Bronx ATR is an internet friend and ATR Adventure blogger. We barely met in-person once at a dissident ATR meeting but we stay in touch on the internet.
This morning he sent me an insiders account of Eagle Academy run by incoming Chancellor David Banks. Bronx ATR did a stint there in his Absent Teacher Reserve rounds. He survived it and is now happily retired teaching English a few days a week to immigrants from Central America.
Hi James,
I’m trying to stay off the blogs, but I wanted to let you know my personal experience with Eagle Academy in the Bronx.
First of all, it’s a completely segregated school. It’s segregated first by race and secondly by gender. The school building off Tremont Avenue is incredibly beautiful and modern. The cherry on the cake is its basketball and gym facilities. Most of it was funded from private donors that Banks has the privilege to be friends with and actively engages for money.
Sports is used as a carrot and a stick with the kids. The kids all wear uniforms and are very covert with their misdeeds. (It reminded me of my Catholic school days in All Hallows Institute on 164th St. I believe Banks has based his schools on All Hallows, although I have never heard him admit it.)
If you’re an ATR or a sub there, you are going to suffer greatly. It was by far the worst school I was placed at during my 5 1/2 years in the pool. If you were a brand new teacher- you were going to suffer. They actively recruit only black teachers from private schools like Boston Latin. The poor devil I knew from there - a great guy and teacher, sold his house in late August and came to work there and was completely misled. (He told me the principal came up to Boston with some of Banks’ bureaucracy and watched his classes and brought him down to Eagle, and kept them there for a couple of days to watch the classes and see how the school was run, and basically cherry picked the classes and the kids he would interact with. He ended up leaving in mid December.)
It was by and large the worst school I was ever placed in. It was a hellish experience. (The school I was in previously wanted to hire me but simply didn’t have the budget. I tried to get hold of Mike Sill but he did nothing to help.) The boys would be constantly dry humping each other and simulating sex. If you turned your back for a moment books were flying through the room. The Deans and those who are trying to keep order could only do so while they were in the room. I was warned by security agents not to go to that school when I was placed there in November of 2017, as they had many officers involved in major problems there.
I should also mention the support staff there was incredibly dedicated. Many of the aides there acted as deans and really did the best they could. The secretaries there were great and were the de facto counselors for some of the teachers and students. When a deeply segregated school tries to maintain the outward appearance of conformity and control everything becomes covert and much more nasty than in an open environment, imho.
I don’t believe in segregation in any form. Just because it’s paid for by private funds doesn’t make it OK. NYC is going to see a lot of ‘private’ schools coming in to New York City because of Bloomberg‘s money and Banks’s and Adams leadership.
The one good thing I will say though is that they suspended kids there but only for serious issues. I saw a kid rip the water fountain out of the wall and throw it and he was actually expelled. So one good thing I think he will see is a return to a suspension policy.
Cheers, have a great Christmas and New Year’s.
I just spoke to another ATR who spent time at Eagle in the Bronx. He confirms Bronx ATR's account. He corroborated that the school was all about appearances but the kids were totally out of control.
Anyone expecting an Adams-Banks change to the DOE culture of "making it look good" is likely to be disappointed.
43 comments:
Eagle was co-located in my building for a couple years before it moved into another building. I saw some hardcore fights involving the students. One time, I actually saw a group of about 5 students fight another group of 5 kids in the hallway. It was pretty intense.
Many schools are all about appearances. I was an ATR at Bard High School early College for a year. They talk a good deal of rigor and teaching a college curriculum. Once I subbed for A US History final and the final was a map of the US. The only things the students had to do for their final was to identify all 50 states that were listed on the back of the test and shade in the Andes and the Rockies. Don't forget just like instagram and facebook, schools will only share the good things about them.
No surprise.
No discipline code.
No attendance policy.
All out grade fraud.
Obviously, working conditions at the DOE do not fit in with meritocracy.
Here is the thing, making new charter schools is the ultimate good.
The hell with the NYC public schools.
A totally unsatisfactory account. Dry humping? Books flying. And worthless Mike Sill didn't fix it all with his magic wand. So, he had a bad week at the school. Ultimately, his account is value-less.
This is good to know. I believe in giving everyone a fair shot. A person's actions are the determining factor for me. The status quo is easier to live by for some people. Time will tell what will happen to the students of nyc. Too many people will only do what is best for them.
@4:12 pm...I too was an ATR at a specialized hs. Some of the teachers thought they were a gift from heaven. One day the principal burst their bubble by saying the students' progression was lateral and not linear. The students came in smart but were not moving up. The cheating was rampant as was the drug usage and mental illness. No fights. No disrespecting of teachers.
6:16, We got the story corroborated by a second ATR.
I also have a good friend who taught in an Eagle Academy. Not at all surprised by this post. I have heard many of the same things. Now would be a really great time for a buy out.
Lets all hope Adams does the right thing and implement an early retirement incentive in June 2022 for high paying tier 4 veteran teachers who are close to the finish line.
If we had merit pay, no higher up would earn it they would qualify for de-merit pay cut.
Did/does anyone think any nyc chancellor is anything more than ‘just about appearances’? They’re all lying pieces of shit. Every. Single. One. Stop being so naive.
Big article in the NY Daily News today: Adams wants to use "community surveys of police officers" to be used in career promotions within the NYPD. Merit pay for teachers coming soon?
@10:07, my price for a buy out is $100k
Charters and schools like Eagle or a complete phoney and bullshit. Think of couples who are having marital or other issues, yet on facebook and other social media sites they are posting the best pictures to show everyone how in love they are. Meanwhile,behind the scenes it is ugly messy with cheating.
Hypothetically, if we were pushed to teach little longer or saturdays how much money we getting, if it is the same, that is when we walkout. Fuck these people.
NYS only lists David Banks as having an administrator license. I guess teaching experience isn't required prior to getting to be an administrator.
I too can attest to being at this school for a short time period and I can tell you that the principal left in a scandal when I was there - bronx school - the school houses middle and high school kids...SO one can only imagine the middle school kids are running wild rampant throwing books running in and out of the classrooms. THe deans there or so called deans or security people are constantly going in and out of the classrooms trying to resolve the craziness.
I am trying to be honest here. The school is beautiful and the gym facility is amazing however the school was crazy, no parking anywhere near the school, no grounds outside of the school. Another smoke and mirrors game in the works similar to our charter folks but hey they can all try but its really hard work getting the kids to learn.
I spent a week at the original Eagle Academy on 3rdAve in the Bronx during my years as an ATR.I can not call it a sh-t hole because that would be horribly disrespectful to sh-t!
Great do merit pay and make it based on improvement not achievement. Schools like Stuyvesant and Townsend Harris wouldn't see improvement as their students already come to them high level. Teachers would then be fighting to get into the low performing schools. The information about Eagle academy would be a great expose for the NY Post. Sue Edelman here is another scoop for you.
Sorry off topic-Monday elementary staff development
Should the entire staff be meeting in the auditorium AND told to bring their laptops with them? Then everyone must share?
Is this allowed? Obviously this could be done virtually but is it a must? Or is it Principal preference?
Also an entire staff in person craft all together?
Yes, we have multiple covid cases in the building and classes in quarintine. I feel like I work in the twilight zone.
Please let me know if this is allowed.
4:12PM— Good luck to those kids at Bard trying to shade in the Andes mountains on a map of the United States
The goal is to mismanage the public schools and to facilitate the creation and growth of charter schools. This has been their successful strategy from the beginning of mayoral control
under Bloomberg. Indeed, the public schools have been seriously mismanaged.
https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2021/12/12/michael-mulgrew-discusses-david-banks-as-nyc-s-new-school-chancellor
Watch=Mulgrew agree we should have a longer school day and Saturday schools. Says the teachers want this to help the students.
Yes, we want to help the students but we also have children of our own. We don't want longer days.
We need smaller class sizes. How are kids going to suddenly "get it" at 3pm when they didn't get it for 7 hours before?
We must, must get new leadership that are in touch with the reality of teacher. Teachers who can will retire in droves, others will leave for other professions. This one is not worth it in the NYCDOE.
Banks wants a longer school day, Saturdays and summer school. If can't get staff to do it, will rely on outside resources. I am not doing it. Students need to put in EFFORT.
Fuck a longer school day and FUCK MULGREW.
12:41: Which demeans teachers even more meaning anyone can do our jobs for us.
6:54: Sorry, it was the Appalachians.
Mulgrew is not going to agree to longer days and Saturday school. He knows how awful that would be. This blog is so out of touch. There's no such thing as just disagreeing with Mulgrew and wanting a different president. Or just criticizing his actions. No, you have to create things that he didn't say and attack him for that, too. Or, call him a corrupt monster. Or, a minor minion of the Devil. Mephistopheles incarnate. He's just an ordinary guy doing the best he can, and in the opinion of many, not doing a very good job. Frankly, I think he's doing pretty well considering what he's up against. I'm voting for him unless UfC comes up with someone pretty special.
Saturday school and a longer day? That's the answer? Do we need to hear anything more to know that our new chancellor is a moron. Obviously it's not the quantity of school but the quality that is lacking. Start teaching content and bring back discipline and schools will improve. Adding a day will just cause burnout and resentment.
When banks sees the costs involved in Saturday school or longer days he will have to change his mind....the cost to add these extra days and hours will be astronomical just like everything else in nyc...today i got a toasted bagel with butter and a small coffee at duncan donuts and the clerk said $4.95.
I said no I had just the bagel and small coffee...and the clerk said yes $4.95. So now in todays nyc a bagel and a cup of joe will cost you a five buck can anyone believe that....so now banks wants Saturday school and summer school at $60 per hour per teacher without any bagels included.
This really is Bloomberg 101. Come up with fake promises and manipulate stats. Segregate doe and charters and at the same time, try to bust the union so you look like a hero in politics.
Like a previous commenter stated, the longer days are hilarious. So, kids who did nothing all day are going to get it from 3 to 5 pm? And, Saturday’s and longer school years will equate to more obedient kids. Just hysterical.
When I first started, I had a principal who once said,’if they don’t get it Monday to Friday, they need to be here on weekends as well!’ Nobody outright laughed, but holding in the laughter was extremely difficult.
But only 35% or less of black students are proficient, says Eric Adams. How do you expect to fix this?
As a veteran teacher, if the UFT makes a back door deal to get extra time for more pay in the next contract, I guarantee you that a ton of vets will retire. I'll work in the suburbs of Florida for a few years and then collect my pension at 55.
1009. More proof that Mulgrew does not represent the rank and file of our union. We must vote him out. We must make him feel the pressure from below.
907.. seems he already did
Waiting- easy for you to say as you are retired.
@520pm..
When i was working and pushing back against admin there were teachers hiding behind their backpacks--silent and content. They did what was best for them. It wasn't easy for me then but it's sure easy for me now. Life--it can be funny sometimes. They are elected so now we just have to live with it. Hey, we already had some bad hombres--i hope Adams puts his foot in some azz.
What is the relationship between the outgoing chancellor Ross-Porter and David Banks they are both associated with Eagle Academy in the Bronx.
The UFT is fully aware of Eagle in the Bronx. The Chapter leader there was very vocal in trying to help its many targeted teachers. That the UFT isn’t sounding an alarm bell is worrisome and telling. You see, if you are a teacher at Eagle you are expected to transition from a human being into a disciple. A disciple in which Eagle Academy is your lord and savior. You must be willing to give up your family and personal life to see this bird fly. This is for the betterment of the students and the race. If you are unwilling or unable to civilize and educate your students, you will be targeted for termination. Many, who come to this understanding, realize that they will have to quit, be terminated or sacrifice their health and families toward these goals. Your evenings, weekends and vacations are no longer yours. All the negatives that come with such a place begin to compound. A high staff turnover is the norm. The search for new teachers expands to areas where Eagle Academy is unknown. Physical and mental illness become your constant companions, taking the place of your family and friends.
Eagle’s philosophy and goals are aspired to and are going to be replicated en masse by our incoming mayor. Your school may very well become the next eagle hatchling. Any noncompliance will be seen as a insult and a threat. The teachers union, if it does it’s job, will be seen and attacked by everyone as an enemy of children, parents, the chancellor, the mayor, the city and our majestic national bird. The Eagle has landed.
Waiting-Point is you are retired and this does not directly effect you.
@4:29pm ... it doesn't affect me however I gave my opinion.
3:23 reminds me of an old joke where the eagle picks up a small animal in its beak under the guise of rescuing it.eagle flies.animal says:you wouldn't shit me, would you "
Anyway, hopefully, most decent principals wouldn't follow Banks mantra.imho, people are who they are.an awful principal will use Banks to his credit to bolster his evil deeds. A decent principal with scruples will maintain his/her good nature regardless.isnt this pretty much the way it has been...people of principle will maintain their principles.a An SOB will be that despite a kind fairy being at the helm of our sinking ship called.DOE.should I write a parody of DOE to Sloop John B.!hoist up the doe sails!....I wanna go home!
But seriously, this account of Eagle is sad to read.why are supervisors doing these things, especially amid a shortage? One would think they would try to keep decent people.i always wondered that.
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