Portelos Update, Farina Visits His School Today as He Undergoes Cross Examination Across From Tweed

Termination for what?...blowing the whistle on corruption at the school she is visiting. I hope she is aware and helps address the issues that have plagued my neighborhood school.... Francesco Portelos

Today is another day of cross examination. Instead of going to IS 49 Farina should stop and watch this farcical waste of money as DOE Legal's Jordanna Shenkman flails around trying to find chinks in Portelos' armor. Farina would learn much more about IS 49 if she walked across the street from Tweed and sat in on these hearings.

My bad back that I hurt when I fell on the ice 3 weeks ago healed and I finally managed to get back to the hearings on Tuesday. I missed most of his testimony and some of the cross examination. Tuesday had a number of almost laugh out loud moments watching Jordanna incompetently try to frame questions meant to catch Portelos in a lie. She badgered him over whether he used the word alleged when he wrote about people under investigation and when he tried to say he used allegedly she said "I asked you Yes or No -- did you use alleged"? I had to cover my mouth.

She has no interest in truth or what really happened. I know people think the prosecutor is supposed to do that but this is not about trying to put someone away for murder. She is just trying to play "gotcha." And not succeeding. At times she is coy -- purposely not showing Portelos a document to refresh his memory, hoping to catch him in a lie.

Some of her ridiculous questions need some explanation because there is not a simple answer. "Please instruct the witness to answer my question" or "witness is non-responsive" she whines to the hearing officer continuously.

Here is his most recent email:

 
Principal just sent an email out that Chancellor Fariña will be visiting my school tomorrow. I sent the chancellor and mayor an email the other day about issues. I wonder if it is related. Maybe not, however I will not be there as I will be across the street from her office being cross examined for the 4th day and present at the 19th day of my termination hearing. Termination for what?...blowing the whistle on corruption at the school she is visiting. I hope she is aware and helps address the issues that have plagued my neighborhood school.

Francesco Portelos

Parent
Educator

IS 49 UFT Chapter Leader

educatorfightsback.org
Mrportelos.com

Here are some notes some of my MORE colleagues took when I was not able to attend.

I haven't been able to attend the hearings over the past few weeks - I was hoping to go today but have to drive a friend to the doctor. But here are some comments - anonymous -- and also some commentary from some MOREistas who did attend.

3 Anonymous comments on your post "Francesco Portelos: Teacher Under Assault by Princ...":

I was a member of SLT at IS49 as the title 1 rep. If Ms. Hill didn't like my questions and didn't want to answer them, she would act like a 12yr old and say, "you know ms. wright, i'm really trying to get along with you." if she made a face or disliked any of my questions then she had her puppets chime in and attack me with negative comments and discouraging me from asking or speaking my mind. she demanded 1500 dollars from the title 1 money ASAP. I told her I needed to speak with higher ups and she quoted me again with, u know ms. wright, i'm really trying to get a long with you. and asking me who do I need to speak with and when will I get back to her. I told her Tuesday, which was two days later and she huffed and puffed like she was going to blow me down. when saturday rolled around she sent me an email telling me to disregard her request.



I was the title 1 rep and when I asked a question at the PTA meeting about the safe room, I was told at an executive meeting that was set up to intimidate me from asking negative questions in front of parents. I was told by sherina peterkins the so called president of the PTA and the so called leader in charge, Ms. Hill, that I am to stop whatever I am doing and ask ms. hill these questions in her office. that if my question is personal that I am to go to the principal in private. you stupid clowns, my son goes to your school and everything that happened or happens in this school is personal to me. I told them whatever. that if I want to ask a question I will ask it at the PTA.


I was harassed by ms. hill's security officers. she had only two black females escorting me around like I was a criminal. everyone else walked in that school with no escorts except me. I called mike riley to complain. it stopped for 2 weeks and started up again. this was all because ms. hill didn't like that I was asking a lot of questions about the budget, the title 1 funds, questioning the CFN and just asking positive questions about the kids' welfare when it came to education. as a title 1 rep I was treated like shit. but I didn't care because I knew that heifer couldn fire me. one time even one of the officers interpreted for me in English back to English. go figure. I have a lot of stories about this piece of shit school