SHEEPSHEAD BAY'S ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWS BLOG

Community Board 13 is demanding the Department of Education begin taking toxic chemicals in schools more seriously.

Responding to recent reports that some Brooklyn schools contain the toxic Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), the board wants the city to host public hearings on the issue and improve communication with parents and educators about the substances.

PCBs were recently found in area schools including Sheepshead Bay’s P.S. 52 (2675 East 29th Street) and P.S. 288 in Coney Island. The chemical was used in construction materials, especially around windows and door frames, before being banned in the 1970s. It has the potential to cause cancer, as well as a variety of other adverse health effects on the immune system, reproductive system, nervous system, and endocrine system.

“It is in the best interest of everyone if the Department of Education takes a proactive approach to keeping everyone informed and addressing the concerns of students, parents, teachers and members of the general public,” boardmember Brian Gotlieb wrote in a letter to schools Chancellor Joel Klein. Gotlieb is the chairperson of the board’s Education, Library and Youth Services Committee.

[via Yournabe.com]

The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) filed a lawsuit to stop the closing of 19 public schools, including Sheepshead Bay High School and three other area schools.

The city announced late last month that Sheepshead Bay High School at 3000 Avenue X, Franklin D. Roosevelt High School at 5800 20th Avenue, John Dewey High School at 50 Avenue X, and William E. Grady Vocational High School at 25 Brighton Fourth Road were on their list of “persistently lowest achieving” high schools. The schools on the list would receive federal funding to close or restructure in one of four models put forth by the Race to the Top program.

Teachers and parents are riled up at the city’s betrayal, as the Department of Education moves to abandon students to charter and private interests, rather than fix public education.

City Councilman Lewis Fidler and Assemblyman Alan Maisel, both of whom attended Tilden High School which closed in 2007, are joining the UFT lawsuit.

“When your proposals can affect the futures of so many, you can’t just go through the motions and ignore the letter and spirit of the law,” Fidler told Courier-Life. “Unfortunately, that’s what has happened here. We’re talking about public education. The Department of Education should be listening to people, investing to fix schools they feel are broken, not abandoning them.”

New York City officials have announced they are shuttering all of the city’s public schools tomorrow, February 10, in anticipation of about 1.5′ of snowfall. All after-school activities, PSAL events, and all other events taking place in school buildings will also be cancelled.

Additionally, alternate side parking will be suspended tomorrow citywide due to snow removal. Parking meter rules will be in effect.

Sheepshead Bites encourages you to stay home and stay warm tomorrow. If you must go out, drive safely and carefully.

Daily News is reporting that a fifth staff member at James Madison High School is under investigation, this time a female gym teacher accused of “feeling up” a 14-year-old girl.

The latest scandal involves Madison High gym teacher Lisa Guttilla, 37, who was arrested Friday for feeling up a 14-year-old girl, police sources said.

The student attended private Poly Prep Country Day School, where Guttilla was a part-time volleyball coach.

The abuse came to light when the teen’s mother started asking questions about a hickey on her neck – and she confessed to sexy sessions with Guttilla between Jan. 4 and 9.

A complaint filed in Brooklyn Criminal Court says the teacher did “touch, grab, squeeze and kiss the [girl] about the breast and buttock.”

Guttilla has been charged with sexual abuse and child endangerment and sent to the infamous rubber room, a much maligned “reassignment” center where teachers continue to receive pay while awaiting disciplinary actions.

As you probably remember, back in December two female teachers, Alini Brito and Cindy Mauro, were caught in a classroom having a naked affair during a SING performance. Two days later it was revealed that another teacher, Allison Musacchio, was accused of inappropriate relations with a male student. Then, within days of that, Daily News discovered that a teacher had accused Assistant Principal Michael Edelman of sexual harassment.

Manhattan Beach Neighborhood Association has invited principals from the community’s schools to come and speak at tonight’s February meeting about education issues. Those coming are Arthur Forman, principal of P.S. 195; Marie Timo, the principal of Bay Academy; and Joseph Zaza, the principal of Leon Goldstein High School. Though all three schools are in relatively good shape, it’s still a good opportunity to pick the brains of local leaders in education about all the madness our school system is going through, including closures and the rising influence of charters.

When: Tonight, February 1 @ 8 p.m.
Where: P.S. 195 @ 131 Irwin Street

Courtesy of Wikipedia

We haven’t been able to confirm it, but GerritsenBeach.net is reporting that Sheepshead Bay High School, John Dewey High School, William E. Grady High School, and FDR High School are set to close by the end of 2010.

We first wrote in November that administrators were considering Sheepshead Bay H.S. (3000 Avenue X) for closure, but at the time the principal denied the claims. Since then, the city’s list of “persistently lowest achieving” high schools swelled from about a dozen to 34, including the addition of the three other southern Brooklyn high schools.

The list of targets was created as part of a proposal for Race to the Top, a federal grant program aimed at encouraging states to be aggressive in fixing or closing their lowest performing schools. New York State stands to gain about $500,000 for every school it reforms using one of the federal government’s four models. New York Times describes them as follows:

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P.S. 222 parents say Roll-N-Roaster shortchanged children after a fundraider
(Photo courtesy of irockiroll via Flickr)

Iconic Sheepshead Bay restaurant Roll-N-Roaster is playing Scrooge this holiday season and barking a mighty “Ba humbug” to needy children, according to parents at a local elementary school.

Parents Association leaders at P.S. 222 in Marine Park say Roll-N-Roaster failed to deliver promised donations after a December 1 fundraiser, going as far as accusing the restaurant of “pocketing” money.

“I think we were set up. They were never planning to give us as much as they promised, but we didnt know that,” PA Co-president Mardie Sheiken said.

But while Sheiken and P.S. 222 officials say Roll-N-Roaster shortchanged the school children of hundreds of dollars, the restaurant’s general manager, Ayet Karce, says event organizers violated the agreement and their contribution was “generous.”

Ultimately, Roll-N-Roaster outraged organizers with a paltry $471.00, about half the amount it receives from similar fundraisers at McDonalds. Sheiken said the event was “standing room only” for all three hours, making it impossible that $471.00 was the full 10 percent promised from the agreement.

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Courtesy of Daily News

The curtains lifted on a third act in James Madison High School’s sexy scandals, this time as the Daily News reports the assistant principal stands accused of sexual harassment.

Michael Edelman, 62, has worked at the school since 1971. Daily News writes that the Education Department’s Office of Equal Opportunity is investigating the allegations, a department spokeswoman confirmed.

Edelman told the Daily News, “I don’t know anything about it, that’s it, I have no other comment.”

The news comes just days after two other scandals at the school were revealed. First, two female language teachers – Cindy Mauro and Alini Brito – were allegedly caught in a naked romp. Then Allison Musacchio was found to be under investigation for improper relations with a student.

Allison Musacchio (Courtesy of Daily News)

With an ongoing investigation into two teachers allegedly caught naked together on school property, a third teacher at James Madison High School is now also being investigated for inappropriate behavior with a student.

In what Daily News is now calling “Horndog High,” Madison High School is the scene of two shocking revelations in as many days. Today it was revealed that social studies teacher Allison Musacchio, 31, was caught with more than 200 calls and texts to a male student on her cell phone record. Musacchio denies the allegations.

More from the Daily News:

School sources said they learned of Musacchio’s alleged antics in March, after a female James Madison student saw her ex-boyfriend’s phone number on the tenured teacher’s cell phone.

Officials found more than 200 texts and calls between the teacher and the male pupil and yanked her from the classroom, sources said. They said the amount of contact was inappropriate.

Musacchio, 31, was also investigated for having a fling with a former student but the probe was dropped because the teen was of legal age and no longer at the school, school sources said.

Attempts to reach Musacchio at her home were unsuccessful Wednesday, but she has told a neighbor the allegations were untrue.

“She said, ‘Absolutely not,’” the neighbor said. “She said, ‘Are you crazy? With my Greek background, I would never do something like that. I have morals and respect.’”

Meanwhile, Alini Brito and Cindy Mauro, the two teachers caught naked by a janitor during a school recital, appear to be getting a Facebook following. At least two groups have popped up with a combined 800 members.

One group, “Stand Up For Mauro & Brito,” seems to be started by students looking to dispel some of the out of control rumors in the media and defend the well-liked instructors.  That group has a little over 400 members, with present and past students swapping fond memories of the teachers, and expressing support.

On the flip side, “We Demand Justice (and pics) for Alini Brito and Cindy Mauro!!” has almost as many members, but is largely filled with desperate men demanding more photos of the duo, and token revocations of the janitor’s “man card.”

Brito, left, and Mauro, right, were caught naked in a classroom. (Photo courtesy of Daily News)

Two female teachers at James Madison High School were caught naked in a classroom while students enjoyed a talent show down the hall, Daily News is reporting.

The romance language instructors were placed on administrative leave while the Education Department investigates for misconduct.

According to Daily News, Cindy Mauro, a 33-year-old Spanish teacher, and Alini Brito, a 29-year-old married French instructor, were caught by a janitor “undressed” in an empty classroom. Rumors had been circulating among the students for some time, but school administrators kept the relationship under wraps for fear of controversy, some students say.

Teachers and administrators at the school have refused to comment.

Here are what some students and others told the Daily News:

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