PS 171 Don't Send Your Kids Here

June 25, 2007

Dear Ms. Mandel,

My name is Suzanne Zaifert, a former teacher at P.S. 171. It is my understanding that you are representing Mr. Pantelidis, the principal at PS. 171, on June 26, 2007. I would like to share my experiences with you, in hopes of impacting the way teachers are being treated at this school.

I am concerned because there is a pattern of mistreatment of teachers at P.S. 171. One example of mistreatment is the case you will be discussing on June 26th. The teacher who filed the grievance, was voted as TEACHER OF THE YEAR for the 2006-2007 school year, and for the past two years she has also been harassed by Mr. Pantelidis. She has worked under Mr. Pantelidis for the past eight years, and has been teaching first grade for the past sixteen years at P.S. 171. She is now is being forced to file grievances to stay within her current position. She was blindsided a couple weeks ago when her name was not slated next to the 1st grade position, (again, a position she has held for sixteen years,) only to be replaced by a brand-new student teacher. This is a student teacher, who backed out of the position being offered to her, when she realized the tense and uncomfortable situation she was walking into. This student teacher apologized to this Teacher of the Year, as well as the other teachers, and did not accept position. In the past weeks, teachers have come to this Teacher of the Year's defense asking Mr. Pantelidis, "Why was this done? What are you doing?" only to be dismissed and left unanswered.

The teacher that is tenured is one of the lucky ones, however, it does not undermine the stress and the tumultuous year that some of the teachers at P.S. 171 have experienced. During my year there, three of us were forced out, one of which had to seek out medical attention due to stress and anxiety.

Also, three science teachers, a fourth grade teacher, and a seventh grade teacher vacated their positions in the middle of the school year. Two of them went on spring break, and never returned to school again. To date, another four are leaving at the end of the year, finding teaching jobs elsewhere. Teachers would rather put their credentials on the line, than continue working another day under the constant duress at this school.

I have first-hand accounts of what these teachers are put through everyday. I was one of them last year. I was recruited from Los Angeles to work for the NYCDOE. I was a literacy coach, an experienced teacher with two masters, and received an Unsatisfactory rating as a teacher at the conclusion of my one year spent at P.S. 171. I have worked way too hard to have my passion for educating squashed by someone who has a personality conflict with me. As a matter of fact, I wrote to Mr. Pantelidis mid-year as an outreach to solve some of the issues that were personally affecting me at the school. Three weeks later I was brought up on charges I was not doing my job. I was shocked and surprised and had never received this sort of rating during my tenure as an educator, and therefore was unable to teach at another New York City school this past year. With my credentials and experience, I was doing my job to the best of my ability, with little or no sixth grade materials, and the huge lacking of administrative support.

I ask you, how many teachers with my credentials received a U-rating? According the union, none.

Again, I am writing this letter because several teachers at this school explained to me the madness that has ensued. My understanding is that that you have a meeting on Tuesday is in regards to a grievance of a preference sheet that was not received. When in fact, it was turned in. This is déjà vu, considering it was the same thing that happened to me last year. After being harassed, singled out in front of my peers all year long, to then find out suddenly my preference sheet for next year is the only one missing of the stack and being refused a second copy? Find it coincidence? I think not.

Where is the professionalism I know the NYCDOE hold so high?

Furthermore, several teachers including myself were under intense scrutiny of having Mr. Pantelidis in our rooms for over 90 minutes several times a week, only to have him joined by the assistant principal so they can have a whispering private conversation in the back of our rooms while we as teachers, continue to do our job. Incidences like this, would then be followed by a letter, placed in a red folder in your school mailbox, so that everyone in the school knows you got one, to be told how you not doing your job. I received several of those letters, in fact I have a stack about three inches thick of just red folders and letters. One letter I received stated I was teaching nothing at 9am, including math, Language Arts, social studies, or science. This was an outright lie. Once I received this letter, I had my students write down exactly what we did during the day, to protect myself from these lies, and I hold onto them today at the chance a judge will ask for them. Moreover, despite the allegation that I was not doing my job, my students scored in the 90th percentile on all their practice exams, yet the persecution never subsided.

Moreover, during my U-Rating hearing Mr. Pantelidis sent copies in a three-ring notebook down to the district without my permission or my signature, and as a result, and it's in the transcripts of my hearing, the truth was revealed that all of the paperwork that Mr. Pantelidis made up about me could have been thrown out. It was illegally placed in my file without my permission, however, I chose to address each one, proving my harassment, and unbearable year, I went through at P.S. 171

Can you even imagine coming into work everyday under that kind of stress? Well, I did and so do the other teachers, but I ask you, is it right? Is it bullying? Abuse of power? How long can it go on until the district recognizes this is a serious problem? Are you waiting for a class-action suit?

One of my harassment complaints is that I was left out of three grade level curriculum planning days where the teachers received substitutes, only to be notified that I would be singled out to receive special intense specific training, a threat that he never followed through with. I kept that letter too since it proves that I was treated with unfair and unequal practices.

In addition, did you know that a kindergarten teacher didn't come to school the last four days of the year last year? She felt so uneasy and strongly about an incident in her classroom where she was being accused of something that was untrue, and lacked the support of the principal, that she chose to stay in the safety of her own home for the remainder of the school year. She too found a job elsewhere, never to return at P.S. 171. That teacher is not alone in her feeling of being targeted, and not supported by the principal. I was forced to call the police last year, because I didn't feel safe either. I went to Mr. Pantelidis with the complaint of feeling unsafe and insecure on school grounds, and the answer I received was "So go call the police." The police came and reviewed the written letter of a parent and the behavior that ensued from that parent and asked me, "What is the child still doing in your class?" My only answer was, "good question. I have no idea." This is the same parent who used vulgar language toward me in which I was forced to have a closed door meeting with, while Mr. Pantelidis walked by three times, and never stepped in, but two male staff members had enough common sense to stand outside the door to protect me.

Again I ask where was the support of my administration? Why was I allowed to be in harms way? Is this what is expected of principals in your department?

I ask you why should another teacher have to go through what I went through? I was offered a deal to overturn my U-Rating, IF I didn't pursue charges, or sue the NYCDOE. I declined the offer. This is a huge liability to the school district and there is no denying the facts and accurate accounts of many of the teachers who have come in contact with Mr. Pantelidis. These teachers are banding together, and saying ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

On a final note, try using silverware to eat your breakfast and balancing a reading book, while avoiding getting food in you lap, sound enjoyable? That's what the students' of P.S.171 have to do every morning.

This is just a sample of the sort of duress that teachers are placed under on a daily basis. I know you will make and educated decision knowing what you have just learned about P.S. 171. I want you to take a minute and think about if this was your daughter, sister, or mother being put through this? Would you stand for it? I would hope not. I'm still waiting for my Unsatisfactory rating to be overturned, that's all I want, that is all I ever wanted. I will never return to work for the NYCDOE, due to my experiences at P.S. 171. I want what is only fair and deserved, a Satisfactory Rating. This letter will reach far beyond you in the district and the union, and the teachers of this school who work hard everyday.

Teachers should not have to come to their place of work and expect this kind of behavior, harassment, and abuse of power. It is distracting to the teachers and takes away from the real reason we are there…to teach the children.


Thank you,

Suzanne Zaifert


CC:
Mr. Pantelidis, Principal P.S. 171
Teachers at P.S. 171
Eleandor Foxe, PTA President P.S. 171
Joel Klein, Chancellor NYCDOE
Virginia Caputo, NYCDOE Appeals and ReviewsJoAnn Rabot, NYCDOE Appeals and Reviews
Joseph Loschiavo, NYCDOE Office of Support Services
Peter Heaney, Jr, Regional Superintendent
Jorge Isquirda, District 9 Local Instructional Superintendent 2006-2007
Beverly Wilkins, District 9 Local Instructional Superintendent 2005-2006
Eric Nadelstern, Head of the Empowerment Zone
Ira Goldberg, Principal Representative at my hearing in January
Sister Virgie Mohammed, District Representative at my hearing in January
Nick Skrutz, Union Representative at hearing in January
Hector Nazario, Education Council President
Jerry Goldman, UFT Manhattan President
Servia Silva, UFT Representative for P.S. 171
Union Newspaper Storyboard
Eugene Rubin, UFT Committee Liaison
Larry Miraldi, associated with UFT