Teachers from the Dominican Republic were Exploited by DOE Principals
The recent treatment of exchange teachers is an extension of the abusive power principals unleash throughout the school system
In September, two dozen teachers from the Dominican Republic were brought to NYC in what turned out to be an elaborate human trafficking* scheme. It’s been reported that eleven of the teachers were coerced to live in an illegal boarding house managed by the Association of Dominican-American Supervisors and Administrators (ADASA), the very organization that designed this exchange-turned-real estate program. ADASA, an organization of DOE principals, forced the teachers with threats of deportation to live in substandard housing where ADASA leaders, like JHS 80 principal Emmanuel Polanco, profited in the thousands from the above-market rents they charged (and yes, it’s a violation of city rules for superiors and subordinates to have this type of financial relationship). It was reported** Saturday that Polanco and his wife are also collecting rent from another 3 of the teachers living in a co-op apparently owned by Polanco’s mother—where guests, by the way, are prohibited. Clearly, the treatment that these teachers received is a far cry from the promise implied by Polanco himself back in September: “What we could do for them and those who are arriving in the same state is prepare the way, the way that was prepared for us when we got here.” Turns out, “the way” prepared for them was DOE-sponsored indentured servitude.
It’s easy to see this scandal as a case of a few bad apples, but that would be missing how rotten the barrel really is. The scandal is an extension of the widespread abuse admin unleash on faculty and staff inside the schools. Principals are endowed by the DOE with powers that they’ve misused with impunity for decades. Polanco himself remained principal of JHS 80 after reports surfaced in 2018 of alleged cover-ups and bullying, including an incident where he slammed a student on the floor over a cellphone. And this is the man whose organization Chancellor David Banks praised as an “amazing group” back in the Spring. Furthermore, the DOE would have less likely outsourced this scam to a group of con artists if it had actually invested in bilingual education over the years. It’s much needed, as there’s only 3,000 certified teachers for approximately 147,000 eligible students. And it’ll be harder to fill this gaping hole if pay and working conditions (especially protection against abusive admin) continue to decline, which seems the case considering how contract negotiations are going.
This scandal also underscores the need for the UFT to have a better organized workplace presence and start a campaign for better workplace protections. Strong chapters have greater ability to detect abuse, more power to confront admin, and more authority to keep abusive admin in check. Our union could also preempt admin abuse by bargaining for due process rights for probationary teachers, publishing and updating a Beware of Principals list, and organizing “swat” teams of unionists to protest particularly abusive schools. We the 7 Executive Board oppositionists raised a resolution with these action steps last night, but the Unity caucus voted it down. It’s unfortunate, because in addition to heightening militancy, the process of building strong, protected chapters also engenders trust among union members that can augment unity in citywide actions. Consider how educators try to go to a journalist first because they’re not sure if the union will have their back. Backroom dealing and reliance on a weak grievance procedure has caused the UFT to divest from building collective workplace power, confidence, and initiative. It’s not too late to reverse course, prioritize in contract negotiations reforms that will help chapters build workplace infrastructure, and create an organization that the boss sees as a threat rather than a pest.
*“Human Trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of people through force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them for profit,” United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
**Unfortunately, but typical for the New York Post, journalists Susan Edelman and Georgia Worrell go out of their way to sex-shame Polanco’s wife, describing her as someone “who posts sexy photos of herself on Facebook.”