Monday, June 20, 2011

TWO TEACHERS STEP UP TO FIGHT DOE ON THEIR OWN

We constantly hear people complain that they are paying over $48 a check in UFT dues and don't get proper services from the Union. While the UFT should be everyone's first line of defense when under attack, it is certainly not the only avenue available to battle back against horrible administration. Two teachers who I know are taking their fight outside of the UFT.

Dena Gordon is a social studies teacher at East West School of International Studies in Flushing. She works for administrators (Principal Ben Sherman and Assistant Principal Mala Panday) who have abused the staff continually. The harassment and intimidation have been so severe that the last two UFT Chapter Leaders were compelled to leave the school and now they do not have a chapter leader. Can anyone blame people for not taking the Chapter Leader job under those circumstances? Dena was a UFT Delegate previously so Sherman has targeted her all year with illegal observations where she is denied mandated pre-observation conferences and letters for file over inconsequential issues that are ignored with other teachers.

Dena has filed multiple grievances that are clogged up in the interminable grievance process. Step I is the principal and Step II is the Chancellor. Basically, teachers have very little chance of having an objective hearing at both steps. The Union has a limited number of arbitration dates available where grievances would be heard by a neutral third party so grievances back up for years at times while administrative harassment continues. We need to expose what is happening and get help to teachers like Dena.

Dena decided she could not wait a second longer so she has hired her own lawyer and taken the principal to the state Public Employees Relations Board charging him with anti union bias. We believe she has a very strong case as clearly she is an activist who has been targeted by an administration that is more interested in controlling the Union than in educating kids. Union buster Ben Sherman truly deserves the designation: "Principal From Hell."

Gagan Diwan is a math teacher. He taught successfully at Humanities and the Arts High School in Queens until 2009 when suddenly administration turned on him.He asked administration for an accommodation to have classes on one floor and a key to the elevator as he has muscular dystrophy.

Administration ignored his requests and went on to terminate him several months later. UFT would only file a U rating appeal, which as we know is basically a kangaroo court where we almost always lose. However, Gagan would not accept the loss of his job so he hired his own lawyer and filed a complaint with the New York State Human Rights Commission. A few weeks ago they found there was probable cause that his rights were violated and now the case will go to a hearing. The NY Post covered this story.

The point of all of this is to tell our readers not to give up when confronted with a seemingly impossible situation. There are people out there who aren't going to take the employer abuse and are finding ways to help themselves either inside the union or if they are not satisfied, then outside.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

There is also Principal Reggie Landeau at MS 216 in Queens, also deserves the Principal Title, "Principal From Hell"

Anonymous said...

Another principal who abuses teachers, Loretta Caputo.

Anonymous said...

The principals at many small schools. like Ben Sherman at EWSIS are disgusting. They would not rise to such a position in any other system other than the completely dysfunctional system that the DOE has created. The name of the game is to lie, cheat, and abuse - all to make sure that their data is on track. In any functional educational system these principals, including Ben, wouldn't even be qualified to sweep the school's front steps.

Anonymous said...

The problem is not being the one who speaks up, the problem is getting the other teachers to join you. All of them afraid of being next.
What they do not realize Principal such as Ben Sherman get away with things because fear and intimidation. Take away you fear and you will find the Principal is harmless looser who could not get a girl to go to the JCC dance with him.

Anonymous said...

People like Ben Sherman take out their psychological problems on staff and students. Union needs to come down hard on him.

Anonymous said...

Bravo to those teachers!

Now, what will it take the UFT leadership to court for failure to correctly and properly execute its fiduciary responsibilities to the membership.

Orchestrating and winning that suit and seeing some rapid departures from the would really be something.

Anonymous said...

UFT has filed grievances and u rating appeals. What else are they supposed to do?

Anonymous said...

To Anon who asks "What else are they (the UFT) supposed to do?" Well sitting back on their a$$ets at the expense of the rank and file is what they ARE doing. But let's look back and what that NEVER should have done:

1: Agree to the changes in the grievance proceedings.
2: Support Bloomberg (by not endorsing anyone not once but twice!!)
3: Supporting mayoral control (also twice)

Bravo to these teachers. They are not cowering in fear. They are taking their fate into their own hands. The union should be looking into legal addresses, like the Americans with Disability Act!! Maybe that's what else they should be doing!!! And of course reimbursing any and all legal costs!

Anonymous said...

To Anon 4:00 p.m.
Why do members pay union dues? Approximately every month $6.2 million is taken out of the members' paycheck. I know the UFT have overhead expenses, but there should enough money to take of these serious cases. I mean COPE is used for political action so the dues should be used for defense action of our members.

Secondly, I have yet to hear a u-rating overturned in all the appeals. Members are told to file the appeal because their are entitled to "due process" but the only "due process" is the dues that are taken out because at the DoE justice delayed is just fine with them. So it would seem that there's no due process and members should be outraged. It's time to make the necessary changes.

Anonymous said...

members should be outraged but they won't vote in the next UFT election and won't run for chapter leader either. Then, they will complain about how lousy the union is. The fault lies in ourselves too you know.

Anonymous said...

Union is accountable to us and we don't force the issue. These two teachers have taken matters into their own hands and so they should be applauded.

Anonymous said...

Jamaica HS got so much better when Dena Gordon left last year. She was a troublemaker. She had a terrible voice and eveyone was afraid of her and her big mouth. The kids were always falling asleep in her classes. I always wondered how she kept her job for so many years. It's because of her and those still here just like her that our great school has gone down the toilet!!!!!! Good riddance.

Anonymous said...

Add principal Anne Fennelly and AP Bobbe Knutz at Jill Chaifetz Transfer High School in the Bronx to the list of Principal from Hell. This woman has never granted a teacher tenure is her four years running his school, the chapter leader, Michael Wolach is her long time friend whose sole job is to find ways to sidestep the teacher's contract to benefit the principal.(He refuses to file grievances). This admin always rate teachers negatively and incorporate lies in letters to the file to make the so-called problem seem worse than it is (very minor issues). They use fear and intimidation are used to cover up their incompetence. They maintain their stats by choosing which students should take the regent's exams based on who they think can pass, and they do not let the riskier students take the test. They grade the exams themselves and change results to make the passing rates higher. They intimidate teachers to pass students who deserve to fail and falsify attendence records. These two administrators are also ruining new teachers careers by discontinuing their probations and giving U-ratings to tenured teachers, and forcing others out if they don't play their game. No teacher is safe at this school unless you are good at kissing you know what and willing to forfeit your rights to do so. They both should be shot at dawn.

Anonymous said...

The June 27 person obviously does not know Ms Gordon. I work at Jamaica and I never heard of kids falling asleep in her class. It was probably Ben Sherman who wrote the comment.

Anonymous said...

Love these Anonymous comments. Nice way to hide. Post your real names or is there really only one person posting here?

truthseeker said...

I personally know Ben Sherman , as a former student at East West school of international studies I have witnessed his abuse of the staff and I'am aware that he has taken his secretary on expensive trips out of the country on the dime of the 502 money the school is allotted and also money that was given by john liu for air conditioners in every classroom. Sherman is a sick individual who has a record of taking his psychological issues out on students and parents in the most vindictive manner. Is it possible that he is related to John Bowne High schools "principle from hell" Howard kwait? both their actions are unacceptable and need to be dealt with

Anonymous said...

I personally know Ben Sherman , as a former student at East West school of international studies I have witnessed his abuse of the staff and I'am aware that he has taken his secretary on expensive trips out of the country on the dime of the 502 money the school is allotted and also money that was given by john liu for air conditioners in every classroom. Sherman is a sick individual who has a record of taking his psychological issues out on students and parents in the most vindictive manner. Is it possible that he is related to John Bowne High schools "principle from hell" Howard kwait? both their actions are unacceptable and need to be dealt with