NY Post
Mayor Bill de Blasio was personally alerted to evidence of grade-fixing and fraud at Maspeth High School in mid-August, but ignored pleas to remove the school’s allegedly crooked leaders before the new school year, The Post has learned.
“It was like I had witnessed a crime,” said City Councilman Robert Holden, who demanded to speak with the mayor after meeting whistle-blowing teachers with documents showing a culture of cheating at the highly rated school.
“I wanted him to put it on the fast track. I wanted him to step into this and get those people out,” the Queens lawmaker told The Post.
But the mayor did not act with urgency, Holden charged, prompting him to go public and to meet with acting Queens District Attorney John Ryan, who has launched an investigation.
Maspeth HS, awarded a National Blue Ribbon in 2018 for a near-perfect graduation rate, enforces an unwritten “no-fail policy,” even when kids do little or no work, eight teachers have told The Post.
Assistant principals strong-armed faculty members into passing students no matter what, they said. Some teachers helped kids cheat on Regents exams or fixed wrong answers. Failing grades were changed to a passing 65, which kids call the “Maspeth Minimum.”
Even chronically truant, drug-addled students got diplomas — some of them pushed out the door months early, as former student Thomas Creighton and his parents came forward to confirm. But last week his father, Daniel Creighton, said the family had not heard from any investigators.
“If that doesn’t prove there’s no urgency, I don’t know what does,” Holden said. “Not only did they steal city money meant to provide services, but they stole the education from these students.”
A de Blasio story is not complete without another display of his vulgar arrogance:
After two weeks, when no investigators had contacted him, Holden emailed de Blasio on Aug. 13, a day after the mayor returned from Iowa for his now-defunct presidential campaign.
The subject line: “Need to talk.”
The mayor called back the following evening. Holden went over the litany of alleged misconduct at Maspeth HS, including grade-fixing, Regents rigging, fake classes to give students credits toward graduation, and intimidation of teachers who didn’t play ball.
“They’re gangsters,” Holden said he told the mayor. “They should not be in there one more day.”
But de Blasio seemed more concerned about Holden, a fellow Democrat, going to the press.
“It’s good that you gave it to me, but if you want to be on my team you have to play like a team member,” Holden quoted him as saying.
The mayor noted that Holden was fortunate to speak with him. “You have your district. I have to run the whole city. I’m the big leagues.” he said, according to Holden.
7 comments:
This grade fixing, intimidation of teachers to pass just about anyone who could fog up a mirror (on a day they were actually in school), acceptance of a few hours of a computer based "learning program" for a year's academic credit for a course which students cut, providing answers or hints for Regents exam questions, letting students get away with nearly any offense without consequences--this has been going on for years in the NYC public schools. This is not news. The teachers who had integrity and graded honestly were harassed, brought up on completely false charges, threatened, etc. until they quit, retired, or the kangaroo hearing courts were successful in faking enough stuff to terminate the teacher. It started under Bloomberg, with his intense pressure for "results", and really exploded under the completely corrupt and clueless Dumblassio. This has resulted in a couple of generations now of illiterate, math challenged students incapable of critical thinking "graduating" with diplomas whose most authentic use might be to wipe someone's rear end. If they manage to get into college, they have to spend their first 1-3 years taking remedial courses which are nothing more than high school level do-overs, so the taxpayers can pay twice for the same basic level of education. What a complete disgrace and fraud on the public. Those who could afford to do so have long ago taken their kids out of public school and put them into private school, where there is still a semblance of discipline and academic rigor. And all this blathering on by Dumblassio about "diversity", which seems to be the ONLY thing about the schools he's interested in, is completely ridiculous, as the NYC school system is now about 70% black and Hispanic except for the "elite" schools he's trying to destroy.
High school principal accused of keeping Catholic school kids off admission list
https://nypost.com/2017/03/26/high-school-principal-accused-of-keeping-catholic-school-kids-off-admission-list/
Sounds like the U.F.T. is sleeping on the job. Aren't they supposed to be protecting teachers from all of this intimidation. Besides, De Blasio was busy running for president. Have we already forgot?
The sad thing about this is, If BDB were eligible to run for mayor again he would probably do it and win, that's how dumb the electorate in NYC is these days. We elected Crowley didn't we?
To the first poster - all the education they need is to pull the lever 'Democrat'
We have not traveled far from 'Gangs of New York.'
It would be "raycis" to flunk those minority kids!
News said last night 60,000 homeless in shelters..4,000 homeless living in the streets....more than in the 1960's
Public schools failings like Maspeth High School..the letting kids who dont deserve it go the an ELITE public school.
NYC Police getting shot...police getting water thrown on them...then doing nothing to arrest the perps...cause they have been told not too.
Property taxes going up...services going down.
Rikers going tp be turned into an elite island for the wealthy.
Deblasio needs to go...he has done nothing but try to destroy NYC...his legacy will be the absolute WORST/DO NOTHING BUT DESTROY MAYOR NYC has witnessed to date
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