PEP Report: Teachers, Parents Make Demands on Farina; ATRs, Etc To Hold Rally at Tweed, Tues., June 10, 4:30PM

Just back from the gym and heading back outside soon. The last 2 days of wake, our anniversary, and a day of funeral have been crazy and tough. I'll try to blog about these remarkable 2 days if I can get it together. But first, back to business at hand.

Lots going on.

Below is the report from Lydia Howrilka, who was discontinued in her first year by an abusive principal who picked on the wrong person. Lydia has picked up the Portelos mantra and is going like gangbusters. Imagine an army of Lydias and Francescos marching on Tweed? Well-----

Lydia is part of the group formed by  Francesco Portelos, currently an ATR after winning his case. An illegal ATR since he was not sent back to his school where he was chapter leaders. The UFT has allowed the DOE to abrogate the rights of the teachers to choose their chapter leader at the school, thus leaving the staff there defenseless.

They have helped organize a rally at Tweed this Tuesday June 10 strarting 4-4:30 to call for a clearing out by Farina of DOE legal which scours facebook looking for teachers to persecute so they can justify the massive expense of their jobs, created by Joel Klein to go after teachers.

They're also calling for more cleanout of BloomKlein slime that pushed through every bad policy with gusto like it was religion. At least Farina lost heart with some of the crap they were doing and left/was pushed out for lack of enthusiasm. Give her that -- look, I'm not saying every single person should be fired -- but to keep some of the visible people who people had to deal with is a slap in the face -- like Kathleen Grimm - the grim reaper of closing schools. If she is useful, keep her behind a curtain instead of us having to watch her grin and shaker her head YES like a fool every time Farina trashes her predecessors' policies.

 -- people should come to support them, especially if you are an ATR or undergoing harassment. But every teacher should support this.

Meanwhile, here is the video and report on last week's PEP meeting from Lydia, along with videos of her speech and also see Sean Ahern's (standing behind Lydia) speech here:Video: Sean Ahern at the PEP on Diversity.

May 29^th PEP Night at Murray Bergtraum HS

“Teacher Voice in Critical Times”

Guest Blogger: Lydia A. Howrilka

“The educator has the duty of not being neutral.”

― Paulo Freire, We Make the Road by Walking: Conversations on Education and Social Change
 

While waiting for my turn to speak at May’s PEP meeting at Murray Bergtraum HS, I couldn’t help but sense a shift in public tone from Chancellor Farina’s first PEP which in retrospect seemed like an outright love-fest. The mood was anxious and the public speakers were phenomenal: Sean and Michelle of MORE, DTOE, and the Teacher Diversity Committee; inspiring parents from the Mott Hall School and P.S. 184 Shuang Wen; veteran teachers from LaGuardia High School; and activists from Change the Stakes. I encourage everyone to go to the live-stream and listen to the public comment portion of PEP (especially Ms. Roman’s speech, just after mine. Evelyn Roman, PTA president at Mott Hall, is an honorary member of DTOE—we applaud her for her charisma, courage, and fire).

I spoke for three minutes regarding my unique situation. I’ll let the video speak for itself. However one thing I have noticed, both as a viewer and participant in PEP meetings, is the sheer lack of young teachers who choose to participate and speak up. Young teachers are all too frequently denied tenure and/or are discontinued for a myriad of reasons, not simply because they are “ineffective” in the eyes of their administrator. 

Readers of Ed Notes, DTOE.org, NYC Educator, and other blogs realize and understand that public education and teachers are under attack nationally. In the Northeast, teachers are being gagged from speaking about state exams, mocked by union delegates, discontinued when they advocate for student services, bullied publically by politicians, and (in the case of myself and my colleague only, so far, thankfully) arrested if they accuse their principals of being unethical or corrupt. The goal of all these actions is to stifle teacher voice, to spook teachers so they are too scared to speak up and advocate for themselves, their colleagues, and (most importantly of all) the students. If teaching is a political act in which we help our students strive to overcome poverty and oppression, how can teachers accomplish this if they are too frightened to speak up, if not in the newspaper or a rally, then in PEP? 

We do have protection by the First Amendment… surely you didn’t forget 11^th grade civics?

It is for these very reasons that teachers need to be vocal. Teachers, especially the “young ones” like me, need to show their faces at PEP and speak up. I’m not deluded to think that my speech will change the policy of the Office of General Counsel; but one thing I do know is that because I did speak up, twice, more educators are inspired to fight back and advocate for themselves and their students. The countless emails I’ve received and the conversations I’ve had with educators is proof of this. If you cannot find the courage to speak up to advocate for yourself and your students, who will? Time is too precious to be neutral and not stand up. Since PEP is live-streamed and the videos are posted publically, imagine whom your speech can inspire.

Don’t tread on educators!

*drops microphone*
 

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Portelos Arrested and Released After 30 Hours in Holding Cell As Asst. DA Tosses Case

Note to DOE Legal: How do you spell D-I-S-B-A-R?
Ramifications of tactic of having teachers arrested for fighting back will be felt.

I can just imagine the judge getting as big a laugh as Francesco got as he snookered DOE Legal into taking an outrageous action against him by involving the NYCPD in what was clearly a joke posting that he hacked into the DOE payroll system and gave himself a raise claiming he hacked in using Dennis Walcott's logon using the password kittensRcute. (How to “Hack” the DOE Payroll Portal and Give Yourself a Raise).

That either sent the crack DOE tech team into a panic given they seem to think Portelos can control their computers using smoke and mirrors. Or the real panic may be DOE legal thinks it will lose the case and not get Portelos terminated, so they came up with this attempted scam, which P is adding to his federal lawsuit. The boy may own the DOE by the time he is finished, and maybe part of the NYPD.

At first I felt P had gone too far with his post, given that he was expecting a ruling on his case. I urged him to keep this stuff under wraps until his decision came through. But when he pointed out that a Louis Scarcella like detective was apparently working as an agent of DOE legal by going after teachers who defended themselves things began to fall into place.

Will Portelos end  up owning this apartment?

In another breaking development he just informed us that SCI has backed his claims that the DOE was lying when it claimed he used his computers at work for his real estate business, something we heard repeatedly from DOE Legal attorney Jordana Shenkman, hopefully soon to be disbarred.

SCI just released a statement indicating the real estate files were not found on my desktop but rather printed from the internet. http://bit.ly/1fqlESa

Portelos 3020 a Proceeding letter - 3 11 14-1.pdf

dropbox.com

Here are some of his postings on Facebook.

Francesco ForEducation Portelos  
Thank you all for your concern and texts. Just got out of jail around 7pm. Was arrested Monday morning due to trumped up charges by the DOE lawyers and held for 33 hrs. Sleeping on cell floor and handcuffed was an experience. The DA dismissed all charges.
 
Thanks everyone. We are adding to Federal lawsuit. Break me? I was lying on the filthy floor smiling thinking what wall I will post the shields and law degrees of those involved. As I was finally called out to leave, cell mate gave me fist bumps and one yelled out. "Don't forget to write about us teach. Keep fighting."

There is a Panel for Educational Policy meeting at Prospect Hts HS Tuesday March 18 at 6PM. Maybe call on Farina to wipe out DOE Legal and start all over again so they can go after teachers who should not be in the classroom, instead of whistle blowers.

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Portelos Update: A Para for the Defense, DOE Pulls Race Card, Theresa Europe Sits in to Intimidate Hearing Officer

There was only fear of the administration. YES everyone is in fear of them, not Portelos. .. former Para, IS 49SI.

According to Shenkman, a para - with a high school education - and a parent with 5 kids of her own - is not qualified to make a judgement as to whether someone is a good teacher. What arrogance and elitism. ... Report from Portelos hearing, Dec. 18

I finally was able to attend the 14th day of the Portelos 3020a hearing after missing the last few. Today there will be another and more after the holidays. For DOE lawyers and subsidiaries: ka-ching - At the afternoon session there were 4 DOE lawyers taking part, including Slug in Chief, Theresa Europe, who was there to make sure DOE Legal Slugette, Jordana Shenkman, pulled the race card with vigor (she did). But that was in the afternoon.

I'll do a follow-up about the afternoon testimony where we watched in amusement (and horror) as DOE legal beagle Shenkman pulled the race card on a Portello witness, as they had previously tried to do on Portelos himself - (also pulling the anti-semitic card on him). Shenkman should never be allowed into a China shop.

One thing is clear from these hearings: The absolute incompetence of IS 49 SI principal Linda Hill who everyone at the DOE seems to know is incompetent but is being protected by assaulting Portelos, who once he came under attack struck back with a vengeance. It is that vengeance he is being charged with while they try to bury the attack on him. I'll get more into the weeds in future posts.

A Para for the Defense

First to the morning testimony of a very strong witness for Portelos, a District 75 para (initials CS) at IS 49 who has since transferred to another school, who stood up to every attempt by Shenkman to break her, including an attempt so clumsy we had to hold our sides to keep from laughing out loud.

CS was a management para who followed the children she worked with from class to class through the day (except gym).

On Portelos as a teacher

Worked with him every year. Judgement of him as a teacher – very impressed – always put nice spin on teaching – kids very attentive. He gave Dist. 75 kids extra attention – especially one child with extreme difficulties. The kids were always orderly and listened to him.
Colleague to colleague he was very easy to work with – he once did rocket ships in school yard and included me, making me feel very much part of the lesson.
CC: Was it remarkable to be included by a teacher? CS: Yes [P was different from other teachers in the way he treated paras as equals.]

Shenkman OBJECTIONS and Cross Examination on this point alone:
 - anything you saw a first yr probat tchr do is not relevant (referring to how he treated one special ed child years ago when P was a new teacher). Then this from Shenkman:

JS: Not part of your resp to observe or eval tchrs.

CS: No.

JS: What is your ed degree?

CS: None. HS diploma.
JS: Was it your job to pay attention to special needs students – your job to stay focused on them – get them started with work – [meaning she couldn't know what kind of teacher P was if she was focusing on her job]

CS: I always instructed to help all public school children not just mine.
JS: You saw P one per a day – 8 periods – for 7 per follow assigned student – you didn’t see P teach other 7 periods.

According to Shenkman, a para - with a high school education - and a CS is also a parent with 5 kids of her own - is not qualified to make a judgement as to whether someone is a good teacher. What arrogance and elitism.

Note to Jordana Shenkman: Paraprofessionals are education professionals with the ability to make a judgement as to what good teaching is.

Jordana Shenkman with less qualifications to judge a teacher's competency than CS feels perfectly free to judge Portelos as not competent to teach (as she tried to prove by calling a network curriculum support person who was sent in to do a hit job).


How principal Linda Hill treated the staff
This testimony was so strong on how Linda Hill has run IS 49. (When the hearing is over we will print the transcripts). If a teacher said good morning Hill would not respond. "It was that way from the day I set foot in the school. At first I though it was personal but I was told she treats everyone that way so get over it."

We needed help – kids hitting teachers, wallet stolen –and we can’t report it - teachers crying – fear – always the principal against us – I worked in other schools – administration and teachers always worked together.

When there was a problem did you speak to Hill?

"She was unapproachable – she locked herself in her office all day."

On Portelos as a colleague

Shenkman: Are you aware of people having nervous breakdowns over fear of P or crying in hall? People filing police reports for fear of P? 

CS: NO.

JS: You weren’t aware in fear of P stalking or following them? 

CS: There was only fear of the administration. YES everyone is in fear of them not Portelos.

On the April 2011 meeting where Portelos first spoke up about the safety issue:

CS: I wasn't at the meeting but the school was buzzing.
Did u hear what P did? He stood up and said things about security and safety of building? I said to him you are so young and naive – I knew there would be retaliation.
P told me – what do u mean? I spoke the truth.
But you opened can of worms – everyone should be backing you. I was very concerned he was going to be a target. He led everyone to be able to say something.

This was April 2011, 6 months before things began to blow up. And when they did in January 2012,

CS: I spoke to R(another para) – this is all because P spoke up at that (April 2011) meeting.

There's more to this testimony where Shenkman made an outrageous attempt to discredit CS, an attempt crude and truly disgusting. And how her D. 75 admins backed her all the way. Best to do that in a separate post.

And then there is the afternoon disgusting stuff where the hearing officer, maybe hoping to impress Theresa Europe, made an outrageous decision to allow a racist neo-Nazi publication that intentionally misquoted a Portelos witness into official evidence. Portelos lawyer Chris Callegy is usually a cool customer but in this case he was livid.

READ Portelos' latest post on his blog (he is gagged from commenting on the hearings until they end):

DOE’s Digital Duct Tape

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