Get Even More Visitors To Your Blog, Upgrade To A Business Listing >>

Blog Directory  >  Business Blogs  >  Careers & Industries Blogs  >  NYC Educator careers-and-industries Blog  > 

The Making Of An Assistant Principal
2019-09-06 08:09
Everyone wondered why Mr. Jones was so happy. The weight of the world seemed to be lifted from his shoulders. He had a spring in his step. His smile radiated 1005 organic sunshine. Just last… Read More
This Is Me (and So Is That)
2019-09-03 08:00
Lucy's not happy, and you might not be either. Every summer goes faster and faster, and face it, this one is gone completely. When people ask me how my vacation was, I'm gonna have to tell t… Read More
Going To The Dogs
2019-09-01 15:47
That's Toby, my dog, in the forefront, along with my daughter's dog Julio, wishing everyone a pleasant day. I kind of wish I'd written this column by Frank Bruni. I'm not generally a fan of… Read More
I Respond To Advance
2019-08-31 13:24
I'm going to put this out there, even if it costs me street cred--I have a great supervisor. She's the best ESL teacher I know, and I have, in fact, seen her teach. If I have an issue, I can… Read More
Principal's Message, Annotated
2019-08-29 19:24
I'm so happy to see you all back here. I know you're all re-energized and ready to work. Pretty soon I'm going to put up a PowerPoint and read it to you word for word so you don't miss anyth… Read More
The Beauty Of The Small School
2019-08-29 00:50
In my school, the most preps you'll get under ordinary circumstances is three. Of course, we're a big school. Most teachers probably have two preps. I've seen conscientious supervisors make… Read More
It's The First Day Of Break
2019-08-27 12:31
I'm crazy, right? You're sitting around, bummed out of your mind because one week from today you have to go to work. How is that fair? After all, you've finally located your true self and yo… Read More
What Should We Do About Cell Phones?
2019-08-22 14:20
It's happening in some schools, and I know a lot of my colleagues will love the idea. I've got mixed feelings. Certainly I spend more time than I'd like to looking out for cell phone use, an… Read More
Long Discredited, Merit Pay Dies In Newark
2019-08-20 21:46
I'll leave it to Jersey Jazzman, who's followed this far more closely than I have, to fill you in on chapter and verse. He does mention, though, that only 20% of those with a choice opted in… Read More
Blithering Baloney From Politico On MORE
2019-08-18 08:00
I was in Texas, heading toward a detention center when someone emailed me this piece from Politico. The headline blares, "Democratic Socialists look to take over New York's powerful labor un… Read More
AFT In Texas
2019-08-16 15:59
Last Tuesday I went with a UFT contingent to McAllen Texas. AFT had requested entry to the detention facility there. The US government, in its infinite wisdom, not only denied us, but also w… Read More
Till Your Well Runs Dry
2019-08-14 03:31
I'm in McAllen, Texas right now with AFT. We've been meeting some local union leaders here, and I've been hearing things that kind of blow my mind. I should've known these things before. I h… Read More
The Chancellor And The Post
2019-08-12 23:57
 That's NYC Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza on the left. If you're a city teacher, you can see he's in a school building, because those ugly tan bricks are unmistakable. The Post fe… Read More
NYC DOE Puts The
2019-08-11 14:44
There's a nasty gene somewhere--some people have it and some don't. I've got it, but I use it selectively. My first go-to is courtesy. I'm never nasty with kids. Sometimes I'm sarcastic, but… Read More
The Socialist Menace
2019-08-08 12:53
It's right up there. Fox News graciously created the graphic to inform their viewers about AOC's terrifying program. You can see, right there, how it starts. There it is, that Medicare for A… Read More
Lesser Of Two Evils
2019-08-06 12:57
I spend a lot of time walking my dog. In fact, with summer, when I'm not working it's become my primary occupation. As it happens, my dog is a lot more charming and friendly than I'll ever b… Read More
Tales From The Half Room
2019-08-02 14:32
It's interesting to read about how there's still lead paint in 900 classrooms. Of course, that's ridiculous and disgraceful in 2019. I don't think a lot of people understand what city school… Read More
Watching The Debates
2019-08-01 14:28
For two nights I've dutifully watched the Democratic debates. I'm lucky to have a dog who will hang with me. My friend has two, and she told me both walked out on her while she sat there.It… Read More
The Principal Who Led By Example
2019-07-29 12:04
Lead by example.That was the theme at the Endless Faculty Conference. It was led by The Principal, whose specialty was Endless Faculty Conferences. The Principal told us we were role models… Read More
NY Post Doubles Down On Logical Fallacy
2019-07-27 13:17
The NY Post editorial board would have you believe yet another binary falsehood--that NY State diplomas will be meaningless if the Regents decide to do away with the Regents exams. This is y… Read More
Adminstrators Need To Own TIPs
2019-07-23 08:00
A lot of teachers are very upset about TIPs, or Teacher Improvement Plans. However, in NYC, if you're rated developing or ineffective, you get one. They're supposed to be planned cooperative… Read More
Racists Among Us
2019-07-18 14:42
It's nothing new, you know. They've always been here. They are our neighbors, our colleagues and our families. They are everywhere.What's different? Well, President Donald Trump is what's di… Read More
On Elia's Exit--One Down, 17 To Go
2019-07-17 16:56
It was surprising that MaryEllen Elia jumped ship for a better-paying gig somewhere else, but that's what people do sometimes. Elia was not as awful as Reformy John King, but she didn't subs… Read More
Go Back To Where You Came From
2019-07-16 13:18
It's remarkable to have a President of the United States who indulges in behavior so juvenile you'd be crestfallen to see it play out in your high school classroom. I can't believe the thing… Read More
Double Whammy For ELLs In NY State
2019-07-15 14:08
I've written quite frequently about CR Part 154, which the geniuses in Albany revised so that ELLs would get less direct instruction in English. MaryEllen Elia and the Regents decided it was… Read More
AFT Teach In Washington DC
2019-07-13 02:37
Friday was a pretty full day at AFT Teach. I thought we were going to go to workshops but there was just a little more. That's the AFT crowd in the afternoon at US Customs and Border protect… Read More
Crossing The Line
2019-07-12 11:05
We all have lines. We make lines and we respect them. Some lines you just don't cross. Now if you're Daffy Duck, or Donald Trump, you just draw arbitrary lines and tell people not to cross t… Read More
The Saga Of The Rainbow Bridge
2019-07-10 18:10
Last month was Pride month. Someone decided it would be a good idea to paint the bridge at Silver Lake in Baldwin. I don't live in Baldwin, but my sister in law does. I'm there a lot and I w… Read More
2019-07-09 19:21
What can you say about holocaust deniers? In this era of "alternative facts," you might say they're par for the course. We have a President who can't even open his mouth without lying. He ca… Read More
Mike Pence Would Love PS 333
2019-07-05 08:00
I found this comment in my spam file yesterday. I'm not sure how it ended up there, but I approved the comment yesterday. I don't want to bury it in comments from weeks ago, so I'm placing i… Read More
More Abuse In PS 333--What's In A Name?
2019-07-03 12:01
I'm a cancer survivor. It was one of the toughest things I've ever faced, and I've taught teenagers for over three decades. That's a tough job. Half of the people who start it drop out after… Read More
NYSED And ESL--Stupid Is As Stupid Does
2019-07-02 08:00
"Gee I want to learn Spanish so I can take math tests in another language, " said no kid ever.Yet that's precisely the policy of NYSED, whose official rationale for stand alone ESL classes i… Read More
Summer Starts Now...
2019-06-28 10:09
...says a commercial I'm watching.I'm starting it by going to Queens UFT to file grievances. It turns out that, as chapter leader, your magical access to the online grievance form disappears… Read More
To All My UFT Brothers And Sisters:
2019-06-27 11:42
Directions:1. Listen carefully to video.2. Sing this song everywhere you go, no matter what you are doing, each and every moment of each and every day for the next two months Read More
I'm Not Cranky. I'm Simply Outraged
2019-06-26 13:41
Prominent charter advocate James Merriman surprised me by tweeting my Daily News piece. I can't argue when he calls me a veteran, as I've got almost 35 years in. He also called me "cranky."H… Read More
At PS 333--No Health Care For You!
2019-06-24 08:00
Yesterday I wrote about the revolving door of second grade teachers at PS 333. I mentioned a much-loved teacher who started out the year without being completely certified. I was under the i… Read More
2019-06-21 22:21
If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know I'm all bent out of shape over the most recent iteration of CR Part 154. It cuts direct English instruction to English Language Learners, an… Read More
Townsend Harris And Neighborhood Schools
2019-06-20 14:55
According to QNS.com, the top school in the state is Townsend Harris High School. Here's why, according to the article:Students at Townsend have a 100 percent rate of 12th grade students ta… Read More
Marco Pollo And Boy Wonder
2019-06-19 12:46
Marco Pollo was a teacher, but he was always afraid. His supervisor, Boy Wonder, didn't like him very much. That's why Marco had a big stack of letters in his file. Boy Wonder would sit in h… Read More
A First Wave Of NYC Teachers Stands Up
2019-06-18 08:00
I was blown away last year when the bold CPE 1 community stood up to a small-minded, vindictive principal. Many UFT members struggle to do their jobs under the questionable leadership of wou… Read More
PS 333 Votes Thumbs Down On Principal
2019-06-13 17:08
You know, you'd think after years of ineptitude and embarrassment, the DOE would just pull the plug on bad principals, and set them to work on things that can't damage actual humans. I'm thi… Read More
The Last Week
2019-06-11 11:55
There's something tough about the last week of classes. I don't know about you, but I gave my final exams already. My students have 200 other tests to take and I don't want to burden them wi… Read More
UFT At Puerto Rican Day Parade 2019
2019-06-09 23:59
This is NYC Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza with UFT Vice President Evelyn de Jesus. It's kind of cool to have a chancellor who will show up on a Sunday to support a UFT event. As you kn… Read More
Facing The Issue? Or More Musical Chairs?
2019-05-29 09:03
I don't know what to say when I read articles like this one, saying we're told to favor students based on skin color. I must've missed the memo. I've been teaching for 35 years and no one ha… Read More
City AC Regs Are Idiotic And Inhumane
2019-05-25 13:43
I'm in my fourth decade of teaching for NYC, and the more things change, the more they remain the same. It seems like yesterday we were using coal furnaces for heat, but maybe ten years ago… Read More
The Commish And Me
2019-05-24 09:03
Last Saturday I met NY State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia at the UFT Spring Conference. That's her on the left, UFT VP Evelyn de Jesus on the right, and Evelyn's ESL point person Ka… Read More
Why Is Ben Sherman Still Principal?
2019-05-22 11:01
If you are a leader, and virtually no one has any confidence in you, it's unlikely you'll stay in that position long. I'm a teacher, and while I'm not perfect, the kids are not quite lining… Read More
Betsy And Me
2019-05-17 13:11
by special guest Mindy RosierA few weeks ago, a little birdy informed me that Ms. Betsy DeVos herself would be traveling to NYC. After looking into this tip, it turned out that she would be… Read More
Where The Dogs Are
2019-05-16 12:36
If you're looking for me, you'll find me out on the Freeport Nautical Mile almost every morning at 5:30 AM. That guy on the left is Toby, looking askance for some reason or other. He comes w… Read More
2019-05-15 09:05
No one was more influential in Boy Wonder's life than his father. He knew everything. He always knew what to say and do. And he took no guff from anyone. At this point in Boy Wonder's life… Read More
2019-05-14 08:00
That's what David Bloomfield argues in the NY Daily News. Bloomfield says there ought not to be a state law determining how admissions are run in our specialized schools. He's absolutely rig… Read More
I'm Surprised I'm Surprised
2019-05-13 08:00
It looks like, if you're Deputy Chancellor, you can send your kid to school anywhere you goshdarn please. While parents all over the city fret over where their kids are going, while there's… Read More
Drat That NYSESLAT!
2019-05-09 08:00
 (That's pronounced nigh--suh--slat.)I'm sitting outside the school auditorium. Things are pretty slow right now. Inside the auditorium a bazillion kids, many of them my students, are t… Read More
MORE Alters Petition After People Signed It
2019-05-07 21:58
Imagine signing a contract and having someone unilaterally change it. I mean, there's your signature, and they just go back and edit the contract so it fits their revised specs. A whole lot… Read More
NYSED Fiddles While ELLs Are Ignored
2019-05-03 16:22
I’d just like to express, for the record, that I find this article amazing. After virtually gutting direct English instruction for ELLs, NY State thinks giving a college course or… Read More
2019-04-26 13:45
That's what I'll say to a hundred people who ask me how my break was. I mean it'll be gone and that's pretty much it. I can cry, I can mourn, but that won't change anything. I'm still gonna… Read More
Mayor Pete Puts Foot In Mouth
2019-04-23 00:51
I was kind of excited about Mayor Pete with the unpronounceable last name. He seemed like a breath of fresh air. Then he started talking about issues with free college and I thought, oh well… Read More
Time To Move Forward
2019-04-19 14:32
First of all, thanks to all who voted for me. I'm honored to serve another term on UFT Executive Board representing high schools. I hope my voice will help us advance in some small way. Than… Read More

Share the post

NYC Educator

×

Subscribe to Nyc Educator

Get updates delivered right to your inbox!

Thank you for your subscription

×