Friday, May 18, 2012

UFT/Unity Chapter Leader Richard Candia Attacks Staff While Backing Principal

Is Staten Island UFT assisting in the sell-out of teachers at IS 49 SI due to a cozy relationship with abusive principal Linda Hill?

In order to leave the building the principal has to sign you out. So, a long line forms and 15 minutes after the day is over teachers are still on line. Does that happen in any other school? ---- conditions at IS 49 SI [WHERE IS THE UFT? - SEE BELOW]

I refuse to let him [Porteles] ruin what WE work so hard for each and everyday.
-----IS 49 (Staten Island) Chapter Leader Richard Candia to Principal Linda Hill who has been harassing teacher Francesco Portelos since he raised issues as to how school grant money was being spent.

They said like 3/4 of the staff is supportive of him and that they want him to be chapter leader.  It was reported to me that many were very supportive and very outspoken in their support of Portelos.  ---- Chapter Leader Richard Candia to principal Linda Hill, Jan. 2012


Linda Hill answered this plea for help from chapter leader Richard Candia afraid of losing his job because Francesco Porteles is running for chapter leader -- from the rubber room, where he has been sent on trumped up charges by Hill to get him out of the school before the election against chapter leader Richard Candia.

This letter alone should get the UFT to call a press conference and go to a judge asking for an immediate injunction to get Portelos back into the school. But it won't and will let Portelos languish in the RR forever. They were so threatened by Portelos they even had him removed from a Staten Island RR out to Ozone Park in Queens at the corrupt Network 211. Imagine the costs Portelos has been subjected to with the bridge and gas bills? What does the UFT do? "Look into it." Really pathetic.

We know many chapter leaders are more partners of the administration than of the teachers they supposedly represent. But this Candia guy takes the cake. In this communication to the principal he gives up 15 teachers who support Portelos. It is not often that they get their comeuppance but Candia looks like a deer in the headlights as he loses staff support.

That Richard Candia is a supposedly a member of Unity Caucus, the party that has ruled the UFT for 50 years, is a further indictment.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Richard Candia To: Linda Hill
Date: Sun, Jan 29, 2012 at 12:48 AM

A close friend in the building that doesn't get involved with absolutely any BS called me tonite after checking their email and said the buzz around the building was that I was totally wrong by not letting Portelos speak and that the staff has no voice in the building. I guess they feel that someone is effective if they are confrontational with the administration...not my style.  I'm so disappointed in so many staff members that I have spent countless hours talking to at night and helping each and every day.  This person is a true professional and never gets involved with anything negative and they are always totally honest with me.  They said like 3/4 of the staff is supportive of him and that they want him to be chapter leader.  It was reported to me that many were very supportive and very outspoken in their support of Portelos.  The Portelos supporters included [Candia NAMES 15 Teachers listing degree of support for Portelos].  They are clueless.  I tried to mediate this on Thursday and he went nuts so how was I going to let him discuss this in front of 60 people..not the forum.  I spoke to the staff..I took questions..Then when the meeting was just about over he stood up and went to the front of the room and started his BS..totally degrading Susanne in front of the whole staff when we had left the room.  I keep getting calls and texts from staff members as they receive this letter that he sent to the whole staff.  Im thoroughly embarrassed by these emails.  He is not going to stop harrassing people.  I am thoroughly committed to our school community and I refuse to let him ruin what WE work so hard for each and everyday.

See: http://www.protectportelos.org/

and Ed Notes - Portelos Story



Before I was tenured

Many have told me “Good thing you are tenured.” and also “You would never open your mouth if you weren’t tenured.” That last one is absolutely not true at all. I admit I was against tenure when I received it in 2010. I thought it got in the way of getting rid of ineffective teachers. I mean teachers who were not only poor at their job, but more importantly had no intention of improving and were able to stay in the system.
Of course now I am happy to be tenured,



2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have worked in schools where the CL reported back to the principal. That's when many stopped expressing their feelings at union meetings.

After the '05 contract it became clearer that the union no longer wanted to help teachers who could easily be sent to the RR for no reason at all.

NY_I said...

Cozy relationship is not far off from cover-up and quid pro quo of going easy. It's in this context that Mulgrew's scandal can be seen as political. Why Post-Scooped Mulgrew Sex Story has Political Relevance
--the NYC Eye