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Principal's blunt ax

Unfairly gave teachers bad ratings

By YOAV GONEN
Education Reporter

A Bronx principal who kept a so-called hit list of teachers she wanted swept out of the school instructed her subordinates to "get rid" of them by giving out unmerited bad ratings, a probe has found.

Even more shocking than Principal Iris Blige's apparent attempt to ruin the careers of nearly a dozen educators at Fordham HS of the Arts was the Department of Education's agreement to keep her in charge and levy just a $7,500 fine.

In a stipulation signed last month by Bronx high-school Superintendent Elena Papaliberios, Blige was even promised a "neutral letter of reference to any potential employer" should she decide to leave her post.

The two-year probe was conducted only after teachers lodged a host of complaints about Blige's wrongdoings, according to United Federation of Teachers officials.

"I think it's outrageous," said UFT President Michael Mulgrew. "If the price for ruining someone's career is $7,500, where's the accountability?"

Asked if Blige was getting off easy, a Department of Education spokeswoman referred a reporter to the signed stipulation -- which makes no mention of why a fine was deemed appropriate punishment.

Blige's lawyer, Stephen Hans, said he was "baffled" that the city had made a confidential stipulation public.

He suggested the light punishment was proof that the findings weren't solid.

"If they had the evidence on this case, they would have gone forward," Hans said. "She's faced with staff members ganging up on her."

The probe by the city's Office of Special Investigations included interviews with a half-dozen teachers -- and assistant principals who were asked to fudge the ratings -- who say Blige was unjustly gunning for staffers she didn't like.

One assistant principal, James O'Toole, made his boss' destructive directives sound like a hit job.

"Get rid of Mr. Herbert Drummond," O'Toole quotes Blige as saying about a teacher, according to the report.

Another assistant principal, Laurice Chambers-Blake, says Blige told her she wanted two teachers "out" by the end of the 2008 and 2009 school years.

Chambers-Blake said she was told "to start to write up the teachers" with negative reviews at the outset of the school year and to focus on another teacher's "weaknesses and deficiencies" rather than her positive skills.

Principal's Hit List

Directives from Principal Iris Blige to her subordinates on targeting teachers, according to an Office of Special Investigations report:

• “At the beginning of the school year, Ms. Blige directed [one subordinate] to “U” rate [unsatisfactorily] three teachers regardless of the outcome of his respective observations.”

• “[Another employee] stated that Ms. Blige...told [her] that those teachers were to be ‘out’ by the end of the school year. Ms. Blige then instructed her 'to start to write up the teachers.'"

• “[Another subordinate] stated that Ms. Blige directed him to 'Get rid of [teacher] Mr. Herbert Drummond.'"

CAT Tracks Editor's Note:

You caught that...right?

Education reformers want school principals to hold teachers "accountable"...to have the ability to fire teachers if their students "don't make the grade"...despite poverty, home life, or whatever else may be going on in the child's life...or, maybe, just maybe, an incompetent principal who lets students run wild, attacking and abusing teachers.

On the other hand, when the principal gets caught committing immoral and unethical acts, at best (at worst, illegal acts), the principal receives a slap on the wrist. (The $7.5G fine was 5% of her salary.)

BTW:

If you thought that the previous story was bad news...

You should have read a similar story published yesterday in the New York Daily News...BEFORE they changed the headline in an updated version of the story appearing on their website today (due to criticism by readers offering "Comment"!)

Yesterday's SCREAMING New York Daily News headline:

"Bronx principal of Fordham High School for the Arts fined $7.5G for teacher grade scam "

Reading the headline above...who's the "bad guy"? Yep, those damned teachers...probably fixing grades or changing test scores, all to save their "jobs for life".

Anyway...

After yesterday's "misleading" headline (and being called on it by readers), today's "new, improved headline" reads:

"Bronx principal fined for telling assistant to give teachers unsatisfactory ratings without warrant".

However, the paper failed to "cover up" the link to the "new story" which still reads:

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/01/22/2011-01-22_bx_principal_fined_75g_for_teacher_grade_scam.html

If you are the "trust by verify" type, follow the links below:

Link to Original Story

New, Improved Story

Bears repeating...

New Teachers and Old: