Principal Tells Teachers To Dumb-Down Standards
City Hall Angered; Central Park East High Students Miffed


Andrew Kirtzman HARLEM (CBS) ― Have teachers at an East Harlem school been ordered to lower their standards because many students there are poor?

That's the impression some got from their principal's memo.

And now City Hall has stepped in.

The weather was gloomy Thursday outside Central Park East High School, but the talk was about a controversial memo from the school's principal.

"I don't think he thinks we're dumb," 12th grader Crystal Scarlett said. "He just thinks we can do much better than we're doing."

But not everyone agreed.

Last month, Principal Bennett Lieberman sent off a stern memo to teachers.

"If you are not passing more than 65 percent of your students in a class, then you are not designing your expectations to meet their abilities, and you are setting your students up for failure, which, in turn, limits your success as a professional."

Was he ordering teachers to dumb down their classes?

The memo continued:

"Most of our students come from the lowest third percentile in academic achievement, have difficult home lives, and struggle with life in general. They DO NOT have a similar upbringing nor a similar school experience to our experiences growing up."

Some students took offense.

"That's not the way to pass," 12th grader Richard Palacios said. "That's not the way to get your education, so you're basically cheating yourself."

CBS 2 HD made several requests to speak with the principal and he refused. But he is standing by his comments.

Lieberman told a newspaper Thursday he "confidently stands by" his words.

But late Thursday, the Department of Education weighed in. It sent him a letter demanding he clarify his views and state that he is not ordering his teachers to lower their standards.

No word back yet from the principal.

Teachers at the school stand to receive $3,000 bonuses if their school improves.

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A Liberal is a Man too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel (Robert Frost 1874-1963).

Interesting post, I wonder if there is anymore information about this out on the web?

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An informed voter scares the Goverment lackeys.

An American first and always a Conservative.

You could also look at this as the principle telling the teachers they are not doing their job in actually teaching these kids.

It is refreshing however to see the kids take offense if they think he is telling the teachers the students are incapable of learning.

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Its better to have fussed and crabbed then never to have fussed at all - Lucy

Sorry to disappoint you David Duke, but Madison and 106th is the upper east side, not east Harlem

A minor detail, but you are no doubt disappointed.

Isn't the name of the school East Harlem High School? And what does this have to do with David Duke?

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Its better to have fussed and crabbed then never to have fussed at all - Lucy

You'll notice at the very bottom of the story,,,a $3000 bonus is at stake for the "Teachers"... If they improve...

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A Liberal is a Man too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel (Robert Frost 1874-1963).

It looks like it is Central Park East High....at least, according to the article.

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The Lone Ranger of the AWE liberal elitists.....who was that masked man???

And now, I'm the Elitist of liberal Elitists...

Storm, I don't understand the poser's post. Isn't the school named East Harlem High School? That is either true or not. If it is then it is. Nowhere in the post does it say anything about race or blaming the kids or anything else. The issue is did the principle tell the teachers to pass kids no matter what or to teach them better so they can pass? Since the teachers were due a bonus perhaps that means in general the teachers were not performing up to standard.

Why would the poser immediately turn this into a race issue?

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Its better to have fussed and crabbed then never to have fussed at all - Lucy

No one cares to breach this subject,,,but. Can we all assume that a Harlem Principle has told the Teachers to "Dumb Down" the Courses?


And is it safe to assume this is a Black Principle, in a mostly Black High School? I think so... The Black Asshole just told the Teachers to "pass" the unprepared Black Kids for purely Financial reasons,,,to cover his own ass, and the School.


That's a true Nigger. He betrays his own, to cover his Ass.

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A Liberal is a Man too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel (Robert Frost 1874-1963).

If you look at the title of the article in question..."Principal Tells Teachers To Dumb-Down Standards City Hall Angered; Central Park East High Students Miffed"....maybe, it's also known as East Harlem Hgh.....I don't know.
I agree that people pull out the race card too often.....maybe "racist meter" was motivated by the author of the thread as well........again, I don't know.

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The Lone Ranger of the AWE liberal elitists.....who was that masked man???

And now, I'm the Elitist of liberal Elitists...