Saturday, June 20, 2020

COLLEAGUE BRYAN MCGEEVER SPEAKS OUT OPPOSING RETURNING SCHOOL SAFETY TO DOE

Bryan and I worked together at Jamaica High School for years. It is in the Jamaica HS DNA not to be afraid to speak out. Chaz and Marc Epstein were also Jamaica colleagues. 

Here, Bryan gives his opinion opposing the return of school safety from the NYPD back to the Department of Education. 



My Comment in Today's Daily News, June 19, 2020: 

Teacher evaluation

Brooklyn: The City Council call to strip the NYPD of control of schools is a self-serving grab for attention. As a teacher in NYC schools, I can attest that the presence of safety agents on campus does not cause “trauma” to the students. How can council members demand better community relations from the NYPD while contributing to their demonization? Safety agents are peace officers who often hail from the same neighborhoods as the students, and are an integral part of our school community. Should the Department of Education regain control of security, dangerous incidents would go wildly unreported and it would be the end of classroom management as we know it. If Councilmen Mark Treyger and Donovan Richards are interested in removing trauma from the DOE, they should ask the mayor why so many administrators and lawyers from the Bloomberg regime are still in power. J.B. McGeever



71 comments:

waitingforsupport said...

Why on earth would anyone want to remove the safety officers and replace them with restorative justice measures? This sh÷/ is infuriating. School safety agents are not monsters. They are not terrorizing the students. Here goes the pendulum swinging from left to far left. The same people screaming to remove safety agents or to defund the police are not looking out for the students or people who live in poor communities or even our country. They are the same people who destroyed the education/schools/futures of black and brown students and weaken the middle class. Some people on this blog who have surrendered their license to keep the peace with their admin are just as bad. Ridiculous. Simply ridiculous. I've outreached to a politician. I plan to reach out to some media outlets too. Nothing to lose.

Anonymous said...

I know why...

You can't open your business yet

The left can hold massive rallies

You can't go to church

The left can destroy statues of the founding fathers

You can't watch your child be born or mourn the loss of loved ones

The media says you're the bad guy

Cops arrest criminals...Cops are racist for arresting criminals.

Anonymous said...

Defund the police, 17 people shot in ny in 12 hours, all in poverty areas. Still think the mayor cares about black lives?

James Eterno said...

This would defund police. I oppose this change.

Please also note that Supervisors of School Safety are UFT.

Let's stick to the topic which is moving school safety back to DOE from NYPD.

Anonymous said...

The topic is chaos in the streets with no police mirrors chaos in schools with no discipline.

waitingforsupport said...

@4;11: Bad cops ruined the profession. Silent cops ruined the profession. Same for any teacher who just passes students. Own it.

James Eterno said...

Okay now back to topic which is who should run school safety.

waitingforsupport said...

School safety should remain with nypd. The DOE already terrifies some educators now they are going to be in charge of school safety?

Anonymous said...

Just like every other question, it doesn't matter.

Anonymous said...

Then comment on another blog. We won't miss you

Anonymous said...

Fix the problem. Reach out to the uft as many times as I have. When they ignore you, you could explain the 20 year old problems again.

Anonymous said...

Terrified you into the Atr permanently.

waitingforsupport said...

@6:01pm...terrified you into a petri dish...not once not twice but 3x. Getting ready to march you back in September. As they recommend, have your will ready and oh yeah, pass those kids that cursed you for an entire year.

waitingforsupport said...

The nypd should continue to run school safety.

Anonymous said...

Says a person who couldn't even get hired.

Anonymous said...

If the below is true, james, how can you support the uft? "terrified you into a petri dish...not once not twice but 3x. Getting ready to march you back in September. As they recommend, have your will ready and oh yeah, pass those kids that cursed you for an entire year."

Anonymous said...

Deputy Cheryl Watson Harris got a new job as superintendent of DeKalb county school district in Georgia where she will make 325,000 a year plus a 1500 expense account and a company car or 600 towards monthly car expenses. I hate to say it but she's a smart woman. It's going to a disaster in the fall. Carranza would be smart to leave too. De Blasio won't be so lucky.

Anonymous said...

More funding for education? For what exactly?

Anonymous said...

Cant wait to leave...Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza’s top deputy has officially jumped ship, while another top educrat is joining a Department of Education exodus one observer likened to escaping the Titanic.

Cheryl Watson-Harris, Carranza’s first deputy chancellor for just two years, is leaving to become schools superintendent in DeKalb County, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta with 99,000 students.

NYCDOEnuts said...

Completely agree. The kids love the SSA in my school. They always deescalate. They are great at mediating and they keep their calm during arguments and fights and difficult moments better than most of the teachers. This fight to "remove" them from schools is dumb and symbolic. Agree 100%.

waitingforsupport said...

The uft, the DOE, the fill in the blank is as good as the members,etc. You have a voice? Someone on this blog mentioned having guns to protect their non liberal community. Property over personal safety. If you want the uft to do better, make it do better. Stop hiding behind the students. Hold the uft accountable instead of leaving. Step out of your comfort zone

Anonymous said...

Defund the police does not mean getting rid of police departments. Teachers have been defunded for decades and schools still exist.
Defund the police means not giving them massive amounts of money to spend however they want.

Defund the police means increasing budgets for social services that are built to help citizens of the communities that the police are supposed to protect and serve. Defund the police means addiction treatment instead of drug stings. Defund the police means more social workers who are trained to help victims of domestic violence escape their predators. Defund the police ultimately means that the police are held accountable to the taxpayers (us).

Anonymous said...

The money we spend on police in the US would be the 3rd largest military budget in the WORLD. (150bn)

James Eterno said...

Moving school safety from NYPD to DOE would be a bookkeeping move. It would technically defund the police but who would train the Safety Agents? If they are accountable to principals and the DOE Office of School Safety and Youth Development, the results could be disastrous as principals tend to be motivated to keep incident statistics low. The school system does not need more safety incidents swept under the carpets.

School Safety Supervisors are UFT members. We should hear from them too on this issue.

I have written to my local City Councilmember this evening. I encourage readers to do the same.

Bronx ATR said...

Many Safety Officers, I worked with closely as a dean for over a decade, did not deescalate anything. Most of the guys, and many were my friends - some close friends - were waiting to become cops and enjoyed their heavy handed policing under the DOE during the Bloomberg years -( none of them were White, btw - I never met a White safety agent). I’ve seen several non- aggressive safety agents get the shit kicked out of them for being nice guys. As a dean I was assaulted four times - once resulting in broken toe from a thrown desk, once kicked in the groin, once punched in the back of the head going down the stairs - and the worst - spit on. I used only restorative justice and always tried to de- escalate. ‘Pussy nonsense’ was the most frequent adjective I overheard about my work. Restorative justice DOES NOT work on many inner- city students- it relies on an assumption of civility and caring that are absent in many students. (Look to those three young teens that killed Tessa Majors as an example of the wonders of restorative justice and a NYC passive, indifferent NYPD. Suspensions DO NOT work. SEPARATE SCHOOLS, that work on behavior modification and support might work, or EXPULSION in extreme cases (and their are many). The safety agents now only plead with students, same as teachers. ‘Please go to class!’ ‘Please sit down!’ Please! Please! Please! ..... The students totally disregard everyone and they are passed regardless. Keep safety agents or get rid of em - it doesn’t really matter. It matters even less under what umbrella they fall under. Being under the NYPD gave School Safety some status, but in the current climate that’s over. Teachers, you are on their own and have been for a very long time.

waitingforsupport said...

I've only worked in Manhattan. The safety officers I've worked with for the most part were hardworking, professional but firm employees who only de-escalated. Early on in my career i saw a few cowboys who were always "ready to get in there and mix it up". The majority of the officers were non-white. On the other hand,many of the admin and staff were white. Unfortunately,the "call me by my first name" crew allowed the students to curse them out daily. They also loved to "play teacher/pal" to the "poor children who can't sit still or don't have a dad or just can't learn" you know what i mean. They are the ones probably yelling louder to defund the police. BS pushers. The whole system needs to be torn down and rebuilt with all USA citizens at the table to design for fairness. Happy father's day

Anonymous said...

Haven't I been saying it doesnt matter because there is no discipline code and the students simply have no self control and no care?

waitingforsupport said...

Mygovnyc.org
Enter your zipcode to locate your representatives. Speak up

Anonymous said...

Nah, the kids aren't the problem. Lol

Anonymous said...

Defund the police...Shooting reported for second night in a row where Rayshard Brooks was killed

Anonymous said...

Until someone admits the student issues, we will never improve anything.

James Eterno said...

I have had the same experiences with Safety Agents in Queens as Waiting for Support in Manhattan and DOEnuts in Queens.

The first person I met upon entering Middle College was Officer Heath who previously worked at Jamaica. What a memorable moment when she told me I was going to like it at MCHS. She was an excellent Safety Agent to work with at both schools.

waitingforsupport said...

@11:51...we've admitted the student issues. Student issues. Parent issues. Teacher issues. Admin issues. DOE issues. UFT issues. It's a mucking mess. Now let's improve everything. Clean off the "table" pull up enuff chairs for EVERYONE and lets hash it out for the salvation of the USA. What do you want? What are you going to give up? Let's chop it up and build this thing up so it's really a great country for everyone.

Anonymous said...

Where is the uft resolution on single parent households, teen pregnancy and crime? Those are the biggest determinants of future wages.

Bronx ATR said...

I don’t care if they defund the police, as long as Iaw abiding folks can get pistol permits. Almost impossible to get here. I suggest everyone, unless you have young kids, try do the same and I’m considered liberal by most. Do not rely on anyone for protection, especially the police.

Anonymous said...

You havent admitted student issues if you immediately blame everyone else.

Anonymous said...


In New York City, in 2015, blacks made up 63.7% of murder and non-negligent homicide victims and 62.1% of suspects. Hispanics made up 27.6% of victims and 29.6% of suspects. Add them up: 91.3% of homicide victims in New York City were black or Hispanic. 91.7% of homicide suspects were black or Hispanic.

So who is being harmed in the schools system and outside?

waitingforsupport said...

@12:11... add a poor quality education with poor teachers. That weakens USA.

waitingforsupport said...

@bronx atr: that's what I say. Every citizen should own a gun. Why not. Everyone i know has one or has completed the application.

Anonymous said...

Haha, w4s criticizing yet couldn't get hired.

waitingforsupport said...

Thanks for your statistics
Did you walk into the petri dish in March?
Do you think school safety should remain under the auspices of NYPD?

James Eterno said...

Let's stay on topic and try not to make it personal.

Anonymous said...

There we go again, w4s changing the question. I did not walk in. And I passed 11 people in the 2nd MP. Any more insults?

Anonymous said...

When will someone tell students that poor behavior will not be tolerated?

Anonymous said...

Tell me what it means when the mayor says suspensions are racist.

waitingforsupport said...

@1:28 see who changed the question at 12:44 unless that's you. What part of my statement is an insult??
@1:02pm the jokes on you. I'm happily retired and was thrilled to be an atr? Why. I met so many wonderful staffers and admin. As a matter of fact on TOP of my retirement, I am now a PAID consultant to 2 schools. Ha Ha Ha.
You know how i feel about school safety.

Anonymous said...

Sad. Retired, yet working. Big pension yet broke.

Evan said...

Wow, wait a minute. So waiting says how bad teachers are, becomes an atr, cant get hired, gloats about it, then takes extra money to consult and fixes nothing. You are a joke.

Anonymous said...

After seeing the stats above, you have no comment. Isn't that explaining the problem in schools? Can we address the issue so we can fix it?

Anonymous said...

Per Moody’s: NYC will see a 34% decline in general fund revenue. This was before the riots. That equates to a $23.8 billion dollars. I’m thinking the man is in over his head and is also clueless. Mayor should resign, but pride will fail him again...Sinking ship.

Jenn said...

I think waiting needs a hobby. Must be lonely.

Anonymous said...

@3:05. Don't forget the constant, condescending harping from w4s. I just try to scroll past fast, realizing that some of us have more problems than others.

James Eterno said...

Cut it out with the personal comments. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Anybody see the ap from new dorp fb post on what privilege is? Pretty interesting. Can we discuss?

Anonymous said...

Wanna guess the demos? Eight people were shot — one fatally — in New York across nine hours late Saturday into early Sunday, continuing the city’s blood-soaked weekend, according to police sources.

Irrelevant?

Anonymous said...

Does the uft care? Are they protecting our students? Meanwhile in NYC overnight!

9 people shot, 1 fatal.
4 people stabbed, 1 fatal.

This city is becoming worse than the 80s & the 70s.

Remember that those plainclothes officers are the one's who kept our streets safe, mostly overnight.

Bill de Blasio is a Disaster.

Anonymous said...

DISARM
DEFUND
ABOLISH THE POLICE

waitingforsupport said...

@2:47 pm; @Evan,@3:21, @Jenn,@4:01:
I could shred each of you little girls to pieces. You are amusing. The topic is posted. Out of respect to James I will leave it alone. You girls have a good evening. Lol

Anonymous said...

I agree...people with govt handouts needed for food and shelter shouldn't have $200 sneakers or $300 beats. They should be working.

Anonymous said...

Ok, so you are going to shred us? So the black teacher, who calls everyone else racist, is laughing about getting an extra salary while retired to consult a failing school while improving nothing funded be taxpayer money. Hypocrite?

Anonymous said...

Not bad. Only up 80x. Defund the police.
New Woe for a Jittery N.Y.C.: Illegal Fireworks Going Off All Night
The city received 1,737 fireworks complaints in the first half of June, 80 times as many as it got in the same period last year.

Anonymous said...

As crime and murder surges throughout the country in cities like #NYC #Baltimore #Chicago #StLouis and more, when will Americans realize that the Democrats in charge are either intentionally allowing it to happen, or completely incompetent?

Anonymous said...

Defund the schools. They are failing anyway. Some of that racism is indeed structural. The biggest structures of them all are the public school systems of our big American cities. Take New York City's. It has a budget of $34 billion, 135,000 employees, 1.1 million students and 1,100 schools. Some are good; many are not.

Anonymous said...

So you use being a "little girl" as an insult. How sexist of you w4s. What's wrong with being a girl? What's wrong with being little? If w4s can slip in insults regularly than What's the problem with others responding in kind? Block all insulting comments or none. Or be like Twitter and only care about censoring opinions you don't agree with.

Anonymous said...

Somehow w4s has her "shred" and sexist comments implicitly endorsed while people who stand up to that bully are censored or criticized.

Anonymous said...

The school I worked in was completely out of control. There were large groups of students vaping, gambling, engaging in "fight club" hiding out in classroom and other areas of the building unsupervised. The Principal is a self serving lying manipulative swine, funny she never made Chaz's list and despite several staff members contacting Edleman from the Post with evidence ... she still skirts under the radar, throwing who ever she can under the bus. Deans and SSA are canon fodder for her. Of course the corrupt, Superintendent praise in the her PPO. The DOE is so corrupt it is sickening. Admins are the literacy kids of the 1990s.. most are complete morons who went through the CITE program .. these people can't teach and they sure as hell can't lead. Safety agents are for the most part useless. A lot of them stand around dapping up the kids, laughing with them, etc.. The only good thing is that they can break up a fight...meaning legally they can restraint a kid. I don't know any teacher who wants to do that. Also when drugs are found or a theft occurs. SSA are needed to conduct a search. There are so many thefts in the school I work in it would be impossible to get rid of them. Bottom line the coronavirus is the best thing that ever happened to school safety.... making these delinquents stay home for the last 3 months has been glorious. Making these parents have to be locked in with their reproductive production is such justice... these so called parents would hang up, refuse to pick up their criminals in training... we have to deal with the reality that there are seriously bad people in our schools.. watering down the discipline code and NOT helping these kids rehabilitate their behavior as adolescents is the true crime. This is where Progressives fail the most. Taking away consequences is NOT helping teenagers! it is dooming them to a life of failure. Makes me sad. Safety Agents, Deans... does not matter! we live in a society that is afraid of consequences... no mask, no problem .. even adults in a pandemic can't follow common sense measures and the government scared to enforce.

James Eterno said...

So why isn't the government afraid of organized labor?

Anonymous said...

Why isn't the government afraid of organized labor? Because Labor is now another arm of the Democratic Party. Labor leaders got bought to keep their members in line. Until members are willing to suck it up and vote republican nothing will change. I'm not saying the republicans are friends to labor but unless we're all willing to oust the democrats they will never take our needs and wants seriously. Democrats take the black vote for granted too. I'm voting for Trump because he is the enemy of the party that has ignored my people (working class roots that grew to middle class but have kids who have no shot at middle class anymore) for decades. We don't vote for them or we hit the streets and riot. Nothing else will make them scared. I'm voting for their opposition in lieu of rioting. . How about the rest of you? Are you willing to Vote republican to send a message? Are you willing to riot? If not, how do you see us getting any perks from democrats? Any damn respect?? By the way first time gun buyers are up in Pennsylvania counties that went blue in 2016. People are scared while democrats are pretending there isn't a problem. When New York union members turn their backs on the Democratic Party, they will fear us.

James Eterno said...

Republican states push right to work for less laws. Democrats take labor for granted but when Republicans are in power, labor retreats even further. See Janus for details. Voting for non corporate Democrats seems a better solution.

Anonymous said...

I'm aware of Janus. I'm aware of the right. I'm still willing to vote republican. Progressive democrats like Bernie? Yeah like the Democratic Party that's fully owned by corporations would ever let someone like that get any real power. They sabotaged his campaign over and over again in 2016 and this last round. They will sabotage every single decent minded democrat every single time. Dems will continue to screw us because not enough are willing to bite on a stick and vote republican. Things may need to get worse before they stand a chance of getting better. So keep voting for democrats. I refuse. At least with republicans I can own a gun which I may very well need since cops have been basically told to stand down and let criminals do whatever they want. Democrats will fear us when we vote for the opposition. It's that simple for me.

Anon2323 said...

I love my school safety agents for last 18 hears, they are tough and they build solid relationships with students. As well as deescalate situations before they happen.

Chicago has insane amount of murders but I guess black lives don't matter there.

I was the coach of the year at my school as the only white coach, I know how to get the best out of any athlete any race that doesn't matter to me.

Of course students will act out when you can say fuck you to a teacher or fight and know worst case have in school suspension. There are no discipline guidelines or accountability. 13% population black yet they commit 46% crime, is that due to broken families, culture etc.