If you are an avid reader of this blog, or the countless other blogs that discuss the issues of the US education system, then you must realize that the needs of students are not always put first. The official NYC DOE website (schools.nyc.gov) has even taken out the sentence fragment phrase “Children First. Always.” out of their website.
Then it should come of no surprise that the NYC edu-blogger Peter Zucker of Southbronxschool.com came across some interesting evidence showing the conspiring of DOE consultants and his Principal DR Alison Coviello, principal of PS 154 in the Bronx.
Imagine this… Peter Zucker has years of experience and an unblemished record. He blogs about the major issues at his school and it leads to the removal of his former principal.
Then a new principal comes in and goes on the attack. She needs help though, so who does she get that help from to rid herself of that pesky blogger teacher Peter Zucker? None other than the DOE’s Labor Support Unit. Specifically Michael Agona.
We hope you are sitting down for this.
After being attacked, and all of a sudden found incompetent, after many years of satisfactory service, Zucker becomes aware of an email from his principal that was written in August 2012 (one year before being sent to the Rubber Room for incompetency). It was addressed to Assistant Principal Jessica Cruz.
Principal Alison Coviello writes: “Hey, I revised Zucker’s job description (per the advice of Mike Agona) so that it is focused more on literacy. This way, Agona explained, we’ll have a surer chance of winning a case when our observations detail incompetence.”
It sounds like Michael Agona of the DOE’s Labor Support Unit, a former principal turned DOE consultant, is not helping Principal Coviello support tenured teacher Peter Zucker, but rather assisting in removing him. It turns out that Principal Alison Coviello followed Agona’s advice and in September 2013, Peter was sent to the notorious Rubber Room that UFT President Michael Mulgrew, former Chancellor Joel Klein and former NYC Mayor Mike Bloomber closed down over 4 years ago.
Read what else Michael Agona does and how much taxpayers pay him to “support” here on Peter’s blog:
NYCDOE Consultant Michael Agona Gets Caught in the Honey Jar
Lesson learned? Watch out for the DOE’s Labor Support Unit and the Office of Appeals
Keep in mind that he is not alone. Here are other Labor “Support” Unit consultants working to “help” principals “help” teachers.
DOE LABOR SUPPORT UNIT
DTOE IS RUN BY UFT SOLIDARITY
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