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"...100 years from now it will not matter what kind of car I drove or how big my house was. However, the world may be a better place because I was important to the life of one child."Member of UFT Solidarity Caucus
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3020-a : Andrew Gordon ATR ATU Berta Dreyfus Bloomberg Courtenaye Jackson-Chase David Brodsky esq. Deputy Chancellor David Weiner doe DOI Dreyfus DTOE erminia claudio Esq foil freedom of information grievance investigator IS 49 Linda Hill Marisol Vazquez esq. nyc doe nysed office of special investigation osi Portelos principal hill principal Linda Hill raise reading Richard Candia rubber room SCA sci special commissioner of investigation Susanne Abramowitz tenure termination termination hearing uft UFT Chapter Leader UFT Solidarity Walcott
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The Trial by Fire of Mr. Francesco Portelos
by David Pakter
Any impartial, fair minded individual who followed the State Education “3020-a” Hearings of Mr. Francesco Portelos and read the Hearing Transcripts can easily observe that the Hearing Officer assigned to the case was determined, some might even conclude, was even desperate, to portray Mr. Portelos in a poor light and attempt to “find” he was guilty of numerous alleged actions where, in fact, Mr. Portelos was simply acting in the best interest of his students, their parents and his community.
Using the same old tired language that countless teachers have previously heard so-called Hearing Officers use against them in “Sustaining” groundless, baseless and often intentionally fabricated charges, the present Hearing Officer found Mr. Portelos guilty of causing, among other things:
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Quote:
“…embarrassment for the administration. (and) Even though the Department had no legal recourse to stop Respondent, it does not mean it waived the right to discipline him.
” Once again, because something may not be illegal, the Department may discipline Respondent for engaging in conduct that he should have known would thwart or undermine the schools mission.
“This was conduct unbecoming his position and prejudicial to the good order, efficiency or discipline of the service….
(thus) Specification 29 is sustained.
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It is difficult to listen to, and/or read such mealy mouthed words issuing from the lips and pens of such hired hacks, failed human beings and assorted sorry stooges who earn their “weekly crust of bread” helping, assisting and/or enabling, the New York City Dept. of Education destroy the lives and careers of countless dedicated NYC Teachers simply because they refused to avert their eyes and good conscience when they observed conduct, often of a legally criminal nature, that was hurtful to New York City’s more than one million mostly socio/economically deprived, at-risk inner City public school children.
It is heartbreaking to record the huge number of New York City Teachers who have been viciously “set up”, accused by the “system” of knowingly fabricated allegations and been railroaded out of their hard earned teaching career because they refused to cover up and/or ignore the criminal behavior they observed in the schools in which they worked.
Mr. Francesco Portelos is one such Teacher who put the children first.
Indeed Mr. Portelos will one day “have his day” in a real Court, a Federal Court, before a Federal Judge, where the horrendous and preposterous “Kangaroo Court” type injustices that transpire during a NYC Teacher 3020-a State Hearing, like the one Mr. Portelos was forced to undergo, for almost two years, do not occur.
The highly exorbitant and indeed obscenely punitive $ 10,000./ (Ten thousand dollar) “Fine” that was imposed on Mr. Francesco Portelos by the “Hearing Officer” is nothing less than a monstrously vindictive and callous act reflecting a form of Whistle-blower retaliation intended equally to punish an innocent man “who refused to go along to get along” as well as to send a clear message to other NYC Teachers that when you “rock the boat” by calling attention to willful criminal behavior in the work place, the “system” has the ways and means and the vast power and machinery to rain devastating pain and hurt down on your entire life and career.
The history of the world is the history of courageous human beings, from Jesus Christ to Mahatma Gandhi, to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who were prepared to speak Truth to Power, no matter what the cost to themselves.
The NYC School system was determined to make Francesco Portelos “run the gauntlet” and pay the price for his integrity, decency and refusal to be intimidated by the sorry hired lackeys that control the twenty four billion dollar NYC Dept. of Education.
But the name “Francesco Portelos” will be remembered long after the name of the pathetic and sorry individual who found Mr. Portelos guilty and Fined him Ten Thousand dollars as “punishment”, simply for doing the Right thing, has long been forgotten and consigned to the scrap heap of New York City history.
Please refer to the book by Education expert Karen Horwitz, M. Ed.-
“White Chalk Crime: The REAL Reason Schools Fail”: -Untold story of crime that has destroyed our schools and how teacher abuse and teacher cleansing have kept this from you.”
Please read the many “Five Star Reviews” on Amazon.com of this shattering, ground breaking book that exposes how the multi-billion dollar world of education in America has destroyed the lives of countless dedicated Teachers such as Francesco Portelos.
David, I am very touched by your powerful description of this case.
My 3020 Hearing is coming up and you add to my courage.
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