most vulnerable and susceptible to dying.

Right now the way the UFT and DOE are prioritizing the healthy sounds a wee bit like Eugenics with a smile. "Let's take care of the healthy first. As for the weak and the sickly? If we get to them, we'll get to them." Maybe I am being hyperbolic but come on. Talk about wanting to thin the herd, the teachers on accommodation are the most vulnerable.

One more thing. People are getting their underwear into too much of a bunch over the video of the UFT nurse getting vaccinated. Big fucking deal. She's got more guts than Trump. Look at it this way, she's demonstrating the safety and efficacy of the vaccination. Too many anti-vaxxers out there. Let her set an example. Get your undies out of shape for the priority list and other real shit.

Now for the Health and Hospitals link. CLICK HERE  If you see nothing keep coming back. It's like you are getting tickets for opening day on Tivk. If you don't live in NYC check with your doctor, your provider, your local department of health. Be aggressive and be proactive. Most of all be safe and stay healthy.