Thomas Forbes in Heaven--for a Week

The following report was filed by Thomas Forbes, a teacher who is becoming a NYCATR regular.

This week had me spending time at Eleanor Roosevelt High School (the DOE's name is Upper East Side High School). It is located at 76th near 1st Ave. 

Most of the time I have been sitting in the library or study hall, or  checking kids' names on a list to see if they have to pay for lunch. 

I have not been in a school like this since the late 70's when I was in high school. Students have lockers, which they do not lock;  they leave their umbrellas in the hallway to dry off, and they left their book bags unattended when school pictures were taken. No students are hanging in the hallways, wearing hats, sagging their pants half way to their knees or carrying cellular phones out where we can see them. It is amazing to see kids sitting around and talking about their classes and assignments. 

I have become so warped after working so long in these completely dysfunctional schools, I did not realize any more that you can be a teacher today rather than a full-time disciplinarian. 

Alas, I am waiting for 2:00 PM today to see where I will be going next week. In the meantime, I am trying to figure out a strategy on how to deal with a principal who is running a horrible school and then blames the teachers. 

Forbes's Phantasmagory

Thomas Forbes spent the first month of this school year at the high-school named after Washington Irving, the author of "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."  Mr. Forbes's story, below, is no less phantasmagorical than those two classics--except that Forbes's story is true.  

Washington Irving

After spending a month as a full time dean at Washington Irving HS, I was sent to Fashion and Finance in the old Park West Building.  I checked today and found out that I would be going next week to Eleanor Roosevelt HS or I guess it is now called Upper West Side.  Both places were okay, but no open social studies positions, so no chance of getting hired.  I asked Upper West Side on the phone today and they also do not have a social studies position available.  I see three listed in my district, which is Manhattan High Schools.   

I think we have around 32 weeks a year of classes, so there are now maybe 27 left.  Wow, 29 schools in one school year.  What about Regents week?  Maybe we can go undercover and further expose the mass manipulation of Regents scores in the city.  We can all do guest reviews for insideschools.org and  give the real picture of what is going on in the school.  

Picture credit: http://www.worldculturepictorial.com/images/content/washington-irving_1783-1859.jpg