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Volume XVIII • Number 45 • November 3 - 9, 2011 •
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Is it time to move power lines underground? By BRENDAN McHUGH Storm after storm has ravaged Riverdale residents, killing tree after tree, some of which inevitably land on a power line or two. Or more. Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz is fed up with the situation. "This problem has continued for far too long and must be fixed," he wrote in a letter to Consolidated Edison. "I strongly urge you to move the electrical wires in these areas underground, thereby eliminating the risk of interference by felled trees." As of Monday, more than 1,000 Bronxites were still without power, and Con Edison said they hoped to have solved the rest of the outages by Wednesday evening. Dinowitz says that if the electric and gas company would start putting wires in the ground, they could avoid the problem completely. "I surmise these power outages are related to the abundance of
trees in these areas, and hence the increased likelihood of trees falling down and knocking down electrical wires," he wrote. "We are in the 21st century, and there is no reason we should continue to rely on an unreliable and antiquated system of delivering power to the affected areas." Dinowitz focused on Riverdale, though the problem is just as dire on the opposite side of the borough as well. "I think it’s a great idea," City Councilman James Vacca said. "The people on City Island have asked for that for years, but Con Ed says it’s too expensive." Vacca did applaud Con Edison for doing a good job responding to residents’ complaints, and he pointed out that part of the reason so many trees are falling down is not only the severity of recent storms but also the lack of attention the city gives to existing trees. Continued on Page 18
A tree is held up by a power line on West 249th Street after the October snow storm. Fallen trees and branches throughout the neighborhood led to blackouts for many residents.
P.S. 24 principal forced to replace uncertified special ed teacher By MIAWLING LAM The principal at P.S. 24 has been forced to replace an uncertified teacher assigned to a class with special education students. Sources at the NYC Department of Education confirmed Anne Mokris lacked the certification required by the state for teachers of high-needs kids. Principal Donna Connelly will replace Mokris on Monday, November 7, with a certified special education teacher. The sudden about-face came after the Riverdale Review last week contacted authorities and began to raise questions surrounding Mokris’ credentials. A number of teachers at the school contacted the Review with the information that led to the inquiry. Mokris was one of two teachers in charge of the second-grade Collaborative Team Teaching inclusion class at the school. Mokris was initially hired as a substitute last year and filled in for another teacher on maternity leave. She was then promoted to a full-time role in September but has been teaching without the mandatory credentials. A high official with knowledge of the situation confirmed that it was “illegal” for Mokris to teach this class, and could have exposed the school to potential lawsuits. The Review learned that Mokris was on track for certification, but a class cancellation caused by Hurricane Irene prevented her from completing the certification requirements in time for the current school year. Department of Education officials, who were given eight working days to furnish a comment, did not take the necessary action until November 1. The illegal appointment came to light on October 18 after the
Riverdale Review received a tip from teachers at the school. A person at P.S 24, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said Mokris’ hiring flouted the law and that children’s education was being jeopardized. When told of the latest developments, the source welcomed Mokris’ dismissal and hoped Tweed officials would correct Connelly's approach. “She’s playing too many games that aren’t always going to work,” the person said. “They think they’re above the law, and they try to get away with as much as they can. But hopefully they put her in her place.” There is a current investigation of Connelly’s “warehousing” of an assistant principal position, not filling it for nearly two years as her friend Manuele Verdi, hustled to finish the necessary coursework to obtain his certification as an administrator. The whistleblower also said Mokris’ appointment raised a potential conflict of interest because two of her children are currently enrolled at the school. A search of the New York State Department of Education’s TEACH certification system confirms Mokris does not currently hold a teaching certificate, with her entry showing “no data found.” However, New York State Education Department spokeswoman Jane Briggs said Mokris was in the process of attaining her qualifications. “We have an application in the works for a person of that name, but at this point, she hasn’t been issued certification,” she said in an email. Briggs did not disclose which certificate Mokris was working toward, the date that she commenced studying for the qualification or an expected completion date.
According to state law, CTT classes must include a special education teacher and a general education teacher. In New York City, the special education teacher must be certified and licensed and appointed in special education. Similarly, the general education teacher must be certified and licensed and appointed under a general education or content-area license. The class’s second CTT teacher, Jeanine Boulanger, is fully qualified to teach general education students. As of press time, calls to the school, its UFT chapter leader and the Bronx District 10 UFT representative were not returned. Intriguingly, a search of the staff directory on P.S. 24’s website shows Mokris is simply referred to as “Ms. Anne,” while all of her fellow teachers are referred to by their last names. As of Tuesday, “Ms. Anne” was still listed as a teacher of the CTT class. The saga is the latest in a series of controversial decisions made by Connelly, the most recent of which was her insistence on leaving the school’s assistant principal position unfilled for two years. Critics had long suggested that Connelly kept the leadership position open so her close friend, Verdi, could complete the required coursework and fill the vacancy. Verdi appears to have been appointed to the position in September upon finally acquiring the necessary certificate. The Council of Supervisors and Administrators last year raised objections to Connelly’s manipulation of the system and called for a fully qualified assistant principal to be appointed, but Connelly stood her ground and left the post unfilled. Two years ago, the Spuyten Duyvil school had two assistant principals.