Did I Have a Dream or Did The Dream Have Me?

"Did I have a dream, or did the dream have me?" Peart, Neil, from the song Nocturne off of Vapor Trails 2002.

There I was the other night about 3 AM, lying in my bed, my cat sleeping ever so peacefully at my

feet, my wife with the cold cream covering her face and the curlers covering her hair, sawing wood ever so unquitely. Me? I'm lying wide awake, in a cold sweat, and not knowing if I had a dream, the dream had me, or was whisked away to some other dimension and made part of a vision. All I know is the setting was my school.

Was it all just fantasy? Reality? A warning? Or some combination thereof? All I am sure of is it took place in my school and I was seeing what was happening there.

I saw a person that never lies (so this person says) kinda of like that Romulan chick that Spock once tried to get it on with once.

This Romulan came to us from an elite Ivy League university in Manhattan. A university in what was called Afternoonside Heights. And in this university is an elite school where people from all over the world come to learn how to be a teacher and fail to become leaders, Educators College. At Educators College these, let's call them elitists, oh wait better!! Cultists, of EC, of which the Romulan is part of, but also is an instructor there involved in some type of unseemly conflict of interest.

In the dream it appeared that whilst the Romulan was employed part time by Educators College, the Romulan also brought into the school the cultist, failing reading and writing program of EC. Yes, the one that spew forth all those inane drones who are willing to pay $995 a credit to keep the boys and girls of color ignorant so that they will learn that only the white Aryan types know what is best for them.

But this conflict of interest I see

But wait, don't go away, there is more. 

There it is, the summer of 2012. The In Reality It's a Closed Market system is up on the on the DOE website. But strange, even though there are vacancies I see in the dream at was is my school, there are no vacancies listed on the In Reality It's a Closed Market system.

In the dream someone shares with me a classified ad from the Educators College propaganda newsletter. In this news letter it is asking for a teacher that will be happy, joyful, and gosh diddly darn tootin the most sycophantical person ever. The position is for a general ed, or rather COMMON BRANCH position.

So ever more strange is that the position was filled not with one of the many hundreds of ATR's who were scouring In Reality It's a Closed Market system desperately trying to find a school but with someone, albeit someone very good yet unsupported.

That is all I truly remember from this vision, dream, or whatever it was. Just still remember a bunch of other lies, falsehoods and bullshit, but no details.

Soon, soon more details will emerge. Then all will be clearer.

Mr Portelos Picks the Ottawa Senators and Enjoys Lessons From Richard Nixon

 We here at SBSB know this might come off as snarky and a tad sarcastic,  for that is the style here. As should be known, The Crack Team has the utmost of respect, admiration, and love for Francesco Portelos.

One can learn so much from Francesco Portelos. For instance, if one were to ask Mr Portelos which team were to win this years Stanley Cup he would say with a great degree of self confidence that it

will be the Ottawa Senators. Or, where one can fine a good pastrami sandwich he would declare that it would be Katz's Deli on Houston St.

So when it comes to the New York State law on he legality of recording someone, he is the man to turn to. He basically has not only written the primer on such recordings, but has shared his techniques, secrets, and his annoying of others.


So, Mr Portelos, we here at SBSB put it to you. Please, can you share some of your vast knowledge with the readers of SBSB?

Can one in New York State record someone without their knowledge? 

Yes, we know the answer to that. As long as one person being recorded gives permission the answer is an resounding, yes.

Can one share, say on a blog, or other social media, said recordings?

The Crack Team says yes. Unless, that is David Letterman calls you at work and has previously asked you for permission. Or when a radio disc jockey asks permission when he calls your house. But then again, The Crack a team will defer to Mr Portelos.

Mr Portelos, we here at SBSB assume that you are too young to recall Nixon's Watergate Tapes, but do agree that Nixon was on to something? 

Mr Portelos, would it be safe to assume that there is something more damning out there than the Nixon Tapes?  

Mr Portelos, do you think those that are taped, like Ehrlichman and Haldeman liked the sound of their own voices?

 We here at SBSB await with bated breath not only the response from Mr Portelos, but guidance and direction as well.

Principal Ron Smolkin Gets Advice From Steve Martin

Another, yet a same, principal is in the news today for attempting to destroy a teacher's life and career. The New York Post reported today that Principal Ron Smolkin of Independence High School put fraudulent material in a teacher's file supposedly written by a parent. Recall, this is the same principal that wrote a teacher's co-op board in which a claim of pedophilia was lodged against the

teacher and his partner.

Too often, in fact, all the time in my opinion, a principal will and can get away with whatever he or she wants to short of murder, and even then, only if they find a weapon with prints.

But it got me to thinking about that old Steve Martin bit from the 70's. You know, the one in which he says that two simple words can get you out of any jam you're in.

You.. can be a millionaire.. and never pay taxes! You can be a millionaire.. and never pay taxes! You say.. "Steve.. how can I be a millionaire.. and never pay taxes?" First.. get a million dollars. Now.. you say, "Steve.. what do I say to the tax man when he comes to my door and says, 'You.. have never paid taxes'?" Two simple words. Two simple words in the English language: "I forgot!"

Well in NYC, three simple words in the English language can get you out of anything, any jam. "I'm the  principal."

Let's see if this theory can work for principals.

Lie? "I'm the principal."

Hide a vacancy on the Open Market system and give the vacancy to a first year teacher with zero experience and get caught? "I'm the principal."

Allow an AP of yours to do scheduling from home without using a time card and not reviewing actual hours worked and give that AP weeks of comp time? "I'm the principal."

Contribute to the death of an AP? "I'm the principal."

Cover up corporal punishment reported by a teacher in regard to one of the principals favorites?"I'm the principal."

Send a nascent, ignorant AP to write a teacher up for uttering the word shit in school when the school year has yet to start and  no kids are in school? "I'm the principal."

Offer no curriculum to the students? "I'm the principal."

Yell and scream and berate a teacher? "I'm the principal."

Write up a teacher for passing gas in violation of the prescribed NYC DOE method? "I'm the principal."

 Use a failed method of teaching reading and writing from a vendor in which also employs you? "I'm the principal."

Send a teacher to the rubber room because they were carrying a Coca Cola in their hand? "I'm the principal."

Charge a teacher with professional misconduct because they had a cup of coffee in their hand? "I'm the principal."

Tell a teacher that proudly announced she was pregnant to use condoms? "I'm the principal."

 Fail to give a teacher proper training in a program and then blame that teacher for not properly implementing said program? "I'm the principal."

Tell female teachers of your school that you wish to stick your ding dong into the copier and holes in the wall? "I'm the principal."

 Favor your sycophants with loads of per session while those with independent minds fail to get any per session? "I'm the principal."

 Tell OSI that you want to "get that teacher?" "I'm the principal."

Never worked in education before and went to leadership academy to become principal? "I'm the principal."

Blame others for your incompetence?  "I'm the principal."

Don't support your teachers in discipline issues? "I'm the principal."

Don't walk the walk? "I'm the principal."

Just clueless? "I'm the principal."

Belief in the fact you might be some deity brought forth by mystical powers? "I'm the principal."

Seriously, any of the above, will it be tolerated in Harrison? In Scarsdale? In Dobbs Ferry? In  Poughkeepsie? No. But in NYC, this prevails.

Again, this shit can't be made up.

Anthony Lives at PS 154 in the Bronx

Remember that Twilight Zone episode, "It's a Good Life"? Yeah, that one, the one with Billy Mumy as Anthony in which he wished people into the cornfield who annoyed him and the adults were all scared shitless of him?

And if today is any indication, Anthony is alive and well at PS 154 in the Bronx. But, not all adults are afraid of Anthony at PS 154. The teachers, the aides, the paras, the custodial staff, the cafeteria XXXXXXXXXXXX has a fear of Anthony. Only XXXXXXXXXXXX doesn't want Anthony to get angry.
workers, school safety, have no fear of Anthony. Only,

Today was a typical day for Anthony at PS 154. Anthony as usual was roaming the halls, banging classroom doors, bullying other students. When XXXXXXXXXXXX  was apprised of this situation, all that was muttered was, "We want to keep Anthony happy, we mustn't make him mad."

Oh, but that is not all Anthony did to make someone happy today. Anthony told a teacher, a young lady with virginal ears to "suck my dick!" Later when XXXXXXXXXXXXXX found out about it, all that was heard was, "Oh that is just wonderful how Anthony knows wonderful euphemisms." 

Anthony gets in the face of the aforementioned teacher goes around and proclaims that the teacher "sucks the dicks" of most males of the population. The Crack Team has thorough spoke to several deep sources at 154 and learned that XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX was quite happy with Anthony for that remark and reportedly said, "That's so nice that Anthony is able to use such colorful language." 

Oh but there is more. When done with the rants of sucking body parts Anthony tell this teacher that "I am going to mess with your car," and when he does not hear that this is a good thing and is actually confronted by the teacher then claims, "I will get someone to do it." As of press time The Crack Team at SBSB has not heard from its sources but is willing to go out on a limb and predict that XXXXXXXXXXXXXX when told of this said, "That is very good Anthony."

 Sadly this is the case at PS 154 where it has been made crystal clear to Anthony by XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX that he can get away with anything whenever he wants to. 

This behavior by Anthony is a daily, all day occurrence at PS 154 and zero is done other than for XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX to keep on encouraging such behavior. 

Do not the children of Anthony's class have a right to an unfettered, uninterrupted education devoid of Anthony's hijinks enabled and encouraged by XXXXXXXXXX? Of course! But XXXXXXXXXXX is too busy caring about the liberal racist social engineering XXXXXXXXX is trying to install at PS 154. 

I swear, you can't make this shit up!
 

A Hockey Game Breaks Out at PS 154 in the Bronx

We here at SBSB are admitted Trekkies. We have also had a chill go down our collective spines when either Captain Kirk or Captain Picard always take the ultimate responsibility for the actions and decisions of not only their crews, but the second in commands as well.

And that is how it should always be. Just like the Skipper and Gilligan, Ricochet Rabbit and Droop-Along, Sheriff Taylor and Deputy Fife, Gomer and Goober, the Captain and Tennille, Steve Douglas and Uncle Charlie, Colonel Blake and Major Burns, Han Solo and Chewbacca, etc... Get the point?

So should the same theory not be in place in our schools?

Yesterday, was like any other day at PS 154. Out of control as usual. A student that has the run of the school, who we have mentioned under one pseudonym or another on these pages, but for today we will address as Yankel Teitelbaum, has been given carte blanche to leave his classroom whenever he wishes to, provided he spends that time not with a pedagogue, but rather a non DOE payroll, service provider, vendor type.

So coming back from lunch and the outside yard young Yankel declared that he needs a break from the hum drum rigors of learning. Off he went to the non DOE payroll service provider, vendor type, but one should only wonder if that is where he truly goes.

Seemingly, he never went there. Instead he loitered around the hallways bullying and being a general nuisance until he wondered to Freida Weintraub's class. For those who forget, Freida was mentioned here the other day.

Yankel was standing in the doorway giving the business to another students when somehow, someway, he and Freida caught each others eyes. Soon, Yankel was cracking on Freida's kinfolk and the like when suddenly, like one of the Hanson Brothers jumping over the boards from the team bench at a Charlestown Chiefs game going after Olgethorpe, Freida went to town on Yankel and it took two "linesmen" to hold her down, and this after punching out the window of the classroom door.

Sadly, the ostriches all have their heads buried at 154. Why is a non-pedagogue charged with the safety and well being a student? Why is this student allowed at will to dictate when he shall be in class? This is not an isolated incident. This has been going on for years. Would such behavior be tolerated in Green Acres Elementary School in Scarsdale? Of course not! And please, do not give me the "oh these kids have it tough, you have no idea what they go through." Bullocks! Beliefs like that are patronizing to the community and racist. These students have the right to have the same education and the same expectations of students in Westchester or Long Island.

Again, we call on an independent third party inquiry by the Swiss School Administration Investigative Service of Zurich to lead an investigation. We also call for the Institut für schweren psychiatrischen Erkrankungen, or in English, Institute of Severe Psychiatric Disorders to check for insanity. For a true sign of insanity is if you keep on fucking up the same way time after time and each time expecting a different result, well then you must be insane.

We also look towards the heavens to Tatooine and call upon Obi-Wan Kenobi. He is our only hope.

Christine Rubino Pw3ns the NYC DOE

During the first inning of my son's baseball game tonight I get a tweet from embattled Brooklyn teacher Christine Rubino. Curious, I read it an notice a link. The link directs me to New York State Courts page and what is there you ask? Christine Rubino kicked the DOE's ass! The Appellate Division found that she was unjustly terminated.

My favorite quote of the decision goes a little something like this;

Supreme Court properly found the penalty of termination to be shocking to one's sense of fairness

 Way to go Christine! Keep up the good fight!!!


Michael A. Cardozo, Corporation Counsel, New York (Deborah A. Brenner of counsel), for appellants.
Glass Krakower LLP, New York (Bryan D. Glass of counsel),
for respondent.
Order, Supreme Court, New York County (Barbara Jaffe, J.), entered February 2, 2012, which granted the petition to set aside respondents' determination to terminate petitioner's employment
with respondent Department of Education upon findings of misconduct to the extent of remanding the matter for the imposition of a lesser penalty, and denied respondents' cross motion to dismiss the petition, unanimously affirmed, without costs. 

The record shows that petitioner teacher posted comments on a social media website alluding to a tragedy involving an unknown student at a different school. Although the comments were clearly inappropriate, it is apparent that petitioner's purpose was to vent her frustration only to her online friends after a difficult day with her own students. None of her students or their parents were part of her network of friends and, thus, the comments were not published to them, nor to the public at large, and petitioner deleted the comments three days later. Despite petitioner's initial denials when confronted about the incident several months later, she admitted to making the comments at the disciplinary hearing, acknowledged that they were inappropriate and offensive, and repeatedly expressed remorse. Although the Hearing Officer found that petitioner engaged in a plan with her friend to mislead investigators right after the allegations surfaced, the court reasonably concluded that petitioner's actions were taken out of fear of losing her livelihood, rather than as part of a premeditated plan. 

Under the circumstances, which includes the lack of a prior disciplinary history during petitioner's 15-year career, and her expression that she would never do something like this again, Supreme Court properly found the penalty of termination to be shocking to one's sense of fairness (see e.g. Stoyer-Rivera v New York City Bd./Dept of Educ., 101 AD3d 584 [1st Dept [*2]2012]; Matter of Riley v City of New York, 84 AD3d 442 [1st Dept 2011]; City School Dist. of the City of N.Y. v McGraham, 75 AD3d 445 [1st Dept 2010], affd 17 NY3d 917 [2011]). 

THIS CONSTITUTES THE DECISION AND ORDER
OF THE SUPREME COURT, APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT.
ENTERED: MAY 7, 2013
CLERK

BREAKING NEWS!! PRINCess PAL Misconduct at PS 154 in the Bronx!!

Sorry been away so long. Baseball season has started for my son and been busy. He is playing in the local Little League and practicing for his summer travel team as well. Been running back and forth between games, practice, and lessons.

There is so much news and information that I am currently sitting on that needs to come out. To sum it all up in a nutshell, Rome is burning and Nero is clueless.

The breaking news that came into the SBSB newsroom today shows hypocrisy and a lack of ethics at its worse, and incompetency as never seen before.

Today, a 2nd grade student by the name of Hymie Morgenstern was all alone in the main office. No one, not a soul, not a mouse, was supervising him. His reason for being there is that Hymie is no longer allowed to mingle with the other students of his very low grade outside at lunch. The PRINCess PAL using the infinite wisdom gained during 6 weeks of PRINCess PAL training has summarily disallowed Hymie from such participation since, well, since before time began.

So there is Hymie in the office with not one pedagogue, or person contractually obligated, supervising him even though he has been put in the office by,l and is the responsibility of, the PRINCess PAL. Yes, Hymie has gotten into mischief in the past. He is quite smart and has mastered how to use the PA, learned how to ring up class rooms, used the Nixon-esque paper shredder, (I am sure this will come in handy when the time comes), and other bits of mayhem. But nothing today.

Now stay with me.

Along comes Freida Weintraub of a very most upper grade. Now mind you, neither child is in line for a papal beatification. But according to sources, Hymie cracked on one of Freida's close family members which entailed Freida to lose her temper and attempt perform physical harm on Hymie.

Praise be to God that both students were restrained by responsible adults. But a bigger question looms large.

Where was the PRINCess PAL? Was the PRINCess PAL negligent in the carrying out of official duties? Time after time we have been admonished at The Happy Good Time Emotion Response Center and School that we are not allowed to leave students in the hall or anywhere unsupervised. In fact, yours truly was written up by the PRINCess PAL for allegedly not reporting that four students left the classroom. Yes, students with zero credibility were believed by the PRINCess PAL.

We hear at SBSB demand a full investigation by a neutral third party of this incident. Being that we all know that the DOE is incapable of properly investigating its own (teachers don't count as their own) we call upon the Swiss School Administration Investigative Service of Zurich to take full control of of this professional misconduct perpetrated, and possible corporal punishment, by the PRINCess PAL post haste.

Of course, this will be swept under the rug or someone else will be blamed for the incompetence and professional misconduct. But, eyes are opening, people are coming in from the dark. It is all there for everyone to see. Destruction all around us.