Recently the Standard Times wrote an editorial supporting the District Turnaround Plan. The following are two quotes from the editorial.
The plan has numerous specific, measurable tasks that point to Superintendent Mary Louise Francis' "theory of action" from last year, which states: "We believe that if there is a clear focus on the effective delivery of an aligned curriculum by high-quality teachers who employ the use of student data to drive instruction, students will be engaged, learn at proficient and advanced levels, graduate, and be college and career ready." Standard Times - November 30, 2011
The presentation made Monday before the School Committee includes many excellent, thoughtful examples of steps that can lead to improved academic achievement, as well as the methods of monitoring that will be necessary to ensure appropriate progress is made. Standard Times - November 30, 2011
Click here to read the November 30, 2011 editorial.
Our View: Leadership, accountability together will change New Bedford schools
12 comments:
I guess the Standard Times was for the plan before they were against it. Go figure!
Funny how the doe accepts no responsibility for their role in the plan.
Looks like Mitchell has been seduced by Chester.
Mayor Lang supported our city and stood up for what was right even if it wasn't politically correct. He didn't allow the city to be pushed around by Boston Bureaucrats when the made idol threats. Will the new mayor stand on his feet or will he become Boston's servant?
Mayor Mitchtell's response to the DOE is typical of a politician.
Let's be clear. We cannot change the families. That is the fundamental problem. So we are left with our schools. And as long as the schools are as dysfunctional as the these families, we will fail. Normandin reminds me of the most chaotic, unsafe homes: kids out of control and sometimes scaring their parents into submissiveness. Until Normandin honors its students and staff with strong discipline, it will never be the sanctuary Bonneau delusionally likes to call it; instead, it will be the same failing, enabling environment that the students are used to, the type of place that has done them so much harm. Again, can someone tell us, and there are many of us at this school who wonder the same thing, how we begin a vote of no confidence? Would such a vote matter? I don't know. But I do know the kids are losing out. Staff morale has never been this low. The building feels all wrong.
You can take the aforementioned comments about Normandin and apply them to the situation at Roosevelt.
When two of your middle schools are dysfunctional, we set the high school up to fail.
Any real turnaround plan needs a change of leadership and direction at Normandin and Roosevelt.
Speaking of Normandin, why doesn't the Standard Times write about the serious problem with nepotism there? If the public only knew what really goes on inside those walls...
How can our new mayor NOT see what is wrong with a state rejection of a plan they helped design? Why are we paying for incompetent state employees? Have they been fired or reprimanded for their ineffective counsel?
I agree with the previous commenters. Teachers routinely take the hit, while administrators coast. Administrators set the tone at a school. If only parents could see Normandin's hallways, where kids run wild, and classrooms, where disruptive kids ruin the educational opportunities for others. The teachers feel so alone. Bonneau targets the ones who call for assistance to remove disruptive students. Other teachers don't call out of fear of retribution. 80-90 percent of the kids are interested in learning and could get a great education if it weren't for the clowns and the administration that coddles them. When do we start caring about the needs of the silent majority? I also agree on the nepotism problem, but that's a topic for another day.
I hear that Normandin teachers don't file as many grievances against Bonneau as they could because they fear her retaliation. Must be a nice place to work!
I find it incomprehensible that Chester would reject a plan that 3 of his staff members helped develop. Either the DESE hires incompetent people or this is retaliation for former Mayor Lang's stance against MCAS
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