Dade County School's Little Secret
My name is Bennett Packman and here is my story.
Video - TV News Report Contact Packman@hotmail Faking the Grade McCoggle Indicted Packman Blew Whistle Diploma Mills Update 9/2006 I was hired as a physical education and driver education teacher in August of 2003, at American High School. I was also hired to coach the girl's varsity basketball team. Dr. Algaze, principal at American High School, told me that he would obtain a waiver for me to teach driver education.
I had never signed any papers related to obtaining a waiver for me to teach driver education. When school had started, I began to ask myself if I was permitted to take the students on the driving range. I was being shown how things work on the driving range by Robert Hertler and Ms. Shiela Rush, both driver education teachers at American High School and I had been told by Dr. Algaze to follow the lead of the other driver education teachers. Something told me that this was a little too dangerous for me to be doing without training and I decided to call downtown and find out if I was allowed to be taking the students on the driving range prior to being certified.
When I called downtown, I spoke with Ms. Jayne Greenberg who had the title of head of Physical Education/ Driver Education. I told Ms. Greenberg who I was and that I was hired to teach driver education and physical education at American High School. I asked her if I should be taking the driver education students assigned to me out on the driving range. Ms. Greenberg said that I cannot take the students on the driving range and I cannot sign the student-driving waivers. This conversation took place on August 27, 2003. The student driving waivers had not arrived yet at American High School but they did arrive shortly thereafter and I was surprised to see that my name appeared on the student diving waivers. I had read the back of the student driver waiver that stated you needed to be certified in driver education to sign them.
At that point, I asked myself, why is my name on an official document that requires the signature of a certified driver education teacher. I asked myself who reported me as a certified driver education teacher. If you need to be certified to sign the student driving waivers than why is my name on these waivers since I am not certified. In order to be certified in driver education you need nine college credits in various driver education courses.
After I had called downtown to Ms. Greenberg and told Annie Perez, Physical Education Department Head, that I called her I was escorted the following morning at about 8:30 A.M. by Pat Iacono, Athletic Director at American High School, to Dr. Algaze's office.
It was at this meeting that Dr. Algaze threatened to have me sent back to Parkway Middle School, the school from which I had come, and his only concern was why I went over his head. He refused to address the fact that he told me to follow the lead of the other driver education teachers, which according to Ms. Greenberg was not permitted as it relates to taking the students on the driving range and signing student driving-waivers. Dr. Greenberg is the authority on that issue because she is at the district level.
Up to that point, I was being pressured by Dr. Algaze and Pat Iacono, Athletic Director, to contact a Mr. Bill McCoggle who had offered courses locally to help me get certified in driver education. I did not understand the urgency to get certified in driver education at that time but as time had passed, I had learned that there was no such thing as a driver education teaching waiver and that created the urgency for Dr. Algaze to get me certified. Dr. Algaze knew there was no such thing as a driver education teacher waiver and then I began to understand why I was being pressured to take the sham course with Mr. Bill McCoggle.
In order for Dr. Algaze to protect himself for the fraudulent production of driver education waivers in my name which could only be signed by a certified driver education teacher and no available driver education teaching waiver for me to teach driver education Dr. Algaze knew he was vulnerable and the pressure to take a sham course was turned up.
Because there is no such thing as a teaching waiver in driver education, which is why Dr. Algaze never applied for one, Dr. Algaze was feeling the pressure at that point and needed to have me certified as a driver education teacher as quickly as possible or it would create many issues for him because I had already gone over his head and other people were involved.
When I went to Dr. Algaze's office at 7:10 A.M. on September 16, 2003 to inform him that I would not be taking the driver education course that both he and Pat Iacono were pressuring me to take, he said to me " I hope you're a really good teacher, Mr. Packman because we're going to single you out."
There are some letters that further illustrate that Dr. Algaze will not tell the truth. A letter dated January 12, 2003 from Dr. Algaze in response to my request for an explanation of a program change states that the reason for my program change is that my attendance, my leave being denied and in the best interest of the students he made a schedule change. This couldn't be further from the truth.
There is no such thing as a driver education waiver to teach driver education and I cannot have driver education on my schedule. I couldn't be hired for driver education because I am not certified to teach driver education. The only legal schedule I can have must eliminate driver education from my schedule. This was confirmed from an e-mail that the union received back on October 29, 2004, which stated that you needed the driver education endorsement in order to teach any part of driver education.
Dr. Algaze has told the United Teachers of Dade that in good conscience he cannot give me a good recommendation. I did not know that Dr. Algaze had a conscience given his behavior to this point. Dr. Algaze has in effect been responsible for my inability to obtain employment in Dade County and outside of the Dade County School System during the 2003-2004 school year.
My reputation in and out of Dade County has been effected in a negative way by his bad recommendations. Dr. Algaze tried to break my spirit and break me financially. This is no small matter. This man committed fraud, tried to cover it up and in the process had various people working with him to look the other way. Dr. Greenberg-Head of Physical Education and Driver Education, Margarita Alemany-Moreno-Assistant Superintendent, and Ray Benitez from the Office of Professional Standards were all informed of Dr. Algaze's behavior and did nothing. They all protected a criminal.
On May 12, 2004, Carmel Cafiero, investigative reporter for Channel 7 News-WSVN in Miami aired her "Faking the Grade".This report revealed that the course that Dr. Algaze and Pat Iacono were pressuring me to take was a no show sham course that officials from Eastern Oklahoma State University and the Board of Regents in Oklahoma had denied the credits and the President of the University was fired because of this arrangement with Mr. Bill McCoggle, a 75 year old physical education teacher at Miami Palmetto High School. Mr. McCoggle has had this business for eight years with three different universities and many of the Dade County driver education teachers and other subject teachers have taken these sham courses.
Having been out of work for almost an entire school year due to the district's failure to investigate my claims regarding the principal, I was ordered to appear at the Office of Professional Standards on August 31, 2004, because of my "attendance issue." I presented my case to Mr. Benitez and at the conclusion of the conference for the record, he immediately said you are back on payroll and I should report to Access Center 1 to Ms. Harrison. I was then sent to Carol City High School pending the outcome of my O. P. S. meeting. Present at the O. P. S. meeting was Ms. Harrison, Director of Access Center 1, Dr. Algaze, Michael Molnar and Jason Joseph of the U.T.D., Mr. Benitez and me. My being in a position to be called before O. P. S. is the direct result of Dr. Algaze's threats and lies and a direct result of deliberate inaction of those that I informed.
In addition to what I have already written about, Dr. Algaze had failed to investigate my complaints and didn't self report his illegal hiring, generating of student-driving waivers that have my name on them which is fraud and not obtaining a teacher waiver for me to teach driver education. No waiver for me to teach driver education was ever applied for because Dr. Algaze knew that no waiver could be obtained. It doesn't exist for driver education and that is why Dr. Algaze was pressuring me to take a sham course.
All of his actions show a premeditated plan. He did not apply for a driver education waiver and I was not a certified driver education teacher. He made threats and he pressured me to take a driver education course that he knew was a sham course that could be completed in record-breaking time. He needed me to get certified quickly because he was not going to apply for a driver education waiver that he knew didn't exist. What followed was a cover up and revenge. I discovered the little secret that this district has been getting away with for many years.
The big question is why not just hire a certified driver education teacher or use one of the existing certified driver education teachers already in the building? Why did Dr. Algaze voluntarily release a certified driver education teacher after all of this started in September of 2003? Why did he let Ms. Rush leave the school if he was already short on driver education teachers? Is the district short on their supply of driver education teachers? Do teachers not want to travel to University of Florida to become certified? Are they away from their families too long? Will they miss out on teaching summer school? The school district has their hand in this. They support Bill McCoggle. They created Bill McCoggle. They need Bill McCoggle. This all comes back to money. They need to keep enough certified driver education teachers around to keep the program going or funding will be lost from the state.
The ramifications of teachers having taken sham driver education courses is enormous. Not being prepared by a certified driver education teacher leaves the Dade County School System, Department of Education and the individual teachers open to lawsuits by students who received their licenses from fraudulently certified teachers and have had fatal or serious accidents. Contributory negligence is a legal term that comes to mind. The can of worms has been opened.
There are four inspector generals working on this case- D.H.S.M.V, Financial Services, Department of Education and the Dade County Schools inspector general. The teachers that took sham courses must be retroactively decertified because the credits are not recognized and when that happens all of the students that took classes with fraudulently certified teachers will need to be retested by the D.H.S.M.V.
Dr. Algaze and the assistant principal of curriculum have committed fraud by reporting me as a certified driver education teacher which generated student driving waivers for me to sign. Had I signed those waivers, I would have committed fraud. It is also a crime to try and get someone involved in a crime. I am in possession of the original driver education waivers. That is the smoking gun. The teachers who fraudulently obtain certification in driver education and issue the students a form for an insurance discount have created another problem. The insurance companies are under the impression that certified driver education teachers are teaching these courses. Insurance fraud has been committed against various insurance companies.
I currently am assigned to Carol City High School pending the outcome of the O. P. S. decision on my "attendance issue." If I am disciplined in any way the district knows that I will view this as retaliation and will give me cause to file a whistleblower complaint. While being assigned to Carol City High School, I am not assigned classes as a Physical Education teacher. For six weeks I was used as a substitute and now I am a teacher who assists with classes in the PE department. I was not issued a faculty bathroom key or an ID card for six weeks. There is no set time limit for O. P. S. to make a decision in any case that comes before them. I am told that cases have lasted for as long as a year. This story is far from over. I will update this story as significant events occur.
The principal of American High School has committed fraud, entrapment, extortion, criminal negligence and endangered the welfare of the children. The authorities have been made aware of these crimes and I am hopeful that criminal charges are handed down for all of those involved in participating in and remaining silent about Dr. Algaze.
On April 21, 2005, a memorandum was sent out by Superintendent of Miami-Dade County, Rudy Crew, to 10 principals stating that 12 driver education teachers have been reassigned and there is an on going criminal investigation.
M E M O R A N D U M
April 19, 2005
TO: The Honorable Chair and Members of The School Board of
Miami-Dade County, Florida
FROM: Rudolph F. Crew, Superintendent of Schools
SUBJECT: DRIVER EDUCATION TEACHERS REASSIGNED
Based on information I received from the Office of the Inspector General, I have asked The principals at 10 senior high schools and the Miami Lakes Educational Center to Reassign 12 driver's education teachers so that they are no longer teaching that course Pending the outcome of an ongoing criminal investigation into the validity of their driver's education teaching endorsement. I have done this to ensure the safety of our students and the integrity of the classes we offer. The endorsements of at least three other educators who are not currently teaching driver's education are also in question.
I will inform you of any developments in this investigation as they can be made public.
RFC/JR/er
M1818
Cc: Superintendent's Cabinet
School Board Attorney
On May 18, 2005, I spoke to Miami-Dade County school board at the public monthly meeting and communicated my story to them within the three minutes allotted to each speaker. I informed the board of the April 21, 2005, memorandum from Rudy Crew, I spoke about specific names of people who protected the principal at American High School and I said that I believe that only one of the three colleges Eastern Oklahoma State College has been investigated. The other two schools are Otterbein College in Ohio and Phillips College in Oklahoma. I asked that the board create a whistleblower protection program and start an internal investigation. When board member, Dr. Martha Perez, wanted to ask me a question she was reminded by the top attorney from the school board, Johnny Brown, that there is an on going criminal investigation and that school police were also investigating. This reminder from Johnny Brown ended all questions from the board members and I was dismissed.
There is currently a meeting set up with school board officials to review my case and consider my lost wages from the year that I didn't report to American High School.
This case has not peaked yet.
Bennett Packman
BECAUSE OF THIS DEDICATED TEACHER'S PERSISTENCE, CHANGE HAS OCCURRED AT HIS SCHOOL. HOWEVER, WITH TEACHER ABUSE FIRMLY IN PLACE, FEW TEACHERS WILL PUT THEMSELVES IN THE LINE OF FIRE AS HE DID. WITHOUT TRANSPARENCY AND IN HIS CASE, CONTINUED TRANSPARENCY, THINGS WILL SLIP RIGHT BACK TO THE TYPICAL EDUCRAT COMFORT LEVEL, OR WHAT WE CALL ENRONCATION. NO ONE COULD EXPECT A TEACHER TO DO WHAT HE DID OR EVEN EXPECT HIM TO REMAIN A TARGET. IT IS BEYOND REASONABLE, AND SO TEACHERS GIVE UP EVENTUALLY WHEREAS EDUCRATS ALWAYS HAVE ANOTHER RAT TO CONTINUE THEIR GAME. WITH A SHORTAGE OF COURAGEOUS TEACHERS LIKE PACKMAN, ENRONCATION WILL BE ALL WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO OFFER OUR NEXT GENERATION SINCE EDUCRATS WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE IT THEIR WAY - AN INSTITUTION FULL OF DECEIT AND FRAUD WITH CHILDREN NOT EVEN PART OF THE EQUATION. HOW SAD!
NOTE THAT "ONGOING INVESTIGATION"ARE THE MAGIC WORDS THAT ACTUALLY MEAN "TIME TO COVER UP." NAPTATop
BACKGROUND