You Must See & Listen Intently From 3:23:11 to 3:27:11

Dear Beautiful Souls,

Please click on Department of Education video link below.
You must see and listen intently to the video from 3:23:11 to 3:27:11
(3hours, 23minutes, 11seconds to 3hours, 27minutes, 11seconds)

The New York City Department of Education Panel for Educational Policy (PEP)
Meeting Wednesday, February 25, 2015
 

http://schools.nyc.gov/AboutUs/leadership/PEP/default.htm

Important Note: After these two serious complaints of abuse of power (by principals and higher administrators in our public schools) were presented to The New York City Department of Education Panel for Educational Policy (PEP), an entire 44 minutes followed where not a single beautiful soul on the panel comments on any of the details presented in these two alarming complaints or the urgency in the matter of Abuse of Power in Our Public Schools. 

Instead they spent the rest of the meeting (approximately 44 minutes) talking about a business contract, some bids, computers, and a technology task force.

                         
                                         

School to Family Pipeline

        The current business model used to run our schools plays a significant role in grooming children for life into the bitter cold and human crushing penal system. A “…more conscious and effective way to address the incarceration” of our youth is to completely mend the dysfunctional disconnect between (A) affluent Board Members, (appointed by our government to the Board/Department of Education), (B) Government Officials, and (C) the people which they all once took an oath to serve in good faith; Children (and those closest to the children).

        In part, credence for such dysfunctional disconnect is owed to the numbing conditioning that stems from constantly thinking, discussing, and referring to students, teachers, and parents in terms of mere numbers on an lifeless spreadsheet or graph.

        In order for us to appeal to the humanity of our very wealthy brothers and sisters appointed to The Board/Department of Education, (to influence, from a very far distance, the lives of our children, families and futures, with their policies, procedures, and business models), it is crucial that we, (teachers, students, and parents), as a collective, candidly write and openly share, complete and genuine accounts of incidents that transpire in schools including the “professional” steps taken by leaders, that work directly below our board members, to address such incidents. I am willing to collect and archive such incident reports and I am very grateful to those whom have already made submissions, (my email is listed below).

        It is imperative that we strive to make it “real” for our well-off brothers and sisters that sit on The Board/Department of Education so that they can clearly see and maybe even feel a modicum of concern for how their own business model, archaic policies and procedures, actions &/or inactions, resistance against advocacy and perception toward our public school children all propagate the destruction of quality education and the destruction of the human condition.   

        We need to provide warm bodies, not to profitable prison corporations, but to these mundane, inanimate numbers we tend to confuse with real live, breathing and feeling brothers and sisters. We need to do this in order to remind our beautiful fellow humans that they bleed like us, hurt like us, and at the end of this journey of borrowed time, will depart like us.  

        In order to further facilitate an effective “plug-in” to these foreign yet powerful portions of the school system we need - (1) to have fair, genuine, and productive open discussions about the “unspoken factors” that directly inhibit student learning, effective teaching, and safety in our schools, (2) to have strong and enforceable laws that genuinely protect well intended advocates from persecution, (3) to have strong and enforceable laws that effectively train and justly hold leaders (on all levels) legally accountable for abusing their power to violate others’ basic constitutional rights, for coercing others into toxic conformity, and for engaging in other immoral and unethical business practices, & most importantly, (4) to have our government leaders become crystal clear and loudly hear the well documented echoes of our frustrated yet resilient voices and vigorous resolve collectively chanting, “NO MAS! WE ARE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE! OUR CHILDREN DESERVE BETTER! THE EVOLUTION OF HUMANITY DESERVES BETTER! ”   

        Right now we have a school system where good hearted and well educated humans cannot even speak their minds and/or advocate for the rights of others without being persecuted by abusive leaders. This is a systemic disease that can and will be cured.

        If we all focus our attention on mending the existing dysfunctional disconnect between higher administrators and those closest to the students and students themselves, we are bound to make great strides in paving the way to a safer, healthier, more nurturing and productive academic environment.   

        If we all focus our energy on improving this aspect of the problem we can facilitate a monumental shift in paradigm that will be historical for our Government, The Public Schools System and the Human Condition; namely, a paradigm shift which navigates far away from an academic culture that closely resembles our broken penal system where people are caged and forgotten about and much closer to an academic culture that resembles empathy, family, advocacy, and respect for everyone’s natural disposition to want to be free, loved, and thrive in everything that they do. We owe this to all children!

        “The world is divided into those who see that there is a problem and those who deny that there is a problem. Many of the people that deny that there is a problem are the older folks in the profession who would have to admit that they have used bogus evidence to obtain convictions. And that is a hard thing to admit.” (John J. Lentini, Scientific Fire Analyst, National Geographic). 

        If the people currently in power are not willing to change because they cannot get passed the idea of having to admit that they have "dropped the ball" for so long, we should at least leave behind, for future generations, a life-jacket in order to stay afloat the mess we irresponsibly and consciously decided to leave for them and which they can utilize to swim to shore and save our future in The Department of Education. We should leave them an archive of information that genuinely reveals what is truly happening in the school system, how complaints of abuse are actually handled, and where the problems really lie - in the dysfunctional disconnect between critical players which breeds an administrative culture invincible to accountability, which condones and facilitates a culture allowed to engage in immoral and unethical business practices including creating and enforcing laws, policies and procedures that directly abridge human’s basic constitutional rights.

        Like I mentioned above, I am willing to collect and maintain a library of people’s account of incidents that occur in schools. To candidly write and openly share, complete and genuine accounts of incidents that transpire in schools, including the “professional” steps taken by our leaders to address such incidents, please write the reports and send to my email address listed below. Individual identities will be kept completely confidential from my end. If some still fear retribution for sharing these reports, they can email me the reports from a less identifiable email address.

                Thank you immensely for your time and energy in this very important matter and for all that you do to make this world a better place. Best to everyone always!

Sincerely,

Luis Angel Perez,

Middle School Science & Mathematics,

First Grade, Fourth Grade Educator & Advocate

writing4light@yahoo.com

Our Government “shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech…or the right of the people…to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

       The First Amendment of The Constitution of Our United States of America ensures us that our Government “shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech…or the right of the people…to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” 

        Unfortunately, we have inadvertently created such laws and, what’s worst, they are openly enforced inside of our Public School buildings. 

        Board Members of the Board of Education (Department of Education) are appointed by the Mayor and by each of the Borough Presidents, whom are all Government Officials. “All members serve at the pleasure of the official who appointed them.”

        Why do we have Government Officials not responding to and thus condoning the abuse of power that goes rampant in our Public Schools; particularly the abuse of power used deliberately to threaten, intimidate, harass, and muzzle well intended advocates to our future minds; the children?

        Why are Government Officials stripping our Non-Tenured Colleagues from their constitutional rights to speak-up and advocate against abusive leaders by pushing to eliminate tenureship and/or making it difficult to attain? It is an abusive administrator’s dream to have a school building filled with Non-Tenured Educators whom are all well aware and are often reminded of the fact that they can easily be terminated with no representation if they were to dare challenge any form of abuse observed or refuse to become an accomplice to abuse. 

        Look at the hypocrisy here - One Government Agency (Child Protective Services, CPS / Administration for Children Services, ACS), deems Educators to be “Mandated Reporters” to Abusive Behavior and another Government Agency, (Department of Education), condones the threatening, intimidation, and harassment of Educators for Reporting Abusive Behavior.

        We, the people, should not allow for abusive leaders that work for our Government to continue to enforce laws which directly abridge an Educator’s constitutional right, power, and human responsibility to speak-up and stand-up against abusive behavior and against laws that abridge an Educator’s right to petition our Government for a redress of  such grievances!  

        I have great faith that many beautiful souls will soon come together to help model to our young developing minds, whom eventually will be in-charge of our future, the immense pride and honor behind the word united in our United States Government. Thank you immensely for your time and energy in this very important matter. Much love to everyone. 

Sincerely,

Luis Angel Perez

Middle School Science & Mathematics,

First Grade, Fourth Grade Educator & Advocate

Why Don't I Just Leave? Because The Children & Other Well Intended Educators Are The Ones Left Behind, Exposed To Further Abuse Which Continues To Remain "Undetected"!!!

Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress

Evidence of Incessant Persecution

Due to Advocacy in Favor of Students’ Rights &

Program Improvements  

By: Luis Ángel Perez, Educator & Advocate

2010 – 2011

Department of Education Email Violation

        On the morning of Thursday, January 7, 2010, an administrator mistakenly sent all teachers and other administrators an email using my personal Department of Education email account. Later everyone was asked to delete the email. This administrator used my personal password to open up and access my Department of Education email account. When I requested for answers about how this could have happened and why was it happening principal Miriam Perdraja told me that she will look into it and she will get back to me.

        After getting the “run-around” from the principal regarding this problem, I inquired about it again and was met with aggression. I was reprimanded and told that when she finds something out she will let me know. I never heard about this incident again.

        On the morning of Sunday, January 10, 2010, I emailed administrators and teachers about this problem. Here I wrote in all caps, I FIND IT QUITE DISTURBING THAT SOMEONE OTHER THAN MYSELF HAS ACCESS TO THIS E-MAIL ACCOUNT AND IS ACTUALLY SENDING INFORMATION OUT TO OTHERS AS IF IT WERE ME. Administrators never responded to this email.

Neglect of Basic Classroom Supplies (Science Textbooks)

        Sunday, September 12, 2010, I send an email to Principal Miriam Pedraja, informing her that the Science textbooks were not where she told me to look for them. It turns out that they were never actually ordered.

        For the following school year (2011-2012), the wrong textbooks were ordered. This time they sent us many of the books we already had for a completely different grade. These textbooks remained in their boxes on the side of the classroom for several months before they were removed, despite my numerous complaints. Eventually, an administrator came to the room to take the boxes away. I was told that they are going to have the company pick them up and send us the correct books and that it should only take a week. When I inquired about the books again I was condescendingly told that when the books arrive I will be the first to know.  The Science textbooks never arrived.

 

Evidence of Harassment

1. Sunday, January 30, 2011 at 1:00 pm, I emailed Principal Miriam Pedraja a letter of concern regarding excessive classroom interruptions titled The Attention Span of a Squirrel.

2. Monday, January 31, 2011 at 8:45 am, Principal Miriam Pedraja emailed me a message informing me that she will arrange meeting to discuss in person my letter of concern regarding excessive classroom interruptions titled The Attention Span of a Squirrel.   

3. One minute later: Monday, January 31, 2011 at 8:46 am, Principal Miriam Pedraja emailed me the scheduled meeting to discuss in person my letter of concern regarding excessive classroom interruptions titled The Attention Span of a Squirrel.

   This second email also contained a list of complaints against me. It is important to mention here that this is the first time ever that Principal Miriam Pedraja (or any other administrator for that matter) has written a list of complaints against me. 

4. Later that day: Monday, January 31, 2011 at 8:54 pm I emailed Principal Miriam Pedraja a response to each of the complaints on her list.

5. Principal Miriam Pedraja and I met briefly on Thursday, February 03, 2011 at 1:15 pm. Principal Miriam Pedraja was apparently irate. She briefly made comments about some of my responses to her list of complaints and in reference to my letter of concern regarding excessive classroom interruptions titled The Attention Span of a Squirrel I was reprimanded and told that as the principal in the building she has the right to go into any classroom as many times as she wants and with who ever she wants. I maintained a calm disposition but she would not allow me to talk.  

        Conclusively, the list of complaints presented is a mere pretext to deflect attention away from the programming concerns that I have raised (both verbally and in writing) to administration. The list of complaints is also a form of intimidation geared to gag me from further advocacy.   

2011-2012, 2012-2013, 2013-14

Incessant Persecution Unfolded

        * Reckless and excessive summonses were implemented. Summonses were abruptly scheduled (last-minute), scheduled during my only preparation period, scheduled during teaching (interrupting many lessons) despite my pleas to reschedule for the sake of the students, some summonses were petty and others bogus. 

        * Removed from the middle school (after teaching mathematics and science for 6 years) and intentionally forced to teach 1^st grade (despite no prior experience working with this age group).  

        * Paging my name excessively over the loud-speaker almost everyday (sometimes several times on the same day) to report to the main office.

        * Bogus and or petty complaints and disciplinary write-ups.

        * Despite providing enough medical documentation to show that I was hospitalized and seriously ill due to a student related medical illness, immediately after I returned to work, administrators ordered me to get an additional medical clearance from the DOE and administrators sent two special investigators to investigate my claim and to interrogate me inside of the principal’s office. The principal was not present during this meeting and I did not have a UFT representative.

           Everyone in the main office was wondering why I was being investigated. After telling me that they interviewed my doctors and that all of my medical paper work  “checks-out”, one of the special investigators asked me, “Why would she do this to you?” To which I responded, because I am supposed to keep my mouth shut and not advocate for improvements. 

        * Administrators warning teachers that if they plan to support me to be careful because I may be recording them which is why I am always walking around with my bag.

        * I’m too exhausted to continue.

 

        Principal Miriam Pedraja and her administrative team’s barrage of bogus complaints is a mere pretext to their retaliation against me for advocating for students, for advocating for improvements, and for not allowing their intimidation to muzzle me from further advocacy. Their retaliation and harassment also intensified because my rebuttals to their bogus complaints brought to light many more contractual, ethical, and moral questions.

        Principal Miriam Pedraja does not respond well when a subordinate poses a sound and valid argument which happens to contradict her position. As a result, she gets angry, rants, and people let her say what she wants and fearfully conform to the way she wants it done.

Below are only some of the areas I advocated against:

The way students are treated.

Protocol to ambushing parents in meetings

Student behavior anecdotes logged into the computer and internet

Impeding students from demonstrating peaceful protest for a cause that directly affects their adolescent culture

Disparate treatment of the subject of Science

Jail/street lingo and disposition when addressing students directly and indirectly (repeated offenders, suspects, up-against-the-wall, …)

Scolding teachers in front of students shortly before they have to go and to teach a class

Resistance to address bullying

Engaging in Bullying

Intimidating and harassing people for speaking-up

Summoning teachers to meetings without providing a reason in order to fairly prepare a defense

“Rigor” using grades, and rules to be punitive to students, “one minute late – do not take

Creating a hostile environment

Excessive testing (black-line test, science test, and others)

Excessive paperwork

Email intrusion

Excessive lesson interruptions

Neglect of basic classroom materials (textbooks x2 years)

Misuse of preparation periods

Lunch period used for management meetings

Separation of language by color

No follow-up meetings that were promised

Anonymous surveys were not anonymous at all

No support or inspiration

Disconnected

The Children

How Much Can A Person Actually Take?

Can't Get Away With This

Bully Out The Closet

Setting Us Up To Fail

Follow-up to the bully principal case exposed last week by Channel 7 Eyewitness News Team, a brave teacher and other people that came forward.

 

        On February 9, 2015 the media exposed to the public that an abusive and troubled principal was entrusted to return to work as a leader to a school and in charge of children while the teacher/mandated reporter whom reported the abuse was terminated from his job weeks prior to becoming tenured.

        On February 13, 2015 (five days later) the media exposed to the public that the abusive and troubled principal is now out of the school building. According to the superintendent, (who is a higher administrator to the school), she “is no longer in the building”.  

              

        Technically, the superintendent, nor any other school official, mentioned whether the abusive and troubled principal was terminated from her job, charges were filed against her, or whether she is prohibited from ever working with children. The reality is that this abusive and troubled person can easily be reassigned to work and lead a different school with children.

        Apparently, her removal from the school building (not even referred to as a termination) was implemented solely in the best interest of public relations and not, in the least, a decision made in the best interest of the safety and welfare of children. This is a decision made by higher school administrators.  

        What I want to know, and want everyone else to want to know, (especially parents, politicians, and law makers), is exact what words, sentences, ideas, and concepts came together in the higher administrative meeting(s) which eventually resulted in the school system’s higher administrative agreement and decision to allow such abusive and troubled worker to return and continue to lead a school and continue to work with children?

        What I want to know, and want everyone else to want to know, (especially parents, politicians, and law makers), is what exact words, sentences, ideas, and concepts came together in the higher administrative meeting(s) which eventually resulted in the Child Protective Services’ (CPS) higher administrative agreement and decision to not investigate this clear case of child abuse and endangerment when it was reported to them as alleged by the former school therapist that testified in the news video and whom claims that she quit her job because of the principal’s behavior and neglect of higher administration.

        These essential questions probe at higher and more powerful entities which are instrumental in perpetuating such vicious cycle of abuse in the school system which, for the most part, professionals fear to report and no one in leadership roles seem to care enough to investigate and put an end to it, even for the sake of children.  

        Keep in mind that the school system’s neglect to properly and fairly address reported cases of abuse directly causes professionals to quit their jobs.

        When professionals quits their job because of a leaders’ abusive behavior and higher administrators’ neglect to justly address such abusive behavior - the children are the ones left behind, exposed to further abuse that continues to remain undetected.

        When professionals get fired for reporting a leaders’ abusive behavior and higher administrators’ neglect to justly address such abusive behavior - the children are the ones left behind, exposed to further abuse that continues to remain undetected. 

 

        In addition to lack of funding, public school children, teachers, and education itself are all grossly deteriorating because of a toxic culture of abuse, harassment, and bullying by administrators that are allowed to openly infringe upon others' basic constitutional rights and allowed to engage in immoral and unethical practices, completely immune to any form of accountability.

        This behavior unbecoming of a leader, especially to children, is condoned and even rewarded by higher administrators.

        The abuse of power will not end until we have strong enforceable laws which hold people in leadership roles accountable for engaging and/or enabling immoral and unethical practices.

        The abuse of power will not end until we have strong enforceable laws that honor, respect and protect well intended advocates from being persecuted. 

Think about it –

Would you want employees of a school

to feel free to stand up against abuse

imposed upon your own child and/or love ones?

or

Would you want employees of a school

 to keep quiet about abuse

because they fear being terminated and

blacklisted from ever working in the school system? 

Click Below For Follow-up Video -

http://7online.com/education/exclusive-rockland-principal-out-after-audio-recording-of-her-berating-students/516574/

 

Unity

“Is a piece of history that we all should know, once we get all that stuff that we know about one another, …, once we get this done, we start to heal, cause we need each other to save this planet. There’s a lot of stuff in the way.”  

                                                                    - Louis Gossett Jr., February 16, 2015

Public Schools Lack a Just System of Checks & Balances

Public Schools Lack a Just System of

Checks & Balances 

        In 2006 former Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg and former Chancellor of The New York Department of Education (aka Board of Education) Joel Klein announced the implementation of an “Empowerment” program in our public schools, where principals are empowered to “run their schools the way they see fit”. Upper management completely “washed their hands” from intervening and dealing with the issues that precipitate within the schools. The consensus held that if anything were to go wrong in a particular school, the principal of that school will be held solely responsible. On the other hand, principals are given monetary rewards for “achievements” in their schools, indicated by test scores.

There are two monumental problems with this empowerment program:

        (1) Said allocation of power is, and was, never properly supervised nor tamed from potential abuses. This unfortunately paved the way to a culture where administrators today incessantly engage in blatant harassment, intimidation, and smear campaigns against anyone who raises questions and challenges their unethical and immoral business practices and dare to advocate against the abridgment of the basic constitutional rights of teachers, students, and parents.

        (2) Administrators are not, and have not been, properly held accountable for this conduct unbecoming of a leader to many children and to what is supposed to be safe and nurturing learning environments. Instead, administrators have been openly rewarded and conditioned to continue their reign of abuse.    

        Today, with the new Honorable Mayor Bill de Blasio and the new Honorable Public School Chancellor Carmen Fariña, there is a push to return to the “old-school” way of doing things where upper management (District Superintendants) will be “re-introduced” into the power scene with the hope that they will properly supervise principals and with the hope of better identifying who should be held accountable for what problems. 

        The setback with this current approach is that we have “been there & done that” and moved away from this caliber of power distribution because conditions were deplorable.

        In the mean time, we continue to neglect to incorporate into this distribution of power one of the most essential and fundamental assets to the Department of Education (Board of Education); The Empowerment of Educators.

         Such empowerment of educators need not consist of allowing teachers to “run their schools the way they see fit”. This would be irresponsible.

        Such empowerment of educators can be actualized by hiring, training, and supporting administrators well versed in content areas, planning, conflict resolution, and people skills so that they can provide some level of intellectual stimulation, support, and inspiration to their subordinates.

        Such empowerment of educators can be actualized by hiring, training, and supporting administrators to genuinely place the interest of children and the process of teaching before any personal and/or social political agendas.

        Such empowerment of educators can be actualized by hiring, training, and supporting administrators to reframe from blindly following and enforcing rules that make no sense, are not in the best interest of the children and that are dictated by higher administrators that only know our students, parents, and teachers as mere numbers on a page.

        Such empowerment of educators can be actualized by hiring, training, and supporting administrators to be advocates against the infringement of the basic human rights of the people which they once took an oath to serve in good faith.    

        Such empowerment of educators can be actualized by creating strong laws, policies and procedures that will protect educators from any form of retaliation for engaging in good faith advocacy. 

        Such empowerment of educators can be actualized by having a strong transparent training and disciplinary system that holds all levels of administrators accountable for abuse of power and deceptive malicious practices design to muzzle, harass, and get rid of well intentioned educators that advocate.

        Such empowerment of educators can be actualized by making teachers a crucial part of the decision making process that goes into creating policies and procedures for the public schools.

        Such empowerment of educators can be actualized by Creating and enforcing a strong and transparent democratic system of “Checks & Balances”, similar to our three-branch-government. Instead of having the three current pseudo-branches, (namely, 1- The Governor/State Department of Education, 2- The Chancellor/Department of Education/Board of Education, and 3- The Principals/Administrators/District Superintendents), whom typically deflect accountability by pretending to be oblivious to what the other pseudo-branch is up to,

We should actually – merge pseudo-branches 2 & 3 into one official branch and honorably and officially appoint the remaining branch of this governing body to the very people in the public school system that are the closest to the needs of our children,  Honorable Educators. Thank you.

Student Advocate Gets Terminated, Bullying Leader Keeps Her Job

The Teacher's-Aid Advocate, Who Stands Up to Defend Students, Gets Terminated & The Bully, Physically, and Psychologically Abusive Principal is Allowed to Keep Her Job Around Children.  Click The Link Below To Get A Glimpse Of The Level Of Abuse Overlooked.

http://7online.com/education/exclusive-rockland-principal-recorded-cursing-at-threatening-students/510037/

Stand Up!

Connect The Dots of Leadership

        It is time to connect the dots so that everyone can clearly see how our Governor’s negative attitude toward teachers has actually fostered a culture beneath him where administrators within the Department of Education (aka Board of Education) knowingly and incessantly engage in the abridgment of the basic constitutional rights of teachers, students, and parents.

        It is time to connect the dots so that everyone can clearly see how our Governor’s negative perception of teachers has produced an administrative culture where it is permissible to ceaselessly intimidate, bully, and harass teachers; where they are blasé about disrupting lessons and depriving students from a sound education; where they are not interested in facilitating a safe and nurturing learning environment and community building but a hostile and authoritative institution which closely resembles correctional facilities; where they engage in many other immoral and unethical practices with complete immunity against any form of accountability.

        It is time to connect the dots so that everyone can clearly see that these antiquated  “Get-Tough/Scared Straight” tactics, as indicated by many controlled scientific studies, are destructive to the learning environment, toxic to the developing mind, facilitates anger and alienation in children, and teaches children to resent authority.

         Is this what we want for our children around a time that more prisons are actually being built in comparison to schools? Is this what we want for our children around a time that the amount of juvenile court cases has reached the millions? Is this what we want for our children around a time that we are openly experiencing hardship between communities and law enforcement?

   

       You cannot teach children better social skills by being aggressive toward them, their teachers, and their parents. So Governor Cuomo, I implore you to connect your dots of leadership because the adversity Public Schools are currently experiencing is exactly what you will clearly see. Much love to you all, always.

Sincerely,

Luis Angel Perez

Middle School Science & Mathematics,

First Grade, Fourth Grade Educator & Advocate

http://writing4light.blogspot.com/

writing4light@yahoo.com