SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: Kristine Mustillo Principal PS 97 District 21 Destroys A Career

SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: Kristine Mustillo Principal PS 97 District 21 Destroys A Career

Wow. This is definitely worth reading. Thank you "South Bronx School" for sharing it.

Ricochet: Off with their heads! Part Deaux

Ricochet: Off with their heads! Part Deaux

Pissed Off: Another Example Of Why You Should Vote ICE

Pissed Off: Another Example Of Why You Should Vote ICE

More Regulations...

Welcome to Mr. Warden's world where over enforcing his personal peeves and humiliating the RR teachers is what he interprets as part of his moral obligation to the DOE. One of his chief obsessions is with teachers who talk on the phone in the stairwell, (aka the 'phone booth'). Although the phones are used all day amongst the masses, those who desire a shred of seclusion often retreat to the 'phone booth' which is in such a remote location, one would forget that it actually leads upstairs. This barren phone booth (aka stair well) is within 5 foot of Mr. Warden's invisible wall-less office. From the time a teacher enters the "phone booth', he is live prey for Mr. Warden. While you are making that important call to your lawyer, insurance company or bookie, Mr. Warden will be watching. With nothing better to do, Mr. Warden will conspicuously watch your butt. Yes, he will actually make sure that under no circumstances does your butt ever get a chance to rest on the dusty cold stairs. Resting your butt is not an option in Mr. Warden's phone booth. Rest assured that if you get lost in your phone call and forget this rule, Mr. Warden will be there to disrupt your phone call and remind you. Why, because as Mr. Warden explains, "It is a fire hazard and people will not be able to walk by if you are sitting on the steps". The truth is, that staircase is never used by ANYONE except the RR teachers. What Mr.Warden doesn't tell you is that he wants nothing more than to make your phone booth stay as cumbersome as humanly possible.

"The Regulations"

Mr. Warden, keeper of the reassigned teachers loves enforcing the 'regulations'. The regulations say, "Only one chair per person". Mr. Warden says that if anyone is caught using more than one chair, he will have to tell the custodian to remove the extra chairs from the room. Perhaps you had better do that Mr. Warden...I don't think that I can control myself from using more than one chair- especially since no one else is using them.

Overheard: Truth or Myth?

Alot of information passes through the RR on a weekly basis. Since the inmates are really kept out of the loop about current issues, much of the hearsay is never confirmed. It is highly likely that when a RR inmate meets with a UFT rep, NYSUT lawyer or OSI officer they will return filled with ideas that often fuel discussions and/or arguments about what is true and what is not. It is also highly likely that if one tries to get the facts from the UFT about OSI or NYSUT or vice versa, one will come up even more empty than before they started. Try asking two UFT reps the same exact question and you will receive two completely conflicting answers. Do they both work for the same organization? Sometimes I wonder. So here I go. I have two Truth/Myth unconfirmed rumors today. You decide.

1. A newly reassigned teacher was told by a UFT lawyer that he does not need to report for an OSI investigation if he is tenured (which he is). It would certainly help a lot of teachers to know whether or not there is any truth to this.

2. During a winter storm or other inclement weather which prevents you from reporting to your assigned school, it is acceptable to report to the nearest DOE school within your travelling range.
A recently retired teacher informed me that this was agreed upon in our contract several years back. As far as she knows, it still remains. Is this the Truth or is it a Myth?

Feel free to comment...

Teachers Speak

"Now that this group of teachers who are in the excess group have got such negative exposure in the national media (FOX, MSNBC) I am praying that Klein will lift the hiring freeze. i have ill family back in NYC and want to relocate badly. Please give me updates."
July 10, 2009 at 4:23am ·

What a pompous moron. This ignorant comment and others can be found on the Facebook Page, "Teachers Speak" from a licensed teacher who describes himself as, "A quality edicator sees their students as individuals with a history, a culture and takes time to know them. The problem is all the leadership sees is a collective of data and test scores." (I held myself back from correcting his spelling and grammar errors...) His profile also reads,"Edicator examining the problems facing all teachers and students both in and out of the classroom -our nation is in an education emergency with 100,000 teachers out of work (Wall Street Journal Report) and budgets being slashed in every state - it is time for teachers and families to fight the poiticians and bueracrats for a strong system of education for our kids and jobs for quality educators."
Isn't it pathetic that a fellow teacher sees the abuse of other teachers as a great opportunity to secure a job for himself? Sounds a bit barbaric.
Hmmm...Maybe he should go looking for a job elsewhere?

Foodie

Friday morning...and just about that time when everyone is settled in their seats, Foodie decides that he is hungry. When he gets up from the corner he has barricaded himself in, everyone else must get up too. In order for him to pass, tables and chairs must be moved. Like a dream-scene in a movie, Foodie slowly makes his way to the refrigerator. He shuffles his feet and you can hear the sound of his nylon pants shifting as he walks. It has been suggested that Foodie sit somewhere else. Somewhere less restricting; where he won't disrupt the order of things. It is mentioned that perhaps he should sit right next to the refrigerator. As he heats up his pre-breakfast meal, Foodie looks at no one. He just stares into space. He methodically unwraps the three bags that protect his plastic utensils. There is an eerie blankness about him. While conversations are going on closely around him, he says nothing. He sluggishly makes his way back to his seat and once again, it is musical chairs.
Five minutes later, Foodie is up again to pace the room. Every once in a while he spontaneously jerks his knees forward and waves his arms, startling anyone in close proximity. Recently, he has made eye contact with one of the women and spontaneously lifted his arms, snapped his fingers in the air and proceeded to gyrate his hips in a swiveling motion. 'Exercise', he calls it, but with a heavy lisp which sounds more like, 'ex-ther-thise' I call it just plain, "creepy".
Foodie has been in our reassignment center for only 2 months since he left the one in Staten Island. When teachers transfer over here, there is usually a good reason and most often, it is not of their own choosing. Everyone knows that this isn't the most favorable of Reassignment 'destinations'. I can safely say that this guy didn't have many fans in Staten Island.
Foodie eats his pre- breakfast meal and then leans back to take a nap. Fifteen minutes later, breakfast. Thirty minutes later, brunch. After that, he leaves the room and an hour later he returns with a full bag of groceries, I mean uh.. lunch. Back and forth like an expectant father, Foodie consumes meal after meal... Foodie leaves the room and roams the first floor of the building. He is told by the warden that he cannot 'roam the hallways'. Foodie retreats into the men's room for a good half an hour. It is reported that he just stands in there,(just staring and standing!)- creeping everyone out while they do their business and leave.