I just got rated U for the year. Here's the backstory.

I had an accommodation for this year. Working with small groups. OK. I filed the proper paperwork with SOLAS and HR kicked it to the principal to be approved or disapproved. It was approved.

When I entered the school in September, they had me "help out" the Kindergarten teacher. I was there for a few weeks, did coverages, etc...y end of September, beginning of October I was sent to an ICT class that was a teacher short. Again, an extra body. I did small group instruction. Worked with the neediest students. Did nap time two periods a day with pre-K and pre-3. My prep was different than teacher I was with. That's what I was thought of.

At beginning of the year I asked for a laptop. I was told no because I was an ATR. I eventually got a DOE laptop that I needed for my per session. I made a mistake. 

One day, it was a Wednesday in which I be with the outside chess instructor, I had laptop with me and was I was on it. A report to OSI that I was looking at porn. One student claimed he saw the porn from the glare reflecting off my glasses. There was no porn. Heck, OSI thought so too. OSI didn't find the students credible. It was bounced back to the principal. Anyhoo, I got letter to file for doing what everyone else had been doing during instruction time. But then and there I was told I can not use that laptop in the school. That it is not a school laptop. FWIW, this class, a 5th grade class is incredibly disruptive. The have driven their co-teacher to quit mid year, they are extremely disruptive, and get away with everything

When we come back from break in January I was assigned to the other ICT class. Originally I was to work with a very, very, very, challenging student. But after a few days they pawned the student off to a para. 

After I got letter to the file on February 9, I was concerned with risking a U for the year. I had yet to be observed yet. I thought, hey, let's get observed but this through Advance. That why the letter doesn't come into play. Well, here is a taste of things to come.

I had observation thinking, in fact, both me and AP thinking it was under advance. I met with her about 10 days later and she gave me a U, even though the observation was 15 minutes. She told me that if using Advance it would be a Developing. Fine, MOSL would have brought me to an Effective. When I kvetched, we met with principal and her way to fix this was to give me a formal observation with pre observation meeting. When I asked for paperwork, etc... of first observation she refused to give it to me. I know that the 2nd observation was pre-determined. 

 The following is of an email I sent to my principal, District 7 Superintendant Padilla, and other luminaries on June 19. Please feel free to comment. Or better email me if you have any ideas or question.

In case anyone is curious, the Union is taking action. 

1. I was rated effective for the 2021-2022 school year. Therefore I was already in Advance and I am sure I was in advance at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year. Seemingly, at some time during this school year I ceased to be in Advance for PS XXX. Who was responsible for removing me, and if need be, who would be responsible for adding me to Advance? At what point was I removed from Advance? What was the rationale for being removed from Advance? 

2. According to this document put out by the NYC DOE https://www.uft.org/sites/default/files/attachments/advance-frequently-asked-questions_October2021.pdf and on page 4 it states:

K-12 classroom teachers1 who teach 40% or more of a full-time position are eligible to be evaluated using the Advance system. A full-time teaching position usually corresponds to five teaching periods per day

 OK, I heard it and I will stop. No more videos. No more lyrics. No more forced allegories. But the days will still be counted down! 

The Crack Team heard you and I apologize. We hear at SBSB wish to thank those that filled took the time to share what they thought of the blogging the last few weeks. 

So today's topic? The continuing fallacy of Danielson. We were told this is good. That administration will be more accountable. But, and this is why Danielson is so easy to get around for certain administrators. People do and will lie. Pathologically. 

My lesson, which the top teacher in the school assisted me with, was reading Spoon by Amy Krause Rosenthal. Better, it was direct from Into Reading right smack off the DOE's website. The objective was...

Demonstrate understanding of key ideas and details in a text by asking and answering questions. 

So far, so good. 

I got ineffective for strand 3c for, ready for this? That after asking a question and getting my responses in return I would model and show in the text how one found the answer.

It was noted...

"For example, when the students struggled to provide an answer, the teacher encouraged them to go back and lift the text."

I give up. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.  Is this not what I stated in the lesson plan. Is this not what I have heard for years about drilling the students to go back in the text to help them? /facepalm

With DC 37 caving into the City and setting a pattern with a 7.42% raise over 44 months that's what it looks like UFT members will get once we get a new contract.

The Crack Team has gotten together and is willing to endorse such a pay raise but the support is conditional. Conditional upon what The Crack Team wants in return. This shall be known as The Crack Team's contract demands.

All ATRs must be placed. Not force placed, but rather intelligently placed. Each to the best of their abilities and each to a school in which the ATR can thrive and work in an environment that is conducive to the growth of said ATR and the school's students.

End Fair Student Funding. Mulgrew has said that the UFT cannot bargain budgetary demands. The Crack Team calls bullocks! When there is a will there is a way.

Bye-Bye Monday PD. A complete waste of time. There is no real professional development occurring.  I'd much rather watch hours upon hours of Kathy Griffin.

ATRs must be observed and rated as per diem substitutes are. In lieu of all ATRs being placed, ATRs must be treated as the DOE sees us. As nothing more than substitutes. Treat us the same way.

End Field Supervisors. If the above is impractical than do away with the field supervisors. Create with the UFT a truly transparent and fair method of observing and rating the ATRs. However the guiding philosophy must still be Teaching for the 21st Century.

Two observations per year for tenured teachers. I'm getting tired of meeting teachers from all over New York State and looking at their faces as I share with them we have 4 observations.

Bye-Bye Danielson. 'Nough said.

Discipline must be scaffolded. The contract states a "Counseling Memo." How often is a counseling memo used? All discipline at the school level should and must begin with a counseling memo. Too much mundane bullshit is settled with a letter to the file.

Clearly define what one needs to attain tenure. Too often now newb teachers are left in the lurch with subjective decisions on whether or not they will receive tenure.

All letters to file can be grieved. This was an injustice was this ended. Not being able to grieve all letters to the file just gave principals the ability to pile on the mundane crud.

Ability to face your accuser. Principals testifying by telephone? So much is missed when one can't see body language.

Principals held accountable. It is time that these principals are treated and subjected to the same methods as teachers are. Principals who are sued should stop being indemnified.

Bye Bye lawyers. Better uses for these lowest of pond scum can be put to better use by keeping the Trumps out of prison.

Bye bye 75% of the dead weight at Tweed and 65 Court St. McDonald's has been using computers to place orders. Stop and Shop has more self check out registers than manned ones. It's all the same.

Supply all ATRs with M&M's. Once a month all ATRs receive a bowl of M&M's, but there is a caveat. No bowl shall contain blue M&M's (Thanks to Van Halen for that idea).

If these demands are enacted (And any others I have missed) The Crack Team can live with the shitty raise.

James Eterno is spearheading a MoveOn petition to repeal New York State Evaluation Laws3012-c and 3012-d. Click here for the MoveOn petition link. Please sign and share!


From James' blog...

Petition to Repeal NYS Teacher Evaluation Laws 3012-c and 3012-d

• Evaluating teachers based on student results on tests and other student assessments that were never designed to rate educators is neither a scientifically or educationally sound way to be used for a Measure of Student Learning portion of a teacher's rating.

•  The Measure of Teacher Practice portion of teacher evaluations is subjective and highly unfair, particularly in NYC where the Danielson Framework has been used not to help teachers grow as professionals but as a weapon to frighten teachers into teaching to score points on arbitrary rubrics in multiple unnecessary classroom observations.

Here we go around, (round, round, round) Run-run-runaround, yeah! (round, round, round, round) Here we go around, (round, round, round)-Runaround, Van Halen, 1991 from For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge.

Yeah, here we go around again, with the ignorant bashing of ATR's (Absent Teacher Reserve), by a bought off parent (more on this later in this post).

Nicole Thomas, a mom at PS 256 in Brooklyn, wrote a scathing op-ed in the Daily News yesterday, becoming the 1,553,234 person to be completely ill-informed about ATR's.

Nicole sayeth....

They land in the ATR — sometimes for a short period, sometimes for a long one — because they are unable or unwilling to find full-time teaching positions after losing their placements.

You know that for a fact Nicole? Who told you this? Have you seen it first hand? If you wish to say unable, have you considered that NO principal will hire a teacher that makes my salary, that has my number of years in the system? Yeah, I went through the ringer. I went through a 3020a. I was labeled a bad boy. Big flag on my personal file. But Nicole, aren't we all allowed a second chance? Have you seen me teach? Or any other ATR teach? I doubt it.

Guess what Nicole? I was a technology staff developer for 3 years, ran the computer room in my school for another three, have a Masters in Educational Technology and guess (not many have all this) just guess, what? I can't even get an interview when I apply on the Open Market.

As for ATR's being unwilling, well, why should they be willing? Why should an ATR want to be in a situation where they are judged on "junk science" and Danielson? Why would an ATR want to be in a dysfunctional school? Why would an ATR want to take the chance with a vengeful principal?

But guess what? 99.99% of the ATR's I know want to be in a school permanently. You think it is easy going from school to school and not knowing anyone? People treating you as if you have some disease? You think it is easy to leave a school after you build relationships with students, and then suddenly - BOOM! - you are whisked away?

Yet you talk about quality teachers. What is a quality teacher Nicole? A brand new teacher that has never taught before? A Teach for America hack that has had only 50 hours of training? Nicole, would you get in a plane with a pilot that has had only 50 hours of training? Would you allow a surgeon to operate on you, or a loved one, with only 50 hours of training? No you wouldn't.

Is it an ATR's fault they they are forced to teach 7th grade ELA and their license is elementary and whilst teaching 7th grade ELA they get zero support from administration?  Or what about the ATR who had a phys ed. license and has made to teach Kindergarten?

Nicole, you are labeling all ATR's with the same broad brush? You know another time this happened? In 1930's Germany, when all Jews heard that they were money grubbers, not real Germans, had big noses, were miserly, and other monstrosities that were said about them. What makes you any different?

But I know where your bread is buttered Nicole. StudentsFirstNY butters it, and butters it well. You want to hang with these people? You think for a moment that StudentsFirst cares about you or your family, or even your community? You are being played like a fiddle and when you outlive your usefulness, see how long, if ever, it takes Jenny Sedlis to return your calls.

But if you want to hang with these people, know that StudentsFirst is the evil spawn of Michelle Rhee. Read this and tell the world how you would feel if Rhee was your child's teacher. These are the type of people you are being a sycophant for.

Stop listening and sucking up the propaganda. Find out for yourself. My email is listed on this blog.

So Chapter Leaders and I guess administrators are being trained on the new evaluation system.
Everything being crammed into a short time frame. I guess sooner or later teachers will be trained  as well.

But I've been thinking lately.

Think about this. Say you are a teacher and up until now, January 11, 2017 you have had say 2 observations in which were complete disasters. You have to ineffectives and on your way to end of year rating hell. And let's just say for arugments sake that the new evaluation system kicks in on February 1.

Do you get a mulligan? A do over? Like in Galaxy Quest when you get to use the Omega 13 and rearrange matter and get to go back in time redeem a mistake?  Or do the ineffectives get combined with the new method?

One should be able to get a do over. It is only fair. But we have yet to hear from anyone with knowledge to share this with us.

In fact, what about the four observations? Are the observation pro-rated to two observations are will the four observations be jammed into the last few months of the school year?

And one more thing.

Keeping the beginning date of the new evaluation system as February 1in place shouldn't all teachers observations/evaluations be then based on the old S/U system? Think about it for a moment.

Back in November when I was at the Bronx UFT ATR meeting it was shared with us that if we got a permanent position at that time we will be under the auspices of the, at the time, current APPR system. However, if we got a permanent position in the second semester will fall under the S/U nothing to do with Danielson system. Heck, this is even true for new hires if they started that late in the year that they would be under S/U as well.

Will new teachers that are hired in March or later be part of the newest evaluation system or will they fall under the older old version of evaluations/observations the S/U?

Inquiring minds want to know. Inquiring minds want to hear from someone, anyone.

It's been over a week since we last laid our eyes and ears upon the inanity of Rajendra Jimenez Jailall, former AP at PS 154x and current AP at Bronx Bridges High School. But for those who are just arriving or have forgotten, let's have a little review.

We have learned that Rajendra Jimenez Jailall has the ability to make empty promises to me in that he promised me composition notebooks for the students and never followed through.

We have learned that Rajendra Jimenez Jailall promised me a demo lesson, on two separate occasions and never followed through and when asked about such a promise in my 3020-a hearing misremembered.

And we have learned how Rajendra Jimenez Jailall, in a horrible case of truthiness, told me that my informal observation of October 12, 2012 was based on Danielson, denied it in my hearing and shared that the informal would not count towards my end of the year rating.

So what are we to learn today? How Rajendra Jimenez Jailall come to the conclusion based on using a blindfold and a spinner to decided that I was to be given a U on the informal observation of October 12, 2012. But first, let's have a looksee at the observation!



As we can see that of 28 items to check off, I was only rated on 12 items and none based on instruction, only my classroom, oops, I meant in the parlance of PS 154 and DR Alison Coviello; Principal and Ed.D of PS 154, my "learning environment."

Yes, I  know you are saying to yourself, what is the deal with the E? Well, E is for evolving, something that comes from Danielson, yet it was not supposed to be implemented during the 2012-13 school year. And yes, those numbers i parentheses? Danielson too. And to wonder why Rajendra Jimenez Jailall only misremembered this observation being based on Danielson.

But one thing was curious. Of the 12 items I was rated on, (1s, 3 u's, and 8e's) why was I given a U rating? Let's hear what Rajendra Jimenez Jailall had to say on November 12, 2012 as he first channeled Casey Stengel in doublespeak and then Ralph Kramden when he knows he screwed up. (LISTEN HERE).

Did you hear him say it was based on "all of the items that were not addressed"? So what he did not choose to rate me on I was rated U anyway? What the heck? How can I have an observation based on what he did not check off?

And, since when is a informal observation based only on the classroom environment? More importantly, how can class routines, high expectations, paired work, etc... be rated when all Rajendra Jimenez Jailall observed was not even being in 15 minutes in my room and we were all in the middle of the mini-lesson?

LISTEN TO  Rajendra Jimenez Jailal's reaction when I question him on Danielson. He has no idea what to say.

And LISTEN TO Rajendra Jimenez Jailal's reaction as I question him about there is nothing about the student's engagement in my class, that they are learning, that they enjoy coming to my class. He again has nothing to say. Just mumbled and gargled words.

It's obvious that DR Alison Coviello; Principal and Ed.D of PS 154 in the Bronx neutered Rajendra Jimenez Jailal soon before the school year had started and he was only "following orders," and "kissing ass." We have heard from several members of his former school, PS 28 in the Bronx and this seems to be Rajendra Jimenez Jailal's pattern.

The ironic part is that Rajendra Jimenez Jailal went through what I had gone through the following school year, 2013-14 school year. Karma is a bitch, eh Raj?

Teachers at Bronx Bridges, watch yourself around Rajendra Jimenez Jailal. Watch what you say and what you think. In my opinion he is not to be trusted and he has a long relationship with Nelsie Castillo.

As one former colleague of Rajendra Jimenez Jailal's at PS 28 wrote to me in an email;

"Only thing I can say is that he was a horrible teacher and colleague. Arrogant and condescending to both kids and teachers.  I was with him when he was a 4th grade teacher and he couldn't manage his class. And I was with him when he became literacy coach and couldn't handle that either.  He thought he was God's gift to education....he was an arrogant jerk and we pretty much let him know it back then."

What a pathetic little "man."

Bear with me while I get to the punchline that is Rajendra Jimenez Jailall.

Regarding my informal observation by Mr J in October of 2012, The Bowtie under direct examination was asked; 

Was this observation based on the  Danielson Framework for Teaching?

To wit The Bowtie replied;

I don't know. I'm referring to the box that you asked about, not to my knowledge.

Really? Really, Raj? Is that the story you wish to stick with?

As we listen to this it appears that The Bowtie's memory is askew, he misremembered, has a bout of truthniness, or just out and out lied.

In fact he believed his truthiness he kept it going under cross;

Q. Do you recall telling Mr. Zucker  during that post observation conference that this observation report was based on Danielson? A. Pardon? Q. Do you recall during that post observation conference telling Mr. Zucker that this observation was based on Danielson? A. Not to my memory do I recollect saying  that it's based on Danielson. I don't remember that.

Don't remember, yet he remembers so much more. How is that possible?

But here is my favorite part when in the post observation meeting The Bowtie told me that this informal will not count towards by final rating. Have a listen. Heck, he liked it so much that this informal was not going to count towards end of the year rating he told the story again (LISTEN HERE!)!

Oh, and one more thing from this meeting. Listen here as I ask The Bowtie to stay after school with me one evening and just listen to how he tries to get out of it.

It is so sad that Raj could not be a man and own up to what he did. Funny how karma came the following year and he was a target of DR Alison Coviello; Principal and Ed.D of PS 154 in the Bronx. So much for kissing ass, huh Raj?

A couple of years ago I met some teachers from his old school, PS 28 in the Bronx. He was so incompetent as a classroom teacher and without any classroom management he was moved up to Staff Developer. At this point, I was told, everything just went to his head and his ego just took off.

Its really no surprise he is a product of Teachers College and the only reason he is at Bronx Bridges High School is he is friends with the principal, Nelsie Castillo. Think about it. Why does a school with an enrollment of 309 need two AP's?

Teachers of Bronx Bridges, do not trust this man.

and always they're amazed when I show them 'round my house to my bed
I had it made like a mountain range with a snow white pillow for my big fat head- Gabriel, Peter 1986

One of the witnesses who testified against me was former literacy coach, John Didrichsen from the failed "Maverick Education Partnership," CFN 407. John currently tolls away at PS/MS 291 in the Bronx as a literacy coach.


John has quite the impressive resume. After graduating with a degree in theater John took Hollywood by storm. John soon, somehow, got into education and taught for three years before becoming a literacy coach.

So after months and months of asking for a demo lesson, John was sent to my class. Not to do a demo, but rather to observe me. Funny thing is I found out at the hearings that John had been at the school since mid-November and for some reason even though I was asking for assistance since before that time John was never sent to me.

But to make a long story short, the day John came to visit me was when I had a re-scheduled 1st grade class. Now mind you, the little ones usually had their preps before noon but this day a most rambunctious class was scheduled for me at 12:20 PM, two hours after they had lunch. Strange.

Here are some of John's testimony along with my retorts;

John claims; What are they going to know at the end of this 50 minutes that they didn't know before? And it should be clearly articulated. I did not see that in this lesson.

Yes, he did. We were talking about how to make and keep friends. Was he not there as I gave them an example of how I made a friend in 4th grade? The book I read on how one can make a friend? Or the turn and talk the students had about making friends? I am confused since John said I had the Workshop Model down.

John shares how my management could have been better;  there were several disruptions, students getting up, Mr. Zucker asking them to come back. There were phone calls from the phone near the door, and Mr. Zucker had  to get up to answer that. Students had to get up to get pencils and/or sharpen pencils.

There was one student who was a major disruptor and most came from attention seeking and whining. Let's call this kid Schmuel Rabinowitz. See, I know this young man, John didn't. If John did he would have known that Schmuel was born addicted to drugs and was not wanted by his biological mother. Schmuel had been in several foster homes by the time of 1st grade. 

Yes, I warned a couple of times that I would change their cards and didn't, but the card system used by the school that year was an utter failure and was to be scrapped the following year. Besides, I like using the countdown to zero to get the students attention and also quieting my voice which works as well. But you need to know your audience to know what works, and I did and John did not.

As for the phone calls. How the heck is that my fault? Students getting up to sharpen pencils? I didn't allow them to. But here is another kvetch; 

Even within this group of special- needs students or students with IEPs, I believe all the students were special-needs students in the class.

John didn't know, it was general ed class. Should he not know his audience? More on this later. 

the fairly easy task that he gave them to do at their desks in a very short period of time, but then they really didn't--they weren't given anything else to do, so a lot of them had quite a bit of time where they

Easy task? They were to start a book on how to make a friend. The first page was about why it is important to have a friend. Easy? This was a very low functioning class, I got them to write, to come up with ideas we shared. To be on task, somewhat, which is good for them. And when some finished early, what did they do? They went to the library to get a book to read. That is what I was told to the classroom library was for. We came back to the carpet and shared. JEEZ!!

See, it is really strange that he testified to these things even thought his write up to me suggested to use more rigor and mentioned that things that were completely out of my hand led to an unevenness of the flow. Oh, but I did not get the feedback from him until June 3. About two and a half weeks later. But there is one more interesting thing he blabbered; 

When you do observations, with Danielson what you like to do is find one competency that you would like to concentrate on more than others.

Say what? That's what this is all about? He even asked me to concentrate on 1-E of Danielson. Even though Danielson does not include the Workshop Model? Under cross John blithered;

Well, they would be judged and observed formally and informally the following year on those competencies, and I wanted them to be prepared for that. It was something--I made it my duty to have teachers know.

If that is not made enough, the worse was yet to come.

Under cross John was asked under oath if he had met with me formally after the period. John said it was just informally for "like about 5 minutes in the doorway". Gee, I remember it differently. I remember sitting with John for almost the entire period after that lesson, a period which was cleared for me and John denies it? I remember getting my lunch and asking him if he minds me eating it in front of him. In fact he was asked under oath if I ate lunch in front of him, he said, "No." Maybe this will refresh John's memory.

Or what about the part where he is asked under cross;

Do you remember telling Mr. Zucker during that conversation that you saw someone who could teach?

John responded;

"Saw someone who could teach?" No, I don't remember saying that.

Hmmm. John might need some help with his memory.

This might not fall under the level or perjured testimony (We here at SBSB don;t have any formal legal training) but it sure smacks of untruthiness or John just might have the proverbial pants on fire.

I understand. John has his SBL license and wants to play with the big boys. Screw ethics and morality. What matters is how you get to the top.

Tune in tomorrow when it is shared about the time John comes to do a demo lesson and the complete and utter train wreck that ensues.