Back-to-school anxieties are mounting at P.S. 398 in Queens in an ongoing standoff between its faculty and principal, at a school named after a revered local labor leader.
The school’s United Federation of Teachers chapter filed a grievance complaint in January alleging anti-union actions by the principal of the Héctor Figueroa School, where teachers have complained about what they call a “hostile” and unhealthy environment they say affects students.
Several teachers quit after they were advised by school principal Erica Ureña-Thus to transfer schools, they said. Another teacher was dismissed over the summer.
In 20 letters sent to schools chancellor David Banks in June, staffers called out what they described as a “downward trend of disorganization and lack of communication that brings along with it disrespectful comments.”
The main complaint: They say Ureña-Thus second-guessed and micromanaged their work while making erratic decisions, making it difficult for them to serve their multicultural students.
In their letters to Banks, two staff described witnessing Ureña-Thus personally calling the state’s child welfare hotline with what they described as a “fabricated” story involving a student. They alleged she did so to prove that a social worker at the school was incompetent after the social worker had called in a report that the state concluded didn’t warrant opening a case.
Another staff member wrote Banks to say that Ureña-Thus had announced through the school’s public address system that “We have a doggie in the hallway” because a young student had innocently used a urinal for his bowel movement.
A third said Ureña-Thus asked students performing in a concert to not recite remarks they had prepared in Bengali — a language spoken by many in Jackson Heights — leaving some students and their parents feeling ostracized.
Ureña-Thus and the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, the principal’s union, did not respond to THE CITY’s questions.
One of those hostile environments was the infamous 34th Ave. Open Streets...
She also insisted on having kids play on the 34th Avenue Open Street, he added, over his objection that kids were injuring themselves on the rough road surface.
“You give her an inch and she takes a yard,” Thai said, adding: “She put the students at risk — their safety at risk — for her own aims.”
This is why you don't hire lobbyists to plan cities Jim.
21 comments:
The rightwing war on unions and working people continues.
Having kids that go to NYC public schools, I’ve got nothing but great respect for the teachers and most principals. For the most part, they do great work under difficult circumstances. School overcrowding being the main one.
Of course the usual QAnon creeps and doofus clones will spew the standard rightwing lies and fabrications that they have been fed by rightwing media and special interests.
Sad …
"because a young student had innocently used a urinal for his bowel movement"
Lol! Welcome to the turd world.
Oh, and that's not "innocently," it's "ignorantly."
This is all Joe Biden's fault.
Bad Electurds in NY are everywhere ! The UFT funds them.
When Mayor Swagger bragged about NYC being a sanctuary city. What did he expect? He called them, they answered his call and now he is unhappy. Too late. The whole world heard his call and they're coming to the big apple, especially after the announcement of free college education scholarships with everything paid, including dorms, tuition and books. Such a sweet deal is hard to pass. And probably he has yet to consider the long term effects such mass migration will have on the city's public schools. Perhaps politicians should pause and think before they speak. But just maybe that may be too much to ask.
Seems like this principal is a QAnon creep masquarading as a principal.
Is Angry Joe the principal?
Political correctness notwithstanding, Home School your children !
Incompetence is low level corruption....
I see New York City Leftists Are Livid About Illegal Immigration All of a Sudden.
The school system is more interested in looking like they are doing a good job than doing a good job.
New Illegal students had to choose between school school supplies and a moped.
@“ Home School your children !”
And end up like you? No Thanks!
Im angry every day. I don't know why?
"Having kids that go to NYC public schools, I’ve got nothing but great respect for the teachers and most principals."
Why? They have a decades long record of abject failure. Such great results!
About 70.5% of Asian American and 67% of white students passed reading exams, compared with 35.8% of students who are Black and 36.8% who are Latino. For math, 68.3% of Asian American students and 58.5% of white students passed compared with 20.6% of Black children and 23.3% of Latino students.
Hmmmm, why do Asian and white students do so much better? It's a mystery that no one will ever solve.
#DEFUNDTHEUFT
If you vote Dem0rat, don’t you dare complain. Try voting for the Republican candidate next time if you want to save New York.
I was never a fan of immigrants and I’m a lefty.
Prove Me Wrong said...
Swagger Adams defends Chuckie and Hakeeeeem ‘silence’ during migrant crisis.
They are all in cahoots . Wake up sheeple or move out like me to a Free State
https://nypost.com/2023/09/09/adams-defends-schumer-jeffries-silence-in-migrant-crisis/
I voted a Republican the last time. I voted for Adams.
The Anti-defacation League strikes Again!
Post a Comment