At least 12 NYC principals have lent their names and schools to be used in promotional materials for a software vendor, which raked in more \u2026<\/b>
\nAt least 12 NYC principals have lent their names and schools to be used in promotional materials for a software vendor, which raked in more than $1.1 million from the Department of Education this year. The school chiefs may have violated ethics rules by helping plug Operoo, a for-profit company that sells a system to remotely manage paperwork and communicate with parents, numerous materials show. In one instance, an April 14 webinar titled \u201cLive Principal Panel: COVID-19, One Year On,\u201d and viewed by The Post, took place at 2 p.m. on a school day. Widely advertised online, It featured six principals, including Mark Erlenwein of elite Staten Island Tech, and was hosted by Phil Weinberg, a former DOE deputy chancellor. Weinberg, who hung up on The Post when called about the event, asked the principals \u201chow they\u2019ve harnessed technology to both survive and lead the transformation.\u201d Each of the principals praised Operoo, one calling it \u201ca godsend.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s outrageous that these principals are promoting a for-profit product like Operoo, and during the school day no less,\u201d said Leonie Haimson, a DOE watchdog and executive director of Class Size Matters. \u201cDuring a very challenging and difficult year, they should be focused on ensuring kids are getting all the support and services they need, rather than acting as sales reps for the ed-tech industry.\u201d Other principals involved in the promotions included Karen Ditolla, Mark Twain IS for the Gifted and Talented; Deirdre DeAngelis, New Dorp HS; Trish Peterson, PS 8; Tiffany Hicks, Magnet School of the Arts; Moses Ojeda, Thomas Edison HS; and Nora deRosa, IS 7. None returned messages. The school bosses also let their institutions be used in glowing case studies, \u201csponsored content\u201d on the education news site Chalkbeat, and a press release for the Australia-based company. Operoo posted a nine-page pitch quoting principals and other staffers at six DOE schools in all five boroughs. They gushed about Operoo in quotes such as \u201ca blessing,\u201d \u201ca part of our lives,\u201d and \u201cthank goodness for Operoo.\u201d Viewers are invited to \u201cbook a demo.\u201d In response to questions from The Post, the DOE said it reported the principals\u2019 conduct to the Special Commissioner of Investigation for city schools. The Conflicts of Interest Board forbids city employees to let vendors use their NYC titles without written permission by their agencies. Penalties for city employees include fines of up to $25,000 per violation and being required to repay the value of any benefit obtained as a result of the violation. The principals did not ask permission, according to the DOE. Ethics officer Samantha Biletsky \u201creached out to remind them of the COIB rules,\u201d said spokeswoman Katie O\u2019Hanlon. The principals were not compensated by Operoo, O\u2019Hanlon said. While getting paid their DOE salaries, they are free to attend \u201ceducation-relevant conferences\u201d during work hours and \u201cshare their wisdom.\u201d Operoo, formerly named Caremonkey, has collected $1.1 million from the DOE since July 1 \u2014 up from $258,000 last school year. The company claims \u201chundreds\u201d of city schools are customers. A Brooklyn principal not involved in the promotions said he purchased Operoo during the pandemic because the \u201cclueless\u201d DOE had no comparable system to digitize emergency contact information \u2014 kept on \u201cblue cards\u201d in the office \u2014 among other tasks. O\u2019Hanlon would not comment on the DOE\u2019s systems. Still, the principal said his colleagues should not shill for Operoo. \u201cThey\u2019re using the principals as part of their marketing plan. It doesn\u2019t look good.\u201d Peter Bencivenga, Operoo\u2019s Brooklyn-based president, did not return calls or emails, nor did four managers in Melbourne, Australia.<\/p>\n