General News
Horror principal gone, not forgotten
Sep 17, 2009 1:19 PM
Brooklyn school still dealing with effects of axed administrator’s mismanagement
UFT District 18 Representative Richard Mantell (left), with PS 114, Brooklyn, PTA President Tishina Fraser-Powell and Chapter Leader Keith Peterson, worked with the school and community to remove their principal; now they have to keep working to overcome the legacy of financial mismanagement.
At PS 114 in Brooklyn’s Canarsie section, last year’s principal from hell is gone, but the effects of the incompetence and mismanagement are now issues that the staff is standing together to overcome.
“We inherited a $170,000 deficit from [former principal Maria] Pena-Herrera,” Keith Peterson, the school’s chapter leader, said. “We’re paying it off, and we’re suffering the effects in teachers lost [eight staff were excessed], in supplies depleted and in working with a skeleton staff.”
With library renovation at a standstill and numerous empty classrooms, some halls were eerily quiet, unlike other schools’ first days.
“We’re going to have to make do with what we’ve got,” Peterson said.
Fifth-grade teacher Elizabeth Kinkel, a former student at the school, said that what was missing last year, and what she wants from the new principal this year, “is for her to listen to teachers and respect us as professionals. For that, I’m cautiously optimistic, as opposed to being demoralized, disgusted, disgruntled and agitated,” like last year.
That caution mixed with optimism is compounded by the fact that the school’s last principal — hired after the DOE intervened in February to remove Pena-Herrera and bring leadership back to the school — served for just the remainder of the 2008-09 school year before being herself transferred.
For the most part, said Peterson, “the staff is in shell shock after the second principal was reassigned,” but he added that the educators are ready to do what needs to be done as always to work with the parents and help all the students.
Special Education Teacher Support Services staffer Vanessa Martinez said she was hopeful the school’s educators won’t repeat “last year’s roller-coaster ride.”
Brand-new social studies teacher Traci Kalmus called the first day “hectic, but a good hectic.” The former K-5 classroom teacher said she was “excited about the new year” and jazzed about her new position.
PTA President Tishina Fraser-Powell said she looked forward to introducing the new principal at the group’s first meeting on Sept. 17. With three children attending the school, Fraser-Powell took a vacation day from her own job to help transition students.
For the students, the latest leadership turnover seemed on day one to be pretty removed from their concerns. The cafeteria was jumping as boys in starched yellow shirts and girls wearing locks festooned with beads and barrettes enjoyed catching up with classmates.
