The educational system consists of a myriad of people and organizations: some are well-meaning and others are, well, just mean. These are the characters in my story. Organizations, as well as individuals, evolve, and the opinions expressed are snapshots in time.
The Principal, Mr. David Jimenez :-(
I may be biased, but the man did cut and paste my note, forced me to undergo a psych exam, and had me removed from MCSM. I do not recommend buying a used car (or bridge) from him. In the Learning Environment Survey Report, 80% of the teachers disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement "I trust the principal at his word." On the plus side, he has united the teachers; unfortunately, they are united against him.
The Teachers, Guidance Counselors, and Social Workers :-)
I could not ask for better colleagues. Their support has been a source of strength for me: they have protested numerous times, worn black armbands during school, and have helped me financially. I am the envy of the rubber room! Despite the hostile work environment, the teachers remain dedicated to the students of MCSM.
The Students :-)
Approximately 500 students demonstrated on my behalf despite threats of suspension and arrest, and the Class of 2008 cheered for me at graduation. I have a framed poster from the demonstration on my wall, and I will forever remember the Class of 2008. Many graduating seniors supported me, but I want to especially thank Sylvia (the resident activist!), Myan, and Suhaila. I do not want to put students who are still at MCSM at risk, but they are the reason I am fighting to return.
The Assistant Principals (?)
The Assistant Principals (APs) are under a lot of stress and they have remained silent. Most of the APs are good people trapped in a bad situation. As with doctors, the first rule for educators should be "To do no harm." The APs must find the courage to speak.
The Support Staff at MCSM :-)
These are the secretaries, the office workers, the paraprofessionals, the Children's Aid Society, the cafeteria workers, and all the other people who help the school run smoothly and safely. They are the heart and soul of the school, and they instill the family atmosphere at MCSM. I greatly appreciate their support and I regret not being more prompt in submitting my second period attendance!
The PTA (oops, PA) Executive Board :-(
The PTA (oops, PA) Executive Board consistently supports the decisions and policies of Mr. Jimenez. As Mr. Steve Koss, the President, once wrote, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds." At the last PTA meeting, the Principal and the Board convinced the parents in attendance that it was in their best interests to change the PTA to a PA (teachers are not full members) in order to protect the rights of parents. Teachers were denied the opportunity to speak. A parents association must allow parents to hear all viewpoints.
The Parents (?)
The parents have great power, yet they are powerless when the truth is hidden from them. Students must exhort their parents to attend PA meetings, and teachers must attend and demand to be heard at these meetings.
The United Federation of Teachers (?)
The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) understands the problems; the testimony of Randi Weingarten, the UFT President, before City Council was insightful. The UFT has the power; its membership includes 74,000 teachers and 17,000 paraprofessionals, guidance counselors, and social workers. The UFT only lacks the will to act decisively. My dream is to form a not-for-profit organization which will act.
The New York City Department of Education :-(
The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) is determined to show student gains, whether real or imagined. Every administrator, from the principal of the smallest school to the Mayor, is committed to improving student scores by any means possible. The future of our children is being mortgaged to build the legacies of our leaders. Students are bestowed good grades, but they will pay with lifetimes of frustration and underachievement.
The New York State Education Department :-(
When I began teaching in New York 20 years ago, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) was synonymous with "high standards." The pressures of the No Child Left Behind Act have drastically lowered the standards of NYSED. The No Child Left Behind Act requires that all students graduating by 2014 achieve the proficient level on state exams. NYSED is meeting this challenge by giving the exam first, and then determining the scoring scale. (On the June 2008 Integrated Algebra Regents Exam, 34% correct was considered "proficient.") This is NYSED's dirty little secret.
Math for America (?)
I was chosen to be a Math for America (MfA) master teacher after a rigorous selection process; MfA suspended me, as was their policy, when I was removed from the classroom. MfA selects the best scholars and teachers, but needs a policy for when these individuals are removed from the classroom. MfA is afraid of stepping on NYCDOE's toes when it should be kicking NYCDOE in the butt. An organization which contributes millions of dollars to improve math education in NYC should be getting a better return on its money.
My Rubber Room Colleagues :-)
When I was in the Peace Corps, I was separated from my family and friends for three years. There were no phones, mail was slow, and nobody in the States could offer comfort. The volunteers in Cameroon became my extended family. They shared my culture shock, eased my loneliness, and understood my problems. (A conversation with another volunteer always included the topic of involuntary rapid biological waste removal!) My rubber room colleagues are my extended family from MCSM.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Thoughts from the Rubber Room
Thought 1
During lunch I sit on a rock in Highbridge Park overlooking the Harlem River. I sit alone surrounded by nature. Everybody needs a rock.
Thought 2
History will remember this decade as a dark period for education in New York City. Education is politicized; standards are lower; and teachers who question policies are banished to rubber rooms.
Thought 3
In Civil Disobedience, Thoreau wrote "Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison." I wish he was the one in the rubber room because I want out!
Thought 4 (a depressing one!)
In the Peace Corps I believed physical ailments shortened my life. In the rubber room I believe the mental stress is. One experience was by choice; the other by oppression.
Thought 5 (an even more depressing one!)
I know I will never return home. Teachers better than I am, smarter than I am, never escaped from the rubber room. I fight because those before me fought. And by fighting, maybe those who follow will return home.
During lunch I sit on a rock in Highbridge Park overlooking the Harlem River. I sit alone surrounded by nature. Everybody needs a rock.
Thought 2
History will remember this decade as a dark period for education in New York City. Education is politicized; standards are lower; and teachers who question policies are banished to rubber rooms.
Thought 3
In Civil Disobedience, Thoreau wrote "Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison." I wish he was the one in the rubber room because I want out!
Thought 4 (a depressing one!)
In the Peace Corps I believed physical ailments shortened my life. In the rubber room I believe the mental stress is. One experience was by choice; the other by oppression.
Thought 5 (an even more depressing one!)
I know I will never return home. Teachers better than I am, smarter than I am, never escaped from the rubber room. I fight because those before me fought. And by fighting, maybe those who follow will return home.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Portrait of a Rubber Room Teacher: Introduction
Michael Thomas joined the Peace Corps in 1982 as a teacher and taught in Cameroon, West Africa for three years. Peace Corps volunteers normally serve for two years, but Mr. Thomas wanted to take his students through the national exams. His students had the highest scores in the province at the ordinary and the advanced levels.
When he returned to the U.S., he was accepted in the Peace Corps Fellows Program at Teachers College. The program provided incentives for exceptional math and science teachers to teach in New York City for two years.
After completing the program, Mr. Thomas remained in New York City and taught at the Manhattan Center for Science and Math (MCSM) for 19 years. He developed the curricula for all math courses, including advanced placement calculus and statistics. He was a resource for teachers in the math department, and he selflessly shared his handouts and lesson plans with colleagues. He had an excellent rapport with his students, and his classes consistently received the highest scores in the school on Regents examinations. He was selected as a Math for America master teacher. He was rarely absent or late, and he always received satisfactory ratings.
On April 14, Mr. Thomas was removed from MCSM and assigned to a teacher reassignment center, the “rubber room”.
Why would a principal remove him and how could the principal do it?
When he returned to the U.S., he was accepted in the Peace Corps Fellows Program at Teachers College. The program provided incentives for exceptional math and science teachers to teach in New York City for two years.
After completing the program, Mr. Thomas remained in New York City and taught at the Manhattan Center for Science and Math (MCSM) for 19 years. He developed the curricula for all math courses, including advanced placement calculus and statistics. He was a resource for teachers in the math department, and he selflessly shared his handouts and lesson plans with colleagues. He had an excellent rapport with his students, and his classes consistently received the highest scores in the school on Regents examinations. He was selected as a Math for America master teacher. He was rarely absent or late, and he always received satisfactory ratings.
On April 14, Mr. Thomas was removed from MCSM and assigned to a teacher reassignment center, the “rubber room”.
Why would a principal remove him and how could the principal do it?
Portrait of a Rubber Room Teacher: The Issues
In September, Mr. David Jimenez, the new principal of MCSM, believed that Mr. Thomas threatened to have the school audited by the State. Mr. Thomas had tried for years to change policies which prevented MCSM from spending all Title I funds; MCSM had lost $417,000 in federal funds during this time. Mr. Thomas met with executives from the Department of Education in August, and they suggested visiting MCSM. Mr. Thomas replied that a new principal was just appointed to MCSM and a visit would be unfair at this time. Mr. Thomas warned Mr. Jimenez that it was possible that the school would be audited and that it was important to use all Title I funds correctly. Mr. Jimenez interpreted the warning as a threat. MCSM was audited in December and lost a substantial amount of Title I funds.
In October, a math teacher two months away from becoming tenured was given an unsatisfactory by the assistant principal. Mr. Thomas was told that the unsatisfactory was ordered by Mr. Jimenez before the class was even taught. Mr. Thomas wrote a letter protesting the rating and had it signed by the tenured teachers in the department.
In December, the principal determined that 35 students who were failing a two-term Integrated Algebra class should be switched to a four-term class. Mr. Thomas had worked with many of these students and did not believe they were adequately screened. He attempted to ascertain the math levels of these students, and was investigated by Mr. Jimenez for “disseminating confidential student data.” Mr. Thomas also expressed his concerns in a letter to the PTA President, Mr. Steve Koss. Mr. Koss was a huge supporter of Mr. Jimenez, and he dismissed Mr. Thomas’ concerns as unwarranted and improper. 15 of the 35 students were programmed incorrectly.
The Assistant Principal of Mathematics ordered specific January 2008 Math A Regents examinations rescored using a different rubric in order to increase the number of students passing “with distinction.” Mr. Thomas attempted to obtain clarification on the scoring guidelines from the State, and he finally informed Mr. Jimenez on March 3 of the scoring irregularities on the Regents examinations.
Mr. Jimenez did not address the scoring anomalies. Instead he had Mr. Thomas investigated on March 14, March 18, and March 25.
In October, a math teacher two months away from becoming tenured was given an unsatisfactory by the assistant principal. Mr. Thomas was told that the unsatisfactory was ordered by Mr. Jimenez before the class was even taught. Mr. Thomas wrote a letter protesting the rating and had it signed by the tenured teachers in the department.
In December, the principal determined that 35 students who were failing a two-term Integrated Algebra class should be switched to a four-term class. Mr. Thomas had worked with many of these students and did not believe they were adequately screened. He attempted to ascertain the math levels of these students, and was investigated by Mr. Jimenez for “disseminating confidential student data.” Mr. Thomas also expressed his concerns in a letter to the PTA President, Mr. Steve Koss. Mr. Koss was a huge supporter of Mr. Jimenez, and he dismissed Mr. Thomas’ concerns as unwarranted and improper. 15 of the 35 students were programmed incorrectly.
The Assistant Principal of Mathematics ordered specific January 2008 Math A Regents examinations rescored using a different rubric in order to increase the number of students passing “with distinction.” Mr. Thomas attempted to obtain clarification on the scoring guidelines from the State, and he finally informed Mr. Jimenez on March 3 of the scoring irregularities on the Regents examinations.
Mr. Jimenez did not address the scoring anomalies. Instead he had Mr. Thomas investigated on March 14, March 18, and March 25.
Portrait of a Rubber Room Teacher: The Charges
In each investigation Mr. Thomas was charged with corporal punishment. When he went over homework problems at the beginning of class, he did not let late students into the classroom until he finished the problem on the board (it took at most one minute). Detaining these students in the hallway was deemed corporal punishment. However, the administration does not let students go to class who are more than 10 minutes late to school; these students lose up to 30 minutes of class time.
Mr. Thomas was charged with professional misconduct. Several times this year he threw chalk against the wall to get the students’ attention when they had given up and were disengaged.
In two investigations Mr. Thomas was charged with verbal abuse. In October or November he used an inappropriate term with a student in a private conversation and apologized immediately. Her friend also accused Mr. Thomas of calling her a “fool” and saying “You won’t be here next year.” There were no supporting statements, but the charge was substantiated anyway.
On March 20, Mr. Jimenez requested a psychological examination for Mr. Thomas. Neither Mr. Jimenez nor the Assistant Principal of Mathematics had observed Mr. Thomas teach during the school year. A teacher found mentally unfit must take a leave of absence without pay or resign.
Mr. Jimenez became creative when enumerating reasons for a medical examination.
Mr. Thomas had written a long note to a colleague on the School Leadership Team which included the facetious statement “My position on Title I has been misunderstood, and I have been accused of trying to destroy the school and civilization.” Mr. Jimenez frequently looks at items on teachers’ desks, and he asked the teacher for the note when he saw it. He cut and pasted the note so it now read “Since you are on the SLT, I have included my latest Title I activity which attempts to destroy the school and civilization.” The principal charged that Mr. Thomas had threatened to destroy the school and civilization.
The student’s allegation that Mr. Thomas told her “You will not be here next year” was construed as a death threat.
When Mr. Thomas denied having the school audited, he stated that the State Education Department would never honor a request from him since the State hates him for his Title I activities. The statement “The State hates me” was used to show paranoia.
Mr. Jimenez claimed that Mr. Thomas whistled constantly in his presence, emulating a funeral procession tune.
Mr. Jimenez reported that the Assistant Principal of Mathematics (who himself had become enraged and angrily demanded the rescoring of the Regents exams) witnessed rage from Mr. Thomas that escalated to verbal attacks on others who disagreed with his scoring decisions. Mr. Jimenez included this statement even though a teacher who had disagreed with Mr. Thomas told the principal that all discussions were on a professional level.
Mr. Jimenez also wrote “Teacher admits to calling students and himself a fool and an idiot after students reported that the teacher engaged in erratic and abusive behavior. This included speaking to himself, yelling and calling students fools and idiots for committing minor errors with their class work.” This statement was not substantiated by Mr. Thomas or his students.
Mr. Thomas was removed from MCSM and ordered to undergo a psychological examination on May 1.
Mr. Thomas was charged with professional misconduct. Several times this year he threw chalk against the wall to get the students’ attention when they had given up and were disengaged.
In two investigations Mr. Thomas was charged with verbal abuse. In October or November he used an inappropriate term with a student in a private conversation and apologized immediately. Her friend also accused Mr. Thomas of calling her a “fool” and saying “You won’t be here next year.” There were no supporting statements, but the charge was substantiated anyway.
On March 20, Mr. Jimenez requested a psychological examination for Mr. Thomas. Neither Mr. Jimenez nor the Assistant Principal of Mathematics had observed Mr. Thomas teach during the school year. A teacher found mentally unfit must take a leave of absence without pay or resign.
Mr. Jimenez became creative when enumerating reasons for a medical examination.
Mr. Thomas had written a long note to a colleague on the School Leadership Team which included the facetious statement “My position on Title I has been misunderstood, and I have been accused of trying to destroy the school and civilization.” Mr. Jimenez frequently looks at items on teachers’ desks, and he asked the teacher for the note when he saw it. He cut and pasted the note so it now read “Since you are on the SLT, I have included my latest Title I activity which attempts to destroy the school and civilization.” The principal charged that Mr. Thomas had threatened to destroy the school and civilization.
The student’s allegation that Mr. Thomas told her “You will not be here next year” was construed as a death threat.
When Mr. Thomas denied having the school audited, he stated that the State Education Department would never honor a request from him since the State hates him for his Title I activities. The statement “The State hates me” was used to show paranoia.
Mr. Jimenez claimed that Mr. Thomas whistled constantly in his presence, emulating a funeral procession tune.
Mr. Jimenez reported that the Assistant Principal of Mathematics (who himself had become enraged and angrily demanded the rescoring of the Regents exams) witnessed rage from Mr. Thomas that escalated to verbal attacks on others who disagreed with his scoring decisions. Mr. Jimenez included this statement even though a teacher who had disagreed with Mr. Thomas told the principal that all discussions were on a professional level.
Mr. Jimenez also wrote “Teacher admits to calling students and himself a fool and an idiot after students reported that the teacher engaged in erratic and abusive behavior. This included speaking to himself, yelling and calling students fools and idiots for committing minor errors with their class work.” This statement was not substantiated by Mr. Thomas or his students.
Mr. Thomas was removed from MCSM and ordered to undergo a psychological examination on May 1.
Portrait of a Rubber Room Teacher: The Response
Approximately 500 students protested the removal of Mr. Thomas and walked out of classes despite threats of arrest and suspension. Hundreds of students signed petitions requesting the reinstatement of Mr. Thomas, and students demanded two meetings with the High School Superintendent, Ms. Francesca Pena. (Photo by Tom Starkweather)Mr. Jimenez must have been surprised by the student outrage; he responded by not telling the truth.
On the day of Mr. Thomas’ removal, his first period class was told that he was absent for “personal reasons” and another class was told that he had gone for “cancer screening.” Mr. Jimenez told the protesting students that he supported them even though he had threatened them with arrest and suspension the previous day. He told students and teachers that he was doing everything possible to get Mr. Thomas back. He had previously told the teachers in a faculty meeting that Mr. Thomas habitually called students “fools” and “idiots”, had threatened a student’s life, and “should have his head examined.”
The tenured teachers protested Mr. Thomas’ removal by demonstrating on four occasions and by wearing black armbands. The untenured teachers remained silent out of fear for their jobs.
Mr. Jimenez needed the support of the parents. With the approval of the principal, the PTA President sent to the 1600 parents of MCSM a letter which misrepresented the facts and defamed Mr. Thomas (letter posted in June).
The letter stated that only a few teachers and students supported Mr. Thomas, and the students were encouraged by teachers to protest and circulate petitions. Senior teachers were accused of intimidating the less senior teachers into supporting the protests or remaining silent.
The letter asserts Mr. Thomas’ right to privacy, yet states that the disciplinary action against him “was warranted by past actions of Mr. Thomas that have been detrimental to the school and many of its students.” For no reason, the letter states that it is “demonstrably incorrect” that the “matter resulted from the ‘improper touching’ of a male student by Mr. Thomas.” The letter was verbose and only distributed in English. Parents could have easily inferred that Mr. Thomas was accused of sexual misconduct or worse.
The next PTA meeting addressed Mr. Thomas’ removal. The High School Superintendent and Principal were present, and they were questioned relentlessly by teachers, students, and parents. Teachers wanted to know where the PTA President got his information. Students wanted to know why Mr. Thomas was removed. A parent wanted to know why the principal snatched her daughter’s statement regarding Mr. Thomas and angrily said “We can’t use this!” There were no good answers.
Mr. Thomas was found mentally fit and is now in the teacher reassignment center waiting for formal charges and a hearing. The “process” takes an average of 19 months.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Letter to Parents from the PTA Executive Board
This letter was mailed to the 1600 parents of MCSM on April 28 after the students protested my removal. It is factually incorrect and defamatory, but it is supposedly not libelous since it represents beliefs. For example, "I believe that Mr. Koss cleans his house while wearing a tutu and dancing naked on his tiptoes" is not libelous, even though it is demonstrably incorrect. (He can't be naked if he is wearing a tutu!)
"Dear MCSM Parent or Guardian,
"A recent, two-minute report on NY1 News highlighted a student protest in front of the Manhattan Center building on Friday morning, April 18. The reporter, Mike Meehan, described the action as a protest against the removal of a 'beloved teacher' and implied that our school's Principal had acted improperly or unfairly. Perhaps you heard about this from your own child. In any event, we as the PTA Executive Board at MCSM want to inform you of the facts of this matter as we understand them and state our position as your elected parent representatives.
"On Thursday (April 17), a small group of about 15 MCSM teachers reportedly marched in support of their colleague, math teacher Michael Thomas, who had been removed from his classroom earlier in the week pending disciplinary hearings by the NYC Department of Education/Department of Investigations. To our knowledge, no media were present or alerted to be present that day. The Friday morning demonstration had been preceded two or three days earlier by circulation of a petition demanding Mr. Thomas' return to the school. Finally, on Friday morning (April 18), about 250 students left their second period classrooms to march in support of Mr. Thomas. We do not know how many teachers, if any, joined the students, but we do know that at least one teacher was interviewed by NY1 and at least one other appeared in their televised report wearing a black armband.
"It is critically important for you as an MCSM parent to understand several things:
"Dear MCSM Parent or Guardian,
"A recent, two-minute report on NY1 News highlighted a student protest in front of the Manhattan Center building on Friday morning, April 18. The reporter, Mike Meehan, described the action as a protest against the removal of a 'beloved teacher' and implied that our school's Principal had acted improperly or unfairly. Perhaps you heard about this from your own child. In any event, we as the PTA Executive Board at MCSM want to inform you of the facts of this matter as we understand them and state our position as your elected parent representatives.
"On Thursday (April 17), a small group of about 15 MCSM teachers reportedly marched in support of their colleague, math teacher Michael Thomas, who had been removed from his classroom earlier in the week pending disciplinary hearings by the NYC Department of Education/Department of Investigations. To our knowledge, no media were present or alerted to be present that day. The Friday morning demonstration had been preceded two or three days earlier by circulation of a petition demanding Mr. Thomas' return to the school. Finally, on Friday morning (April 18), about 250 students left their second period classrooms to march in support of Mr. Thomas. We do not know how many teachers, if any, joined the students, but we do know that at least one teacher was interviewed by NY1 and at least one other appeared in their televised report wearing a black armband.
"It is critically important for you as an MCSM parent to understand several things:
- The action against Mr. Thomas was not arbitrary or taken lightly. Rather, it came about after allegations against Mr. Thomas were reported to the Chancellor's Office of Special Investigations by Principal David Jimenez with the full knowledge and guidance of High School Superintendent Francesca Pena.
- The students who protested knew little or nothing about the reasons for these actions taken against Mr. Thomas. One student interviewed by NY1 offered as her reason a statement that was blatantly incorrect; other rumors circulated among our own children that the matter resulted from 'improper touching' of a male student by Mr. Thomas, also demonstrably incorrect.
- We believe that relatively few MCSM teachers support Mr. Thomas in this matter. Rather, we believe that the vocal group of senior teachers who support this protest actively intimidate many of the less senior or new teachers into either supporting them or at least remaining silent.
- We have strong reason to believe that at least some of these same MCSM teachers actively encouraged their students - our children - to create a petition, obtain signatures, and march in protest. These teachers have solicited our children to speak publicly on a matter they do not understand, while at the same time hiding behind our children, unwilling themselves to speak publicly. In other words, we believe our children have been used to further the internal political interests of a small group of teachers.
- Investigations of allegations involving a teacher are governed by strict procedural rules per the contractual agreement of the United Federation of Teachers and the NYCDOE. It is therefore entirely inappropriate for these matters to be discussed with our children by the school's administration or other teachers. Our children may want answers and are not wrong for asking questions. What needs to be explained to them is that the manner in which this is being handled is as much to protect Mr. Thomas' rights to privacy and a fair investigation as it is to allow the business of a school to continue - for teachers to teach their classes and for students to give attention to them.
- Last and most important, please know that Principal David Jimenez has the COMPLETE, TOTAL, and UNANIMOUS support of the PTA Executive Board in this action against Mr. Thomas. We fully believe this disciplinary action was warranted by past actions of Mr. Thomas that have been detrimental to the school and many of its students. We are of course not privy to the full details, nor would it be appropriate for us to publicize them. Rest assured, however, we know enough about this matter that we place our full confience in Principal Jimenez. We are absolutely convinced he has taken this action with the best interests of our children and our school in mind.
"Last week, the PTA Executive Board sent a lengthy letter to the News Director at NY1 decrying their regrettably one-sided and superficial reporting. In addition, the PTA Board has appealed by letter to Teachers' Union President Randi Weingarten to intervene and speak with our school's teachers about this matter. We recognize the teachers' rights to disagree with the disciplinary action taken against Mr. Thomas, but this is a matter for discussion among the local chapter members, Principal Jimenez, and DOE central office personnel. We object in the strongest terms to teachers using our children unwittingly to fight their battles or making them pawns in this disagreement. Such behavior is unprofessional and unethical.
"In closing, we wish to state once again that Principal Jimenez has the total support of the PTA Executive Board in this and other matters. We believe Mr. Jimenez is working diligently and intelligently for the betterment of our school and with it, the betterment of our children's educational, physical, and social welfare.
Sincerely,
MCSM PTA Executive Board
Steve Koss, President
Deidre Rose, Co-Vice President
Don Redish, Co-Vice President
Tara Joshua, Secretary
Nevis Almeida, Treasurer "
Gosh, and people think I'm verbose! This letter, and a lot of help from my friends, gave birth to the blog. Please re-read "Portrait of a Rubber Room Teacher: Introduction" so you don't despise me.
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