New Rochelle Principal Resigns Amidst Grading Scandal and is Hired By NYC DOE Chancellor Carranza As Director of School Quality

Mayor de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray arrive with city schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña and New York City's next schools chancellor Richard Carranza and his wife for a news conference at City Hall. (James Keivom/New York Daily News)

New York City is the hub of the secret national public education policy wheel called "changing grades to look good." Here in NYC we hide it under such alternative titles as "credit recovery" and "student portfolios".  The goal is to get all students through the school year with enough credits to move up or out.

To anyone who reads the daily newspapers in NYC, especially the New York POST, grade changing by Principals is widespread. Unfortunately, teachers are charged with grade changing, and punished, or are charged with insubordination/misconduct if they DON'T change grades. This is the most absurd, arbitrary and capricious of all the policies in the current NYC DOE teacher discipline 3020-a process, aside from the procedural errors of law which I have exposed in the Cardinale case.

In my post about DeWitt Clinton High School Principal Pierre Orbe I re-posted a New York Times article about grade changing at Wadleigh High School in 2008. Back then, I was still shocked to hear that a student who never showed up for class still got the necessary credits to graduate. Now, grade changing is all over the place and is embedded in the NYCDOE Grading policy.

The policy only helps those who don't care that kids are not learning anything but are graduating from High School anyway. This is just another example of passing the buck, or pushing consequences off to someone else, the future, or the universe. In this group are students, parents, staff and administrators - a few or many from each section of the education community. What is surprising is that there are so many people at the top who agree to this public sham.

The largest group who don't care about getting kids through the school year even if they don't show up are, it seems to me, the Principals. Indeed, the NYC Department of Education is well-known for rewarding principals for changing grades. A low graduation rate means possible termination, removal, public outcry and at least embarrassment for the principal. The mandate for Principals is to "improve" student grades so that the school looks good.

One of my greatest joys is to see the widespread hope that the education community has toward change. I try my best to go with the flow, but sometimes it is simply impossible. Like when Mayor Bill DeBlasio appointed Carmen Farina as Chancellor. I and others who knew very well that she was the wrong choice due to her disdain for teachers, truth in grading, equal opportunity and the public voice of parents. We tried to convince the DeBlasio team before the appointment. We obviously failed.

Mr. Carranza embracing the outgoing chancellor, Carmen Fariña, with his wife Monique after the
March 5 news conference announcing his hiring.CreditKevin Hagen for The New York Times

Currently, we are in a new era, that of the NYC DOE being under the control and authority of a new Chancellor, Richard Carranza. He comes to us all the way from Texas, no less? Why? Because Mayor DeBlasio could not find a suitable person in New York City. There aren't any. I, personally, have no hope for a good change in any policy of the NYC DOE at this point, and the resignation of Reginald Richardson from the position of Principal of New Rochelle High School does not make me feel better.

The article posted below says that Principal Richardson resigned in the midst of a grade probe, and is now hired by the NYC Department of Education as the Director of School Quality. He starts at the end of August.

Really.

BREAKING NEWS:

According to Susan Edelman at the New York Post, after a call was made to the Department of Education about the hiring of Mr. Richardson, the offer was rescinded.

Thanks Sue!

Let's hope that Chancellor Carranza soon realizes that he has a very informed public here in NYC, and there will be scrutiny of his every move. Are you ready Mr. Carranza?

The NY Daily News reported on Sunday July 22, 2018, that Mayor DeBlasio is dragging his feet in the sex harassment cases inside NYC schools. Reporter Ben Chapman writes:

"In addition, city Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza's actions have been at the center of a $75,000 sex discrimination settlement in his previous district of San Francisco in 2016. Carranza has denied the charges in the suit. As the Daily News has reported, the suit was brought by a veteran educator who alleged Carranza ruined her career after she called him out for flirting at a conference with another woman.

De Blasio has said he doesn't believe the claims in that case, and has maintained Carranza was properly vetted for his current job, even though the city didn't contact the plaintiff or her lawyer in the sex discrimination case."

Betsy Combier
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betsy@advocatz.com
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Reginald Richardson

New Rochelle High School Principal Reggie Richardson resigns amid grade probe

Colleen Wilson, cwilson2@lohud.comPublished 6:00 a.m. ET May 23, 2018
New Rochelle High School Principal Reginald Richardson resigned today effective in August, the second high-ranking official to announce his leaving the district recently.

The announcement comes in the middle of an investigation into whether grades were inflated by way of an online credit recovery program and a rash of violence earlier this year that included the stabbing death of high school student Valaree Schwab.

Richardson will leave the school district on Aug. 20 to serve as the Director of School Quality with the New York City Department of Education.

"Although this past year has been one of incredible challenges, I have been inspired by the resilient spirit that this school community has demonstrated," Richardson said in a statement. "It is a reflection of your unwavering commitment to provide our students with the best of yourselves."

GRADE INFLATION: New Rochelle High School grade inflation probe launched for online course program

RE-REGISTRATION: New Rochelle schools' re-registration under microscope after NYCLU, community concerns

OSBORNE: After 'challenging' year, New Rochelle schools superintendent leaving next summer

Superintendent Brian Osborne, who also announced his intention to leave the district after next year, wished Richardson well in his new role.

"Mr. Richardson has served New Rochelle High School with devotion since becoming principal in July 2013. We thank him for his contributions to the City School District of New Rochelle," Osborne said.

Osborne said the school district will begin an immediate search for Richardson’s replacement.

The school district will look for a new principal while undergoing a re-registration plan that was recently scrutinized by the New York Civil Liberties Union the plan “may discriminate against homeless students, those from low-income households, immigrants and students of color.”

Twitter: @ChrisEberhart2