Ms. Bloomfield's & Ms. Scott's Letter
January 27th, 2023
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Tanya Bloomfield – Suffered in Silence:
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Dear LICHS family,
Thank you for opening so many doors of opportunities for me to learn and grow with you as we endeavor to appropriately educate all our students. The time has come for me to say goodbye, farewell and adieu to everyone. I must say that it is with deep regret that I was forced to make the choice to leave my position as assistant principal at Long Island City High School. This is due to the debilitating stress and anxiety that I am currently undergoing solely due to the social emotional and mental traumas that I have experienced from Principal Selenikas’ actions towards me, especially since June of 2022. No one can deny that the illustrious sitting principal has worked tirelessly to bring LICHS to ‘Good Standing” status. For this she must be forever praised. However, if the heroine of LICHS continues to imprudently violate employees’ rights and in particular is supportive of the modern day lynching of Black people’s career, then the DOE has a responsibility to protect its employees and students from reliving past injustices and from tyrants. I do know that many of you may be blissfully ignorant of the extent of the abuse that Principal Selenikas has been inflicting on me a Black employee more so than others, but don’t forget to remember Emma Lazarus’ words: “Until we are all free; we are none of us free.” The actions of Principal Selenikas towards me at LICHS is nothing short of an insidious career lynching and a hate crime. To the most devious extent, I have faced retaliation, discrimination, marginalization, open isolation, segregation, racism and alienation by Principal Selenikas only. Since June 2022 I have been enduring her bullying, humiliation and public punishment, to the extent where I will forever be mentally and emotionally traumatized and scarred. Therefore, I must flee for my safety.
It all started in April of 2022, when Principal Selenikas forced me to sign the extension of the tenure packet, despite the fact that I was under advice to obtain a reason for the extension, which was prematurely delivered to me on February 19th, 2022, without reasons. Principal Selenikas told me that if I don’t sign the document she will have to discontinue me next school year– “And I don’t want to do this Tanya” were her exact words to me. Without a doubt, it was a foregone conclusion that I will never obtain tenure from Principal Selenikas, as this is reserved only for her selected pick, who are very few in number and distinct in characteristics. The fact that I sought help and Principal Selenikas received instructions to revise the document is one of the reasons that she is retaliating against me. Principal Selenikas even asked me in September of 2020- “How does it feel to have the highest statistics of student achievement in the school?” Then after I reported the unfair extension of probation and was vocal about her unfair treatments towards me, now I must leave my job or remain marginalized, demoted, humiliated and undoubtedly on the path to reverting to my teacher license.
Therefore, my notices of the favoritism, affirmation, celebration which Principal Selenikas lavishes on certain employees while simultaneously shunning, discrediting, disregarding and treating me like an intruder, an outcast, an outsider, who is sitting on the periphery during LICHS’ cabinet and leadership team meetings- silenced and with no opportunity to make any
meaningful contributions, as I have done in the past five years, propel me to illuminate the following wonderings:
1. Almost sixty years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech was delivered, I currently find myself crippled with segregation by Principal Selenikas at LICHS. On August 29th, 2022 Principal Selenikas suddenly ended my supervision of teachers in the English department and instead dictated that I must exist in LICHS as a nobody, marginalized, isolated, alienated in obscurity, away and apart from everyone else, as if segregation is still legal for her my white boss to have the power and authority to impose upon me. Also, I am chained by discrimination by Principal Selenikas, because she has unlawfully taken away my supervisory roles and responsibilities and has given them to my white colleagues, all of whom she proudly claims, “have been trained by me, and are LIC lifers!” I am still appalled to discover that being her friend or some other form of nepotistic relationship is a key requirement to obtain a job and remain hired at LICHS. When Principal Selenikas a White woman can tactically and intentionally scheme to carry out a career and character assassination of me, a Black woman and have closed the school leadership position and leadership space to me, and have instead elevated my White colleagues, who are less qualified and less experienced compared to me, to do my work while I have to sit back and watch them do my jobs, I wonder if discrimination isn’t clearly obvious. When Principal Selenikas can publicly take away my job – as a Black woman, I am unfairly and unlawfully removed from my leadership position, as her way of pushing out of LICHS, then again discrimination and racism are evident.
2. Over the past nineteen plus years I have served in NYCDOE with impeccable service and have been rated satisfactory, effective or highly effective every single year. However, all of a sudden since June Å‚ of 2022, Principal Selenikas ‘U’ rated me and put me at risk of having my reputation tarnished and no opportunity to continue my work in the capacity as an assistant principal in the DOE. She has skillfully blocked my chances of obtaining another assistant principal position in the DOE. Since I reported these actions, Principal Selenikas has retaliated against me by openly violating my human rights as an employee, by removing 70% of my supervisory roles and responsibilities and have distributed these to my white colleagues. Furthermore, since I was ‘U’ rated in June 2022 when ratings should have already been submitted and for a mishap that I was cleared of, I wonder why haven’t my jobs been reinstated? Can Principal Selenikas be an upholder of the NYCDOE policy of equal employment opportunity for all if she is allowed to continue manipulating the DOE system? Things went further downhill when Principal Selenikas unabashedly yelled at me a Black educator with palms outstretched, in the presence of a witness during a meeting: “YOU NEED TO RESIGN AND REVERT BACK TO BEING A TEACHER- THEN I WILL REMOVE THE U RATING.” Clearly the message from Principal Selenikas is that you don’t belong in the assistant principal position- it’s closed to your kind- but why? It is my understanding that my predecessor and many other Black school leaders had to escape the tyranny and violations of Principal Selenikas, and the nonverbal message is that no Black school leader can thrive and work under Principal Selenikas. I wonder how she continues to disguise such injustices. I choose to speak up
because I firmly believe in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s words: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” To date, I have not received any letters to file regarding me not fulfilling my duties and responsibilities. I wonder why Principal Selenikas would make such an unlawful bargain with me, if she had sufficient reasons to have me removed from my position as assistant principal of the English Department. Why is she so desperate to remove me from the school in general and the English department in particular? What difference does she see between me and all the other nine out of thirteen White assistant principals in the school? I wonder if Principal Selenikas even believes in equal employment opportunities for all, if she could treat me a Black employee with such scant regard.
3. After doing my job satisfactorily for four years, since August 2017, suddenly at the end of the fifth year and throughout the sixth year- this year, Principal Selenikas now decides to treat me as if I am less intelligent, because she assigns me menial jobs of counting literature books all around the school and stacking teachers’ classroom libraries, while my White colleagues assume my major roles and responsibilities. I wonder if Principal Selenikas even agrees with the DOE Non-Discriminatory Policy. How could she be upholding the guidelines in the policy if she has subjected me to discrimination and harassment on the basis of my race and heritage? I am being subjected to inferior terms, conditions, and privileges of employment, through her creation of a hostile, offensive, or intimidating work environment. This is evidenced because on December 2022, in the presence of two witnesses, Principal Selenikas threatened to reopen a closed case, that I was cleared of and even to dock my paycheck for not being able to have her sign my late arrival request form. No doubt, I am receiving backlash from the principal because I would advocate for the equitable treatments of the 9% of Black students who continues to underperform and the 5% of Black teachers. Evidently, my work with the Equity and Access Committee and My Brother/ Sister Keepers groups have prompted some of her retaliatory and discriminatory actions against me. I say this because, I was reprimanded for introducing two award winning novels featuring black characters, and which would open the window of opportunity for educators to address students’ social emotional concerns and culturally responsive education especially following the George Floyd incident. The principal stated that the novels are “Negative” and should not be taught to our students. I wonder if liberty and justice for all and culturally responsive education for all students can exist at LICHS under Principal Selenikas’ leadership. We owe it to our students, who are looking to us for guidance and example as they prepare for life beyond high school to provide them with leaders who are unequivocally fair and just. I wonder how much longer will the unjust taints of Principal Selenikas be allowed continue to permeate through the walls of LICHS.
4. Since I started at LICHS in 2017, Principal Selenikas has never hired another Black licensed English teacher, and now she is pushing me out. I wonder, if since the only department with Black educators is the ISS department, how much value are placed on the needs of the 9% of Black students in the school. I wonder what a principal could be motivated by if she is willing to publicly eject me, silence me – a Black assistant principal from a seat at the table in the English department and essentially ignore all the
concerns and educational needs of the 9% of Black children in LICHS. I wonder why a principal would disrupt the smooth running of an English department, to now become a breathing ground for toxicity and low performances among both teachers and students, as evidence in the 19.76% of students who performed at proficiency levels in the December 19th ELA Mock Regents exam and bringing the English Regents Exam pass rate back in the 50 percentage rate with 55% of students passing in January 2023. This is the lowest pass rate since I worked as the assistant principal for the English department. Why would Principal Selenikas use her alienation and isolation treatments towards me, who can obviously do the work, and not towards anyone else? How can this kind of open isolation be allowed to happen to anyone else?
5. During the evaluation process, I always carefully apply the Danielson Rubric to my low inference notes that I capture during each lesson that I observe, and no one has ever not been able to match my ratings with the corresponding scoring elements of the rubric. Despite this, during the COVID school year 2020-2021, some teachers, who are very close to the principal emerged with an overall ‘Effective’ rating. As a result, on September 2nd 2021, in a planning meeting with me, Principal Selenikas reprimanded me for rating one particular teacher ‘Effective’ by telling me that the teacher was ranting on social media about how she hoped to be like one of her social media friends when she grows up, because he/she was rated Highly Effective,’ by their AP in another school. The principal told me that under no circumstances should this teacher be rated effective while some other teachers whom I liked were also rated effective. I am relating this anecdote because the strangest thing about the schools’ overall Danielson ratings during that COVID time period was that two of my colleagues also had only one of their group of teachers rated Highly Effective, but I was later punished by being removed from the DOE Advance Teacher Rating system as an administrator and all my former ratings disappeared as I am now in the system as a teacher. A complete disregard for my contributions. Similar to how I was never acknowledged for any of the contributions that I made to the school community during the last two years. This is the same principal who told me in prior years that I must continue to write the observation reports as I was doing them. Therefore, I have to wonder if it is because I rated Principal Selenikas’ friends ‘Effective’ me a Black woman, that I don’t deserve to rate them anymore. That is racism at its core. How can Principal Selenikas not know that everyone cannot be highly effective at all times?
I am not seeking any kind of solidarity nor recompense for myself, as I am already out of
LICHS. However, if through my testimony, even one other employee can be prevented from
suffering the onslaught of Principal Selenikas injustices, then it would have worth my efforts.
It is not Black employees or any other employees who must leave LICHS, it is without
reservation Principal Selenikas who must end her reign of terror and release LICHS from
her iron fists. She cannot be allowed to continue turning the school into a war zone, instead
one in which everyone will be treated with respect and dignity. She cannot be allowed to
continue acting in an unfair and unjust manner and hurting employees and students in the
long run. She cannot be allowed to continue her fear and intimidation tactics through her
divide and conquer method of leadership. If we continue to remain silent in the face of
Principal Selenikas’ injustices then we will become complicit with atrocities which must be
completely eliminated from our school and society.
I hope that you will continue to educate the students of LICHS, as they are depending on you
to be shepherds, and to guide them in the equitable path which will improve each one’s
intellect, character and personality as they journey towards college and career readiness.
May you all be safe and well.
Tanya Bloomfield
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---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Scott Mario
Date: Fri, Jun 26, 2020 at 5:00 AM
Subject: The Underlying Racism at LICHS is Overtly Disgusting
To: Selenikas Vivian
As a Black gay man who lives in America and works for the most segregated eduction system in America, The New York City Department of Education, I knew that I would experience some sorts of discrimination and/or racism but never did I think it would come directly from so many Long Island City High School staff members. The June 4, 2020 UFT meeting that I as well as many other Black staff members experienced was a huge wake up call of the underlying racism that has permeated at LICHS.
That being said, the way the topic of racism has been handled following the death of George Floyd and so many other Black Americans by the hands of police brutality have been mishandled and very offensive. Although, this mishandling shouldn't come as a surprise to me, you would think that a school such as Long Island City High School where you a have highly diverse student population that racist rhetoric would not be an issue but from the behaviors that my colleagues displayed at that UFT meeting and the principals period of silence on even addressing it states otherwise.
Long Island City High Schools demographic of students as follows(all are rough estimates):
68% Hispanic students
14% Asian students
10% African American students
6% White
0.5% American Indian
0.2% Pacific Islander
There shouldn’t be any reason why teachers are unwilling to touch the topic of racism because you work amongst a racially diverse student population every single day. What you should say is that you don’t want to step outside of your own experience to learn what Black people experience in America in order to have a proper dialect with your students about racism. You don’t want to unlearn the image of what you thought America was. So let’s break that down based off some of the racist and unacceptable comments that were shared in the UFT meeting on Wednesday April 4, 2020(all comments are attached):
Lets start with the most disrespectful comment from ERICA DOWNER
“We don’t even know if the death was racially motivated.”
You mean to tell me that you watched a Black man lie on the ground with his hands behind his back while an officer placed his knee on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds while he begged for his life that your first thought was to question whether it was racially motivated or not? He died from asphyxiation from sustained pressure. Before his body even lay flat on the concrete all four cops beat him inside of the cop car as if him being arrested and inside of the cop car wasn’t enough already. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECW-zuBrFK4) This was absolutely about race and police overexerting their force when it comes to dealing with the Black population that they are paid to protect. Cops are supposed to protect but they continuously kill Black people over $20, over playing music too loud and yes, even for sleeping in our own beds. Even if you take George being a Black man out of the equation do the police deserve to kill someone over $20 that they didn’t even take time to verify whether it's real or counterfeit? Which come to find out it was a real $20 bill. Before you even think about an answer to that question I will have you know that in Minnesota, the highest penalty for knowingly using counterfeit money less than $1,000 is up to 1 year in prison and a fine up to $3,000, NOT DEATH. From your racist rhetoric displayed above I already know you condone cops killing unarmed Black people for absolutely nothing.
“Yes not touching this topic with a ten foot pole.”
Now this comment Erica I agree with you 100%. You should never speak on race because you are ignorant to the topic and don’t have the proper verbiage to do so. You shouldn’t even have the privilege to teach Black and Brown students because it’s clear you don’t value who they are and where they come from. Speaking of that 10 foot pole, racism is not something you can social distance from. You either participate in racism or you speak out against it, there is no gray area. So you not touching the topic with a ten foot pole and being silent on the issue is indeed an example of racism. Do better and above all else educate yourself before you attempt to call yourself a ‘teacher” especially when you are granted the privilege to have Black students in your classroom.
DARREN SINGER
“I think Carranza took the stance that we are no longer educators.”
Did he? By asking you to do your job and step outside of yourself and your experience in order to support your students? Is talking about race with students not about education? Is student’s having an engaging conversation about their peers and/or their own experience in America not a moment to educate? I can recall teaching tons of history lessons at LICHS that focus on race. World War II being one of them.
Speaking of World War II, you had a lot to say about how the Jews have been recently attacked and that NYCDOE Chancellor Richard Carranza hasn’t spoken up about it. You even took it upon yourself to ask:
"are certain hate crimes more valid than others"
This is an issue because why are you bringing up Jews when Black lives are being discussed? Not to say that what Jews go through is not of importance but right now we are talking about Black lives so for you to try and dilute that messaging is beyond unprofessional and shows that you lack sympathy to what Black people continue to experience and already have experienced for over 400 years in this country. Since you want to compare, Jewish people have been paid over $89 billion in reparations for their treatment during World War II where as Black people have been paid zero dollars for 400 years of enslavement, disrespect, neglect and continuous murders. Police brutality is not killing Jews in the streets at this very moment. The fact that you can’t draw parallels between how Germany treated the Jews to how America has and continues to treat Black people without having some sort of compassion shows that you are definitely not as smart as you think you are. Furthermore, there is also a such thing as a Black Jewish person who also has a life that matters so think about their experience in this country and within their own religious communities before trying to be divisive and distract others from the pressing issue at hand which is Black people being murdered over and over again by the very people that we pay to protect us.
I myself have taught numerous lessons on the Holocaust in not only my Social Studies classes but even in my English classes where I teach ‘The Color of Water’ by James McBride every year because I’m a teacher who knows that it is essential that my students should be well rounded in as many backgrounds as possible that differ from their own because that is what the real world looks like. Maybe you should do the same so you can tie in those alleged attacks that are happening to Jews as a current event within your lesson. That should cover Domain 3(Instruction) on your next teacher evaluation. You’re welcome.
“We are indoctrinators.”
Let’s break this down shall we? As I like to be very clear. The definition of indoctrinate according to Merriam Webster is “to imbue with a usually partisan or sectarian opinion, point of view, or principle” in other words to teach (a person or group) to accept a set of beliefs uncritically. Speaking on anti-racist practices should in no way go against your beliefs as it is evident in the 400 years of American history that Black people STILL are dealing with racism. Treating people with respect has nothing to with what you believe but it has everything to do with you having the wherewithal to be a decent human being. There are some other ignorant statements you made but I will leave them exactly where I found them, within your realm of ignorance.
HEIDI SEGELKE
“I feel uncomfortable approaching this altogether-I am genuinely concerned for the kids but I feel that this is out of my league of experience”
Heidi, anytime racism is in a conversation it is going to be uncomfortable and you being a music teacher I thought you would know that. There are hundreds of documented historical references where white people have stolen music from Black people while also not compensating Black people for the work they stole. Being that we have classical composers such as Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins who was a blind American slave that was exploited by his owners for his contributions to music. There are several clear cut ways you could have analyzed the topic of racism with students within the realm of music. So if you feel it is “out your league” to teach your students about race should you being teaching music given all that Black people have offered to the art form in all of it’s genres? You can’t genuinely be for the kids when you feel learning about who they are and their experiences are “out of your league”. I at one point thought teaching the Pythagorean Theorem was “out my league” but I researched techniques on the best way to learn it and taught the concept. I did my job and made sure my students knew how to execute the formula. Doing the research on how to incorporate the topic of racism into your lessons is what your students deserve from you.
JOSE SOTO
“I’m sorry but I don’t feel comfortable talking about this forum at all with students. So I don’t know how to approach this delicate topic.”
I understand you not being comfortable being that LICHS lacks leadership that should have provided you with materials on how to properly execute these kinds of conversations(more on that later) but as a teacher you don’t get to pick and choose whether you want to talk about race when you will continue to teach Black students or any student that doesn’t identify with your demographic. We have worked along side each other and I know you have it in you to educate yourself and how to best support your students during times such as these. Instead of complaining about potentially being uncomfortable start asking yourself why talking about racism that Black people experience is uncomfortable for you and do the work to educate yourself on how to be a supportive ally to your Black students. Just consider this, if racism is uncomfortable for you to discuss imagine how uncomfortable it is for Black people specifically your Black students that experience racist microaggresions every single day. Sometimes from their own teachers so if you are silent about racism you are complicit with racism which makes you a part of the problem.
PAOLA SCALDAFERRI
“I’m not addressing it with my students.”
If you are not willing to educate yourself on topics that are not common to you to better understand your students, why are you a teacher? Then again, I know from this statement that you fear addressing racism with your students because it’s not of importance to you. You signed up to be a teacher but Black and Brown students did not necessarily sign up to be placed in your class. Never forget your responsibilities to your students. They didn’t go to school and get trained on how to deal with you but you did and then you actively sought out a job at a school that is 95% students of color. Do your job or find another one.
HECTOR ORTIZ
“Too controversial and touchy”
Most things that are taught to high school students are touchy and controversial but they still must be discussed because that doesn’t take away from them being real. Jews being killed during the Holocaust is controversial. Muslims being banned from entering America is controversial. ICE placing immigrants in concentration camps funded by the United States at the border is controversial but it doesn’t stop us from teaching and discussing it with our students because these things impact not all of our students but some of them. Talking about race is no different. If a topic that directly impacts the students that you teach is “too controversial and touchy” you don’t have the option to be silent about it. Silence on racism has killed Black people for far too long and it would be great if you, a person of color, would actively support Black Americans in breaking this cycle.
MEGAN HOWARD
How dare you say Black lives mattering is about politics? You really believe that me being able to live and exist in this world is political? It is my human right as well as all Black people to be able to live here in America where we were brought against our own will and sold into slavery. To think that you are a liaison to fight for teachers when you believe that Black teachers are just another talking point for presidential candidates to argue about. Black people existing is a human right, never forget that. You equating Black lives to politics spits in the face of every Black staff member that you claim to be a representative for. How can you represent someone who you think the government has the right to determine whether they live or not? No judicial, executive, and/or legislative branch of government have the right to tell Black people whether we live or die unless they get to do the same for you, a white person.
JACQUELINE MILANDER
“In today’s day you cannot say anything against the mob!”
Jacqueline, who is the mob? Actually, you can speak out against ‘the mob” but your fear keeps you from doing so. You should address that so that you are able to speak freely and stand up in your convictions but since it’s not clear who “the mob” is I will leave it there.
AND FOR ALL OF YOU WHO SAW OR EVEN HEARD ABOUT THESE DISGUSTING COMMENTS FROM THE UFT MEETING AND STOOD BY AND SAID NOTHING, KNOW THAT YOU ARE ALSO A PART OF THE PROBLEM. YOU ARE THE THREE COPS WHO STOOD BY AND WATCHED GEORGE FLOYD SLOWLY DIE AS THEIR COLLEAGUE MURDERED HIM IN BROAD DAYLIGHT. IF YOU ARE GOING TO WORK AMONGST BLACK STUDENTS AND TEACHERS YOU OWE IT TO THEM TO HAVE THEIR BACKS WHEN THEY ARE BEING MISTREATED AND/OR DISRESPECTED. I WOULDN’T DARE LET ANYONE DISRESPECT YOU IN THE SAME WAY THAT WE BLACK TEACHERS AND STAFF MEMBERS WERE DISRESPECTED IN THAT UFT MEETING. YOU OWE US ALL AN APOLOGY FOR YOUR SILENCE. SILENCE = RACISM.
MARIA ARGYRIS
I personally take issue with you and your performative allyship. You sat in those “Positive Protest Day/ Breathe Day” meetings acting like you care about the Black Lives Matter movement when your past actions shows differently. I don’t know if everyone recalls the Step Up step team Black Panther themed performance that was given at the Black History Month program on February 25, 2020. It dealt with issues of racism against Black women and it was dedicated to you Maria for how you treated them. You made it so hard for those girls to be successful. When the girls came to me and wanted to start a club for themselves because you and other guidance counselors had failed to create a space for the 10% of Black students that attend LICHS you didn’t even want to pay the two teachers that were staying after school two days per week for a total of 4 hours to work with the students. So we decided to donate our time just to find out that you didn’t even want to provide practice spaces for these students. We asked for places like the gym or the dance room so that we could view ourselves during rehearsal but you killed that idea too placing us in a classroom where we would have to move more than 30 desks each day before we could start rehearsal. Students were super dedicated and even wanted to practice during Winter Break to which you said teams were not allowed to practice during that time when in fact several teams were practicing during that week. For you to treat the Step Up team like some throw away project when it took a lot of time and dedication to make that successfully happen was wrong. You did everything to try and silence those girls but like most things when Black people are presented with challenges throughout history, we prevail. You owe every one of those girls an apology for how you discriminated against them. If you are going to continue to be the assistant principal of the guidance department know that it is your job to make it mandatory that ALL the guidance counselors that you advise are assisting and advising ALL students about academic and personal decisions, assessing the ability and potential in ALL students and last but not least coordinating with fellow professionals on ALL student matters. The best and most professional way to achieve this is to lead by example and provide support to those who work under you while also making sure all demographics within the school are accounted for.
Below are the names of Black students that you failed and owe an apology:
Heaven Peoples
Sekiyah Burrell
Victoria Dorch
Kaiya Marie
Canashia Jones
Stacie Sanders
They deserve the same respect and support that any other extracurricular activity would receive from administration.
VIVIAN SELENIKAS
I think a lot of what transpired above is because of the lack of leadership that you have shown teachers. George Floyd was murdered on May 25, 2020 and it took you more than a week to come up with a statement to show your solidarity with Black students and teachers. That is unacceptable and it hurts to know that you didn’t see it as a pressing issue to address. Your Black employees and students come in the building/login every day just like everyone else and we shouldn’t have to question whether our principal supports our lives mattering and existing. You failed us being that additional Black lives were lost to police brutality before you even uttered a statement.
Tony McDade
Modesto Reyes
David McAtee
...Just to name a few
As you stated on our call “If you know me, you know that I like to sit back and think about what I’m going to say” well I have worked at LICHS for a total of four years and I don’t know you which is why it is essential for you to speak up and let it be known where you stand on current events such as Black lives being lost to police brutality. When you were silent you were complicit and as a leader you can’t afford to be silent on issues that directly impact your student body and employees. There should be any reason why we heard from the Chancellor before we heard from our own principal.
On Monday June 1, 2020 I posted a letter to my students to let them know exactly how I felt about George Floyd’s murder and all of the uprising that came with it. (Attached to email) In this letter I was very transparent with my students and let them know that I broke social distancing to go protest for my life as well as for some of theirs. I then left the floor open for them to share how they felt about it. I had one student who felt strongly about cops and called them pigs(student comments attached to email) for killing innocent Black and Brown people while beautifully expressing why the Black Lives Matter movement is important for their survival in this country . Being that I too believe that cops who kill innocent Black people are pigs I told my student that I absolutely agree with him. On June 3, 2020 the principal had a meeting with me about it while the Special Education AP Shewbarren was also on the call. Now I don't know who brought my students comments to your attention nor do I care because I stand by my students honest comments 100%. The purpose of the call was to reprimand me for not condemning my students honest statement. You stated that “it crossed the line” and that “police are not pigs but that they are here to protect”. Well I have several problems with this sentiment because like I told you on the phone police are here to protect but turn on your television or log into social media and you will see the exact opposite. I also told you that I’m not going to condemn my students experience with cops. That is their truth. Instead of calling me you should have been calling them to grasp a better understanding of why they felt that way about cops but instead you were quick to take issue with a Black students perspective because it differed from yours. You didn’t even ask me what my experience was with cops and why I agreed with him because you don’t care. Furthermore, why are you calling me about my students statement when you yourself at this particular point had not even taken the time to utter one word? Not one word up until this point was shared by you to show your solidarity to said student to let them know their life matters.
You also stated on this call that you want me to see ‘both sides” when in all actuality I see both sides but you do not. I see that for a white woman like yourself cops will absolutely protect your life but for a Black person like me I’m more liable to be killed than protected by those same cops that value your life over mine. I see both sides clearly but you don’t because you got upset at a cop being called a pig as if that statement was a lie. You need to make it your responsibility to see outside of yourself because you owe it to your students and colleagues to see their life through their eyes so that you can be compassionate and show sympathy to their walks of life. Make it your duty to get to know your student body and the staff that you employee, and not just certain students and colleagues but ALL OF THEM.
Lead by example and stop expecting teachers to just all of sudden discuss racism with their students when you yourself have not given them the mandatory tools to make these types of conversations a success. You owe it to teachers to show better leadership so that they won’t feel comfortable spewing out racist rhetoric in the open amongst their Black colleagues. I blame you just as much as I blame them because your silence allowed them to think that questioning the motive of George’s murder and/or complaining about actually having to do their jobs and create a safe space to discuss racism with their own students was professional behavior. Just like WITSI, racism will take many workshops before teachers are completely ready and comfortable to have a dialogue about it with their students. When you’re putting together the budget for next year keep that in mind.
Thank goodness this particular student is a senior so they won’t have deal with these type of antics from administration but you still need to make it your mission to build a relationship with your Black students because they need know you care. Show up for them and show them they are not just a head with a dollar amount attached to it. You owe them that at the very least.
Also your job is to protect all your students from harms way. There is no reason that Peter was able to use his power to sleep with students and take them on dates under your leadership. There should be no reason that teachers find out about it when when the media releases it (https://nypost.com/2019/11/21/queens-teacher-bedded-student-fixed-grades-for-other-female-pupils-probe/). This secretive and silent behavior that you like to participate in has to stop because it doesn’t benefit anyone and almost always falls back on teachers and students. Another example of how your silence shows how complicit you are with pressing issues. Once this information was released we as teachers had to pick up the pieces and explain it to students and/or hear other gruesome details about it from other students. Still to this day you have not publicly condemned inappropriate relationships between teacher and students so that it is less likely to happen again under your leadership. This is your school so step up and and create a safe space that will allow all students to be themselves unapologetically without fear of being manipulated by teachers and/or administrators who are supposed to educate and have unconditional support for them.
In closing I’m going to ask every eye that has read this email 3 questions:
Who wants to work at the school where learning about and/or having conversations surrounding racism is optional for teachers?
Who wants to be a part of a staff where the majority of teachers don’t actually want to do their jobs of being open about what their students and/or colleagues backgrounds are and the experiences that come along with them?
Who wants to be taught by teachers who are afraid to delve into conversation with students about how the world reacts to the color of their skin?
Not me. This letter will also count as my letter of resignation as I will not be returning next year. I really hope that there is a change amongst Long Island City High School as a whole because the racism that has been uprooted due to George Floyd’s death is unacceptable and unfair to Black students and especially unfair to Black staff members who not only have to deal with these racist microaggresions from colleagues but also have to observe staff members elicit those same microagressions toward Black students.
To everyone who will continue to work at LICHS or any school where Black teachers and/or students are present, show up for us when we need you the most and know that valuing Black lives will never mean that you are devaluing your own.
Mario Scott