SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: August 2009

Friday, August 28, 2009

Ruining a Teacher's Life At PS 157, District 7

Everyone should read this very carefully. Especially our new UFT Reichsführer, Mike Mulgrew.

As was written on August 13, Francis Blake a teacher at PS 157 in the Bronx was found guilty of incompetence and suspended two months without pay. He was also fined five thousand dollars for dozing off for ninety seconds, but more on that in a bit.

But the rape of Francis Blake's career continues. Today Francis got an amended finding by arbitrator Alan Berg. Mr Berg rescinded the suspension and instead now is fining Francis two months pay for incompetency which comes to about $13, 497. This is in addition to the five thousand dollars Francis has been fined for the ninety second snooze.

One of the incompetence charges against Francis stems from a social studies lesson that he did with a kindergarten class in January 2007. Francis had a pre-observation meeting with Assistant Principal Beverly Andrews. The lesson was to be on police officers. Ms Andrews approved the book Francis was to read to the class, "A Day With Police Officers," by Jan Kottke.

Francis performed the lesson verbatim that Beverly Andrews approved. But Francis received an unsatisfactory rating for the lesson. One of the discrepancies Ms Andrews pointed out was the book was not appropriate for the lesson. WHAT? Yes, you are right. Ms Andrews already approved the book. How can this be? Ms Andrews cited that the print was too small.

Here is a page from that book:

Looks just fine to me. So what be the problem Ms Andrews?

Now as far as the snoozing. In September 2006 Francis was asked to go to a special ed. class to help with dismissal. The para for that class had been receiving special treatment in being allowed to leave school early by Principal Ramona Duran to get to her undergrad classes. Francis was in no way supervising the class, the teacher was already there, nor was he giving a lesson. Francis sat down in the rocking chair and dozed for ninety seconds. He was woken up by AP Beverly Andrews.

Now in no way is Francis' actions being condoned. Shit happens. The day before Francis injured his back. He had never done anything like this before or since. He apologized profusely the following day. Yet, Principal Ramona Duran chose to put a letter in his file when she could have very well have given him a counseling memo. She was out to nail him. Plain and simple.

Why did the arbitrator decide to come down so hard on Francis? He owned up to the dozing off. Others, and the arbitrator admitted it, have continually lied and offered false and perjured testimony. Is that not right Ramona Duran? It is not like Francis committed some lewd and lascivious act in an adult book store a la DR Mychael Willon. So what gives here?

Francis is out over $18,000 becuase of a vindictive, lying principal. He is out $18,000 because of some LIS who can't wait till he gets home to pleasure himself and has a false doctorate choosing to continue to show a lack of character and testify falsely against Francis.

He is out over $18,000 because the system and those that run it are out of control.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

More Details on Mychael Willon

This just in to the SBSB newsroom. DR Mychael Willon was arrested on August 8. 1989. Not only was he charge with lewd and lascivious behavior, but also a charge of sexual battery. This per the September 30, 1989 issue of the Wichita Eagle newspaper.
Wichita Eagle, The (KS)

September 30, 1989 WILLON PLEADS NOT GUILTY
Author: From Eagle staff reports Edition: CITY EDITION
Section: CITY AND STATE
Page: 3D
Estimated printed pages: 1 Article Text:

Former McCollom Elementary School Principal Mychael Willon, who was arrested for lewd and lascivious behavior and sexual battery in an adult video store on Aug. 8, pleaded not guilty Friday in Wichita Municipal Court and an October trial date was set. Willon took a voluntary leave of absence from McCollom after his arrest.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Trailer Trash

That's what Klein thinks of teachers. Nothing more than Trailer Trash. I just got word today from several sources that the Bronx/Manhattan Rubber Room that was located on 181st St has been relocated to George Washington High School. But not in the school itself. In trailers.

What the f**k is going on? Is this the last indignity that teachers must endure? Being packed away like freaks inside of trailers? "You, go to Trailer 17, you there, you've been assigned to Trailer 16." "Sit in there all day and don't let anyone know you are there." Sounds more like a stalag.

The funny, I mean ironic thing is that since the DOE deems the teachers in the Rubber Room to be unsafe to have around students, the Rubber Room is now located at a high school.

Now yes, there are teachers that have been accused of improprieties with students, but the vast majority of these teachers in the Rubber Room are there for trumped up charges of insubordination, incompetence, improper farting, and anything else an incompetent, vengeful administrator can think of.

The sad part of this is the silence of the UFT and Mike Mulgrew. Where is the outrage?

Sunday, August 23, 2009

And Here They Are......................

The new mayoral appointees to the PEP were recently introduced. But who are they really? Should we go by Bloomberg's official biographies of these so called esteemed people, or what they really are? We here at SBSB have chosen the latter.

Let's think of them all trying to vie for the inside track to Bloomberg's heart. Kind of like "The Dating Game." Remember that late 60's, early 70's show in which three contestents battled to win a date with a bachelorette? Well in this version Bloomberg is the bachelorette, and without and further ado in the immortal words of Jim Lange, here they are are..... (cue Dating Game music)

Oh one more thing. Gold star to anyone who can find the conflict of interest.

Linda Lausell Bryant, head of Inwood House, an organization which currently has a $255,000 contract with the DOE, and has received no-bid DOE contracts in the past. Inwood House has also benefited from hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual donations from Bloomberg’s own pocket via the Carnegie Corporation, from 2003 to the present day, and has received $8.5 million in tax exempt capital financing from the city’s Economic Development Corporation. Her favorite color is red, and she thinks that mean people suck.

Joe Chen, head of the Brooklyn Downtown Partnership, an organization which has multiple city contracts. Also, according to the Brooklyn Paper, Chen was appointed to his current job by Bloomberg himself – despite that by law, no city employees can serve on the PEP. Chen is also a former top aide to Deputy Mayor Doctoroff and is closely allied with the real estate interests in Brooklyn. He likes to disco dance, and wants to save the whales.

Gitte Peng, a documentary film maker who was until recently a top aide to Deputy Mayor Walcott, credited for helping fashion the governance law and helping to found a charter school; she likes to work with shut ins, the feebleminded and in her spare time takes in the homeless.

Tomás D. Morales, head of the College of Staten Island, part of CUNY, which is entirely dependent on city funding. He also fancies himself a expert at fondue and has written several books about fondue.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Mychael Willon's arrest WAS made by the Wichita KS police department SBSB has learned.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

DR Mychael Willon and Wichita

The July 19, 1990 Wichita (KS) Eagle reported on page 4D that DR Mychael Willon was arrested for "lewd and lascivious" behavior, a misdemeanor, in an adult video store. DR Willon pleased no contest and was sentenced to three months in jail, but the jail time was suspended because he paid the $100 in a timely manner. Click here and here. Click image to enlarge.
This brings to question how this man has continued to stay in education, and how he has come to work for the NYC DOE where supposedly Joel Klein has zero tolerance for such behavior.

Mychael Willon. When Will You Own Up?

The hits just keep getting more interesting with Mychael Willon. A reader sent the blog a link that might shed more information on DR Willon and his phony diploma. When one reads what is there, the part that is interesting becomes more apparent.

'As for La Salle University in Louisiana, I enrolled in that college believing it was a credible institution and had no idea that the individual in charge of the school would end up involved in an investigation,' he wrote. ...

FBI documents show the lone faculty member at LaSalle University in Louisiana appeared be to responsible for all 15,000 students.

Bear thinks there are three type of people who enroll in degree mill programs: People who know and don't care, people who have suspicions but take a chance and a those who are fooled, he said. The last category is a small minority, he said.


But I noticed something in a previous post about DR Willon just now. In the Rutland VT newspaper they mention him as Mychael Willon of Owego, NY. But what is confusing is that in the fall of 2006 DR Willon was an LIS in the Bronx. Now I understand that I am just a lowly educator and not some big shot administrator, but it seems to be that must be one hell of a daily commute between Owego, NY and the Bronx. Which begs to answer, how often was DR Willon showing up to work? I doubt anyone commutes 3 1/2 hours each way for work.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Mychael Willon Still Fancies Himself Having An EdD!

At the NYSTEA website if you go here and scroll down to where you see the advisory council membership for the 2008-2009 school year you come across this:




It seems that two years after DR Willon was exposed as having a fraudulent doctorate he seems to still fancy himself as having one. Strange.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Ramona Duran, Mychael Willon and Lies at PS 157 District 7

This is going to be the first a series of posts about the shenanigans of Ramona Duran, principal at PS 157 in her railroading of Francis Blake social studies teacher. Francis was brought up on incompetency charges and has spent the last two years in the rubber room. Francis went through his 3020a hearing and was found guilty. He has been suspended for two months and has been ordered to pay a five thousand dollar fine. Ramona Duran perjured herself throughout his trial, admitted to it and yet the arbitrator found her lies to be credible because as he said in his findings, "she didn't mean to lie." That is akin to me farting in front of Queen Elizabeth. I didn't mean to, but I did.

But how does DR Mychael Willon play into this? Seems DR Willon whilst LIS of region 9 in 2006 observed along with Ms Duran Francis Blake's lesson. Yes, it was an observation, but aren't administrators supposed to stay for the entire lesson? Not in this case. DR Willon and Ms Duran both left with approximately 20 minutes left in the lesson. Neither ever saw the completion. Never saw the students work in groups or the end product.

I bring this up because this lesson was rated unsatisfactory by Ms Duran and she testified to it in the trial of Francis Blake. Also, DR Willon testified in the trial and concurred with Ms Duran. So is that the truth and nothing but the truth DR Willon? Does DR Willon have a difficult time with the truth and reality? Why am I putting the abbreviation for Doctor in bold?

It seems that DR Willon does have a difficult time with truth and reality. In 2006, while DR Willon was still an LIS, the Rutland (VT) Herald wrote:
Mychael Willon, of Owego, N.Y., withdrew his candidacy in the wake of questions concerning his doctoral degree, which came from a diploma mill in Louisiana closed down by federal authorities in 1995.


It goes on to say:
While Willon has a lengthy and often meritorious career in education as a teacher and administrator, LaSalle University in Louisiana, where he obtained his doctorate online in 1993, does not.

The founder, James Virdamon Kirk, was sentenced to five years in jail for mail fraud.

The Louisiana institution has nothing to do with the accredited Catholic college of the same name in Philadelphia.

Willon said in published reports he did not know the university was a diploma mill.

"I enrolled in that university believing it was a creditable institution and had no idea that the individual in charge of the school would end up involved in an investigation," he said.


Seems that DR Willon does have a reality problem. When he was hired from Owego NY did he present himself to the DOE as a Doctor? Does the DOE know now in 2009 that DR Willon who just happens to be Director of the Principal Candidate Pool (whatever that means) is a liar and a cheat?

It's funny when reading that DR Willon was not aware in 2006 that LaSalle University of Louisiana was not a diploma mill when LaSalle was shut down, Thomas James Kirk aka, Thomas McPherson was indicted for fraud in 1996 and spent five years in prison.

Is it not a felony or at least a misdemeanor to use false documents and to present yourself as having a diploma and/or doctorate? Since it took DR Willon until 2006 to "come clean" how long was he using the PhD ruse? At least until he got caught in 2006. The Owego school district and the DOE should look into this immediately.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Whitney Tilson's KIPP Love Letter

I swear Whitney Tilson must have been rubbing one out as he was writing about the wonderfulness of KIPP (nationwide charter school, Knowledge Is Power Program). You can read the entire love letter here, but I have chosen to excerpt just a few passages myself in no particular order.

Whitney blabbered; "It would be hard to think of a better case study of what KIPP is all about: in the face of unexpected adversity, the students didn't give up, the entire adult KIPP community rallied around them, and big mess was instead turned into a home run --"

Yes Whitney only at KIPP in the unexpected face of adversity do the students not give up, and the entire KIPP community rallies around. This never happens in a public school, especially in New York City. Been to my school? Been to any other public school in the city? I doubt it. Yes there are bad schools, bad teachers, but what is worse are the bad administrators who don't give a sh**. Do you ever rail against these people? But guess what Whitney, there are bad, nasty, White, investment bankers with an uncompromising air of superiority working out their white liberal guilt, which doesn't make all White, investment bankers with an uncompromising air of superiority working out their white liberal guilt a**holes does it?

Why don't you mention KIPP's dirty little secret? The contract. Yes, the contract students, and parents must sign a contract on goals, behaviors, etc.... And if you fail to live up to signed contract the student is removed. I have been a KIPP school quite frequently in the past Whitney, I know how it works.

Also from Whitney's warped mind;
The KIPP Infinity students were about a minute into their performance of an intricate, choreographed salsa dance when the sound system died. With any normal group of 8th graders, in the biggest performance of their lives, you'd expect them to stop and/or chaos to ensue.

Define "normal" Whitney. Sounds pretty racist to me. Do you mean kidz in da hood? Dat what you mean? Easy to keep 8th graders in control, any 8th graders in fact. But you get on your high horse and feel you need to disparage the inner city youth. Hey, Whitney, your slip is showing. Could it be they stay in control becuase that contract is hanging over their heads?

Why don't you take your gazillions of moolah and get your rich friends and start pumping money into the school and subjects that really need it? Any school with a music program that is not cut can have a first rate orchestra. Any school with an art program that is not cut can have and will produce Pollacks, Van Goghs, Picassos. Any school that does not have its science program cut will produce Einsteins, Hawkings, Opeenheimers.

Get off your horse of superioty Whitney. There is an entire wolrd out there you do not know of.

Oh one more thing. The challenge does stand. I am awaiting word from you with proof of what that so-called teaching fellow wrote.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Whitney Tilson Reposted. And Conflicted

For those who don't know who Whitney Tilson is, Whitney is basically a person living out his white liberal guilt trying to explain to the little people how to run urban education. Whitney is one of the founders of Teach for America, and fancies himself a bigshot at KIPP. Now mind you, Whitney has never been educated, taught, nor even allowed his children to be inside an urban school. He has a blog that spews forth with his anger at those who disagree with him, and probably suckles at the teet of Joel Klein.

Anyway, the team here at SBSB as started to investigate Whitney and have found out that in 2007 donated $1,000 to the re-election fund of Senator Mary Landrieu (D) Louisiana. Now why would some hip, hedge fund manager from New York donate to a senator from Louisiana?

Could it be that Senator Landrieu accepted $30K donation from Voyager Expanded Learning's CEO Randy Best and suddenly Voyager was granted a $2 million earmark from Senator Landrieu? Is there a connection between Whitney Tilson and Randy Best? Randy Best is a leader in the charter school meglomania circles as is Whitney.

But more disturbing, Senator Landrieu has cited in Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington as one of the "Top 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress" report. Why Whitney would you associate with such a person?

Just asking questions.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Whitney Tilson. World's Largest Douche

Whitney's blog makes me laugh. The angry liberal, with his white liberal guilt thinks he knows what he right for education and for little children of color. As long as they don't come too near him. Whitney sends his children to one of the more exclusive private schools in Manhattan.

Anyway, Whitney's latest posting is about an "unnamed Teaching Fellow, and an unnamed and supposedly closed school in the south Bronx. It is a very creative piece of fiction. Some of my favorite passages include:

"....he sent me to an apt broker friend of hers. I told the friend I wanted to live in Washington Heights. "Your mother would be very upset with me if I let you go live with THOSE PEOPLE. We fought with bricks and bats and bottles to keep them out of our neighborhoods. Do you see what they have done to this place?"


"I told her we were in the middle of assembling an Encyclopedia on great Dominican, Puerto Rican and Black leaders (all of my students were Dominican, Black or Puerto Rican). "Mr. ____, we had Cin-co de May-o, and Black History Month, and all that other stuff. It is time for the AMERICAN Americans."

"Our Union Rep was said to have tried to push another teacher down a flight of stairs. The same Union Rep, while I was tutoring a child, cursed out a fellow teacher in the room next door at the top of her lungs so the child I was tutoring could hear every word."
It is freaking amazing. Read the rest. Almost every single negative stereotype of a bad teacher is in that amazing piece of fiction. But, I tell you what Whitney.

This is a challenge. Prove it. Simple. Prove that the person who wrote the piece is actually teacher and prove there is a school. If you do, and there are hundreds of readers who are witnesses I will do this. I will treat for one night the way you like to be treated in highway rest stops here in the NYC metro area, and across America. You have my word on this Whitney. Prove it. Simple as that.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

There has been some sidebar stuff going on for over am hour. Little Philip has been whining about rubber room stuff.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Oh Oh. Poor Olivia Severs Poor Broke The Rules!!!

Oh Oh. What to do? Seems Poor Olivia has two sets of rules. One for her and one for David Pakter.

Remember, Poor Olivia got the ball rolling against Mr Pakter for accusing him unjustly for selling watches to students. She then thought that even giving watches to students as an incentive to get good grades was against DOE policy. Mr Pakter's attorney explained to her that there is no such regulation.

But what there is, is an Internet Acceptable Use Policy (click here) that Poor Olivia seems to have run afoul. Specifically Poor Olivia has violated proper Email Usage, specifically:

  • Using e-mail services for private commercial or business transactions and any activity meant to foster personal gain.
  • Using your DOE e-mail address to subscribe to websites or other internet services that do not conform to your DOE duties and responsibilities.
  • Conducting non-Department of Education fund raising or public relations activities such as solicitation for religious and political causes or not-for-profit activities.
  • Distributing "junk" mail, such as chain letters, advertisements, or unauthorized solicitations.
The last part of the acceptable use policy as it pertains to acceptable use is; This e-mail Acceptable Use (EAU) applies to all Department of Education (DOE) employees, temporary employees, consultants, contractors, and anyone given access to e-mail via any DOE electronic device, network, or e-mail service owned, provided or maintained by the DOE . Seems Poor Olivia thinks she is above it all. But you ask, how did she violate such terms and conditions?

The crack team here at SBSB has uncovered several newsletters from an exclusive private school that Poor Olivia writes for. Not only is her name on the news letter, but her NYC DOE EMAIL ADDRESS AS WELL. If David Pakter were engaging in such conduct how fast would Poor Olivia rat him out?

Let's have a look see. Or click here and go to page 16 to see for your self.

This clearly is not DOE related. Poor Olivia clearly has violated DOE Acceptable Use Policy.

More to come.

Poor Olivia Severs-Poor

Poor Olivia. Two weeks ago at David Pakter's hearing she testified that a guidance counselor told her that it "seems as if Mr Pakter" was selling watches to students. Notice the key word in the quote, "seems." No according to Websters, seems is defined as; 1 : to appear to the observation or understanding 2 : to give the impression of being

So there we have it. But for some reason in an email to her principal Poor Olivia said, "the guidance counselor said that Mr Pakter is selling watches to students. Key word in that sentence is, "is." According to Websters is is defined as; —used as the auxiliary of the present participle in progressive tenses expressing continuous action (he is reading)(I have been sleeping) or better yet, (he is selling watches to students).

Now after her direct testimony Poor Olivia stood pretty fast by this statement. But in her cross, Poor Olivia completely contradicted herself and folded like a wet noodle. Not only that the very nest day the guidance counselor testified that he never said anything to Poor Olivia.

But there is a major question here. If Poor Olivia was notified of such doings, could she not have saved time and the DOE's money by simply asking Mr Pakter for the truth? In her capacity as an assistant principal she was well within her duties to do so. Why would she need to go right to the principal and involve an investigation?

The reason is because Poor Olivia knows she has no skills. No skills two be an administrator. Like Numb Nuts, she needs to show that feels she needs to suck up to the principal to show she belongs. Why else would a person after only five years in education go right into administration? She is a climber, and damn whomever gets in her way.

There used to be a time when administrators were veteran teachers, teachers that paid their dues over fifteen years or more. Now little these little peon's like Poor Olivia come around and they want to climb up that ladder. But something is missing. The skills to stay atop that ladder. The lack of confidence in their own skills. This is Poor Olivia.

But Poor Olivia did not look up Websters definition of perjury;
the voluntary violation of an oath or vow either by swearing to what is untrue or by omission to do what has been promised under oath : false swearing


One would wonder if Poor Olivia ever violated any DOE rules or Chancellor's Regulations. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Mike Mulgrew's Welcome Letter

I got a welcome letter by our new lord and overseer today, new UFT Reichsleiter, Mike Mulgrew. Basically as Peter Townsend wrote, "meet the new boss, same as the old boss." Seems that Klein has already started on him.

Not that there is anything wrong with it.

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