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Who We Are »
Betsy Combier

Help Us to Continue to Help Others »
Email: betsy.combier@gmail.com

 
The E-Accountability Foundation announces the

'A for Accountability' Award

to those who are willing to whistleblow unjust, misleading, or false actions and claims of the politico-educational complex in order to bring about educational reform in favor of children of all races, intellectual ability and economic status. They ask questions that need to be asked, such as "where is the money?" and "Why does it have to be this way?" and they never give up. These people have withstood adversity and have held those who seem not to believe in honesty, integrity and compassion accountable for their actions. The winners of our "A" work to expose wrong-doing not for themselves, but for others - total strangers - for the "Greater Good"of the community and, by their actions, exemplify courage and self-less passion. They are parent advocates. We salute you.

Winners of the "A":

Johnnie Mae Allen
David Possner
Dee Alpert
Aaron Carr
Harris Lirtzman
Hipolito Colon
Larry Fisher
The Giraffe Project and Giraffe Heroes' Program
Jimmy Kilpatrick and George Scott
Zach Kopplin
Matthew LaClair
Wangari Maathai
Erich Martel
Steve Orel, in memoriam, Interversity, and The World of Opportunity
Marla Ruzicka, in Memoriam
Nancy Swan
Bob Witanek
Peyton Wolcott
[ More Details » ]
 
Opening the Door to NYC Education Corruption Part I: Update on Retaliation of All Whistleblowers
The New York City Board of Education is throwing out good teachers who are either over 40 years of age and/or speak out against the corruption they see. Students who question or dispute the system are suspended or failed and thrown out, and parents who ask questions are told they will be arrested if they enter their child's school. This is New York City. by Betsy Combier
          
The New York City Board of Education - still the legal name - is continuing to defame anyone who dares to stand up and talk about the corruption and crimes going on inside our city schools. We all now know the routine: you may be a teacher, parent, student, or consultant, and you see students abused by school personnel, or you know of school funds being misappropriated; you cant sleep at night unless you mention it to your supervisor. In fact, you are probably encouraged by the BOE PR to speak out.

This is a trap.

The BOE expects complete silence about everything that occurs within the walls of any of their buildings or outside, and involves any BOE personnel or money.

Retaliation is always swift, unpredictable, incomprehensible, and random. Thus, everyone is kept in a state of constant terror: teachers who correctly fear for their jobs; parents afraid of the police and school personnel harassing or abusing their children; and children who feel the betrayal of trust for those who were supposed to protect them 'in loco parentis'.

No one is safe or immune.

Parentadvocates.org will provide the stories and grievances of the teachers, parents, and children who are punished for doing the right thing, and we will follow them through their journey into Hell. We believe that by exposing their stories online we can start the slow process of turning the criminalization of innocent people around, and create a public emergency to rid the education system of the perpetrators who only want to hurt or obtain public money in an illegal way.

Since we posted our article Retaliation Against All Whistleblowers is the Name of the Illegal Game in New York City we have received countless emails from teachers about their experiences, all of which follow the same pattern: one day you are teaching, the next day you are fired, given a "U" rating, harassed, told you are "medically unfit for duty"(by a BOE psychiatrist, of course), and/or you are sent to a 'Rubber Room' where you sit for years, but at least you get your full salary. You try to save your job with protests, letters, denials, union hearings, and then lawyers, but you find that no one will really help you. Even your friends may be threatened into silence, as hard as that is to believe.

We have heard that judges call reporters and 'ordinary'citizens and threaten over the telephone to sanction/hurt or jail anyone who helps Jane/John Doe. Publishers of major newspapers need ad revenue to survive, and we hate to say it, but one person's torment and abuse is not in the same category of consideration as a multi-million dollar advertisement. The NYC BOE, for example, through the city, provides billions of dollars of ad revenue every year. Publishers cant lose this source of operating funds.

Once your name is entered into the "No Hire" list (if you are a teacher); alert list (if you are a parent); or emergency information contact center (if you are a student), the system rallies against you. Nothing you can do or say is of any value. Your life is over as you know it.

Then what do you do? The decision is entirely up to you, and here are a few options:

1. you or your parents pursue a legal remedy. Kudos to anyone who has thousands of dollars for a lawyer, if you can find one. Don't forget that alliances are made behind closed doors. In New York City, for example, Michael Cardozo is the Chief Attorney of the Corporation Counsel. This means he signs off on all lawsuits that name the city of New York. He was, previously a partner at the law firm of Proskauer Rose- although we were told a few months ago that he still worked there parttime - and his colleague is Judith Kaye's husband, Stephan Rachow Kaye. Judith Kaye is Chief Judge of the State of New York. Mr. Kaye helps the city maintain judgements against the public interest, as the following case shows, in which the law firm of Proskauer Rose prevented Straphangers from stopping a raise in MTA fares, and from seeing the financial reports for the public agency. But, you can fight pro se anyway.

2. You can accept the assessment written about you and printed out from any computer endless times, especially when you try to find another job.

3. You can move to another state or country, or change your name.

Let's see what has happened to some of our previous teachers, parents, and students:

Edmond Farrell:
A NYC Math Teacher Fights Back After Receiving an Unfair 'Unsatisfactory' Rating from a Principal

An award-winning math teacher, Mr. Farrell was harassed by the new Principal to John Adams High School, Mrs. Grace Zwillenberg, into taking a leave after several "U" ratings. Her first "U" rating was given to him one month after starting her new job as Principal at the High School. Parentadvocates.org editor Betsy Combier and former teacher Norman Scott were barred from Mr. Farrell's hearing at the Office of Appeals and Reviews, and then he filed a Verified Petition with Commissioner Mills, for unfair use and untrue observation reports. Commissioner Mills has not answered the complaint. Mr. Farrell's math classes were given to several substitute teachers who do not know the students or the subject matter.

Mr. Bob Drake

One of the best chemistry teachers in New York City, Mr. Drake worked prestigious high school Bronx Science. He believes that Ms. Valerie Reidy, the Principal of Bronx Science, is not providing the school the rigorous academics that are required, and wrote flyers about his documentation of what is currently problematic at the school. He was fired. Two other teachers are being harassed out of their jobs, and both may probably lose their positions in the near future. Mr. Drake has, reluctantly, found a new position outside of the city. His Bronx Science students will have a novice as teacher.

Mr. Neil Lovinger:
Neil Lovinger, Former Teacher at Booker T. Washington, Sues and Wins
and: Teachers Are Easily Sabotaged When a Principal Wants To Get rid of Them: La Guardia High School and Brooklyn Technical High School

Neil was given a "this person cannot be hired" because, we believe, he supported Betsy Combier and her exposure of special education law abuse at Booker T. Washington MS 54. He won a decision in Brooklyn Supreme Court to have his case heard at a public hearing, but a public hearing of his case would be a nightmare for the NYC BOE. So, the lawyers at the Corporation Counsel would not schedule a public anything, and made a Motion to Supreme Court Judge Yvonne Lewis to vacate her decision.

Bruce Irushalmi

Mr. Irushalmi retired from his long-term position in Region 1 as Director of Family Support Services on June 31, 2005. Mr. Irushalmi was, despite his improprieties as Director of the BOE Office of School Safety in 1992 when the Special Commissioner Edward Stancik exposed his crimes, working with The Wallace Foundation as part of their LEAD Project from about 1997. We called the Communications Office at the Wallace Foundation and asked for a comment on Mr. Irushalmi's participation on this project, but we have not received a return telephone call.
After Mr. Irushalmi's "retirement" in June, 2005, he moved to the Bronx Institute of Lehman College.

 
© 2003 The E-Accountability Foundation