Harlem teacher Billy Greene was named New York State Teacher of the Year this month, but some parents say he’s focusing too much on social justice — and not enough on teaching basic skills.
Green, who teaches chemistry and sometimes math at A. Philip Randolph Campus High School and also specializes in helping LGBTQ youth, often members of a parent advocacy group, prioritizes “waking up” over research. secret mom told the post.
For example, right after the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021, Green tweeted A list of discussion points for his algebra class. “I will use the terminology of inequalities to empower my identity in America,” it read. “Students will develop a deeper understanding of how the term inequality affects their lives and the communities they live in.”
The discussion points were accompanied by a message that read, “Cultivating talent in black and brown children is a deliberate act by teachers,” referencing the book.cultivating talent“By the Department of Education Advisory” Gholdi Muhammad, which advocates an “equity framework” for teaching.
One of the key members of Undercover Mother said, “If you want to know why public schools are performing poorly, it’s because we allowed education executives to focus on and respect active teachers like Billy Green and Gholdi Muhammad.” who prioritize social justice over a serious classroom theme.” , a loose national network of anonymous moms that formed in NYC in 2021 and has since expanded nationally.
He told The Post that Greene has a little history of working as a New York City public school teacher, including being fired at least once for his activism. One of the last schools where he taught chemistry was the Frederick Douglass Academy, The test scores are well below the state average. Chemistry, which is Green’s core subject, Douglas had the lowest test scores, with only 9% of students receiving a passing grade.
“I chose to work in those schools, they didn’t choose me,” Green said. “They need me in the worst schools. Billy Green is not working at Stuyvesant (High School) or Brooklyn Tech. You are getting the best teachers in failing schools for some reason. True work comes with the grind from the teacher. They need to fix DOE, not just Billy Greene’s high school.”
Greene has been teaching for 20 years, including a stint at the tough East River Academy on Rikers Island. He said he overcame a childhood that began in East Harlem and involved ten years of continuous homelessness. He said his mother was evicted from the family apartment because she could not afford the $15 monthly rent increase, the family ended up in city shelters and Greene also spent time sleeping in abandoned buildings.
He still managed to graduate from Williams College and is now working toward his doctorate at Columbia University, he said.
He said Greene has a record of excellence at schools like the High School for Environmental Studies in Hell’s Kitchen, where her students scored high grades in chemistry.
“I teach chemistry and some math and I sprinkle some social justice,” Green, 42, told the Post on Thursday. “I’ve been studied by great people. I come here everyday and win. The city tries to fire me but the state recognizes diversity and social justice. I’m a champion of these kids. And don’t say I Gholdi Muhammad is doing the framework. He’s a friend but I’m doing the Billy Greene framework. I’ll never let anyone box me up.”
“I’m Puerto Rican, black, Jewish, gay, a lot of ism-s,” Green said. “I’m not the person people want to see succeed. The DOE doesn’t want me to be successful. The city mayor didn’t say anything to me. Why are they trying to bring me down instead of uplifting me? At the end of the day I am teaching chemistry first, then everything else comes.”
One activist parent said he was impressed by Green’s background, if not his activism. “I respect that he taught at Rikers Island,” Maud Maron, parent’s attorney and former Democratic congressional candidate, told The Post. “My issue is with the people who are handing out these awards. They do not give priority to those teachers who are getting the work done silently. They go after these bigger-than-life characters who are gender fluid or men who wear nail polish but that’s not something that’s really helping kids learn math and science. They are rewarding functionality. Children are being groomed for an audience that is not fair to them. The criteria should be academic success. ,
When asked about Green, a DOE spokesperson emailed The Post a statement.
“We are constantly in awe of the many ways that our dedicated teachers serve students every day. It is a privilege to have a teacher like Mr. Green in our public schools, and we are very proud that he is deservingly recognized as Teacher of the Year by the New York State Board of Regents. Whenever one of our teachers is honoured, it uplifts our entire city.”