These are a few samples of the micromanagement directives issued by the DOE and various administrators who run our schools.

Regarding start-of-day procedures a Queens LIS wrote to principals saying: "Parents who have emergencies will have to wait. Tell the secretaries to inform the parents that you will be happy to call them before lunch or they can see you after lunch."

Another Queens LIS told principals: "Implementation of the workshop model of instruction in all content areas, as well as the prototypes in literacy and math, is mandatory."

A Brooklyn principal dictated bulletin board policies: "All classroom and hallway bulletin boards are to be backed with fresh paper and border trim. Commercial display (store bought), tests or rexograph sheets should not be used."

The same Brooklyn principal went even further with this directive: "The following is school-wide policy concerning what is to be located on the Teacher's desk: Plan Book.

A Brooklyn principal, who wrote 12 administrative memos by November 5^th, writes to the staff regarding professional development: "Sitting with colleagues and being part of the group is expected. Sitting in the back of the room where you are meeting can send a message of non-participation."

An interim¨Cacting principal writes regarding student work on bulletin boards: "Teacher's comments: ¡Ì or ¡Ì+is not acceptable." Then a little further down in the memo, (By way of comparison to the previous principal, this was administrative memo #1 dated Nov. 10) the principal says: "Bulletin boards should not contain: Past remains of staples."

One Queens elementary school principal provided staff with a classroom checklist that included the following items: "wastepaper basket away from the door." "Chalkboard lined ( 3inches)." "Charts of class officers, monitors and bus children clearly posted."

Another elementary school principal writes: "All bulletin boards should have a writing piece. If it is the art teacher's, you still need an (sic) writing piece."

In a letter to a teacher, a Brooklyn principal said: "Thursday is a Writing Day. ¡­This is a non-negotiable ¡­." The same middle school principal writes: "Comments on post-its ¨C 1 comment must be positive and the other comment should say: Next Step:¡­" and provides examples of typical "next step" comments.

A Queens high school administrator says: "No rooms should remain in the traditional rows, or in the horseshoe design."

Hmm! In a seeming contradiction to what everyone is saying a Queens principal writes: "The methodology is what drives the philosophy not the seating arrangement!!" Oh!

The administration at this junior high school made the following grading decisions for the staff: "The highest average is a 99%."

A Queens principal warns his staff that the school is expecting a visit from the LIS. The staff is politely told in underlined text: "Please do not do a teacher directed lesson in the front of the room at this time!"

A mean Brooklyn principal, who has some problems with English syntax, tells kindergarten teachers: "Teachers, effective immediately, I will be taking out of ALL rooms the play areas."

In another example of the disregard for parents, a principal writes to staff: "Report cards may no longer be sent home with the children prior to parent teacher conferences. Each parent will have to be handed his or her child's report card at the conference."

From the principal of a Queens elementary school: "Meeting areas in the upper grades need to be made bigger so that all children are sitting on the floor during read alouds and shared reading. Teacher's (sic) desks can be moved against the wall to make more space."

To 1^st- and 2^nd-grade teachers in Brooklyn: "To assure that there is enough time for all instructional areas throughout the day, homework is to be assigned weekly and stapled in student's(sic) notebooks."

All 4^th- and 5^th-grade teachers in a Brooklyn elementary school were told that: "Each classroom should have a working analog clock."

After visiting some schools, the LIS informs the principals that "Read Alouds" are a waste of time. In response, a principal informs the staff: "...has come to the conclusion that Read Alouds consume too much time. In ... own words, 'I'm not seeing enough meat and potatoes.' There needs to be more 'Shared Reading' especially using the overhead."

A high school science chairperson writes: "...every science classroom must have a 'U' shape seating arrangement." The supervisor goes on to say, "Arranging seats in auditorium, chevron, team or traditional styles is not acceptable."

Carrying a "one size fits all" attitude a little too far, an elementary school principal insists that "...the following headings must be utilized in every classroom on a daily basis." The heading must include the name of the school, first name, last name, grade-room number date (with the month written out). Of course, kindergarten children are included.

A Brooklyn elementary school principal writes: "Rooms should be print rich unitlizing charts, clothesline for display and any other creative means of featuring students (sic) work."

In one memo from an assistant principal: "Please let me know if you did not receive a classroom library. There must be evidence of sorting libraries by genre (through student book sorts). Sterilite containers (6) and milk crates (4) must be used in the classrooms for your books. Books need to be stamped." Then the supervisor writes: " If you have the following book titles in your libraries, please remove them immediately and forward them to me:

A sly principal informs staff that they are obligated to attend grade/subject meeting during their preps, citing the UFT contract and telling the staff that "non-attendance at common prep meetings will be viewed as a violation of the U.F.T. contract agreement." So is the principal going to grieve the violation? Of, course, he leaves out the beginning of Article 7C4 Section b, which states: "Preparation periods shall be used for unassigned professional work."

An overzealous Queens intermediate school assistant principal tells staff: "Another reminder that ALL tests must be approved by me and reflect the ELA exam." (emphasis by the supervisor.)