[EinNYC]

Boland's tales are simply another iteration of those of thousands of other NYC teachers, including myself. I am daily regaled with "Suck my d___", "Shut up or I git you fired", "F___ you", and duck stuff thrown at me, shoving at times, attempts at locking me out of a classroom, etc. In one class in a high school for Hispanic immigrants in the country less than 4 years (read: illegals), one over-age senior, who already had a child, asked for the bathroom pass. I told him he'd have to wait until the current user of the pass had returned. Whereupon this guy went over to the wastebasket and very thoroughly pantomimed peeing in it, including shaking himself afterward. Then he grabbed a very willing chica slut in the room and the two of them simulated vertical sex in the middle of the classroom, the chica making sure I saw how she squeezed his buttocks like melons. Then they disengaged, having ignored my request for them to cut it out. He then went over to the chair where she sat and straddled her, pumping up and down. When done with this, he found or wrenched off a table leg and swung it around my head.

I made sure he got suspended, but I'm sure he just laughed it off.

And Mayor DeDumDum wants to remove metal detectors from schools. Has now allowed the bane of classrooms, the cell phone, to be brought into schools, so that students can spend entire class periods texting, even openly phoning people, taking pictures or recording the teacher without permission, photographing tests to text them to buddies across the room, etc. You spend more time telling students to put their phones away than teaching. DeDumDum has now also decreed that suspensions of students be virtually eliminated, so stuff like I described above can be done with IMPUNITY.

At least Boland is making money off his travails with his book. Most NYC teachers are just suffering without the fanfare, completely unassisted by a union thoroughly in cahoots with the city.

[SaveFerris]

Sounds about like what I would expect. A complete war-zone.

And then folks like this get to vote..........

[NorthMountain]

I hope you understand that when folks talk about "New York values", and about not wanting them, the abominable classroom behavior you just described is a prime example of what they're talking about.

The problem is not unique to New York; it IS largely urban.

[A_perfect_lady]

Wow. I'm in inner-city Los Angeles and my school sounds like paradise compared to what you just wrote. I mean, we do have the cell-phone problem, but the kids are pretty good-natured. It's around 98% Hispanic. I've only been called a "bitch" once in 12 years, and that was a Special Ed student (and to be honest, I wasn't at my best that day.)

I do find the kids apathetic, spoiled, and not very bright. But nothing like what you just described. Good God. How long till you can retire?? (I have about 6 years to go.)

[RicocheT]

EinNYC you have my sympathy. Teachers in our urban schools have a tough job when students behave this way. Most teachers enter the career with lofty aspirations and a do good hope. It must be crushing to confront a reality as described in the book and by you.

The other part of the tragedy is that these bad kids are going to be bad adults/mothers/sperm donors. They will cost we honest, taxpaying citizens many thousands of $ to maintain in dependency or prison. Every one was born with all the potential God gave we humans, but by lack of nurture or by circumstance turned into a evil idiot.

[PLMerite]

Why in the hell are you putting up with that crap? Move! Are you waiting for one of them to kill you, or what?

[skimbell]

I understand.

I just retired from a 25 yr. tour in what this district likes to call an "alternative school".

People constantly tell me that I should "write a book" relating some of the events that I took part in during that time but I find that I really just prefer to leave it alone.

I am proud of the "motto" that I have been credited with leaving to the school.

Another teacher in my department overheard my response to a question I Was asked by the district Superintendent about a problem with a couple of "students" in the building.

My answer to him was that "Father Flanagan was full of chit,"

It stuck.

[VTenigma]

More New York values.

[GenXteacher]

Hats off to you. I wouldn’t teach there for all the money on earth.