Professional Contribution

As teachers I believe we contribute enough of our time (coming in early, staying late, working at home – sacrificing family life and preparatory periods and lunches), allocating personal funds from salary to purchase school items, photocopy materials, create materials, pay for professional development workshops, birthday presents, positive reinforcement prices, and the patience in coaching paraprofessionals and co-teacher(minus the coach salary). However, this is not included in the tenure rubric – last revised academic year 2011 – 2012.
The tenure rubric provides clear examples of what professional contribution means. I provided these documents in my professional portfolio for academic years 2010-2011, 2011- 2012, and 2012 -2013. Yet, I followed the rubric that is posted on the Department of Education website and the principal tenure recommendation guidelines – also accessible on the Department of Education website. So what was going on here?

When I met with my “knew” principal on , April 3, 2013, to hand in my professional portfolio, she provided the following feedback: Not to include the parent/ student letters nor my colleagues’ letters attesting that I sacrificed my preparatory period to help their students with state exams. What was this really about? She didn’t even want me to include my letters of recommendation from when I was a substitute teacher or proof of prior work experience. I felt that I should include everything that led me to be a teacher.
I am a New York City Teaching Fellow.

Why should I limit my documents to what I have done as a teacher? Didn’t the NYCTF choose me for the fact I could apply my prior work skills to the classroom? My psychology skills helped me mediate numerous fights among children… Believe me, it helped me more dealing with different adult personality types. It helped me survive with the paraprofessional who complained about the students, the co-teacher who complained about the students(her health, administration, teaching, her colleagues, the students, and the parents), and deflect the negative feedback my “knew” principal made during the 4 observations she made in three years.

I didn’t bow down when she tried to tell me that I was insubordinate… or when she tried to explain the only reason she gave me a satisfactory in the one observation she conducted in 2011- 2012. I had to stop her and tell her “It was not a gift… I earned it.” That was probably what bothered her about me – my confidence, my self-assuredness, my positive thinking, my humility, and laughter. Maybe that is what broght her to her breaking point on April 11, 2013.

This is probably why I feel she had something personal against me. Is this why she always greeted me with a scowl? I couldn’t prove that though. That does not constitute work-place bullying. The few times I encountered her, her face reeted me with a scowl. I never met this lady in my life and she seemed to have this seething hatred in her heart. On top of everything else, I had to worry about my administrator(s)- who was not being objective.

This is why I say if you must follow the tenure rubric, don’t contribute to the school – you already are. Instead, sit with( or e-mail) your principal/superintendent and inform them you are going to create/design a community program. It could be simple as a reading program at the local library, planting a community garden or a student volunteer program. Sure, your administrators will have ideas. My “knew” principal suggested that I give up my lunch to help students for the state exam. I did. When I included that in my professional portfolio as a professional contribution, she asked me to remove it. What is going on here?

What is going on here is the education of children. Therefore, when you organize your professional portfolios, make sure to launch those community programs. If you leave the school or if tenure is extended repeatedly and/or denied, your heart is full. It is full because you have taught students how to be citizens…citizens who will spiritually, economically, and collaboratively uplift their community. I think this is more valuable than uplifting the egos of administrators and district leaders.

P.S: Wouldn’t it be great if the tenure rubric under professional contribution: Removing adminsitrators and/or district leaders who are ineffective?

Ten Years of Tenure?

Let me pause and clarify certain points in the story.  My “knew” principal did provide her own personal rationale of tenure why I was not granted tenure that second year in a row.  She explained when she was giving me my rating of the year.  As she stated: “I did not have the data handy on May 30, 2012… but now I have it.” Okay, when tenure valuations, or any pertinent meeting where allegations are being raised – evidence should be present.  Otherwise it is defined as workplace bullying or an administrator usurping their power. 

She explained the reasons I was not granted tenure was due to lack of professional contributions and insufficient student academic growth.  To myself I thought “It was not enough my classroom community had been a labsite classroom or that I mentored a teacher in my third year.”  My rationale for choosing a self-contained setting, my first three years of teaching, was so I could impact their academic growth.  That appearingly was not enough.   The gains they made in the first three years was not enough… Not even the students I referred from a self –contained setting to an ICT setting – which is the goal of special education.

As for the latter point, academic gains, she was scrutinizing the words in the tenure rubric: “meet gains.”  What does that mean though? How is that evaluated? Who wrote that tenure rubric? They want us to write clearly defined rubrics.  Yet, this tenure rubric has many double-entendres.  Well, her interpretation: Not enough ELLS/SWD  students passed the state exam.  Yet, she never showed me the scores.  You know me… I did ask for them.  She gave some excuse that was not believable.   But in my mind, I said “Let’s see where this goes.” Can you believe the entire class is bilingual and as the only Spanish speaking person in an ICT setting, I was responsible for basically the entire class.  Sounds like a set-up to fail. 

When she cited school-constructed assessments, ELLS/SWD students did not meet sufficient gains in reading.  They had – considering the levels they entered with in September 2012.  It was not enough.   My tenure evaluation was being evaluated on the prior teacher’s work conduct/ethic – multiply that by 2 or 3 years – I have to pay the price for ALL the teachers who taught my students.  May I add that related personnel  make a difference in my students’ learning.  That is…if they are picked up according to their IEP mandated hours.  Then again… who is observing them?

Now evaluate me – subtract the behaviorally challenged students, ELLS who are naturally dealing with the trauma of learning a new language and acclimating to a culturally diverse environment, and probably yearning for the mother or father who was left in their homeland, lack of reading materials, student absences, the speech/occupational/physical therapy that is mandated in their IEPs, parents picking up their students early, etcetera…(includes the fact that I was the only Spanish speaking person in this bilingual special education setting).  Meaning, I was the Spanish interpreter and face of differentiation. 

That was probably the problem.  No matter what obstacle came my way… I just dealt with it.  There were no materials.  I went to the New York Public Library.  There were no school materials.  I bought them.  The printer is not working in my class, I will trek to my university and use theirs – even if it meant I staying till 10:00 p.m.  I’m not being recommended for off-site workshops, I will pay $10.00 for the ones offered by the UFT, my behaviorally challenged students are not behaving, I am still going to teach them, They are not learning… I will try a new method. 

That was the problem… No matter what obstacle presented itself… I dealt with it.  A school does not want teachers with that demeanor – not in a failing school.  An excuse is needed as to why the school is failing.  Here I walk in – Ms. Holly – Go Lightly – brimming with joy, confidence, laughter, hope, and passion…

Cameras shift to administration and district leaders.  Lights out.     

 

Welcome to the War on Teaching

Dear Teachers:

Hope you are enjoying your vacation! When I say enjoy… I mean in a state of joy. Try to hold on to that joy and passion that motivated you to choose a rewarding career. The question is with what? Joy or pain. After 5 years of teaching I am beginning to wonder. ..

Here I am a New York City Teaching Fellow, a background in psychology, and a former substitute teacher of 6 years. Yet, tenure was a distant blur in the horizon. As the years passed, it was less and less about tenure for me. Everytime I sat with my principal, supervisor, rating officer, she told me: “This is not about your ability as a teacher.” Then what was it about? Don’t you hate when people say that? It’s not about…. Well, then clarify… What is this about? She never informed me.

You would think being absent 4 times in 4 years, TYPING exemplary lesson plans, being a labsite classroom, attending 80+ hours of professional development – on my own personal time, implementing all the strategies taught during in-house trainings, securing parental involvement(even providing my cell number), increasing student performance and scores, and harassing my principal about her duties, would grant me tenure. No. I am here to tell you it didn’t.

My third year I was asked to sign the tenure extension agreement – AGAIN! I remember I did not have legal counsel. First mistake. I figured… It was my “knew” principal’s first year. She can’t evaluate me. Wrong. The superintendent reviewed my professional portfolio. She could have granted me tenure. Isn’t she superior to the principal? She didn’t grant tenure. Then my fourth year rolled around. I was told by my “not so knew” principal, “Tenure has been granted.” That was May 2012. Then June 2012 came and she asked to meet with me to inform me “Tenure has been extended and it was the superintendent who decided.”

Is this sounding like a ping-pong match or a broken record? Once again, she wanted me to sign the extension agreement without legal counsel, without the tenure rubric present, nor my portfolio. How am I to improve as an educator if feedback is not provided? I was confused. They want us to provide feedback to students. Yet, feedback was not being provided to me. No clear rationale was provided for why tenure was being extended.

As I told her, “I am wiser this year.” She was pushy – no pun intended. The push came later. That June 2012, I wanted a copy of extension agreement to read at my leisure. I mean she called me in to her office 5 minutes before my workday ended. Once again, without legal counsel. How was I supposed to sign without close reading? She did not comply. Neither did I. That might have been the problem they had with me. I just did not comply. According to her, “ I can’t tell superintendent you want a copy.” Why not? It’s my right. It’s a document that bears my signature. Surprising isn’t it? Not really. As the story winds itself, I realized I was alone in their game of russian roulette. I began wondering who is really on my camp? I signed for a second year in a row. According to district UFT representative, I would not have a job. Much to my chagrin, I signed the extension agreement – a second year in a row.

Can you guess what happened after that boys and girls? I was given a letter for my first meeting with the principal. Purpose: job performance. In June 2012? The purpose was insubordination. I guess she did not appreciate that I e-mailed the superintendent. This is insubordination. This is job performance.
Forget about passion, verve, and dedication to the art of teaching. If you rattle administration, you are blacklisted. No pun intended. That comes later in the story. Well, I got myself out of that hole. I informed her the superintendent’s e-mail is public domain. One can even provide suggestions to district leaders. Praytell, the UFT chapter leader didn’t get you out of that mess? No. If anything, I wouldn’t be surprised she was part of the mess.

Yes, the evil people will do to secure their livelihood All this and more in the wonderful world of teaching. Till this day I am not clear who was not doing their job: the superintendent or the principal. It doesn’t matter. If we are expected to work collaboratively as educators… and if we are expected to model that to our students… then the administrators and district leaders need to model that for us! Besides, my own livelihood just might be at –risk too.

What happened in my fifth year? I will leave that for the next post. Till then, keep the faith and passion. Our students need it.