The list of horror stories regarding King Mike Bloomberg and Joel Klein are extensive from what I hear on the street or read on the internet.
The above article from The New York Daily News by Rachel Monahan about the Principal and assistant principal getting slaps on the wrist for their role in the drowning death of Nicole Suriel underscores some of what I have heard.
Bloomberg and Klein run the Dept. of Education like a corporation consulting as if consulting Jack Welch a Goldman Sachs.
The principals are above accountability. No one is watching the principals and they are treated like CEOs, definitely not accountable. If you read the article from the NY Daily News the principal was protected as if he had tenure. I had heard a rumor that the principal, Maldonado-Riveria actually did get tenure but in the article it implies he has all the protections as if has tenure and hires back the assistant principal, Andrew Stillman, who lost his job because of a series of irresponsible choices that many believe lead to the death of Nicole who was 12 years old. Andrew Stillman was rehired by Maldonao-Riveria and is now a teacher.
Nicole's tragic death proves to me what an insider told me which is the principals are treated as CEOs of companies accountable to no one.
If people have a complaint Joel Klein because he doesn't want to hear it and refers them to the unions which I have heard Bloomberg and Klein want to bust.
The Principal Academy states: "Our vision of the principal’s role is that of transforming education to maximize
the promise and potential of every child, especially of the children whose life opportunities rely on schools the most."
But I heard the Principal Academy translates in to how many ways can we harass teachers.
And the way teachers are harassed and discriminated against are countless in the CEO Bloomberg Klein world of education for our kids. One example was age discrimination. I heard one elderly teacher is being harassed because they want her to quit so they assign her to class rooms where she will have to climb stairs and they know it is a hardship. I have heard of all kinds of rumors of intimidations.
It is also not about fostering educators but divide and conquer ala Jack Welch.
Under mayor Dinkins the special investigator had to have a law degree but under mayor Bloomberg no law degree required. Standard Boomberg foolishness like Bloomberg deciding the commissioner of DOB is no longer required to have an engineering degree or architectural degree.
Welcome to king Mike and Joel Klein's department of intimidation -- oops, I meant education.
