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?

 We here at SBSB know this might come off as snarky and a tad sarcastic,  for that is the style here. As should be known, The Crack Team has the utmost of respect, admiration, and love for Francesco Portelos.

One can learn so much from Francesco Portelos. For instance, if one were to ask Mr Portelos which team were to win this years Stanley Cup he would say with a great degree of self confidence that it
will be the Ottawa Senators. Or, where one can fine a good pastrami sandwich he would declare that it would be Katz's Deli on Houston St.

So when it comes to the New York State law on he legality of recording someone, he is the man to turn to. He basically has not only written the primer on such recordings, but has shared his techniques, secrets, and his annoying of others.


So, Mr Portelos, we here at SBSB put it to you. Please, can you share some of your vast knowledge with the readers of SBSB?

Can one in New York State record someone without their knowledge? 

Yes, we know the answer to that. As long as one person being recorded gives permission the answer is an resounding, yes.

Can one share, say on a blog, or other social media, said recordings?

The Crack Team says yes. Unless, that is David Letterman calls you at work and has previously asked you for permission. Or when a radio disc jockey asks permission when he calls your house. But then again, The Crack a team will defer to Mr Portelos.

Mr Portelos, we here at SBSB assume that you are too young to recall Nixon's Watergate Tapes, but do agree that Nixon was on to something? 

Mr Portelos, would it be safe to assume that there is something more damning out there than the Nixon Tapes?  

Mr Portelos, do you think those that are taped, like Ehrlichman and Haldeman liked the sound of their own voices?

 We here at SBSB await with bated breath not only the response from Mr Portelos, but guidance and direction as well.

I am appearing on my pal's The Frustrated Teacher's internet radio show tomorrow night at 6 PM EDT.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/tfteacher/2012/06/10/sobronxschool-has-knowledge-proof-of-a-conspiracy

I have been asked to be a guest and add clarity to my recent blog posts concerning the disgraced former principal of PS 154, The Bronx, Marsha Elliott.

I am retracting this post as I had promised. In fact if you had clicked on the link you will have not gotten a thing. The post I am referring to is the one in which parents of a student were pressured into signing a waiver absolving Numb Nuts of any corporal punishment on their son. But, and this is a big but, this does not mean that something un-pareve happened. For you goyem, pareve is Yiddish for kosher.

The young man in question was summoned to the office of the infallible Numb Nuts last Thursday. Numb Nuts instructed the boy to write a statement concerning the corporal punishment allegation. See something a bit amiss here? Numb Nuts was taking part, if not leading the investigation, into charges of corporal punishment levied against him. Is this proper protocol? Does this mean now that any teacher can lead the investigation if they have charges? Is this proper NYCDOE protocol for corporal punishment?

The young man did what he was asked. Or told. He wrote it up at home that night. But perhaps there was a kink in the plans. His parents came in the next day. So did OSI investigators. But from what I have been told it was several hours apart. Now that I think about it and writing this out I still smell a rat, a very stinky rat.

So on that matter I am not retracting the post. Nor am I apologizing. Something is rotten. Is there a cover-up? I don't know, but you know the old saying, "if it walks like a duck, if it quacks like a duck, if it swims like a duck, it must be a duck."

But remember kiddies, what was it Richard Nixon said in 1977?