NYCDOE Legal Continues to Throw Spaghetti Against the Wall to Nail Teachers

Oh, the DOE lawyers are at it again. Throwing the proverbial spaghetti on the wall and seeing what will stick.

Yet another teacher's frivolous 3020-a charges have come across desks of the SBSB news team. We are not in a position to share details of the case nor the teacher as of yet. However, one spec did catch the eye of The Crack Team (click to enlarge):

Just in case anyone is having difficulty reading, this specification reads...

On or about and between September 5, 2018 and May 13, 2019, Respondent yelled at student(s).

We here at SBSB wish to know was the teacher yelling at the students on weekends and days that school wasn't in session or just days that school was in session. Was this one continuous yell for eight months, or was a series of yells?

Which student(s)? Usually, in the specs it gives Student A, Student B, and so on. There is nothing. In fact, it might be one student or more than one student. The dicktards at Legal don't know? Shouldn't they? 

In fact, define yelling. Is it the Tarzan yell perfected by Johnny Weismuller or Carol Burnett? Or more along the line of Lou Costello yelling for Abbott?

There are 250 days from September 5 through May 13. Minus the 72 weekends days, and that comes to 178 days. Let's subtract 28 vacation days, and that comes to 150 days. That's ONE HUNDRED FIFTY TWO instructional days between September 5, 2018, and May 13, 2019 that this teacher MIGHT have yelled at a student(s).

Can you imagine a REAL lawyer asking a witness, "Where were you on the night(s) between September 5 and May 13?" Hilarity would surely ensue in the court.

When you got nothing, better find something, anything, and take it out of context and make it seem something. That's what these so called lawyers at the DOE do. They take anything and use it to destroy a teachers career and their lives. Why, you may ask? It's simple. Because they can. Unimpeded.

And they can't do it alone. If there were enough of a ruckus from the UFT, this could stop. There should have been language in the contract, that was agreed to just less than a year ago, that would have put the brakes on the arbitrariness and capriciousness of charges brought by the DOE "lawyers."

But meanwhile this teacher is now forced to roll the dice with their career.

How much longer?

When it is Time to Move On

Everything is over. Done. Kaput. Finis.

The lawsuits are done. We settled both suits (I believe last time I discussed this, one suit had been settled). A tremendous weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

I can't say enough about my wife who unconditionally stood by my side through all this craziness the last, almost, 5 years and showed me such strength when I was at my lowest. She turned out, as I would tell her, to be my Yoko Ono.

Enough also can't be said for my brilliant lawyer Bryan Glass as well as his partner Jordan Harlow. Both Bryan and Jordan are beyond honorable men and lawyers and both complement each other in very unique ways. If you are in trouble with the DOE and need a lawyer you can not go wrong at all with either. Just don't bring up the Red Sox with Jordan. He for some reason thinks they are going to win the World Series this year.

Anyway, it is time for me to move on. 

I'm thinking this today for some things I have read about this week.

One, is the articles in the Post earlier this week (I refuse to even link to them) about the Renewal Schools. Someone, I shan't say who, tried to rope me into commenting for the articles. I didn't want to. That chapter in my life is over. It is time to move on. I don't need the attention. I don't need to be the center of the teacher universe.

Another article is from one minor NYC newspaper about a teacher suing the DOE.

I wish this teacher the best. But sometimes, and I learned this, there is a time to say enough is enough. As a lawyer who is a close personal friend of mine once shared with me, "Our system is not about justice, it is about how money I can get for you." And, "You never know what a jury will do."

There are two kinds of justice. First is Revenge, and if this is your aim, your soul and katra will wither and die. Then, there is True Justice, in which a wrong is righted, but it must be for the correct reasons.

Let God or whatever deity or spiritual power you believe in, take care of the "Revenge" (I don't even like using that word).

I didn't want my lawsuit to consume me nor define me. Yes, there were times that I wanted blood (figuratively). There were also times through this lawsuit,  that I got very down, that I said "FUCK IT!", and just wanted to quit.

But I could let it define me, or give up. There are much more important things in my life. One, is my peace of mind, my mental state. The others are right here in my house. My wife and my son.

My marriage was at times strained due to the lawsuit. But my wife was very involved in my case. Coming to court. Reassuring me. Strengthening my resolve.

My son needed me too. In fact, I needed him more. He will be 16 this June and entering college in two years. I can't, could not, and would not, neglect my role as his father for this lawsuit. He needs a father full time. If anything good came out of this I believe he has a better understanding of how to stand up for himself, and for those who need help the most.

I see how some have become so consumed with their own lawsuits. One person I know, and I won't share his name, has continuously taken bad advice from the wrong person (time
after time) and has practically lost his mind wallowing and chasing every windmill both real and imagined.

Nor do I have any inclination that my lawsuit was going to deliver teachers to the promised land of freedom. I'm not that full of myself. I am happy with who I am.

Not every teacher can fight back like I, or others have. That is something that some just can't wrap their brains around. All I can do, and I have reached out and been reached out to, is give any teacher in distress what their options are, everything and anything they can do, and let them make the choice that is best for them. And at that point, support them unconditionally, in anyway that is required.

And another thing I have realized. For all the crap I have been through, there have been teachers that are much worse off than I can even fathom. I know I might have my moments, but there but for the grace of God go I. How can I truly grow and move on as a person and a teacher if I think I had it bad ,when so many of my brethren are hurting and in deep, deep pain?

I am not giving up the struggle for our schools, our communities, and our educators. But the wise thing  to know is when to use the chisel instead of a hammer and to remember the difference.

UFT Solidarity Threatens to Sue Me!

I really wish I can make this shit up. Sadly, it's all too real.

This past Sunday night, September 6, my phone rings. Who can it be as I walk to the phone. Lo and behold I am getting a phone call from UFT Solidarity. To what honor, I wonder, am I worthy of such a call?

I allow the the call to go to VM for I know that I really don't like the way I sound on recording (Amongst other reasons). Let me hear what the VM says and will make any decisions from there.

I don't get a VM, but I do get a text from UFT Solidarity which reads;

"Hey what's up? Just called you. Seems like you want to tall and get shit off your chest. Call me if you do."

An intriguing possibility. Yes, I wished to sit down and talk but one of us would have to be at the sit down wearing nothing but a Speedo and be subject to a cavity search.

I go on with my evening, go on with my Labor Day and then last night, out of the blue I get another unsolicited text which reads;

"Sucks that it has come to this, but I am suing you (Emphasis mine). I warned you many times."

Dang, just like Alex Forrest UFT Solidarity goes 180 degrees in the other direction.

I was laughing so hard I responded;

"Good luck! I have no idea what you'll get from me but I wish you all the luck in the world and Godspeed."

And this response;

"There are several remedies the judge can order. I guess like everything else time will tell."

Wow! I did not know that UFT Solidarity is an Asia fan.

To top it off a member of MORE got a phone call from UFT Solidarity last night and was told that MORE was going to be sued due to the fact that I was acting in the capacity of MORE.

If I was a follower of UFT Solidarity I would step back and take a good hard look at what I am getting into. There is something seriously askew here and must wonder if the path that I had chosen is the right path.

I doubt these are the values of UFT Solidarity followers.