Ex-DOE teacher Castedra Francis was bitten by pupil, claims officials didn’t care
- Aug 14, 2023
- 2 min read
Written by Georgia Worrell
Original Article Posted on New York Post, February 25, 2023
A former New York City public school teacher fled the Department of Education for a charter school after being bitten by a misbehaving student three times – and getting no help from administrators.
“I saw a very dark future for myself.”
CASTERDRA FRANCIS
She described the two years of shockingly poor working conditions she endured at a Harlem high school for kids with special needs.
Francis, 32, said she became a city public school teacher with the goal of making a difference in the lives of children with disabilities.
“I loved my kids,” the Brooklyn-based educator said.
But at her first job teaching 12th grade at the Department of Education’s P79M Horan School in Harlem, Francis wasn’t given a curriculum to follow or classroom supplies – “so everything was on me,” she said.
She also got no support from school administrators in coping with unruly students – one of whom bit her three times, she said.
“People saw me getting injured and nobody intervened. My principal said they were sorry and that was it. And then it happened again. I didn’t have any support and it was pretty traumatic for me. I saw a trend in the building with teachers getting injured, and a lack of care or remorse for them.”
CASTERDRA FRANCIS
Knowing that she couldn’t last in an environment where teachers weren’t supported, Francis switched last year to teaching 11th grade AP Language and Composition at Brooklyn Laboratory High School, a charter school in DUMBO — a position she described as “a dream.”
“I have a coach now — someone who comes and observes me teach and gives me feedback,” she said. “We have two or three preps a day here, so it gives me enough time to have my lessons prepared for my students. Before, I was kind of drowning. I didn’t have a break.”
“I can see why a lot of educators have left [DOE schools]. It’s because of a [lack of] work/life balance.”
CASTERDRA FRANCIS
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That sounds like an incredibly difficult experience, especially for someone who entered teaching with the goal of supporting students with disabilities. Regardless of the challenges involved in special education, teachers should not be expected to deal with repeated injuries without meaningful support, clear safety procedures, and appropriate intervention from administrators. The fact that she reportedly experienced the same situation more than once makes the lack of support particularly concerning.For a completely different kind of challenge, I also enjoy using a Block Blast strategy tool to work through tricky puzzles.
This is a troubling account of how a lack of administrative support can affect teachers, especially when working with students who have complex needs. The repeated injuries and Francis’s description of feeling unsupported highlight how important proper training, resources, and clear safety procedures are in schools. For gamers looking for useful trading resources, Blox Fruits value checker is also worth checking out.
Francis reportedly says that she was bitten by a pupil during her time working as a Department of Education Space Waves teacher.
Incidents involving aggressive or disruptive behaviour from pupils can create difficult circumstances for teachers and other school employees.