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Assistant Principal Joanne Aguirre tried misusing the Danielson Framework for Teaching to give me my first and only unsatisfactory observation. Before you scroll down to read it, please keep in mind a few things:

This is NO EXCUSE, but I was out for a week for mandatory jury duty. I came in at 8:24am for class and AP Aguirre and a CFN rep walked in at 8:30am for a 90 minute “short” observation. Teachers can relate what happens with a sub in your room for a week. Note that as I sat in the jury deliberation room, the days before, students emailed engineering work that they were completing via  while I was out. I had to make an executive decision, as lead teacher for the Learning Technology Grant, and made a last minute change up to help a colleague steering away from my lesson plan. There were four special education students in the class and they all did work. I was constantly interrupted by AP Aguirre asking me questions. She is the AP of Security and when a child came in blasting an iPod, she did not address him, nor take it away, nor ask him why he walked in to disrupt another class. He was not my student and that day we had metal detector scans. Security breach ignored by AP of security (Thisincident was left out of the report). Perhaps she should spend less time observing teachers and watching what room they go into on the cameras in her office. This class’ teachers and I met with the assistant principal to discuss their recent apathy to school work and poor behavior. AP Aguirre has been an AP for about 7 years, a Dean in Brooklyn prior to that and a resource room teacher before that. Sources basically say she has not been in front of a classroom for over 10 years. In addition, many positive aspects of the lesson were strategically omitted and replaced with quotes and a timeline. The high five a student and I exchanged when he answered correctly was not in there for example. I asked what does Tapei 101’s design (one of the tallest buildings in the world) have to do with the architect and bamboo. I guess that is not high order thinking for 8th grade special education students? I have a video of these students competing against each other with Fantasticcontraption.com andbeing very engaged a week before jury duty. During my post observation meeting, which by the way was held three days after I called the Office of Equal Opportunity on AP Aguirre, due to certain inappropriate behavior, I was told the students “Were not answering any of my questions.” About 2 minutes later she continues to state “The student’s were not even raising their hands. They were just blurting out the answers.” What? She tried to correct herself, but it was too late. I caught that flub. Here you can listen two two audio clips. One states the observation was done using Danielson’s Framework Domain 1e, which is not allowed to be used yet, and the other is the flub.

LISTEN HERE: 

AP Joanne Aguirre’s license is in PreK, Kindergarten and 1-6. What experience does she have observing an 8th grade class and giving me a U?

In the famous case  The NY Supreme Court stated that classroom observations contain NO FACTS and are merely opinions.

and finally this ever so coincidental calendar:

The Danielson Framework rubric cannot be used to give a negative rating to a teacher. Here is audio of AP Aguirre stating she used Danielson Domain 1e and mentioning coherent lesson plans and learning objectives. Apparently the UFT does not think this is good enough to fight the rating.

Notice they squeezed this in right before I was removed so they can check another item off this list and the network person who was also present to support conveniently cannot furnish her notes.

See the

Email asking for observation notes:

From: Francesco Portelos <fportelos@gmail.com> Date: Thu, Apr 5, 2012 at 10:07 PM Subject: Observation notes To: “SMahabi@schools.nyc.gov” <SMahabi@schools.nyc.gov>

Hi Sharon, I received the notes from Ms Aguirre about the observation you performed in my class on March 16th. Would I be able to see yours as well? Thank you. Enjoy your break.

– Francesco

NO RESPONSE. 

From: Francesco Portelos <fportelos@gmail.com> Date: Sun, Apr 8, 2012 at 9:17 AM Subject: Informal Observation -Missing Information To: JAguirre3@schools.nyc.gov Cc: Anne Marie Martino <amartino4@schools.nyc.gov>, Linda Hill <lhill2@schools.nyc.gov>, SMahabi@schools.nyc.gov, Mala Ruzi <mruzi@schools.nyc.gov>

Dear Ms. Aguirre, I am in receipt of your report for the informal observation you conducted on 3/16/12. I just had a chance to read through it have to say I find it very incomplete and not an accurate account of all events that transpired those two periods. It is also missing information that was mentioned during our Post Observation meeting on 3/29/12. Would you please make me a copy of your notes that you read from during the meeting? I also requested that Ms. Mahabir share her notes with me as well. I feel your other notes were possibly more complete and along with Ms. Mahabir’s can further assist me in becoming a better pedagogue.

Would you be available to model a lesson for me with class 838 when we return from the break? All their teachers are getting together to see what plan of action we can take as they have become very apathetic towards school work. We are planning a meeting with Ms. Ruzi when we return. When a teacher approached them about why they did not do their Math assignment, they responded “Ms. Hill told us we are graduating no matter what because we are special ed.” We are investigating that comment.

I am about to sit and watch the 4 ARIS Learn courses you directed me to watch. Thank you  Sincerely, -Francesco Portelos

NO RESPONSE.