Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Principal Allegedly Attacks Teacher at Queens School

NEW YORK (AP) -- Teachers at a Queens middle school tell 1010 WINS a male principal assaulted and possibly injured a female teacher Wednesday.

There's no word on exactly what happened at the Jamaica school, but the teacher is reported to be in pretty bad shape.

The alleged attack occurred at MS 8, at 108-35 167th St.

1010 WINS has contacted the Department of Education in regard to the incident, but has yet to get an official comment from the agency.

Update: And as the late Paul Harvey used to say, "And now, the rest of the story."

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

WHAT!!!
IS HE ON CRACK

georgetheatheist said...

Blackboard Jungle.

Anonymous said...

LUV YA GEORGE

Anonymous said...

She probably dared to question the U rating he gave her for no reason.

WAKE UP RANDI WEINGARTEN. YOU'VE BEEN ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL FOR TOO LONG!

Anonymous said...

It's bad enough when you have to worry about the students hitting you, but your boss? Yikes!

Anonymous said...

"Man bites dog!"

Of course this is news, it doesn't happen every day. If it was a student attacking a teacher, ho hum, we wouldn't hear about that, since that happens every day. No one cares so much about "the usual suspects" (I'm speaking in code!) attacking teachers, unfortunately.

Anonymous said...

Always presumed to be guilty here on QC.

Anonymous said...

Always presumed to be guilty here on QC.

Unlike morally superior beings such as you, we call it like it is. If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, we kill it, roast it, and smother it with duck sauce.

But I suppose that's why you live in Jamaica, Queens, and send your children to August Martin HS, because you're soooooo non-judgemental.

What other pearls of wisdom do you have for us? O.J. Simpson was innocent?

Anonymous said...

And yet he wasn't arrested...yet

Anonymous said...

i can't believe it. there must be so much more that went on with that principal. will they investigate? i hate cases like this, staff and students shouldn't suffer because of ego trippers.

Anonymous said...

It also comes down to the quality of people the DOE has been hiring for principalships. Some are straight out of the ghetto and cannot speak English correctly. They have little educational experience, do not have the faintest clue on how to lead a school and are thrown in these buildings wreaking havoc on everyone around them.

Leadership Academy - HA!

Anonymous said...

Italian girl is right. I spoke to one of our UFT delegates once and was informed that all of the laudable qualifications that we took for granted have gone out the window.

When I attended school in the 1960s the typical principal had a doctoral degree and decades of experience as a teacher. None of these are expected or common today. In fact, a business, not pedagogical background is the norm.

We will continue to graduate barbarians as long as we hold education in such low regard.

Anonymous said...

they just updated that article. see what the heads of the principal union are saying!! i know for a fact he's fired great teachers, my child used to go there.

Anonymous said...

Always presumed to be guilty here on QC.

Unlike morally superior beings such as you, we call it like it is. If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, we kill it, roast it, and smother it with duck sauce.

But I suppose that's why you live in Jamaica, Queens, and send your children to August Martin HS, because you're soooooo non-judgemental.

What other pearls of wisdom do you have for us? O.J. Simpson was innocent?


Wow, So wrong on so many counts. I hope and pray you never serve on a jury.

Anonymous said...

I went to this school. I graduated 2 years ago. I was there when that principal first started working there. He's always been really difficult. He yelled at everyone for everything. A lot of teachers stopped working there because of him. The man is horrible. He hates kids, and I'm pretty sure he's racist. He fired a lot of good teachers for stupid things.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Wow, So wrong on so many counts. I hope and pray you never serve on a jury.

You can be sure that if I'm on a jury, someone will be "hung", and it won't be the jury!

Anonymous said...

You can be sure that if I'm on a jury, someone will be "hung", and it won't be the jury!

You should get together w/ Taxpayer, you're both focused on the same thing.

georgetheatheist said...

John Murphy. He de Man! Brings the school's rating from a D to B!

Why do the taxpayers have to pay for the aide Nyasia Johnson's big fat butt plopped on the desk?

"Nyasia". What's that a new disease?

John Murphy. The captain of a tight ship!

Anonymous said...

too bad your sorry ass dont work there

Anonymous said...

John Murphy, hit man for Joel Klein.

Joel Klein, hit lackey for Commissar Death and Taxes.

The Commissar. Wants total control of schools or he will incite rioting in the streets throughout the city. (He said so. Don't argue)

What will become of education IF the Commissar's dream comes true? Obedience factories.

Can you prevent this?

You bet!

Use your keyboard to write to your representative in Albany. Tell your local Council Member to put a leash on the Commissar.

Don't let him poop all over education in this city!

You will pay dearly to clean up all the poop he leaves.

Anonymous said...

This man has a track record a mile long- check out Pleastanville, NY; Tuckahoe, NY; Danbury, Ct. He's been run out of town at all three schools. Abusive is a kind word to describe this nut. He's a dictator with pretty sick ideas about education. Murphy had teachers and students in tears those places too. I feel sorry for his wife and kids. I only pray that State Ed finally pulls his license!

Anonymous said...

Murphy is now paying for what he has done to others. It is like the concept of Karma;

What comes around, goes around...eventually.

Murphy has some good ideas about pedagogy and has in fact turned MS8around from what it was when he took over in 2005.

The problem lies in the way he conducts himself and his methodology. He is an equal opportunist when it comes to berating, abusing, and treating people without even the slightest sense of common courtesy or respect.

In fairness, he does deserve to be called on the carpet to account for the sinful way he treats people. However, the Nyasis Johnson situation is merely an overblown and exaggerated catalyst for doing so.

With all of that said:

Murphy needs to GO!

Anonymous said...

For anyone who thinks this teacher's aide is exagerating, you've never been in contact with the likes of Dr. Murphy. He has days when he just goes on a rampage where he walks through the floors and just tears people apart. As you teach, you can hear him yelling at teachers and students in the hallway or in the next classroom. At this point, you want to continue with your lesson, keep your students engaged, and pray that you're not the next victim. But the students can't focus because they fear his presence as well. Sometimes, that fear will also drive them into becoming defiant and confrontational with him and teachers that tell them to be obedient to a man that disrespects them daily. At times, they also want to come to the teachers' aide. It's hard when you've developed a rapport with your students, then someone else comes in and destroy that. Kids have asked "Why are all the teachers afraid of Dr. Murphy." We usually answer that he's our boss and can make life more difficult for us if we stand up to him. Rather, we've tried to avoid his path and just do as he asks.

I agree with all of you that mention the school's improvement, but understand that when you've hit rock bottom there's no other place to go but up. The teachers worked the tails off to get the school to where it is now. We burned the midnight oil as Dr. Murphy likes to say; we attended all the proposed training during our lunch periods; we did the tutorials and professional duties; we evaluated and produced the data he required on each child; we taught to the test when we were told, and what were told; and more...

At M.S.8, we're all very proud of our success and wished that we could all share that success happily. But, when we are being humiliated on a daily basis, there comes a time when we say enough. That time is now! Dr. John Murphy needs to go sprinkle his anger over some other school's PA system. My heart and the heart of many others can't take anymore. The heart palpitations at that place are too many. Yes, you do tremble and can't find your voice when he starts to yell at you. Not that he would ever let you speak anyway, because then you'd be caught on insubordination.

Alas, the Jamaica community and the MS8 family wants to see Dr. Murphy gone. Good luck to the next unlucky victims.

Anonymous said...

We had a teacher/coordinator who finally had enough and quit right before Thanksgiving, because Murphy was on her all the time. The funny thing was that Murphy had hired her personally, and would alternate days between praising her to everyone, and then just shouting at her and dressing her down in front of everyone. She was a true professional who was responsible for many of the improvments in MS 8. She tried to reason with Murphy, but in the end, he ambushed her in a meeting with other faculty, and she gracefully and professionally resigned right on the spot. If this is how Murphy treats his supporters and best faculty, imagine how he treats his enemies.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like this Murphy guy has a personality disorder. But don't worry. There are MANY more like him around the city.
It's funny how there are so many expectations of teachers but it seems as though they are just hiring ANYBODY to be in charge of a school. Sad mistake.

Something has got to change.

The culprits of this mess:

#1 Bloomberg
#2 Klein
#3 Weingarten

Anonymous said...

dr murphy or w.e his name is need 2 be put 2 justice because honestly hez not a good role model and his affectt on ms.8 students is not good. also john murphey is what someone would call very mean he often bickers at the smallest things like if a kid has on thermals showing through their short sleeve uniforn=m shirt . i belive this is an outrage

Anonymous said...

When at Tuckahoe Middle Shool he ran a tight ship and yes improved grades but if you ever got called into his office (student or staff) he made sure you left crying. Not a sign of kindess in him. Always reminded me of Germany in the 1940's.

Anonymous said...

The rally today was a joke and made all the more so by extremely poor representation from Randi Weingarten, the "esteemed" president of the UFT.

Ostensibly, she was caught in traffic. However, that is no excuse since many others planned ahead to be sure of being on time and having their voices heard. If you don't plan to make the effort, don't agree to come!

A very poor show from the UFT leadership.

The level of discourse at the rally focused mainly on petty issues and lacked substance.

What is the next step from the UFT to ensure that all that has been done is worth something?

Many people are starting to feel quite disillusioned by the UFT and the BOE.

Anonymous said...

He was principal for one year in the late 80's at Sacred Heart Grade School in Yonkers, NY. Finally got fired - he (with the help of the Pastor) disbanded Home School (thought there was no need for them) and was abusive to teachers and tried to intimidate parents and students. He still hasn't changed. Before coming to Sacred Heart, he also taught a year at Hastings High School - which was not on his resume in applying for the Sacred Heart position.

Anonymous said...

i used to listen to 1010 until now...taking an issue like this, without facts, and allowing reverse-racism to reduce the benefits that the children of this school has benefited from, while allowing a union to run amuck - threatining its own members to make comments they don't even believe - yet the "reporters" jump on anything for a story, instead of using integrity to present facts instead of emotion and headliners.....

Anonymous said...

All of you should check out the article on the ny daily news website. Murphy is out of his mind. He would hold about two hour meetings or longer in his office, and behind closed doors making fun of whatever he pleased. He would question you if you weren't laughing. He would question you if you weren't taking notes. This man is definitely not a professional- because a professional is defined as someone who knows what they're doing and shows respect. Also, the abuse and tyrannical behavior is absolutely unbelievable! Someone should contact the 50+ people that have left MS8 since his reign began!

Anonymous said...

This guy is a total nut job under the guise of being a good Catholic. The teachers in the school work very hard and are treated very poorly. He scolds and demeans them in front of students. He intimidates them and does not allow them to have a voice. It is like working for someone who was released too prematurely from a mental institution - Dr. Murphy has a few more issues to work on.
I don't know what all the hoopla is about turning the school around. Look closer,the "D" was his "D" He had been there for a few years before the school was rated and it received a "D."
He has no respect or compassion for other human beings.
I hope that the DOE does not sweep this under the rug.
For those who work there - the Environmental Survey needs to be filled out by all staff and parents. Start a campaign and get as many parents as you can get to fill it out.
The man must go.
Don't be too hard on Randi. She made it to the rally and made a public appeal to the Mayor on TV.
Oh and maybe somebody should monitor Dr. Murphy's comings and goings. I do recall him arriving late on several occasions. This did not stop him from placing letters in files of staff who were late.