Insiders tell me that the first choice to run mediocre school PS375 was the former principal of failed school PS22. Protests led to her dismissal before she even started. The new choice, it would appear, is no great shakes either. She comes without recommendation and is yet another friend of dismal District 17 superintendent Buffie Simmons. What gives?
I'm also concerned that this principal has started the year making noises as being "anti-gentrification." How is this helpful to the state of the school? People are already here, and they want to go to public school. You are the principal of their zoned school. Are you suggesting that you don't want white or middle-class kids in your school? Even if you hold this opinion privately, you're stoking flames by stating it publicly.
This, as you'll learn if you haven't already started looking, is among the greatest problems in the DOE. There is no coherent strategy to see that our schools reflect the neighborhoods they're in, OR, in the case of all one demographic schools, encourage enrollment from outside. And so you, dear parent, will likely end up going out of zone with your kid, like hundreds of families before you. And no will complain, because once you go through the process, it's no longer your problem.
If you'd like to register your concern that yet another principal is going to fail the Lefferts Gardens neighborhood, I urge you to write me a note. I'll collect the email addresses and give you a sense, after I hear from the Chancellor, how best to register those concerns. Email here. Oh, and forward this post please. Argh.
6 comments:
*sigh* Buffy needs to go. Our district will continue to be woefully underrepresented as long as she's around.
The DOE is a HUGE entity that entrusts principals and superintendents to make the best decisions possible on behalf of our children. The problem is that there is (and has been) a hiring freeze, so everyone applying for jobs to be a DOE teacher or administrator must already be in the system. This usually results in bad to mediocre people being recycled through the system over and over again.
I had the unfortunate pleasure to sit on several DOE hiring committees during the last school year and I walked out of each one completely depressed. Out of 25 people interviewed, only 2 were rock stars. Everyone else was either mediocre or had no business working with kids at all.
Its hilariously obvious what happened. Buffie Simmons got the job for her friend. The chancellor received community blowback, and realizing (most likely after the fact because I doubt the decision was reviewed by anyone above Buffie) that the person Buffie hired is publicly known to be one of the worst performing principles in the city she ordered buffie to find a last minute replacement. Not getting the picture Buffie hired yet another friend and performed NO vetting of their credentials. That person magically appeared in the school without the Chancellor’s review. This new person is also known for being a terrible administrator. Buffie in her infinite wisdom thought she could carry on business as usual. Thank goodness the community is in a position to monitor this situation. Bad schools need good administrators to turn them around. Layering bad on bad is a recipe for decades more of ineffectual education and wasted tax dollars. Tell the chancellor that we want a proven effective administrator or else an outsider because the normal pool of faces is apparently atrocious.
The continued presence of Buffie Simmons tells an observer all that's needed about the depth of problems in the management of schools in NY City.
Just wanted to let people know that we still have available spots in grades 1-5 at PS 770-The New American Academy.
If you are interested please call at 718-221-5837
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