CHS PRINCIPAL UNDER FIRE

By Neil S. Friedman, Canarsie Courier 6/25/03

On the heels of numerous complaints from parents of students at Canarsie High School, who are demanding the removal of Principal Dr. Joel Shapiro, New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein announced on Monday that he has initiated an investigation into their concerns about a number of problems at the school at 1600 Rockaway Parkway.

Two groups — the high school's PTA and the Concerned Parents of Canarsie High School — held a press conference on Monday at the Tweed Courthouse, which is now home to the Department of Education (DOE) headquarters in lower Manhattan, highlighting a number of demands, starting with Shapiro's "immediate removal."

Incoming Canarsie PTA president Ade Oluwo, the father of a 16-year-old CHS junior, said that he collected the signatures of 750 parents, students and community residents on petitions calling for Shapiro's removal.

Oluwo told the Canarsie Courier on Tuesday that the two groups opted to present their case directly to the Chancellor after getting little cooperation since they began complaining to high school officials six months ago.

A press release issued by the PTA read in part, "(We) demand excellence in education for our children. We will no longer stand for the mediocre status quo that has been plaguing the education and schooling of our children…for the past three years."

The extensive grievance list from the parents' groups include several serious issues that, if corroborated, could possibly lead to criminal charges. Among them are: alleged drug sales inside the school building and the principal's "failure to take corrective actions" to eliminate it; a claim that a male dean offered two female students $500 to initiate a fight with the school's Assistant Principal of Security, and the failure to remove the student government president after she allegedly admitted to marijuana possession on school premises.

Other complaints against the principal range from a lack of empathy, concern, and respect for students, teachers and administrators, a high rate of absenteeism, the failure to maintain up-to-date textbooks, the constant violations of DOE regulations, the failure to work with parents to resolve outstanding issues and poor performance that results in 25 percent of students spending four years in the ninth grade. Canarsie High School currently has 2,300 students.

One assistant principal at the school admitted she was "aware" of students approaching classmates looking for drugs. She cited an incident last year in which a student was caught in possession of "52 bags of marijuana."

The current PTA president, Julita Mllewellyn, who is stepping down after her daughter graduates this month, said, "I've worked with Dr. Shapiro for 3 1/2 years and I've never had any problems. I don't see why he should be removed at this time. There's really no justifiable reasons."

Despite her support, she refused to comment on several of the charges made by the parents' groups.

Dr. Shapiro said he could not comment on the investigation, instead referring any questions to the Department of Education.

A spokesperson for Klein said, "The chancellor is aware of the parents' concerns and will investigate them."

Dr. Shapiro became principal at Canarsie High School four months after he was named acting interim principal in February 2000. A resident of Long Island, the 57-year-old veteran educator began his teaching career at Canarsie High School in the late 1960s. After seven years, he transferred to Clara Barton High School in Crown Heights where he served as a science teacher and assistant principal over 24 years.