As he promised, the UFT Advisor entered two objections.
1. He had not received the full packet of documents from Principal P. until just before the hearing. He and I did not have a copy of the documents until just before the hearing.
The objection was denied.
2. Principal P. should be at the meeting in person, not by speaker phone.
The objections was denied.
Next Entry: Administrator's Opening Statement
Friday, February 29, 2008
U-rating Appeal - Introduction
I had my U-rating Hearing at the beginning of this month. It might help others who will have hearings in the future to have an idea of what it was like.
My hearing was held at 65 Court Street in Brooklyn in a small office. The "judge" in the hearing is called a "Hearing Officer". The teacher who is appealing the U-rating is called "The Appellant" . The Union provides someone who is not a lawyer, but who is trained to represent teachers. This person is called "The UFT Advisor".
I met with my Advisor about two weeks before the hearing. The Advisor had a folder with one U-rated observation. He asked me if I had had any other letters or U-rated lessons. I did. He had not received them. I gave him all the copies that I had of negative letters and observations in my file and my replies to them . He also asked for any positive letters. There were two. I also showed him excellent work that my students had done as a result of those U-rated lessons.
The Advisor said that principals often left out negative letters and that they would later put them in at the last minute just before the hearing. He would object if they tried to do this, but he would be overruled.
The Advisor also said that the Principal was not required to attend in person, but could be present at the hearing through a conference call. He would also object to her not being there in person, but would probably be overruled on that also.
The Advisor also told me that the teacher rarely won at these hearings, but that I would have a second hearing at which I would be represented by a UFT attorney in front of an arbitrator and at those hearings, the teacher had a better chance of winning.
The day of the hearing I arrived about twenty minutes before the hearing. My advisor had a thick pile of numbered pages. He was making notes based on these pages that he had JUST RECEIVED. There was only one copy. I did not get one.
The Hearing Officer called us into his office a few minutes after 9:00 AM. He took a few minutes to contact the principal and get her on speaker phone. She had two Assistant Principals with her. ( X and Z). Throughout the hearing it was almost impossible to hear Principal P and Assistant Principal X. Assistant Principal Z was more clearly audible. They constantly referred to the numbered copies that I did not have. The Advisor and I passed them back and forth between us.
The Hearing Officer started the hearing by having each of us introduce ourselves by giving our names and our roles in the hearing.
Then he outlined the procedures. They were as follows:
1. Entire session will be recorded. Proper protocol will be adhered to at all time. Please be active listeners and use appropriate voice tone and level at all times. During the proceding you may request to go off record at any point.
3. Procedural Objections-- The proceeding will begin with procedural objections from the UFT Advisor. The Hearing Officer will respond to each objection by sustaining or denying it.
4. Statement of Administrators--The Principal makes statements or stands on the record.
5. Cross Examination of Administrator-- Members of the Administration are cross examined by uft advisor.
6. Opening Statement by Appellant or Advisor-- After cross examination either appellant or advisor is asked to make an opening statement.
7. Cross Examination of Appellant-- Administrators cross examine the appellant.
8. Administrator's closing statement.
9. Appellant's closing statement.
The Hearing lasted for about two hours. I will post a description of each part. It might take a while. It is difficult for me to write about it.
Next: Procedural Objections
My hearing was held at 65 Court Street in Brooklyn in a small office. The "judge" in the hearing is called a "Hearing Officer". The teacher who is appealing the U-rating is called "The Appellant" . The Union provides someone who is not a lawyer, but who is trained to represent teachers. This person is called "The UFT Advisor".
I met with my Advisor about two weeks before the hearing. The Advisor had a folder with one U-rated observation. He asked me if I had had any other letters or U-rated lessons. I did. He had not received them. I gave him all the copies that I had of negative letters and observations in my file and my replies to them . He also asked for any positive letters. There were two. I also showed him excellent work that my students had done as a result of those U-rated lessons.
The Advisor said that principals often left out negative letters and that they would later put them in at the last minute just before the hearing. He would object if they tried to do this, but he would be overruled.
The Advisor also said that the Principal was not required to attend in person, but could be present at the hearing through a conference call. He would also object to her not being there in person, but would probably be overruled on that also.
The Advisor also told me that the teacher rarely won at these hearings, but that I would have a second hearing at which I would be represented by a UFT attorney in front of an arbitrator and at those hearings, the teacher had a better chance of winning.
The day of the hearing I arrived about twenty minutes before the hearing. My advisor had a thick pile of numbered pages. He was making notes based on these pages that he had JUST RECEIVED. There was only one copy. I did not get one.
The Hearing Officer called us into his office a few minutes after 9:00 AM. He took a few minutes to contact the principal and get her on speaker phone. She had two Assistant Principals with her. ( X and Z). Throughout the hearing it was almost impossible to hear Principal P and Assistant Principal X. Assistant Principal Z was more clearly audible. They constantly referred to the numbered copies that I did not have. The Advisor and I passed them back and forth between us.
The Hearing Officer started the hearing by having each of us introduce ourselves by giving our names and our roles in the hearing.
Then he outlined the procedures. They were as follows:
1. Entire session will be recorded. Proper protocol will be adhered to at all time. Please be active listeners and use appropriate voice tone and level at all times. During the proceding you may request to go off record at any point.
3. Procedural Objections-- The proceeding will begin with procedural objections from the UFT Advisor. The Hearing Officer will respond to each objection by sustaining or denying it.
4. Statement of Administrators--The Principal makes statements or stands on the record.
5. Cross Examination of Administrator-- Members of the Administration are cross examined by uft advisor.
6. Opening Statement by Appellant or Advisor-- After cross examination either appellant or advisor is asked to make an opening statement.
7. Cross Examination of Appellant-- Administrators cross examine the appellant.
8. Administrator's closing statement.
9. Appellant's closing statement.
The Hearing lasted for about two hours. I will post a description of each part. It might take a while. It is difficult for me to write about it.
Next: Procedural Objections
Friday, January 18, 2008
Que Será Será
Today I had my conference with Mr. Z. about the Randy Dandy incident. My UFT representative was present.
I was very upset when I received a letter saying that I could be brought up on charges as a result of my reaction to an incident involving a student.
Basically, Randy let a prophylactic fall to the floor during class. It contained a liquid that did not look like water. It was similar to the bodily fluid that prophylactics are manufactured to contain.
As I mentioned in my blog entry of Dec.20 , I called security and the cusodian. Security officers showed up immediately and took Randy out of the classroom. The custodian showed up and mopped up. I asked him if he thought the liquid was water. He shook his head and said, “That’s not water.” I didn’t think so either.
This happened the last period of the day on a Friday. After I had dismissed the class, I went down to the office and called Randy’s home phone number. Randy’s mother picked up and I told her about the prophylactic. I said that it might have contained water, but then again, it might have contained something else. I told her that we had a best case/worse case scenario, and that I was leaving it up to her and her husband to talk to Randy and figure out what had happened. I suggested that she and her husband come in to the school and meet with a guidance counselor and then with me the following week.
The mother got upset, but not with Randy. She came into school and talked to my supervisor. She didn’t want her husband informed about the incident under any circumstances, and she didn’t want Randy in my class anymore.
Now Randy is in another class, and I am being investigated.
Hindsight. I shouldn’t have suggested to the mother that the liquid in the profilactic was not water.
Why did I say that? ….
…..because it wasn’t water. I can’t say without a doubt what kind of liquid it was, but I can say without a doubt that it wasn’t water.
My first thought was, “This child needs help.” Would anyone in the school help him? No, they would just shrug it off, and pretend it didn’t happen. The people who could really help Randy Dandy were his parents.
But then I found out that this is the kind of behavior that children might engage in when they are being abused. So maybe Randy’s parents weren’t the ones to go to for help.
I started this blog, because I knew that I was being targeted, and I wanted to document the process. Unfortunately, I may have given the administration an excuse to send me to the Rubber Room. They didn’t even have to frame me like they did with Adila (See "If a President Can Lie, So Can a Principal" 11/11/07.
Do I believe I deserve to lose my job over this? No. But I do believe that I deserve a better job—and life--than the one I have. So I’ll see how it plays out and accept that whatever happens will be for the best.
I was very upset when I received a letter saying that I could be brought up on charges as a result of my reaction to an incident involving a student.
Basically, Randy let a prophylactic fall to the floor during class. It contained a liquid that did not look like water. It was similar to the bodily fluid that prophylactics are manufactured to contain.
As I mentioned in my blog entry of Dec.20 , I called security and the cusodian. Security officers showed up immediately and took Randy out of the classroom. The custodian showed up and mopped up. I asked him if he thought the liquid was water. He shook his head and said, “That’s not water.” I didn’t think so either.
This happened the last period of the day on a Friday. After I had dismissed the class, I went down to the office and called Randy’s home phone number. Randy’s mother picked up and I told her about the prophylactic. I said that it might have contained water, but then again, it might have contained something else. I told her that we had a best case/worse case scenario, and that I was leaving it up to her and her husband to talk to Randy and figure out what had happened. I suggested that she and her husband come in to the school and meet with a guidance counselor and then with me the following week.
The mother got upset, but not with Randy. She came into school and talked to my supervisor. She didn’t want her husband informed about the incident under any circumstances, and she didn’t want Randy in my class anymore.
Now Randy is in another class, and I am being investigated.
Hindsight. I shouldn’t have suggested to the mother that the liquid in the profilactic was not water.
Why did I say that? ….
…..because it wasn’t water. I can’t say without a doubt what kind of liquid it was, but I can say without a doubt that it wasn’t water.
My first thought was, “This child needs help.” Would anyone in the school help him? No, they would just shrug it off, and pretend it didn’t happen. The people who could really help Randy Dandy were his parents.
But then I found out that this is the kind of behavior that children might engage in when they are being abused. So maybe Randy’s parents weren’t the ones to go to for help.
I started this blog, because I knew that I was being targeted, and I wanted to document the process. Unfortunately, I may have given the administration an excuse to send me to the Rubber Room. They didn’t even have to frame me like they did with Adila (See "If a President Can Lie, So Can a Principal" 11/11/07.
Do I believe I deserve to lose my job over this? No. But I do believe that I deserve a better job—and life--than the one I have. So I’ll see how it plays out and accept that whatever happens will be for the best.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Getting into the Swing of Things
I dreaded going back to school today. I had a very very bad Friday before the vacation.
But today wasn't bad at all. I gave the kids a definition of the pendulum: "A system, comprised of an overhead support, from which a string hangs, and an object at the bottom end of the string. The object swings back and forth under the combined influence of gravity and the string." Then I gave them a string and told them to make their own pendulums. They had to supply the overhead support and the object at the bottom of the string. They came up with all kinds of variations on the pendulum using pens, keys, erasers, rings, earrings, etc. One boy took off his shoe and swung it by the shoelace--yes, that too is a pendulum.
Even Nathan came through today. Students were giving examples of pendulums in daily life and he offered the example of the trapeze in the circus.
Tomorrow we will do the time-honored experiment to find out if the mass of the object affects the swing of the pendulum.
I look forward to going to work tomorrow.
But today wasn't bad at all. I gave the kids a definition of the pendulum: "A system, comprised of an overhead support, from which a string hangs, and an object at the bottom end of the string. The object swings back and forth under the combined influence of gravity and the string." Then I gave them a string and told them to make their own pendulums. They had to supply the overhead support and the object at the bottom of the string. They came up with all kinds of variations on the pendulum using pens, keys, erasers, rings, earrings, etc. One boy took off his shoe and swung it by the shoelace--yes, that too is a pendulum.
Even Nathan came through today. Students were giving examples of pendulums in daily life and he offered the example of the trapeze in the circus.
Tomorrow we will do the time-honored experiment to find out if the mass of the object affects the swing of the pendulum.
I look forward to going to work tomorrow.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Dreams and Nightmares
Up until now, I have reserved this blog for letters from administrators and my written responses. I haven't mixed my personal life with my life as a U-rated target.
However, Año Nuevo, Vida Nueva. New Year, New Life.
I am one person, and I have only one life. When they write me negative letters, or bring me up on charges, it affects my teaching and all other aspects of my life. When I have to spend my free time writing responses or planning defensive/offensive strategies instead of relaxing or spending time with family and friends, it affects my teaching. It affects my family. It affects my friends. And guess what, it affects my students too.
And it affects my health--and perhaps my lifespan.
Last night I was sitting in my warm, cozy livingroom . The Christmas tree was lit in the corner by the window. The whole room smelled of basalm. I was watching Bill Moyers on PBS--one of my favorite shows. I was in my home, in my safe space.
There were interviews with Thomas Cahill and Archbishop Desmond Tutu
This was was the Cahill quote that most resonated with me.
"All societies have a dream and a nightmare. And our nightmare has been, I think, our racism. We practically committed genocide on the people who were here, the Native Americans. We enslaved another race of people, the Africans. And then we dropped the atom bomb on Asians. We would have never dropped that bomb in Europe in my view. And I think that's what proves the racism of it. That's the nightmare of America.
The dream is just the opposite. The dream is that there is no country on earth that has tried to actually embrace all the people that we have tried to embrace. All you have to do is walk through New York City to see that — or any of our cities and not a few of our countrysides at this point."-- Thomas Cahill
Today I went to Moyer's website to get that quote from the transcript . Then I went to the transcript for the Archbishop Tutu interview. There was something he said about forgiving your enemy that impressed me, but after reading the entire transcript, I was more in tune with this quote:
"... we had to say to our people, 'You know, in the end, justice and goodness will prevail. This is a moral universe.'...In the Book of Revelation, there's a wonderful passage where there are souls under the altar. And they cry out, as all who suffer cry out, 'Oh, Lord, how long?' Now the answer we would have expected to get would have been the answer that says, 'Don't worry. It will be OK.' It does say that, but it says, 'Before it is OK, a few more of you must suffer and die.' And we used to tell our people at home, 'It is going to be OK. The victory has already been won.' But in the process of our apprehending this victory, appropriating it, there are going to be causalities. More of our people are going to be detained. More are going to be imprisoned. More are going to be killed. 'But my dear people, we used to say, 'we have already won. They have lost. Those who support injustice have lost. They may have guns. They may appear to be powerful. But don't let it kid you.' And we used to say to the white people in South Africa, 'We're being nice to you. We're inviting you, join the winning side.' And that was in the dark days." -- Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Moriah's Thoughts:
I think that the feeling we get when we are treated unfairly by another person must be programmed into our DNA. It comes not from the heart, or the gut, but from the very center of every cell in our bodies.
It is more difficult to connect with other people who are suffering an injustice when you haven't suffered. I guess that is why it is good to suffer injustices now and then.
We need to distinguish between the Good Guys and the Bad Guys without being influenced by whether they are wearing white hats or black hats; or whether they have pale skins or dark skins--and injustice is the key.
Being on the receiving end of injustice is extremely unpleasant and dangerous to your health. But it does do one thing. It gives you the Moral Highground--or Moral Credit.
You can build up a great deal of Moral Credit without realizing it because you are suffering so much at the hands of the Unjust.
At this point I occupy a Moral Highground. So does Adila. (See "If a President can Lie, So Can a Principal"). Every teacher who has been abused under the Bloomberg/Klein reigime has Moral Credit.
Bloomberg may have billions, but he is in extreme Moral Debt. His regime will ultimately collapse under the weight of it, crushing everyone who did his bidding.
Before we get there though, more people will be set up, framed, sent to the rubberroom, forced into retirement, fired.
But in the end we will win. Those who support injustice have already lost.
Do yourself a favor. Join the winning side.
However, Año Nuevo, Vida Nueva. New Year, New Life.
I am one person, and I have only one life. When they write me negative letters, or bring me up on charges, it affects my teaching and all other aspects of my life. When I have to spend my free time writing responses or planning defensive/offensive strategies instead of relaxing or spending time with family and friends, it affects my teaching. It affects my family. It affects my friends. And guess what, it affects my students too.
And it affects my health--and perhaps my lifespan.
Last night I was sitting in my warm, cozy livingroom . The Christmas tree was lit in the corner by the window. The whole room smelled of basalm. I was watching Bill Moyers on PBS--one of my favorite shows. I was in my home, in my safe space.
There were interviews with Thomas Cahill and Archbishop Desmond Tutu
This was was the Cahill quote that most resonated with me.
"All societies have a dream and a nightmare. And our nightmare has been, I think, our racism. We practically committed genocide on the people who were here, the Native Americans. We enslaved another race of people, the Africans. And then we dropped the atom bomb on Asians. We would have never dropped that bomb in Europe in my view. And I think that's what proves the racism of it. That's the nightmare of America.
The dream is just the opposite. The dream is that there is no country on earth that has tried to actually embrace all the people that we have tried to embrace. All you have to do is walk through New York City to see that — or any of our cities and not a few of our countrysides at this point."-- Thomas Cahill
Today I went to Moyer's website to get that quote from the transcript . Then I went to the transcript for the Archbishop Tutu interview. There was something he said about forgiving your enemy that impressed me, but after reading the entire transcript, I was more in tune with this quote:
"... we had to say to our people, 'You know, in the end, justice and goodness will prevail. This is a moral universe.'...In the Book of Revelation, there's a wonderful passage where there are souls under the altar. And they cry out, as all who suffer cry out, 'Oh, Lord, how long?' Now the answer we would have expected to get would have been the answer that says, 'Don't worry. It will be OK.' It does say that, but it says, 'Before it is OK, a few more of you must suffer and die.' And we used to tell our people at home, 'It is going to be OK. The victory has already been won.' But in the process of our apprehending this victory, appropriating it, there are going to be causalities. More of our people are going to be detained. More are going to be imprisoned. More are going to be killed. 'But my dear people, we used to say, 'we have already won. They have lost. Those who support injustice have lost. They may have guns. They may appear to be powerful. But don't let it kid you.' And we used to say to the white people in South Africa, 'We're being nice to you. We're inviting you, join the winning side.' And that was in the dark days." -- Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Moriah's Thoughts:
I think that the feeling we get when we are treated unfairly by another person must be programmed into our DNA. It comes not from the heart, or the gut, but from the very center of every cell in our bodies.
It is more difficult to connect with other people who are suffering an injustice when you haven't suffered. I guess that is why it is good to suffer injustices now and then.
We need to distinguish between the Good Guys and the Bad Guys without being influenced by whether they are wearing white hats or black hats; or whether they have pale skins or dark skins--and injustice is the key.
Being on the receiving end of injustice is extremely unpleasant and dangerous to your health. But it does do one thing. It gives you the Moral Highground--or Moral Credit.
You can build up a great deal of Moral Credit without realizing it because you are suffering so much at the hands of the Unjust.
At this point I occupy a Moral Highground. So does Adila. (See "If a President can Lie, So Can a Principal"). Every teacher who has been abused under the Bloomberg/Klein reigime has Moral Credit.
Bloomberg may have billions, but he is in extreme Moral Debt. His regime will ultimately collapse under the weight of it, crushing everyone who did his bidding.
Before we get there though, more people will be set up, framed, sent to the rubberroom, forced into retirement, fired.
But in the end we will win. Those who support injustice have already lost.
Do yourself a favor. Join the winning side.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Mailing List
I have begun a mailing list for my antimayoral control campaign. I was going to contact only my representatives. However, both the NYS Senate and the NYS Assembly have Education Committees. So I am also beginning to slowly contact the members of those committees. So far, I am doing this by e-mail. I know that we are supposedly paying dues for this, but no one at the UFT is opposing mayoral control or Mayor Bloomberg.
NEW YORK STATE SENATE (http://www.senate.state.ny.us/senatehomepage.nsf/Home?OpenForm)
Committee: Education
Chairperson:
Saland
Members:
LaValle
Seward
Morahan
Golden
Little
Lanza
Oppenheimer
Montgomery
Marcellino
Stavisky
Fuschillo
Schneiderman
Dilan
Sabini
Serrano
Robach
Huntley
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY (http://assembly.state.ny.us/)
EDUCATION COMMITTE
Education Chair Catherine Nolan
Members
Carmen E. Arroyo
Michael Benedetto
James F. Brennan
Karim Camara
Barbara M. Clark
Ruben Diaz, Jr.
Patricia A. Eddington
Steve Englebright
Aurelia Greene
Earlene Hooper
Susan V. John
Tom Kirwan
William B. Magnarelli
Alan Maisel
David G. McDonough
Joel M. Miller
William L. Parment
Amy Paulin
Phil Ramos
Bill Reilich
Bob Reilly
Joseph S. Saladino
Teresa R. Sayward
Robert K. Sweeney
Fred W. Thiele, Jr.
Harvey Weisenberg
NEW YORK STATE SENATE (http://www.senate.state.ny.us/senatehomepage.nsf/Home?OpenForm)
Committee: Education
Chairperson:
Saland
Members:
LaValle
Seward
Morahan
Golden
Little
Lanza
Oppenheimer
Montgomery
Marcellino
Stavisky
Fuschillo
Schneiderman
Dilan
Sabini
Serrano
Robach
Huntley
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY (http://assembly.state.ny.us/)
EDUCATION COMMITTE
Education Chair Catherine Nolan
Members
Carmen E. Arroyo
Michael Benedetto
James F. Brennan
Karim Camara
Barbara M. Clark
Ruben Diaz, Jr.
Patricia A. Eddington
Steve Englebright
Aurelia Greene
Earlene Hooper
Susan V. John
Tom Kirwan
William B. Magnarelli
Alan Maisel
David G. McDonough
Joel M. Miller
William L. Parment
Amy Paulin
Phil Ramos
Bill Reilich
Bob Reilly
Joseph S. Saladino
Teresa R. Sayward
Robert K. Sweeney
Fred W. Thiele, Jr.
Harvey Weisenberg
Friday, December 28, 2007
Re: Mayoral Control--Where's the Ball?
Dear Senator, Council Person, etc.
I am a registered Democrat. I live and teach in Myneighborhood, Queens. I would like to wish you a Happy New Year and thank you for your excellent work on the part of the citizens of your district.
I am also writing to you because I oppose Mayoral Control of the public schools of our city. It seems to me that the New York State Legislature gave Mayor Bloomberg the ball and told him to run with it—expecting him to stop as soon as he crossed the goal line. Instead the Mayor has run out of bounds, off the field, out of the stadium, and is still running.
Please stop him and get the ball back.
Sincerely,
MS UNTAMED
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am going to e-mail this letter to every democratically elected official who represents my neighborhood--City, State, and Federal.
I have thought about writing letters to public officials for a long time, but I wasn't sure how much good it would do. At this point I still don't know how much good it will do, but we are now in an election year. I may get more attention as an individual citizen/voter.
In the beginning I had a very long letter--most of it very angry. But then my teaching experience kicked in. I have decided to write many letters instead of one. Each letter will be as clear and concise as possible and carry some kind of mnemonic device, so that the point won't easily be forgotten.
No, I am not dummying it down for these officials. They are very busy people, who have many balls in the air. I want them to pay attention to the one that is affecting me.
I also want to keep it light. I will be writing to them often. I want them to look forward to hearing from me--not regard me as some kind of crazy stalker.
I will post each letter that I write on the day that I send it out.
I am a registered Democrat. I live and teach in Myneighborhood, Queens. I would like to wish you a Happy New Year and thank you for your excellent work on the part of the citizens of your district.
I am also writing to you because I oppose Mayoral Control of the public schools of our city. It seems to me that the New York State Legislature gave Mayor Bloomberg the ball and told him to run with it—expecting him to stop as soon as he crossed the goal line. Instead the Mayor has run out of bounds, off the field, out of the stadium, and is still running.
Please stop him and get the ball back.
Sincerely,
MS UNTAMED
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am going to e-mail this letter to every democratically elected official who represents my neighborhood--City, State, and Federal.
I have thought about writing letters to public officials for a long time, but I wasn't sure how much good it would do. At this point I still don't know how much good it will do, but we are now in an election year. I may get more attention as an individual citizen/voter.
In the beginning I had a very long letter--most of it very angry. But then my teaching experience kicked in. I have decided to write many letters instead of one. Each letter will be as clear and concise as possible and carry some kind of mnemonic device, so that the point won't easily be forgotten.
No, I am not dummying it down for these officials. They are very busy people, who have many balls in the air. I want them to pay attention to the one that is affecting me.
I also want to keep it light. I will be writing to them often. I want them to look forward to hearing from me--not regard me as some kind of crazy stalker.
I will post each letter that I write on the day that I send it out.
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