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| Charlette Pope |
Principal faked classroom observations at HS: staffers
The principal of Banana Kelly
HS in the South Bronx has faked classroom observations of her faculty, staffers
charge.
“She’s
destroyed the integrity of the whole evaluation system,” an insider told The
Post of Charlette Pope.
The
accusations come as Mayor de Blasio this month named Banana Kelly one of 94
low-performing “Renewal Schools” to share $150 million for extra classroom
time, after-school and summer programs, and teacher training.
In one
case, Pope allegedly fabricated a formal observation of a teacher who had
called in sick on the deadline to file the reviews.
“The
observation never happened. It’s unethical,” the teacher said. When she refused
to sign the dummied-up papers, Pope retaliated by rescinding a summer-school
job, she said.
After
repeatedly demanding to see her personnel file, the teacher was shocked to find
a second fake observation, she said.
In
another case, Pope submitted nearly identical observations of two teachers —
both for the same eighth period last Oct. 23, records show. She rated both
teachers “effective” or “developing” in the same categories.
One of
the two teachers said Pope never came to her classroom to formally observe her
all school year.
“Charlette
Pope had a history of being openly aggressive with teachers,” the staffer said.
“I feared that by confronting her, I would not be rated fairly.”
In
addition, Pope’s observations lift boilerplate language from DOE grading
guidelines without citing specifics about the teachers’ lessons. She also
failed to conduct teacher conferences required before and after observations,
staffers said.
Staffers
reported the alleged misconduct to special schools investigator Richard Condon,
who launched a probe last week.
On
Friday, after investigators spoke with Pope and collected records, she took
steps to fire one of the whistleblowers, an untenured teacher.
Reached
by phone Friday, Pope said, “I’m not allowed to speak to the press,” and hung
up.
Pope,
40, became principal of Banana Kelly in December 2012, making $137,190.
While
the school lacks laptops, paper and other supplies, staffers said, Pope handed
out iPads — in custom cases engraved with a Maya Angelou quote — to 43 June
graduates, at an estimated cost of $17,000.
Previously,
she raffled off mini-iPads, an Xbox and Beats headphones to students who
attended a Regents prep session. The DOE forbids schools to give “incentive”
prizes costing more than $25 each.
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| Charlette Pope in the rubber room |
Principal demoted after faking classroom evaluations: officials
A Bronx principal has been
demoted after a probe confirmed she faked teacher observations and blew taxpayer money on
extravagant purchases, officials said.
Charlette Pope, 42, was principal of Banana Kelly HS, one of
Mayor de Blasio’s “Renewal” schools under pressure to improve. Her removal
followed Post reports that Pope filed bogus documents falsely stating that she had evaluated several teachers
in their classrooms.
The DOE said Pope would receive an assistant principal’s pay. She made $144,000 in 2015. She’s now assigned to the Absent Teacher Reserve, a pool of substitutes, and spends time idling in a “rubber room.”
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