In 1973, Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee, during the Watergate hearings asked John Dean this question in regards to President Nixon's knowledge of the Watergate break-in;

"What did the President know, and when did he know it? 

In 2014, the same question should be asked of Bronx District 7 Superintendent Yolanda Torres.

What did Yolanda know and when did she know about the diabolical (here, here, here, and here) plot that DR Alison Coviello, Ed.D and Principal of PS 154 in the Bronx and BFF AP Jessica Cruz were involved in against me and possibly other staff members at the school?

I had spoken to Yolanda on or about July 17, 2012 sharing my concern about the technology, or the lack of technology, at PS 154 and also asked her if she can bridge any differences between myself and DR Alison Coviello, Ed.D and Principal. Unbeknownst to myself at the time, the plot was put into play on August 24, 2012.

It is only natural to wonder what Yolanda's involvement is in this sordid conspiracy. One can only look at the past and wonder what machinations she has involved her self in.

From 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.

If she was not part of the plot planning then she has hired to rouge administrators and is incapable of leading a school district. If she was part of the planning, then she is still incapable of being a district leader and has serious ethical issues.

These questions must be asked of Yolanda Torres;


In June 2012, myself and several other staff members at PS 154 went to meet with her about our concerns about DR Alison Coviello, Ed.D and Principal. She seemed generally taken aback by some of our concerns. Was the fact that myself and others, either immediately or soon after rated U or brought up on 3020-a charges, orchestrated by her? 

If Yolanda was involved in the conspiratorial plot against me (And possibly other teachers) who at Tweed did she confer with or get permission from? 

At what point will Yolanda's leadership, or lack of, for District 7 be looked into? 

And again, what did Yolanda know and when did she know it? 

The ELA test scores at PS 154 are worse now (Page 355, and remember, this years cut scores were lower!) with DR Alison Coviello, Ed.D and Principal than before. 

Where is Yolanda?

I got to thinking.

I got to thinking after reading some of Chancellor Fariña's Capacity Frameworks on the DOE website. Yep, was really rubbing my chin and pondering.

Under the Framework known as Trust, and so it was said;

Relationships between all members of the school community— including administrators, educators, students, and families—are based on social respect, personal regard, and integrity. Trust creates a school culture where teachers, principals, staff, and all members of the Department of Education value and respect each other...

Another Framework, Effective School Leadership so sayeth;

 The principal sets the tone for the school, develops a climate of inclusiveness, and inspires staff and students with a clear vision for student achievement. The goal of a strong school leader is to build coherent instructional and social-emotional support that improves student achievement. School leaders support teacher development by consistently offering professional development opportunities and providing meaningful feedback.

¡Uni momento, por favor! It seems that someone has not gotten the Frameworks memo. I wonder who, **COUGH COUGH**, **WINK WINK.**

 What would a lay person say if they have read about the shenanigans that DR Alison Coviello, Ed.D and Principal of PS 154 in the Bronx and BFF AP Jessica Cruz have engaged in concerning me, and possibly others?

When this was shared on August 7, would any Joe Shmoe from Palookaville see the integrity, the trust, the inspiration, and the meaningful feedback? Would Mr Schmoe find the same values in this? Or this?

One would hazard to guess that the answer would be an unequivocal no way!

But let's give DR Alison Coviello, Ed.D and Principal of PS 154 in the Bronx and BFF AP Jessica Cruz the benefit of the doubt for just an itty bitty moment. Perhaps we don't have enough information to make an informed opinion, or enough information to confirm a fact.

But first a little background info.

As reported here on December 3, 2013, the erstwhile and multi-talented Betsy Combier filed a FOIL request in September 2012 for Coviello's any and all emails regarding me. Betsy felt she was quite thorough in using many keywords. But alas, they were one step ahead of her.

In an email in September 2012 from BFF AP Jessica Cruz to DR Alison Coviello, Ed.D and Principal of PS 154, BFF AP Jessica Cruz suggested to DR Alison Coviello, Ed.D and Principal of PS 154 that all future emails regarding me should be use the honorific, "Mr."

Now I am not a member of the legal profession, I do happen to be Jewish, and I can assume that this is not kosher behavior. Can this be obstruction of justice as some have suggested? I can't say, nor is it my place to make either an assumption or pass judgement.

But these questions can be asked...

Why were they so afraid of what Betsy would find out and why would they use a pseudonym for me? 

In a school that still consistently has almost 90% of students across all testing grades in both Math and ELA  put so much energy into what some might also call a cover up?

Are there any other teachers from the 2012-2013 school year that were U-rated for the year subject to what I was subject to? 

Are there any other teachers from the 2013-2014 school year that were rated ineffective or developing for the year subject to what I was subject to? 

Are these kind of behaviors by administrators done in a vacuum or is it systematic throughout the system? Knowing that if we all had a dime for every time we hear a teacher say, "My principal set me up," we would be quite wealthy, if this is just the tip of the iceberg in a systematic problem, how many years do we go back to see if this was done and be sure accused teachers are exonerate?

What did District 7 Superintendent Yolanda Torres know and when did she know it? More importantly, was she the one orchestrating this conspiracy? 

Inquiring minds want answers.

I never got around to saying thank you for all the support that was shown to me for my blog post of August 7, 2014 in which I shared how my principal, DR Alison Coviello, Ed.D of PS 154 in the Bronx conspired to ensure that I would be found incompetent.

As a reminder, let us delve into the past and see what DR Alison Coviello, Ed.D wrote to BFF AP Jessica Cruz on August 24, 2012;

“Hey, I revised Zucker’s job description  so that it is focused more on literacy. This way, (It was)explained, we’ll have a surer chance of winning a case when our observations detail incompetence.”

Now, hold on just a sec. Bear with me. OK?

It seems that with as with a good cliffhanger, I left some people hanging, and for that I apologize. 

When I was in Chicago last month at a White Sox game, during batting practice SBSB fan and honorary member of The Crack Team Paul Konerko asked me; 

 "Hey, what's up with that blog post of August 7 and the email from DR Alison Coviello, Ed.D? Did not her BFF AP Jessica Cruz respond to it? 

Yes Paul, there was a reply; 
 
--> Hey Alison,     

In Montreal for my mini vacation :-)  Got to say though, Canada is a little "tight or rather uptight"... hopefully things will lighten up today.       

Anyway, here are my suggestions for Zucker's job description.  I think this way (you'll see) lays out the expectation clearly and will support us more in the write-ups.  Basically I'm recommending we take out the word should since it implies "it is suggested that"....             

Jess

Notice anything amiss? I mean besides calling Canada "tight or rather uptight"? Seriously, how can you call Canadians uptight? The most polite country on this planet. The country that has given the world, Rush, Poutine, Labatt's Blue, Tim Horton's Donuts, hockey, SCTV, back bacon, that great accent, Neil Young, the Kids in the Hall, and the Trailer Park Boys.

But I have digressed. I love Canadian culture.

So already, just over a week before the 2012-2013 school year started not only has it been deemed that I will be found incompetent but the write ups for my observations  have been manipulated as well as they both plan to write me up for my file and conspired on best practice on how to do everything.

This is beyond reproach what both of them did. Instead of supporting me, instead of of assisting me, instead of acting as educators both Coviello and Cruz are playing the roles of Nixon and Haldeman in conspiring against me. PS 154 has turned into nothing more than the Nixon White House. 

Since Coviello's reign has began upwards of 20 staff members have been either forced to resign, brought up on 3020-a charges, left the school under pressure, or have retired. Is it not safe to assume that it is possible that these staff members were dealt with in the same underhanded conspiratorial manner? Heck, who is on the "hit list" for this year?

Worse, is it also safe to assume that parents and students have been dealt with untruthfully by both Coviello and Cruz? Are there favored parents and favored students? Are students that are displeasing to Coviello and Cruz expeditiously shipped off to District 75?

Of course in a school with an average of 90% of students not being able to read or do math at grade level in grades 3-5 Coviello and Cruz have decided that it is best to act in an immoral and unethical manner. That instead of being leaders, of facilitating best teaching practices, of having an atmosphere of camaraderie and teamwork, they would rather spend time conspiring how to hurt staff members and instilling fear in the rest of a compliant staff as well as the parents who dare stick up for the rights of their children.

Where are the priorities? Where are the morals? Where are the ethics?

This is one of the most difficult and personal blog posts I have ever written in my 6 years of blogging, but this story, now more than ever, needs to be shared.

I'm not sharing it to garner sympathy or adulation but rather to cast light upon the incessant abuse of teachers not only in the schools of NYC, but across America as well.

One of the reasons I am sharing this now is that in this current fight to defend ourselves from interlopers who not only wish to take away our tenure rights, but worse, think having no tenure will help us, I am hoping that the information I share here just might be able to help or have a teacher know that they are not alone.

On Friday, August 1, 2014, my attorney Bryan Glass filed a lawsuit on my behalf in New York State Supreme Court naming my principal, DR Alison Coviello, principal of PS 154 in the Bronx, as one of the defendants.

I am not going to get into too many of the details of the lawsuit right now. But there is one instance, a conspiracy, that needs, that must, be shared.

For many readers of this blog you know that I have been reassigned since September 3, 2013 in the Rubber Room. The 2012-2013 school year had been pure hell. Not only was I U-rated for the year, but all 3 of my formal observations were U-rated as well and I received discipline letters for the littlest things. How could this have happened? Why? Up until the 2012-2013 school year I had never ever received a U rating or observation in my 18 years of teaching to that point.

On August 24, 2012 (Just about 10 days before we had to report), DR Alison Coviello wrote in an email to AP Jessica Cruz;

“Hey, I revised Zucker’s job description  so that it is focused more on literacy. This way, (It was) explained, we’ll have a surer chance of winning a case when our observations detail incompetence.”

Can anybody guess the mistake? It was pre-determined before the 2012-2013 school year even started that I was going to be found incompetent. Coviello was playing God.

At what point is enough enough of this dirty dealing, lying, sandbagging going to end?

Eight teachers, including myself, were U rated for the 2012-2013 school year. One awaits a 3020-a hearing, another went through a 3020-a hearing and resigned. Did Coviello and Cruz conspire on each and every U rated teacher? Why did Coviello and Cruz decide to treat the teachers punitively instead of constructively? Surely treating teachers in such a punitive manner would have an effect on the students, no?

More importantly, did Coviello and Cruz act on their own or did the instructions come from higher up and if so, from whom and how high up the chain of command?

And if they did it to us, what makes one think that they can't or won't act in this manner to any other teacher at PS 154? Anything is possible.

Can anyone not see why we need tenure? Why we need due process? Why we are ticked off about Campbell Brown? DR Alsion Coviello has just given a gift to teachers city and nationwide. She has shown us why we need tenure and how easily power can be perverted and how what I have just shared is systemic in the NYCDOE.

It is time we collectively say, "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!"

When teachers are hurt, it affects the students. When one teacher is hurt, we all hurt.