Principal accused of eager to oust white academics created faculty of ‘madness’: petition
A Washington Heights principal, accused by staffers of making an attempt to divide the college by race, made good on a vow to ax white staffers and has let the college devolve into “madness,” insiders mentioned.
Paula Lev, the principal of Excessive Faculty for Regulation and Public Service confronted a Division of Training probe final 12 months after allegedly telling a instructor she was “going to do away with all these white academics that aren’t doing something for the youngsters of our group,” in accordance with a grievance.
The grievance, first filed with the DOE, is now earlier than the state Division of Human Rights.
Lev, who’s Dominican, gave extra notices to 4 white staffers on the 450-student faculty within the final 12 months, and made different unpopular modifications, insiders mentioned.
Among the excessed academics discovered new jobs, in order that they weren’t formally thought-about lower; others left on their very own; and at the very least three extra academics determined to name it quits this month, an insider mentioned.
“There are various extra academics who’ve voiced that they plan to go away they usually really feel demoralized,” the staffer mentioned. The exodus comes after academics took an uncommon vote of no confidence in opposition to Lev a 12 months in the past.
Fed up college students are additionally demanding motion.
One scholar, Angel Dilawar, 17, who shall be a senior in September and is the category valedictorian, began a petition on change.org saying “we’ve got had sufficient and can’t bear to witness the utter disorganization and madness at our college.”
“We have now some new academics which might be tremendous under-qualified, and workers members that have been totally skilled and certified have been excessed,” reads the petition that garnered greater than 370 signatures in two months.
Dilawar informed The Submit that Lev has wasted cash on frills like hallway TV screens and $50,000 price of hoodies to go along with faculty uniforms that nobody wears. In the meantime, violence has elevated, she mentioned.
“Proper now college students can do something they need they usually’re not going to get in bother,” Dilawar mentioned.
Dilawar mentioned whereas serving to out within the faculty’s school workplace she was requested to write down advice letters for her friends as a result of the assistant who was imagined to do the work had a restricted grasp of English.
“These college students could be shocked to seek out out that their advice letters could be written by a scholar, a junior,” she mentioned.
Dilawar mentioned she had emailed Faculties Chancellor David Banks quite a few occasions and had not acquired a response.
One other scholar, Hannah Maldonado, 16, who shall be a senior, mentioned Lev even created divisiveness throughout a latest Tradition Day celebration to advertise variety. When Maldonado requested for a better musical selection to be performed on the cafeteria occasion, Lev mentioned in Spanish to the DJ to play one different track — after which to “return to Spanish music,” the scholar recalled.
“I used to be informed that the scholar authorities curated a playlist to be inclusive to all of our cultures,” mentioned Maldonado, who speaks Spanish.
Lev didn’t return a request for remark.
The DOE contended solely two staffers had been excessed, a choice it maintained was decided by contractual guidelines concerning seniority.
It mentioned a brand new place had been created to deal with “battle decision” and the Tradition Day music choice was “knowledgeable” by a scholar survey.
“The Division of Training is totally dedicated to offering a robust and supportive atmosphere in all of our colleges and for all of our college students. We work with our principals day-after-day to make sure that college students and workers obtain the assist they want,” mentioned spokeswoman Jenna Lyle.
