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If we really could get the brightest of the bright young teachers for the money being paid in LI public schools, it would be awesome. However, that's not how the LI school districts work. Highly qualified and exceptional applicants probably apply to LI schools a lot, but they are not chosen most of the time.
For the most part, especially today, the public school teacher jobs are NOT given out objectively based on credentials. They are given out based on WHO the aspiring teacher knows, not WHAT the aspiring teacher knows. There is not even a civil service test to pre-qualify public school teachers. Each district individually decides who to hire with no oversight of the process whatsoever to make sure the best candidates are hired. So on LI being a public school teacher is a job that can actually be passed down from parent to child or given out based on being "in" with union officials.
The brilliant and dynamic Columbia Teachers' College grad will be passed over EVERY time for the child or other relative of someone already in the school district (or with the union) who barely passed a cruddy college. Nobody rocks the boat; everyone in their closed system does favors for the rest of the "in" crowd. They know how valuable these jobs are and do their best to keep them for their relatives, not outstanding young teachers with no connections.
Unfortunately, this is very, very true.
Back in the 50s and 60s, Long Island schools paid 1/3 less than NYC schools with less benefits and they were beggging for teachers. NYC had their own separate license and testing, whch was more rigorous than the state's. All teachers had to pass a speech exam and all kindergarten teachers had to pass a piano exam. State licenses were not honored by NYC. Those who passed were given a number which was submitted to the central office in Brooklyn. Applicants who passed the exams were assigned a number. Those in charge of placement went by the number and never saw the name of the applicant. Applicants could "request" their first 3 choices of boroughs. New teachers were assigned to a school based on the list order and that was it. Of course, experienced teachers could use "pull" to get transferred if they knew someone, but not new teachers. By the 70s, NYC was following the Long Island model of hiring by nepotism.
The brilliant and dynamic Columbia Teachers' College grad will be passed over EVERY time for the child or other relative of someone already in the school district (or with the union) who barely passed a cruddy college. Nobody rocks the boat; everyone in their closed system does favors for the rest of the "in" crowd. They know how valuable these jobs are and do their best to keep them for their relatives, not outstanding young teachers with no connections.
this is SO true and it disgusts me. I know a few smart people with multiple IVY degrees who can't get into the LI schools.
The nepotism is probably even worse there since those areas are considered plum assignments. Most of the kids are more focused on school because of the success of their parents and wanting to emulate them, so behavior problems in class are not as common as in other schools. If a child has academic problems, it is much more likely that parents in these district have the money and the desire to get their kid outside extra tutoring, so the teacher does not have to expend extra energy on the students who don't quite get it like teachers in schools with less affluent parents have to.
Remember, Roslyn was the place where the superintendent stole over a million dollars and got away with it for a long time. The residents are not monitoring their school personnel and their school boards any better in these districts than in lesser performing districts.
The brilliant and dynamic Columbia Teachers' College grad will be passed over EVERY time for the child or other relative of someone already in the school district (or with the union) who barely passed a cruddy college. Nobody rocks the boat; everyone in their closed system does favors for the rest of the "in" crowd. They know how valuable these jobs are and do their best to keep them for their relatives, not outstanding young teachers with no connections.
Isn't that the way of the world though? You think dopey Andrew Cuomo (failing the bar exam 4 times) would have become governor if his father hadn't been governor? What about George W. Bush? Trump's kids? And how is it that here in NY there are so many families that have grandfather/father/son police officers and fire fighters? It's unfair, but it's just the way the world works. Family looks out for their own, whether in private or public enterprises. Nothing new.
All you need to do is print out a list of staff at each school in any given district and then look at the BOE meeting minutes where they list new hires. You'll see an awful of the same names. In Garden City, it's unreal.
Isn't that the way of the world though? You think dopey Andrew Cuomo (failing the bar exam 4 times) would have become governor if his father hadn't been governor? What about George W. Bush? Trump's kids? And how is it that here in NY there are so many families that have grandfather/father/son police officers and fire fighters? It's unfair, but it's just the way the world works. Family looks out for their own, whether in private or public enterprises. Nothing new.
Except that to become a PO or FF you need to take a civil service exam. Just because Daddy or Grand Dad was a FF, doesn't automatically mean you become one. You need to pass the test, pass the background check, pass the physical, etc.... If anything, it sometimes helps to get you into a FDNY house of NYPD PCT of your choice....sometimes.
Last edited by SC here I come; 03-01-2015 at 04:51 PM..
And how is it that here in NY there are so many families that have grandfather/father/son police officers and fire fighters? It's unfair, but it's just the way the world works. Family looks out for their own, whether in private or public enterprises. Nothing new.
No, they take the civil service test. Civil service is separate from the police or fire departments. Has nothing to do with family. Perhaps after you get hired and survive the academy. Then a family member or a "hook" can help you get to a certain position/command location.
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