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The city teachers union yesterday demanded a review of the school system’s hiring practices in a move derided by the Bloomberg administration as a distraction from teacher misconduct.
In the wake of record numbers of arrests of teachers on charges of sexual abuse or misconduct involving students, the city has been lobbying for a law giving the chancellor final say in how misbehaving teachers should be disciplined. That power currently resides with an independent arbitrator.
But rather than support the city’s bid to protect students, the United Federation of Teachers turned the tables and pointed at the city’s hiring practices as a potential area for reform.
UFT President Michael Mulgrew asked in a letter to the City Council’s Education Committee for “an oversight hearing on the Department of Education’s screening and hiring practices.”
“Students and school employees must be protected, and that begins with an effective and detailed background-screening program,” Mulgrew said in a letter to Councilman Robert Jackson (D-Manhattan), who chairs the Education Committee.
“It is vital that the DOE recruit and hire high-quality educators to work in our classrooms. Likewise, it is critical that the screening process do everything possible to weed out all unsuitable candidates. It appears that important work is not being done.”
However, city officials called the union’s bid a “disgraceful and desperate dodge.”
“The UFT should stop protecting teachers who engage in sexual misconduct with students and support the legislation to fire these teachers,” said city spokeswoman Lauren Passalacqua.
Jackson sided with the union, telling The Post that he supports hosting a council oversight hearing and that “anyone who would be opposed is against our children.”
“DOE needs to stop playing politics because I don’t know who would be opposed to further screening before the hiring of teachers,” he said.
Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott earlier yesterday met with parents at PS 208 in Harlem where third-grade teacher Rafael Sosa, 29, was charged Thursday with sexually molesting an 8-year-old student in a classroom.
Family members of Sosa’s students cried during the gathering, expressing betrayal and anger.
“Everybody knows [Sosa] — he’s so sweet,” said Sabrina Glover, 17, whose younger sister had Sosa as a teacher. “I would never think he would do something like that.”
Meanwhile, Albany is on the verge of a deal for releasing teacher evaluations — but only to parents.
During a stop at City Hall, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said negotiators are “very close” to issuing guidelines for handing out controversial teacher grades that would limit the release of teacher data to parents.
“This is a very difficult issue,” said Silver. “I think we have to weigh the rights of privacy and the rights of people to know.”
Bloomberg has been pushing to make the evaluations public to everyone.
Dealing with it
* How bad teachers are currently handled:
Where there’s wrongdoing but no criminal conviction, an independent arbitrator decides the punishment
* What city wants:
When sexual misconduct involving teacher and student occurs, chancellor decides the punishment
* Union’s position:
Since it’s a “hiring issue,” City Council should look at teacher-hiring practices