UPDATE 12/19/2019
NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Everyday, students line up to purchase contraband food and drink items from Mark Nelson in Room 205 at New Rochelle High School.
Nelson was paid $172,010 last year by the City School District of New Rochelle, according to the SeeThroughNY.com web site.
While ostensibly an English teacher his day revolves around operating an illegal concession stand out of his classroom. He leaves the school during regular school hours to resupply his “store”, according to school district sources.
Nelson not only sells products during class time to students assigned to his class but routinely interrupts his own class to sell food and drinks to students not assigned to his class who walk in to the room while class is in session at which point Nelson stops teaching to transact business with his “customer”. Nelson also transacts business when class is not in session.
School officials are aware of Nelson’s behavior but have taken no action. The District did not respond to repeated request for comment on Nelson.
For the past several years, Talk of the Sound has gathered information — photos, videos, invoices, receipts, bank statements, checks, spreadsheets and other public and internal records — that show a long-standing pattern where building leaders throughout the District allow the operation of private businesses for personal benefit of employees.
We previously reported on many of these private businesses operating out of the school district, on district time. We have told of Linda Frasca, a security guard at Isaac E. Young Middle School, who spent a large part of her work day operating a catalog sales business selling jewelry and makeup and selling banned food products like pizza and ice cream to students; Kip Fierro, a swim coach who for years operated an elite (i.e., expensive) swimming program out of the New Rochelle High School swimming pool almost entirely subsidized by the City School District of New Rochelle; Maureen Moire, a Director of Continuing Education at New Rochelle High School who has for years operated a food concession business out of the “night school” office selling banned food products; teachers who sell candy in their classrooms; grounds crews who operate private waste-hauling and landscaping businesses using district vehicles and equipment; a district locksmith who operated a private locksmithing business out of New Rochelle High School and more. During weekends, holidays and over the summer there are sports coaches who run tournaments and sports camps and clinics on school grounds. In at least one case, school coaches tell student-athletes if they do not pay for their private programs they will not be considered for the public school teams they coach.
There are virtually no financial controls in place to effectively track this activity.
The sale of candy, salty snacks and soft drinks in public schools is prohibited under New York State law.
“The sale of sweetened soda and all foods that do not meet the Smart Snacks guidelines are prohibited from the beginning of the school day (midnight the night before) until 30 minutes after the end of the actual school day (dismissal),” said one New York State Education Department official on background. “The Smart Snacks regulation allows the sale of diet soda in High Schools only, but New York State law does not allow this – Section 915 of Education Law.”
Linda Frasca, security guard at Isaac E. Young Middle School, selling pizza and jewelry on district time. Maureen Maire, the Director of Continuing Education or “night school principal” at New Rochelle High School running a concession stand selling Kelloggs Pop-Tarts, Entenmann’s Little Bites Snacks, Maruchan Instant Lunch (i.e. Cup O’ Noodles) and Sandwiches (Ham & Cheese, Turkey & Cheese, Peanut Butter & Jelly). The sandwich-makers are unpaid students with intellectual disabilities.
Four illegal vending machines at New Rochelle High School generated over $3,000 in cash in just one month. Twenty percent of that — $640.00 — was paid out in a cash bribe. The bribe was paid to this reporter at a meeting yesterday at the McDonald’s restaurant on North Avenue near Eastchester Road.
Kip Fierro, New Rochelle High School swim coach, and the Badger Swim Club.
Doesn’t surprise me. New Rochelle school district is pathetic as are the people who work in City Hall. Drain the swamp!!!! Corruption is running ramped in New Rochelle. Sad.
Wow, this is some GROUNDBREAKING news. I think this sheds light on the REAL issue here, that teachers need to be paid more.
I had Mr. Nelson as a teacher my junior year and regardless of selling snacks and what not he was one of my favorite teachers. He showed an actual interest in his students well-being and did his best to accommodate every student in his classroom. Unconventional he was, but nonetheless a great teacher. And may I add NOT THE ONLY TEACHER within NRHS to sell ‘contraband’ food and drinks.
Hard hitting journalism. Robert, you are rooting out the corruption that has roiled this city. No longer will students be able to illegally snack on salty foods or learn to swim on your watch. Thank god for you and your tireless campaign!
This is a HUGE non-story. Speaking as an alum from class of 2006, Mark Nelson was one of the few teachers who took a real interest in his students and taught to the student, not the test or the book. Instead of trying to tear down teachers, how about elevating them…
literally no one cares. move on.
First of all Mr.Nelson was and is still by far the best English teacher I’ve ever had, there is nothing wrong with selling candy to students it actually encourages them to actually make it to class and learn while enjoying some candy, I also used to buy Avon products from a security guard there and I loved it. I made sure to never miss a class due to his amazing teaching skills and snack providing. I made a lot of memories in that school in that class specifically that I now tell my children about, and also told all of my younger cousins to make sure to get Mr. Nelson as an English teacher because he is amazing at what he does.
Mr. Nelson is one of the best teachers in New Rochelle High School, and I hate to see his name tarnished by this nonsense. What even is the purpose of this article? Nothing here concerns me at all.
It’s not like New Rochelle High School has vending machines for the students who are hungry. It’s nice of Mr. Nelson to go out of his way to provide students the opportunity to purchase refreshments. Back when I had a lunch 1 schedule, I would have needed that.
Mr. Nelson is intelligent, enthusiastic about teaching, extremely interesting, and a fun guy. He is really great at communicating with teenagers. Overall a great and personable guy.
This article makes me so mad. This article doesn’t belong here.
Who cares lol
These teachers who I’ve attended school with, back in 2008-2012, have not caused harm to any students and to the best of their abilities, have done everything they could to help guide these students through the school year. To call this a ” Criminal Enterprise Masquerading as an Educational Institution” is absolutely ridiculous. If it wasn’t for Maureen Moire as well as Mr. Nelson, in guiding me through my last two years of high school, I can honestly say, I am not sure if I would have graduated on time.
All the teachers that were pointed out in this “report”, are not criminals. Just because they are selling foods and drinks to help students, doesn’t make them criminals. The chances of a student leaving the premises for food and possibly buying drugs is a higher chance, that it seems like the board of education is willing to take, rather than allowing a few helping teachers to provide snacks and drinks to students who are spending most of their time in school.
The reason why nobody ever said or did anything about Mr. Nelson was because the money raised from selling snacks immediately benefitted the students! He used all the snack money he made to fund the Japanese Culture Club that he runs!
Minozzi fed you false information and it sucks that you actually posted it. Nelson gives the money that he earns to SADD, a club which is against drunk driving, in order to help them with funds. Now the club won’t have as much funds to keep doing some of the things they do. Oh also Minozzi told everyone she was happy he got in trouble since he was her competition.
Seriously? You guys have nothing better to do? I was a student and this article is a joke. Focus on REAL problems. What a joke of an article.
MR.NELSON WAS MY ONLY FAVORITE TEACHER IN NEW ROCHELLE HIGH I USE TO GO AND VISIT HIM WHEN I LIVED IN NEW RO THAT MAN WAS THE MAN! FREE MR.NELSON!
HE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO ACTUALLY GAVE A FUCK ABOUT US THATS CRAZY SO HE SOLD A COUPLE SNACKS AND SHIT AT LEAST HE WAS A TEACHER WHO DEDICATED HIMSELF TO HIS STUDENTS I ALWAYS GAVE HIM A HARD TIME AND HE NEVER GAVE UP ON ME MOST OF MY MORALS I LEARNED FROM THAT MAN SMH!
This article is literally dumb. Black people are shot innocently by police and gay men are murdered for their sexuality but you care about this bullshit? Go fuck yourself Jesus Christ
He donates the money to SAAD. It goes to a good cause. Why don’t you get a real job and stop with all these bs articles. It’s sad how boring your life must be.
Maybe write an article about how you couldn’t afford to live on Mt. Joy anymore so you got kicked out or maybe when YOU got arrested for chasing kids down the street with a bat.
You’re a snitch, Nelson it one of the greatest teachers in that entire school. You make it seem like he’s putting his snacks over his teaching and that’s just not true.
You do know I can also just walk off school grounds and buy snacks at CVS or any store nearby right? Isn’t it safer for me to stay on school property?
There are bigger problems in the school to be focused on.
Hey, I know you’re a “journalist” and have this compulsive urge to tattle on things that don’t affect your life in any form, but I think you should find something better to do with your life. Rather than bashing a teacher for having a business that he gives back to the school/ district–you should get your facts straight. For one, Mr. Nelson does NOT interrupt his class just to make a profit; that’s pretty counterintuitive and doesn’t sound like a good idea to me. For another, on what planet does someone wake up and decide to write a snitch-article about a loved member of New Rochelle High staff? You’re baffling.
Stop being a tattletale and for once, try writing some proactive articles that inform people about real issues and other things that are actually beneficial to Westchester County. Thanks for nothing.
So sad to read this article. Putting profit against education. I hope those involved receive the harshest punishment allowed by law. They should also be relieved of their positions & if eligible loose their pensions.
Kip Fierro doesn’t work for Badger Swim Club anymore dumbass. Wonder what else is wrong in your article…
Who cares if he is doing that? What if kids are hungry and cant afford the school lunches. What if he is donating that money for a good cause. I see no harm in what he is doing. I think they are other things in New Rochelle that we need to really focus on than this!
LEAVE THAT MAN & THE STUDENTS ALONE
Could you like… spell check your posts? There’s so many run on sentences and sentences that don’t make any sense. Maybe Mr. Nelson could have helped you with that.
Who cares dumbass write about something worth reading.
This is a complete misrepresentation of what was taking place in that classroom and it is beyond disrespectful that such an amazing teacher is being put down by an article like this. (But again what else would you expect from talk of the sound) Mr Nelson was allowed to sell those snacks from his classroom which is something I personally have heard a school official say. The money was raised for the club he ran for the school so calling it a “business” is a complete misrepresentation of what occurred. Also it was an action that EVERY other club in the building was doing so if his is a business then so was the rest of them. This article should be removed immediately as it portrays the event in a dishonest manner. ESPECIALLY when it’s referring to a teacher as good at his job as Mr. Nelson was.
if it’s sold at fucking Walmart , cvs , shoprite then I really don’t see the crime being committed and there’s a vending machine in the school that sells almost the same items he used to sell , Mr Nelson is a cool teacher and if your really bothered by this to report it to the authorities you need to get a life lmao , this whole article is a big ass joke … there’s night school in the high school , students are there 8 hours a day , and some have to stay almost 7 at night and a lot of them take gym and are tired and hungry what the hell is wrong with a vending machine , I would take action against there not being a vending machine , it’s damn torcher to be hungry in a class room and there’s no type of snack in the school .
Is this a joke?
Don’t know who your sources are but you couldn’t be more wrong. He never interrupts classes to sell snacks to children not assigned, and he has been switching the snacks and keeping only the ones the principal allows. And just the fact the principal allows it makes it not illegal. He donates all the money to SAAD and from what I’ve seen he’s let students get free snacks out of the good of he’s heart.
Mr. Nelson is one of the best teachers in the school. Although he does sell snacks he structures it in a way where his in class store is only open when class is not in session. Also Mr. Nelson does not profit from selling snacks in his class. The money that he raises goes towards replacing snacks and the rest goes towards school clubs and activities. Although the school may have vending machines His snacks are truthfully cheaper and more popular, he listens to the requests of students and he supplies the snacks that they want. You would be surprised of what a snack can do for a students mood and overall performance in class. I don’t see this as an issue, I see it as less hungry kids.
He does not stop his class to sell snacks and the students respect that there is a class going on and don’t Enter the room to buy snacks.
This is such a joke lmao
It really is sad that “media” has come to reporters asking their daughter to sneak pictures of a teacher selling granola bars to hungry students. You need something to report on so you make a very good teacher that you most likely know nothing about look bad. If I were your daughter I would feel ASHAMED. Maybe report on things that actually matter? Just a thought. If the district knows about it as you said and has done nothing then I don’t understand why you feel it is important to write a report on. Publishing someone’s income and implying that they deserve less because they sell granola bars is ridiculous and disgusting. This article shows how much you are struggling. I hope that you find something to report on that matters and report on it with good intention. What if I reported on your daughter and took pictures of her? What if I posted those pictures and said that she is your daughter and agrees with everything you say and took those pictures of Mr. Nelson? Not many people know that your daughter is your daughter and a lot of people hate you. I would be doing the same thing you are: reporting on something that I know nothing about and doesn’t matter for the sole purpose of getting attention and hurting the subject. MOVE! IF YOU WANT TO BE A REPORTER REPORT ON THINGS THAT MATTER!
This is not true he does not let any kid in class while teaching any time in my class. He is always talking about the subject and doesn’t sell while in session. Most of this evidence is based on students that probably failed the class and are biased against him maybe you should see how strict he really is and doesn’t allow selling during the class. And yes I am a student.
Maybe while your gathering you ‘resources’ you should get an opinion or two from students. This is the problem with people like you, all you do is report but do you attend the school? You should really dig deep before you get ready to plaster someone’s picture…I mean what do you really know about what goes on in New Rochelle High School? You should also put in this article that he donates the money to the
S.A.D.D organization and if you don’t know what SADD stands for I’m sure you can put those research skills to some actual use!