Former New York City mayor, Michael Bloomberg of whom I am no fan, at least attempted to hold New York City educators accountable for their failings in NYC public schools. However, his predecessor has walked back Bloomberg’s few accomplishments in that area to appease fellow Communist donors.
Earlier this year, UFT leader Michael Mulgrew, Mayor Bill de Blasio, and Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña colluded against NYC’s public schools students, an action guaranteed to destroy the future of all children who enter these failing institutions.
City-Journal, Author: Daniel DiSalvo
The UFT’s relentless pursuit of its own interests has damaged Gotham schools for decades.
Bill de Blasio opposes any reform proposals not endorsed by the union. His schools chancellor, Carmen Fariña, exchanged hugs and kisses with UFT president Michael Mulgrew this spring at a press conference announcing an expensive nine-year contract. Mulgrew has said that de Blasio’s election constituted a “seismic shift” in the relationship between city government and its public school teachers. Though some tinkering may continue on the margins, the project of making the city’s schools better has been shelved. De Blasio will likely do little to overhaul the dysfunctional system…
Of course, the majority of NYC public school teachers are thrilled.
Their union leader delivered to them the meat and potatoes. Thus, their pockets are lined and there will be no repercussions for failure to do their jobs.
Sex offenders are set free to prey upon children. Well, yeah if caught sex offenders are arrested and charged but the UFT and fellow teachers have their backs.
Teachers with addictions, whether its alcohol or drugs are given free rein until their addictions that have long affected their performance can no longer be ignored.
SIDEBAR
A few years ago, a former neighbor/public schoolteacher was taken to task by the school’s principal for coming to school drunk or with last night’s liquor on her breath. In addition to becoming a major discussion among her peers, her students complained to their parents.
The teacher was placed on immediate “paid” leave and ordered to attend a 12-step program.
I remember her stopping to visit one day. (Ugh!) During her visit, she took a moment to check in with her school. Hubris, she was drunk and could barely form a sentence.
Not long after, she returned to teaching but retired about two years later. Her excuse was that she wanted to retire before being terminated.
If this woman were still teaching, with de Blasio as mayor, termination would not be a concern.
END OF SIDEBAR
Problematic teachers are allowed to return to the classroom or placed in rubber rooms reassignment centers while collecting full salary, compensation and accruing tenure.
Then we have the teachers who are aware that regardless of whether or not they do their jobs, they will be paid so why make the effort.
Low teacher performance thanks to de Blasio is once again a non-issue for failing teachers.
The problem with all of the above is that the union and fellow teachers have their backs.
Few would deny having the backs of such individuals. Instead, they counter with talking points about how hard teachers work, yada, yada, yada.
In fairness:
…Many teachers work above and beyond what the contract specifies, of course, but they do so for their own reasons. Nothing incentivizes them to put in extra hours or call a parent on the weekend. Conversely, teachers can’t be punished for working to the letter of the contract—and many reportedly do just that….
It is all about them and while it is their prerogative, it is hypocritical and an insult to injury that many public school teachers send their children to private schools because the educational institutions in which they are employed are failures.
The bottom line is that de Blasio, Michael Mulgrew, the UFT are blight on New York City’s public school system.
As if this motley crew of Communists has not done enough harm, they have set their sights on charter schools very much in the same manner that Progressives set their sights on the Black community. To be addressed in a later post.