Holden's letter is copied in its entirety next to SueEdelman's article on Maspeth HS in the NY Post. (We copy Holden's conclusion below.)
The background from the Post piece:
A year after a group of teachers came forward with evidence of academic fraud at Maspeth High School, officials say the extensive investigation has stalled because of COVID-19 despite damning conclusions.
“Several staff members appear to be in deep trouble. Investigators have substantiated their involvement in the scandal,” a person with knowledge of the findings told The Post.
The probe was nearly complete before Mayor Bill de Blasio shut school buildings in March, sources said.
Whistleblowers described the “Maspeth Minimum,” as teachers and students dubbed the internal policy. They said administrators pressured teachers to pass failing students, give answers during Regents exams, and hold fake classes so kids who skipped class or did no work could get credits — and maintain the school’s stellar 99 percent graduation rate.
Further on:
A current Maspeth teacher said the school continued to use shady practices before the COVID shutdown — including an after-school “humanities” class with 30 students enrolled that rarely met.
“It’s an easy way out,” the teacher said, referring to credits toward graduation.
The whistleblowers first brought evidence to City Councilman Robert Holden (D-Queens). He denounced what he called Maspeth’s “gangster culture,” in which the administrators threatened to retaliate against staffers who did not fall in line.
Holden immediately alerted de Blasio, asking the city Department of Education to remove Principal Khurshid Abdul-Mutakabbir pending a probe, but he remained in place.
“We’ve taken these allegations extremely seriously since day one and have devoted substantial resources to this investigation,” City Hall spokeswoman Jane Meyer said. ”We have no tolerance for academic dishonesty and our students deserve better.”
If anyone believes that line, there is also a bridge for sale in Brooklyn. The offense at the DOE appears to be getting caught, not the actual cheating.
Councilmember Holden is quoted toward the end of the article:
Holden told The Post, “The fact that we are approaching a year with no visible discipline whatsoever is a barometer of how corrupt the DOE system has become. Unfortunately cheating is so widespread that it has become the norm and is actually encouraged.”
Holden gets the last word here. This is the concluding paragraph of his letter:
I have no doubt that during the COVID-19 pandemic, online learning led to even more grade fraud at this school. The gangster culture of threatening teachers into submission and fudging numbers to make the school appear to be a top-performer must come to an end. While I'm sure that you cannot divulge the details of an ongoing investigation, I urge you to conclude the investigation, release a full report, and take immediate disciplinary action against the administrators who have permanently damaged the education of our students.
14 comments:
The extreme pressure for grade fixing trickles down from the mayor to the chancellor to the superintendents to the principals to the teachers. It begins with the mayor and the chancellor who serves at his pleasure, whatever that entails. Nonetheless, non-accountability and fraud are the foundational policies inherent in mayoral control. Former mayor Bloomberg even believed that he had actually "improved" the graduation rates.
Where is the UFT on this issue? Members should be able to come to the union to discuss intimidation but instead have to go to politicians or the press. It shouldn't be like that.
Grade fixing is in the very DNA of the DOE.
Progress and justice on grade fixing are DOA under De Blasio.
I think grading comes down to the teachers. If teachers are passing kids because the admin wants them to, they are just as bad as the admin. There is only one word for all this fraud, disgusting!
Grade fixing is systemic and it achieved as a quasi form of racketeering.
Check out Bryant HS.
Namita Dwarka is pressuring teachers to pass failing / absent students...the school gets federal monies for increasing graduation. rates....and the schools budget is missing nearly $200,000.
Thanks Mulgrew..
It took 1 weekend for a covid outbreak in MLB.
Child hospitalizations from Covid-19 surge 23% in Florida as schools statewide must reopen
I am glad that there is a little interest by a politician to restore the integrity of the NYC DOE. I am not very optimistic about it, though. I just don't think the public or the tax payers really care. If the UFT could be trusted, I think many more teachers would come forward.
11:35, What are the actual number of child hospitalizations? Not the percentage. For instance, if 20 kids are hospitalized, and then another 10 are sent in, that's an increase of 33%, which sounds worse than 10 new cases statewide. Also, the counting of virus cases are usually does not mean that actual day, but could be an accumulation from weeks ago. Finally, how many adults contracted the disease from kids? Sorry for the unsettling questions, but your comments are part of the problem - presenting stats that may or may not be true and without any context.
Racketeering at Bryant HS.
Absolutely @4:19. You are the professional. However this broken system has turned on its cogs. It's not too big a leap for the DOE to coerce you to pass a failing student and then ask you to walk into a minefield. You're NOT respected by your employer. Imo too many teachers chose to just pass the kids (meh they are not worth standing up for), blame the families, etc. Now these same teachers (along with the teachers who have cojones) are realizing that no one gives a damn about them and their loved ones. I'm surprised. I thought NYC teachers would have at least a petition going by now telling Mulgrew what they want.
Narita Dwarka is incompetent.
The DOE likes corrupt principals, and corrupt administrations.
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