In January of 2014 , Sue Edelman of the NY Post labeled PS 106 in Queens “The School of No.” They allegedly had no books and a no show principal or rather that she would always arrive late. The admin was actually cornered and repeatedly hit with follow up after follow up story. Immediately after the first article, Chancellor Faria, deployed her top deputy chancellor to the school. The school received books and Principal Marcella Sills started showing up on time.
Across the city at 80 Maiden Lane, Special Commissioner of Investigation Richard Condon did a spit take with his coffee and yelled out “Calling All Cars!” This got his $5 million salary crew in gear and they finally, after years of complaints, sprang in to action. (Click here for news on PS 106 prior to January 2014) Bloomberg was now gone and there was a new sheriff in town. BdB may have removed the protection afforded to so many corrupt administrators. I don’t know for sure, but something made SCI open, investigate and close a big case in record time. One month. Maybe it was the new Department of Investigation commissioner.
Just an hour ago they released their findings on Principal Marcella Sills and Assistant Principal Tonya West. They recommended the termination of Marcella Sills and even though Tonya West just resigned, SCI recommended she be made ineligible to work for NYC BOE again.
I won’t write the details here, but rather you read it for yourself. It’s quite interesting and an all too familiar story.
PS 106Q Marcella Sills Misconduct Report
A big Educator Fights Back shout out to those involved in exposing the corruption. May the BOE employees be protected and may the students be awarded with a proper education.
Sunlight is a great disinfectant.
You may also find these links interesting:
http://educatorfightsback.org/all-down-hill/
And
http://educatorfightsback.org/admins-not-so-confidential-emails/
Woohoooooooo!
Too bad they don’t uncover Principal Hill!
I’d say Ms. Edelman is due for a cut of that 5M as a finder’s fee.
Wasn’t that the whole idea of creating an “SCI” So that investigations should and would be done in a TIMELY way i.e. So that a 1 month investigation… as in the Sills case… wouldn’t take 5 years
I thought that was the big take-away from the Gill Commission. But memory fades. Maybe that was some OTHER Gill Commission. And the more things change… the more they DON’T.
All I know is that there is something PROFOUNDLY wrong in this dusty little corner of the education universe.
You are right Paul. That’s what I understood as well.
What about my cut since I’ve been reporting on Sills on Ed Notes and in The Wave (local Rockaway paper) for over 5 years I am not cheering since this is a coverup of Sills’ real crimes — destroying the careers of teachers, misuse of funds, etc. People in the school were very happy when she wasn’t there – the school ran better without her.
I made changes to article Norm. I included all articles on Marcella Sills before this post article.
Not enough $$$ in the world. A *monument* for you.
And boy…. I know how these folks feel:
>>> People in the school were very happy when she wasnt there the school ran better without her.>>>>>
You can say that about *so* many administrators. The word “ornamental”: a vast understatement.
I made the changes and included your coverage in the post. You are right.
Great news….but why aren’t any of these dirty supervisors ever prosecuted in court for stealing taxpayer,dollars They are immune to the law that each of us live under How many thousands did she pocket, along with all of the hours she stole by being no show on job Why,don’t they use their video cams in the school to,see how much time she stole as well
Not only did she take this money, but we’ll be paying her pension for years.
So refreshing!! (Does the HAPPY DANCE!!)
Ten years ago when I complained my students did not have textbooks, it was easier to silence me and FIRE ME…this of course was on the heels of my getting sick with Fibromyalgia and CFS…instead they got their lil Kangaroo Court and found me ‘incompetent’ because of course when we get sick we all of a sudden become UNsatisfactory…and how dare I demand the accommodation of BOOKS so that I did not have to drive to the Kinkos late at night spending money I didn’t have on a chump change salary (back then 30K) late at night of course because back then you had three years to complete 30 undergrad credits and a Master’s degree (like it’s humanly possible and I was the jerk that tried it). It really is a joke because every year totally green, alternative certification track I beat out the lead “qualified” teacher turned RAT my 1st, 2nd and 3rd years…
I digress…finally someone thinks books are important…isn’t that something…finally there is hope…what is tragic are the adults who turn a blind eye and deny our future generation an education…even more disgusting the ensuring that these RATS still get their pensions and cushy benefits for FAILING an entire generation of children…
My only hope is that the trash in the system eventually end up weeded out and destitute and victims to some of the children they taught (or didn’t teach) I can imagine the fun with all the social security miscalculations…Karma can be good or bad.