In its latest assault on the Department of Education’s Rubber Room (a long-term city holding area for bad teachers) the NY Post has published a list of its top offenders. That is, those who have been there the longest, get paid the best and have committed the most disgusting and reprehensible crimes (fondling, lewd comments, sexual assault, etc.). One put his hands down the pants of a special-ed student in 2003. One impregnated a student, who he met when she was 13. And we all know Rubber Room poster boy Alan Rosenfeld, who loves looking at his students’ rears. All get generous salaries and don’t work at all; in total they cost the city $540,000 each year. With out further ado, the “dishonor roll” as well as comments from the Schools Chancellor and Teachers Union President are after the break.
ALAN ROSENFELD Typing, IS 347, Queens Got a wrist slap for making lewd comments. Since 2001, he has been overseeing a $7.8 million real-estate portfolio and his law practice in the rubber room. Salary: $100,049
RADHARAMAN UPADHYAYA
Guidance counselor, Long Island City HS, Queens
Served a three-day suspension after he was accused of fondling a learning-disabled student at his home. A witness was found not credible. In a rubber room since 2003. Salary: $102,852ARYEH ELLER
Music, Hillcrest HS, Queens, Admitted making lewd comments, but an arbitrator said he was not informed of his rights. In a rubber room since 2003. Salary: $85,426WAYNE MILLER
Biology, Jamaica HS, Queens, In a rubber room since 2002, he was accused of sexually assaulting a child, but the alleged victim recanted the allegation, sources said. Salary: $78,039FRANCISCO OLIVARES
Math, IS 61, Queens, Allegedly impregnated and married a 16-year-old student. He allegedly sexually molested two 12-year-old pupils a decade later. In a rubber room since 2003. Salary: $94,145
Today the Post also published an op-ed by Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, encouraging a three-pronged approach to the Rubber Room debacle. He wants to 1) Remove employees from payroll while their cases proceed. 2) Adhere to prompt timelines for disciplinary action and 3) Let full-time judges decide cases (currently the arbitors who hear DOE cases work only five days a month, hence the delay). All good ideas Mr. Klein. He added, “No one starting from scratch would set up such a dysfunctional disciplinary system. The only people this system serves well are teachers no parent would willingly allow to educate their kids.”
Teachers Union President Michael Mulgrew also put in his two cents. “‘Rubber rooms’ don't work,” he begins, elaborating that the problem can be fixed by speedier investigations, more arbitration-panel members and putting booted teachers to work as administrators, among other things. Mulgrew points a finger at the DOE for slowing down reform, saying it will work “only if DOE decides it would rather solve the rubber-room problem than grandstand about it.”
