The union has made it possible for us to get our old high-achieving school back after a new principal appointed in December 2017 nearly ruined it.
Our school had stellar numbers and a high graduation rate and was doing very well. Our ENL program helped our ELL students graduate within four years and get them college- and career-ready. But the new principal dismantled everything that had led to that success.
She did it bit by bit. We had an extended day to give additional support to at-risk students because we have large ELL and special ed populations. Support classes were built into the school day. But instead of trying to understand the reasoning behind what we were doing, the principal stopped the support classes. She also turned the students against the staff. She had closed-door sessions with students to get information about staff, and that turned into a number of Office of Special Investigations probes. Teachers became fearful for their jobs and students were telling staff they could get them fired. Staff experienced repercussions from administration for disciplining students, and our incident rate went through the roof. We had sexual assaults and a number of brawls and teachers being threatened. It was mayhem. It led to a mass exodus by staff. By September 2018, more than 15 staff members had left.
We reached out to the UFT for help. Our district representative, James Duncan, was there almost every week and reached out to me on a daily basis. He spoke to the staff and helped us remain strong and united, which was important because the principal’s tactic was to divide and conquer. The district rep helped us develop a strategy to get things turned around. He brought in the UFT safety experts to help us strategize on how to ensure our safety. The union helped us get deans put in place. Our district rep brought in experts to help us with our mental health because the situation was so agonizing. The union helped get the executive superintendent to visit the school because we were getting no help from the superintendent. We had a chance to tell our side to the executive superintendent.
Finally, the old principal resigned and a new principal was put in place in December 2018.
Our new principal has been incredibly supportive. His ears are open. He is listening to staff about the techniques we once used that were so successful, and he is trying to help put those pieces back. We are moving in the right direction again. But it never would have happened without the union. Everyone the union brought in to support us was amazing. We definitely got our dues’ worth.
Kathy Lafontant is the chapter leader at It Takes A Village Academy in Brooklyn.
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