November 10, 2009
Dennis Winn
Assistant Superintendent of Schools
New Bedford Public Schools
455 County Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
Dear Mr. Winn,
We received a copy of your notice to the Principals concerning “voluntary attendance” at upcoming meetings. Please be advised that the NBEA, as the exclusive representative under the law for the faculty and staff, object to your inference that faculty and staff who do not attend these meetings are not “professional”.
You should be aware that the educators who serve the students of New Bedford on a daily basis, are not only professional but they are also highly dedicated and hard working teachers.
Since you are not in a classroom in New Bedford, you are obviously unaware of the workload demanded of our staff. To expect these professionals to attend yet another meeting, and to imply that by not attending, they are less then professional is an insulting and unfair comment by a member of the administration. Our members, on a regular basis, devote many hours before and after the instructional day in preparation for their classroom activities.
Therefore, we, on behalf of the faculty and staff, we take exception to your statement regarding teachers who may not be able to attend your meetings. We hope that in the future, the administration will schedule meetings which will be more considerate of the needs of the staff.
Thank you,
Louis St. John, President
New Bedford Educators
Cc: NBEA Members
15 comments:
Shame on Winn!!!!!!!!!!!!
I also felt insulted when I read Dennis Winn's memo regarding the grade level meetings. He has to bully teachers into attending his meetings. This is very immature from someone who is in a leadership position. Teachers should be able to vote for administrators. But, THANK YOU, Lou, for showing us respect and appreciating our work in this otherwise Thankless profession. You have not forgotten where you came from.
Thanks again Lou, for standing up for our professionalism and our rights. Somehow the SWEATSHOP MENTALITY still continues to exist in the New Bedford Public School Department.
How come our boy Dennis is still living out of town, I thought they had to live in New Bedford-a stake in the future and all that other stuff. Not that I was a fan but, they made the women asst. super move. Even cops have to live in the city!
Not to br rud but what exactly does Winn do?
Lou, is it possible to post the letter written to the principals from Dennis Winn?
This grade level meeting was on the same day as the District Student of the Month(Carney Academy 6:30-8:00).....this is now 4 weeks in a row with Common Planning/Grade Level Mtg/etc.......WTF? When am I supposed to give extra help? We have school staff mtgs + some buildings close up shop rather early....if you have a meeting the place locks down before you can make copies, etc........
Dennis Winn is the messenger. Portia Bonner dictates the message.
She'ssetting him up for the fall.
You should hear some of the things Portia tells the principals at our meetings with her.
The only thing Dennis Winn really knows how to do is collect his check, get out of moving and pass on his work to everyone else. It's disgusting that someone who makes over $100,000 whines about not being able to afford to move into New Bedford. What makes him so special?
In over a year in the job, what has Dennis Winn done besides violate the contract and get grieved? That's alot of money for nothing. Couldn't we get a couple of teachers for what he makes? You know, people who would actually work.
You must remember---this is New Bedford. Dennis is a good ole boy. Good ole boys do not have to follow the rules like the rest of us!
The only true educator in central administration is Dr. Francis.
Everybody's a good ole boy. All you have to do is say so.
This is unfortunately becoming an ever-so-typical response of New Bedford administration. They have no concept of the demands placed on the hard-working teachers, yet are so quick to blame them and call them "unprofessional". You administrators should take a good, long look in the mirror at your own professionalism! Was it professional for Bonner to take a trip to the Cape Verde Islands when everything to learn about Cape Verdean culture is right outside her window? No! Is it professional of Bonner to fire teachers without a fair hearing and then when forced to rehire them, because facts proved and overproved that they were unjustly terminated, not even apologize personally to them but continue to harass them professional? Definately not! Is it professional for administrators to bar parents from volunteering to help at their children's schools professional? And do we call it professional when those very same administrators would rather call the police on teachers, who are trying to retrieve their personal belongings, and have them escorted off the grounds as if they were criminals instead of just talking to them like descent human beings? That's not the New Bedford that I think any of us would be proud to call home! This administration is insulting. And, I for one, don't think we should put up with it any longer. My hope is for the school committee to act and refuse to rehire Dr. Bonner, Dennis Winn, and the others who are like them. Our teachers are nothing but PROFESSIONALS!!!
I teach 6 periods a day with over 30 kids in some classes. I have already spent close to 300 dollars this year buying supplies that the school does not provide. We all spend countless hours off the clock, preparing. My insurance is going up enough to eat up any raise that may be coming down the pike. After school meetings? Sure, in my spare time. Anyone downtown want to walk in our shoes for a week? Believe me, they couldn't! I dare anyone of them!
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