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Friday, August 2, 2013

PS 29 Principal is In Trouble

Teachers and parents call for removal of College Point principal at PS 29

State Sen. Tony Avella and staffers rallied to urge the city to replace Principal Jennifer Jones-Rogers. Opponents claim the principal harasses and humiliates teachers.

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 Parent Marisol Chavez and her son Lukas Chavez, 9, call for the removal of Principal Jennifer Jones-Rogers from Public School 29 in College Point. Staff and teachers said that she bullies them.


Angry teachers and parents are demanding the city fire a College Point principal they claim harasses and humiliates staffers.

About two dozen people — including teachers and state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) — rallied outside Public School 29 Thursday to complain that Principal Jennifer Jones-Rogers is so abusive that 25 of 45 teachers have left or been forced out since she took the helm in 2010.

“She is very abusive to staff and students,” said a teacher who declined to give her name due to fear of retribution. “She scolds you in front of people and publicly humiliates you.”

The teacher said staffers who get on the principal’s bad side are subject to increased classroom observations and are often written up for minor violations.

And struggling students are wrongly placed in special education classes, teachers said. The goal is to boost the school’s coffers — and test scores.

Parent Marisol Chavez, 42, of College Point, said Jones—Rogers told her that her son was going to be placed in a class for struggling students last year — but the fourth-grader was instead enrolled in special ed.



State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) joined the parents and teachers in calling for the principal’s firing.
“I was very upset,” she said. “I felt betrayed.”

Jones-Rogers and the Department of Education did not immediately comment.

The school received a B grade on its last city report card. But PS 29 received a C mark from parents, teachers and students on the environment of the school.

Teachers also complained that PS 29’s library was turned into a drama room — and many classes are using outdated curriculums and don’t have textbooks.

“We find old textbooks are make a million photocopies,” said one staffer, who asked not to be named for fear of retribution. “Children are not reading and writing on grade level.”

Second-grade teacher Stephanie Flunory gave her principal a failing grade:

“She has created a learning and working environment that is detrimental to all,” said Flunory. “We deserve better leadership.”

ctrapasso@nydailynews.com

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This principal is so abusive to teachers and students. She enjoys making people cry. She thrives on intimidating people. And she thinks she's a leader? She's a legend in her own mind.

She has done nothing to improve this school. Still wondering where she's spending all the money allocated to the school.