By now we should all know who Errol Louis of NY1 and the Daily News works for. Not for truth, but for
those that distort the truth.

I at one time had thought the Errol was above the fray, that he had integrity and wished to give both sides of the education debate equal time. I will never forget when he had Julie Cavanagh on his NY1 show debating Little Evan Stone of E4E in 2011. I watched and felt that Errol had sifted through the BS of Evan and allowed Julie to give her side.

But lately he has become a shill of the deformers. A badly misinformed shrill. I guess this is par for the course for someone who grew up in New Rochelle, went to a great high school, went to Harvard, Yale, and Brooklyn Law, and mingles with the hipsters in Park Slope. Yes, Errol is just oozing educational cred. Do we dare say that Errol is an elitist?

Errol this past Thursday wrote a column for the Daily News in which he shows just how clueless and ignorant he is when it comes to education.

Errol blabbers forth; Thursday’s sure-to-be raucous education rally, to be held within shouting distance of the Tweed building and City Hall, is a timely reminder of a civic force that many of the city’s progressive leaders seem incapable of understanding...

We here at SBSB believe they understand it. These aren't the parents that are forming these protests, nor is it the communities. These protests are led by inane, self-absorbed, me first, **cough cough** EVA MOSKOWITZ **cough cough**. When we see these parents clamoring for a better education ON THEIR OWN ACCORD, as the people protesting for democracy are doing in Hong Kong, or the students in Colorado clamoring for a real AP social studies curriculum  in Colorado, then we'll talk.

Errol says; Wednesday’s speech by Chancellor Carmen Fariña, centered on an announcement that the Education Department will scrap the old method of assigning letter grades to individual schools, could be a step in the right direction 

We here at SBSB are proud of Errol for not flying off the shrilling from the mountain top like ignorant others over at Mona Davids Parents Union.

...but the administration appears to be dragging its feet on attacking the urgent problem of turning around schools that are badly broken

Broken? How so? Specifics. Real specifics. Yes, the test scores suck, but why? Is it just the teachers or is it the crappy curriculum teachers are forced to deal with? Is it the cycle of poverty and mental health issues that never get addressed that our students have to deal with every day? Is it crime? Is it a lack of funding? Is it a lack of leadership at Tweed and at the schools? Tell us Errol in your own words, using your own investigatory facts, WHY ARE THE SCHOOLS BROKEN??

While Thursday’s rally isn’t pushing specific demands, it’s clear the organizers are warming up for a battle to raise the current limit on charter schools in the city.

That's what it is all about. Not the broken schools, not the teachers, just more and more and more and more charter schools and more and more and more and more halves against the have nots.

But the main thrust of the gathering is to show that there is a large and vocal number of New Yorkers fed up with poorly-performing schools and impatient with the litany of excuses for why we can’t do better.

But Errol just said the rally was all about charter schools, so why is he contradicting himself? Again, is this movement organic? NO!

The chatter from those defenders on social media sites and letters to the editor usually includes talking points about how poverty is the true culprit

Yeah it is. See above, it is one of many. Think about this Errol. Take the teachers Albert Leonard Middle School in New Rochelle and switch them out with teacher from IS 162 on 149th and St Ann's Ave in the Bronx. What do you think will happen? 

But Errol has more to say on this and he feels he must insult teachers; Those old arguments, repeated year after year, have grown stale. Most airline passengers don’t know how to fuel and fly a jet or run an air-traffic control tower. But they do know when plane after plane is dirty and cramped, arriving late at the wrong destination and occasionally crashing.

This isn't fair. My cat can take apart this argument. But what the hell.

Please do not compare what teachers do to fueling a jet plane. Yes, these guys work hard and I am sure there is a learning curve, but really? Now, if we were compared to these guys fueling a plane than I might say, "touché."

But how about this? Does Errol want a pilot or an air traffic controller that has had only 50 hours and five weeks of training when he is jet setting around the USA? Doubt it. Does he want constant turnover of air traffic controllers and pilots? Doubt it as well. 

But his argument that the public does know when a plane is dirty or cramped or late has a lot to do with how an airline is run, yes, the MANAGEMENT! Why not then does Errol and his ilk kvetch about WHO IS RUNNING THE SCHOOLS? And Errol is being quite specious with his last argument. Seriously, how often does a plane land at the wrong destination? And crashes? How many crashes of American commercial jets have there been the last ten years and what is the ratio of mechanical vs pilot errors?

What Errol fails to point out is that the people who fly our planes, design our planes, and guide our planes have training in planes. Also, flying, designing and guiding is evaluated by OBJECTIVE MEASURES, not the whim of some untrained, irrational human being. 

Come on Errol, tell us all how to fly a jet, or guide a jet over LaGuardia, or design one. Yeah, I hear crickets too.

And let's not forget that pilots, air traffic controllers, and flight attendants are all proud union members.

Families for Excellent Schools, the group organizing Thursday’s demonstration, has compiled a number of damning reports 

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. We know, and we care. But see above arguments. Again, FES is a front organization for FormelyMichelleRheeFirst. Yet refuses to put into context and show how it came to this statement; 

A school where nine out of 10 kids can’t proficiently read or do math does not simply ‘need improvement,’

A recent Associated Press report notes that the nation’s top 10% of income earners have increased spending on their kids by 35% in recent years — pouring a fortune into private-school tuition, bidding up home prices in districts with high-performing schools and paying so much money for extra help that some SAT tutors now make over $50 an hour.

SAT tutors are only making $50 an hour? I guess the ones making that kind of dough are getting hosed. But I will like to see this AP report. Where is it? But if true, I can guarantee that the parents sending their kids to private schools are doing it to keep the Common Core away from them, to keep them from testing, and for smaller class size. Why isn't Errol advocating for what parents really want? For what Errol wants for his own kids yet won't admit it to others. 

I used to have respect for Errol. I thought he was objective and can see and respect both sides. But he has drank from the Kool-Aid trough for too long and is useless. Nothing more than a shrieking shrill.

One more thing. The problems Errol is whining about are the same problems that permeated the 12 years of the Bloomberg reign. Where was he during those 12 years? Bought off by Bloomberg? 

This past Thursday as I was hanging out in my favorite post-work coffee house I began a conversation with another human being about the state of education in this country. Even though this person is somewhat new to teaching, this person was not drinking the Kool-Aid of the deformer and
was very bright and quite perceptive.

As we talked, I learned that this person, who shall henceforth be known in this posting as Cher, was a former employee of the Success Academy charter schools which are led by the irascible Eva Moskowitz. We both smiled and told the barista to brew up another pot of Guatemala-Antigua Original Medium Roast and soon Cher was dishing dirt on Success.

Cher had been what is known as a "associate teacher" at Success at the salary of $50,000. As an associate teacher, Cher did all the grunt work for the head teacher or as she said of what an associate teacher is nothing more than a "bitch for the teacher."

The associate teacher makes all the photo copies, writes the lessons and homework on the boards, if a child is misbehaving, the associate teacher takes that student for a walk. In fact speaking of walking, Cher shared that not only are individual students singled out for not walking correctly in the hall but entire classes as well for the smallest of infractions.

Funny how students need to practice walking in the hall. As Cher mentioned, the first month of school is spent on discipline. How to walk in the halls, how to sit down, when to sit down. In fact she shared with me how the little children are forced to sit quietly for hours at a time.

One thing Cher shared, and I did not know this, but the teachers at Success do not have to write lesson plans. WOW! The lesson plans are already pre-packgaged and given to the head teachers at the beginning of the month and all that needs be done is to copy these plans to a planning sheet.

Cher told me how that the official work hours for staff are from 7 AM-5 PM. The problem is that faculty meetings are called to start at 4:45 PM and this inevitably leads to teachers staying at the school way past 5 PM and not getting paid. Worse for teachers is the Wednesday after school training held as the plush Success offices in Harlem.

I asked Cher about the naughty dirty rumor that Eva and Success counsel students out who do not pass muster. Being a person of high moral quality Cher was only able to discuss what she had seen personally and felt she was unable to speculate on the rest of the school. When I told The Crack Team of Cher's ethics they all gave her a thumbs up.

Cher told me how a student in her class was consistently misbehaving. The parents were called in time and time again. The behavior was not changing and at one point the powers that be at Cher's school finally said, "There is nothing more that we can do." The student, who was from Africa, was let go. Put on irrevocable waivers.

This seems to be part and parcel of what happens to special education students at Success. Cher told me that while Success does accept special education students, that IEP's are ignored and no modifications are given special ed students and that Success has the same expectations of special ed students as they do for general ed students.

While we applaud at putting the bar high for special ed students and we can't think of one teacher that doesn't, the bar should always be set at levels for special ed students that are attainable and which correlate to their IEP's. Never should expectations be set so unreasonably high solely to make a crazy headmistress of a charter school chain look good, oh, and to make some money.

Students have their lunch recess planned out for them with activities. No being a child and just spazzing out in the yard.

Students in 2nd grade start getting prepped for the exams in 3rd grade.

Staff is told that there are to be no interactions with the co-located school at all.

One thing Cher told me that is somewhat puzzling. Many of the teachers in her Success Academy are current TFA'ers. I was always under the impression that TFA can't place teachers in charter schools. But oh well, most of the rest of the staff are former TFA'ers. Go figure.

Ever wonder how some of the money is spent at Success? Check out the Happy Hours that Success splurges on for it's staff. No 6 foot heroes, only the best bars with top shelf booze and quality food. The Crack Team wonders if Eva gets snockered at these.

That's pretty much what Cher shared with me. Hopefully Cher will share (pardon the pun!) more.

It is interesting to hear this stuff about Success first hand. The more and more that I hear about the evils of Success and Eva the more I come to realize that Eva is in it for herself, that she believes that only white people know what is best for the boys and girls of color, and that her time is coming to a end soon.

I knew I had the audio somewhere. All that was needed was patience on my part to listen to hours upon hours of audio. Well not really, I kind of had the time frame of the audio in my head, but still had to listen through many a minute of audio.

Dr Alison Coviello; EdD. and Principal really wants to put the PAL in principal. But in reality, it is all a mirage. Dr Alison Coviello; EdD. and Principal loves to have the blue light shone on her to show how just how truly caring and interested she is in the lives of staff members.

In fact, Dr Alison Coviello; EdD. and Principal paints herself as the true "progressive educator," even when those progressive ideas continuously crash and burn. In fact, the audio I was searching for truly shows the inconsistencies of Dr Alison Coviello; EdD. and Principal  (listen here) as a principal. If you are wondering what that means, Dr Alison Coviello; EdD. and Principal claims that she believes in giving a warning first. Alison Coviello; EdD. and Principal says that she believes in "progressive discipline"

Hmmm, does Dr Alison Coviello; EdD. and Principal practice what she says she practices? Highly doubtful. Perhaps with those that curry favor with her, those that follow her around like a lost puppy, or those that drink the Kool-Aid. But does she show progressive discipline with the Outliers of PS 154? I doubt it. Does she show progressive discipline with the over 40 club at PS 154? Nah.

If Dr Alison Coviello; EdD. and Principal practices progressive discipline, why then was I written up for smoking outside the school in accordance with Chancellor's Regulation C-810? Why was I written up for not having my "learning environment," not my classroom, in order on September 7, while the rest of the staff had almost until the end of the month? 

Why was I written up on the basis of one teacher whining how I addressed her? Why was I written up for going hypoglycemic? Why was I written up on the basis of one teacher, (Same one above) claiming that I did not pick up her class when it was not even my place to pick the class up?

Could I have not been given the opportunity to have counseling memos put in my file? Because if Dr Alison Coviello; EdD. and Principal truly practiced progressive discipline what she did to me, and mind you, there is a lot I can't speak about yet, seemed to have been greasing my skids. 

Why was, as I still believe to this day, set up to fail from the beginning of September 2012?

But that is what PS 154 under Dr Alison Coviello; EdD. and Principal is all about. It's like The Outsiders. You have the Greasers on one sides and the Socs on the other. We all know who the Socs are, we all know their attitudes. The Socs at PS 154 team up on the Greasers, the outcasts, the outliers. The Socs think they can divide and conquer the Greasers, but they can't.

When there 154 is being destroyed by the policies of Dr Alison Coviello; EdD. and Principal, the Socs will be drinking the Kool-Aid and claiming how wonderful things are. It will be the Greasers who save the kids, who save the day.

But maybe, just maybe, some of the Socs will flip. There are some that can be saved, that can leave the dark side.

But the Greasers still left at PS 154, you guys can do it. You guys can save 154. Be sure you speak with SodaPop and Darry, They will give you the help you need.

Oh, and beware the claims of progressive discipline. It's a crock.

Get your minds out of the gutter. Sickos. Think exposing only means one thing. Well keep it to your mind. The exposing I meant was it is time to reveal all those cryptic little doo-dads I have been leaving at the end of each post for a week or so. But let's review.

What do J D Salinger, Andy Kaufman, Thomas Pynchon, Brian Wilson, Prudence, Doris Day, and Bill Waterson all have in common? Anyone figure it out? They are all famous recluses. Yes, even Andy Kaufman. I don't care what is said I still believe he is alive and well and having a great laugh. Does this make be mentally unfit?

But you may ponder to yourself, what does this mean to me. Why references to recluses, and eccentric recluses at that. The reason is............

That basically what our principal is. A recluse. A John Deacon (recluse bassist of Queen). Hiding out in the principal cave delegating powers to know nothing Numb Nuts. Fiddling as the school falls apart. Hoping beyond hope that if problems are not dealt with they will go away. John Deacon has failed elsewhere and now our school, a school of wonderful teachers, wonderful students, wonderful parents is being flushed down the toilet into a cesspool reeking of incompetence created by John Deacon. A student clearly states that he wishes to blow up the school? Should 911 be called, NYPD come in? NO! We need to help the student feel better, give him self esteem. He can't go outside for two weeks. F*** that!

John Deacon thinks John Deacon is above state law, chancellor's regulations and what is best for the students. And those that enable John Deacon, and those that blindly follow John Deacon are nothing but drones who have drank the Kool-Aid and are just as complicit in short changing the students. But Tweed doesn't care. Because Tweed doesn't believe in Children First.

Sorry Piggy. It'll get better.