May 3, 2010
Dear Mr. Saint John:
I am a member in good standing of the N.B.E.A. and have been during my 36 years as a teacher in New Bedford Public Schools. During that time I have asked little of the Association. I am writing to you today to ask for a consideration regarding the blog on the N.B.E.A. website. Would you please publish this letter on the blog in hopes of bringing this issue to the forefront?
For 36 years I have been a teacher at Lincoln School. This last year or so has been extremely trying. As a veteran educator, I personally felt that many wonderful things that were happening in this district stalled. I submitted my retirement because I chose not to continue to work in that atmosphere any longer. However, I was elated by the appointment of Dr. Francis as were all of the people I know. Make no mistake; the silent majority breathed a sigh of relief.
We know this lady. She is one of us. Everyone respects Mary Louise Francis for her level of knowledge about K-12 education. Her work ethic is extraordinary and her integrity, above reproach. Dr. Francis is an inclusive individual who recognizes that educators are professionals with something valuable to contribute. She has the professional confidence and wisdom to genuinely listen to others and bring them into the process. Tapping into the collective intelligence benefits our students. I rescinded my retirement because this appointment represented hope.
For over a year, the culture in New Bedford Public Schools was one of confusion, oppression and fear. Mayor Lang and the School Committee took a very difficult and courageous step. It couldn't have been an easy decision. They evaluated the circumstances and identified Dr. Francis as the individual within our ranks who had the qualifications, intelligence, experience, temperament and leadership ability to unite the troops, define the mission, heal the wounds and move us forward. It was a solid and logical choice.
I confess to being horrified that the committee would host a "coronation" for Dr. Bonner while eighteen months later, asking Dr. Francis to come in at this juncture to undo the damage and insult her by suggesting that a search be started. That sends a strong message that they do not support the new superintendent. Why should this educator be treated so shamefully?
As a senior teacher in New Bedford Public Schools, I have remained silent during this last year. As I have looked around to see the elevation of morale since her appointment, it occurred to me that this could be a re-birth for NBPS.
Suddenly, this undercurrent regarding a "search" has emerged. When are we done searching and ready to move these students forward? In my opinion and that of many others, given the circumstances, this is nothing short of political correctness. We know Dr. Francis and she agreed to take on a tough job. Where is the gratitude and commitment to supporting her to get this job done? Let her complete this contract with the full support of the committee and evaluate her as you would anyone else. To undertake a search now is an outrage. Do the people in power believe that we are not capable of growing a leader from within? Let me assure you that there are hundreds and hundreds of wonderful, talented professionals in this district.
In closing, as a veteran educator, I have decided to stand up and ask the silent majority to stand with me to say "ENOUGH!" Let's get behind our Superintendent and work with her to help our kids be successful. As we all know there is much work to be done in this urban district. As President Kennedy said, "The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining." We are at that point. To that end, I am asking everyone to get a petition, sign it and get completed ones back to me as soon as possible. I would like to provide the evidence of the overwhelming support of the silent majority for Dr. Francis at the May 10th School Committee meeting. PLEASE STAND WITH US AND SAY ENOUGH! Come to the School Committee meeting and let them know we want to be heard.
Sincerely,
Anne Simon
27 comments:
Hear, hear! Let's show this woman that we are behind her. Onward and upward- let's not spend any more time in the quagmire of trying to decide where we should get our superintendents and roll up our sleeves for the one we already have.
Have you seen this Facebook group? http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Teachers-Support-Dr-Mary-Louise-Francis/119871638031541
I completely agree. It's sickening that the school committee who picked such a bad match for New Bedford is pushing for another expensive search. Just when I started to respect you guys for correcting the problem you created, you're going all PC on us.Don't you get it? You know Francis- she's not going to disappoint us. Give the woman a chance.
I worked for Dr. Francis at the High School. She's a kind person and a hard worker. She knows all about grants and how to get grant money for our schools.Good luck Dr. Francis!
Let's see if I have this right. You do a search and you get a woman who couldn't conduct herself like a professional. It's three quarters of the way through the school year and you find yourself with no captain on the ship.You have a qualified respected person with a successful track record who is willing to take over from the previous adminstration knowing full well that there are a plethora of nightmarish issues that will have to be faced. She is put into the position and before she gets her name on the letter-head you are publically calling for a search to replace her?????? This is lunacy. These people really know how to motivate people. I have the solution- let's search for a new school committee!
Dr. Francis brought stability back to our system and the school committee wants to thank her by doing a search.
I say we search for a new committee.
Dr. Francis, We support you!!!
I'll be at the meeting.
We just got a copy of the petition at our school this morning and it's already filled. I urge everyone to locate one and get it moving around your school. If we want to "be heard" then we better have the numbers to back it up. Take a minute to make a difference.
Thank God for the Mayor and Tom Clark. It's called a back bone for the rest of the wimps on the committee.
thank goodness... collecting my signatures
A search? By the same people who conducted the last one? LOL
The fact that they want to throw open the circus again is PROOF that they don't take this seriously. A part time committee who actually think that they are the most crucial part of the school system.
Ms. Simon:
You are a credit to the NBPS. We all wish Dr. Francis well. She has a Herculean task ahead. One of the superintendent's top priorities must be to remove the principals who degrade and disparage teachers! MOST OF THEM WERE HIRED BY PORTIA!
Dr. Francis visited Gomes School on Monday and actually talked to me. I couldn't beleive it. The other Supeintendent never bothered with paraprofessionals. Thank you, Dr. Francis.
Everybody should call the school committee and remind them what there priorities should be.
I'm sick of the school committee pandering to misfits and the paper. We need you to do what's right. Thats why we elected you.
I have not lost faith in DoctorFletcher. He is a kind man who will do the right thing. It's Jill and Lawrence I'm worried about.
I agree with PSB Parent. I think Dr. Fletcher will ultimately do what is right. He's never forgotten what it's like being in the classroom. I have faith that he will opt to give Francis a chance. I believe in him.
Hey PBS, I don't know Dr. Fletcher but he stood up on the Bonner fiasco, so I believe you. The Moonbat and the Wannabe are another story. The one that really makes me mad is Finnerty. Shame on you Larry. I voted for you and encouraged my family to do the same because I thought you "get it". Won't make that mistake again.Didn't take you long to forget where you came from. Of course you never were a union member, were you. It was always all about Larry.
I agree with Harrison B. Everybody should call the school committee members. Showing up in mass Monday night would get their attention too. I'm going.
IF MARY LOUISE FRANCIS WAS NOT A WHITE CAUCASIAN WOMEN, THE FEW MEMBERS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND SCHOOL COMMITTEE WOULDN'T BE ASKING FOR A NEW EXPENSIVE SEARCH! DR. FRANCIS NEEDS TO BE GIVEN A CHANCE. SHE IS A WONDERFUL, FAIR AND INTELLIGENT PERSON WHO CARES ABOUT HER PEERS AND THE CHILDREN OF NEW BEDFORD.
Heard it from a friend who...Heard it from a friend who...Heard it from another there's been some messin around.
I've been scratching my head trying to figure out why a certain school committee member had been and continues to be supporting old Portia blindly.
Why is this fine upstanding school committee person pushing for a search for a new school superintendent? I'm glad you asked.
Heard it from a friend who...Heard it from a friend who...Heard it from another there's been some messin around.
It seems that the great outsider, Portia, hired this very fine school committee person's son for a position he is not certified to teach at the high school.
Ain't that great! So Portia was a good old boy after all.
Now we don't have to wonder anymore why this very distinguised school committee person is pushing for a search.
Heard it from a friend who...Heard it from a friend who...Heard it from another there's been some messin around.
Conduct an investigation is right. There should be an investigation to determine if this is true.
I'll go to the school committee meeting.Lou asked for our support. That's good enough for me. "They" need to know that we're paying attention. Lou St. John hammered away at the school committee as Portia tried to run our contract through a shredder.He took the hits from Portia, the school committee and from the paper. He never waivered. He was the first one to announce that the emperor had no clothes. If he didn't do the things that he did and advocate for us the way he did, our contract wouldn't be worth squat. I don't think we have given him the praise he deserves or the recognition he should get for fighting the good fight for us all. Easy to call the union when YOU have a problem personally but if Lou St. John hadn't attacked the cancer that was growing in our district, none of us would have any protection or rights at all. Bonner hated teachers. So thanks Lou for taking the bullets for all of us. Let's respect that the association stood between us and a tyrant. If he asks for support - like please show up at a school committee meeting- LET'S GO! The public needs to know when the president of the association speaks- he speaks for thousands.
The principal at our school told us that the budget for next school year is going to be the worst we've ever seen. We're talking huge classes- no paras or coaches and the School Committee is worried about sucking up to a group of malcontents by giving them a search to the tune of at least $75,000. How dare you even consider wasting our money on that when we have someone of Dr.Francis's quality. Look what we got for the money last time. If Portia was a car we could have invoked the lemon law.
Anyone see the opinion piece in Saturday's paper? Dr. Nicholas Fischer, former Fall River super, commenting on the departure of Portia. Dr. Fischer was cut out of the same cloth as Dr. Bonner. Both disrespected teachers and their associations. Both have poor people skills. Both were run out of town! The S-T is even bringing Dr. Fischer to town for a forum on Wednesday night. The paper and Jack Spillane need to get over it. They lost! The children and teachers of New Bedford won. We must now get rid of 4 principals!
Please see the letter to the editor of the New Bedford Standard Times at http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100509/OPINION/5090345
Post a Comment