Good Morning:
As most of you probably know, my name is Michael Shea and as of today I am the Acting Interim Superintendent. I am a product of the New Bedford School System, my mother was a teacher in the New Bedford system and I am a proud member of the Class of 1970. The opportunities I’ve had during my professional life came from the strong foundation that I received in this system. I believe that every child should have the same opportunities. I have a strong connection to this community and this district. I have experience as a teacher, supervisor, 18 years as an Academic Principal and 6 years as a Superintendent.
I am very excited and honored to be in this position during the search process for the next Superintendent of the New Bedford Public School District .
I will be meeting with many of you to hear your concerns and suggestions to help move the school district ahead. I am looking forward to working with those who have a vision and desire to help the children of New Bedford to have the best education possible. A team of hard workers will always achieve more than an individual. I am the bridge between the present and the future. I intend to make this bridge as strong as possible.
I hope you have a great day today and I am looking forward to many great days ahead.
Michael Shea
Acting/Interim Superintendent
32 comments:
Hello Superintendent Shea. My name is the Watchdog. My job is to inform people about the incompetence in our school system. If you read this blog, it will tell you much of what you need to know. I hope you have the courage to do what is right:
1. Cut the Roosevelt and Normandin principals lose.
2. Ignore the UIA and Education Roundtable. Their proposals are not good for kids.
3. End the harassment of educators by the new "Joe McCarthy" at PRAB who likes to conduct investigations. She needs to be investigated!
Thank you Watchdog!
Well said Watchdog. The suffering at Normandin has to end this year. Please do not force the students and staff to deal with another year of harrassment by an individual that is completely unable to fulfill her role as CEO of a building with nearly 1,200 students and staff. The devil you know argument is for simple people, we need change now.
Amen Watchdog, especially with the principal of Roosevelt! She creates a great deal of spin, which people swallow hook, line and sinker. As to the "Joe McCarthy" at PRAB, let's face it, there are people who need investigating, who have gotten away with too much for too long, such as the two principals you have mentioned! Let her do her thing!
Agree with the "suffering" mentioned above. The targets on the backs of teachers who have asked for help in regards to discipline with students has to be removed. There needs to be support of staff and consistancy of consequences which does not seem to be evident. Asking for help should not mean you are a bad teacher, which is the stigmatism carried by the principal. The issue is never the students fault, it is turned around in such a way that it is the teachers fault and therefore nothing gets resolved. Students run wild in the building, destroying property, breaking rules, and disrespecting adults. I beg that someone steps in to help "us" get our school back!
Why is it everything on this blog has to turn into a commentary on Normandin!? The principal there as well as at Roosevelt are protected and going nowhere! The "Joe McCarthy" of PRAB has investigated their behavior and yet to no avail!
I have a suggestion for Shea...how about surveying staff to find out what is really happening in the schools? What about an unannounced visit? Perhaps check out the lunchrooms? Also..keep one eye on Normandin, see how many students fail a major subject area then see how many miraculously get promoted to high school. There is NO way a student can learn a years worth of material in five weeks of summer school, never mind two or more subject areas. However, it WILL happen at Normandin.
To staff: a vote of no confidence is definitely necessary at this point.
Why does everything turn into a commentary on Normandin? Because the school is out of control and the teachers are losing their minds! During today's announcements, Bonneau scolded the children for using cell phones in schools, while the administration has turned a blind eye to this all year. She scolded them for chewing gum, while they've been doing it since September, often while talking open-mouthed to administrators. What's next? Will she say screaming in the hallways isn't allowed. How about disrupting classes every day? On the last day of school, she'll probably tell kids not to skip detentions because there will be a big price to pay. If it weren't so sad, it would be funny.
I agree about the need for the no confidence vote at Normandin. I have way too many students, good students, who say they can't wait to get out because the building is a nightmare. Do we as staff have the guts to go forward with it? Will Mr. Shea help us? I wish I knew.
I agree that a no confidence vote is in order. However, staff is too scared of the repercussions to actually do what is necessary. It is truly depressing being in that building. So many good teachers have given up! Subs refuse to come to the building, and the ones that do enter are just trying to survive. Administration does not help staff and to make matters worse, they usually take the students side. what a terrible mess.
There is very little joy in Normandin. Not for teachers, not for kids. This is not what a school should look or feel like.
I feel for the people at Normandin. I can't imagine working under Bonneau. But if downtown won't listent to you and do something about it, you've got to do it yourself. Unless Bonneau goes out gracefully, and it looks like she won't, vote no confidence. The teachers need to stand up for themselves and the students.
Culture and climate are so important and in order for a school to be successful there must be a positive culture and climate....Normandin is a horrible, depressing place. Prab should look at attendance data....seems like more people taking time off so they are not in that depressing place. How about all of the extra bodies that were in the school this week? Administration has let kids run wild all year and extra staff is necessary to try to get a handle on it. Who is paying for the extra subs? When will the "big wigs" realize that normandin needs effective leadership!
A little birdie told me Bonneau is grooming her ******** to be the next academic coach at Normandin
Bonneau was counting the number of kids who went to the bathroom this week. Seriously, she came on the intercom yesterday and told everyone that something like 250 kids had to go the day before. With all the junk going on in that building, with morale so low and the hallways so chaotic, she's focusing on the bathrooms. She's the one who needs to go!!!
I think with all the negative attention on Normandin, there's little chance that Bonneau's ******* will get that job. Even if it doesn't happen, the ******* will continue to see about half the students that other teachers see. Crazy that any of this is allowed to happen.
Did anyone notice the time of day when most students went to bathroom? Between 8-10 am. Well, it was an Mcas day for 8th graders. Shame on those teachers for having their students go to the restroom BEFORE the test began. I can't believe they were so awful....allowing students to go before test was handed out to limit disruptions during the test. Bad, bad teachers!
Bonneau has lost control of the building. If she won't retire and if no one will buy her out, give her a data crunching job at PRAB where she can reach the 50th year in education that she's been blabbering on about. There's no way she should be allowed to stay another year at Normandin.
I think a lot of teachers at Normandin, like others elsewhere, suffer from inertia. Can't leave. Used to the world there. Wouldn't be better at another school. Etc. Then a teacher leaves and reports back. My God, many of them say, you have no idea what it's like to teach in a school with a friendly, supportive principal, where discipline is enforced, where teachers aren't targeted, where kids are allowed to learn without constant disruption.
I wonder if Bonneau reads these comments. How could you stay on knowing your staff has lost all respect for you? Please retire, for the sake of the school.
I know for a fact that Bonneau does read these comments. She's on a witch hunt to find out who the writers are. She's angrier than ever. She can't stand the truth, even though it comes from anonymous commenters.
I've told my husband about the working conditions at Normandin. He can't believe it. He's been in the business world for a while and he says if a CEO ran a company this way, the company would be on the verge of bankruptcy and the CEO would be out.
Hello administration! Don't you hear the pain and cries of all these teachers at Normandin and Roosevelt? No one wants to go to work and be enthusiastic and motivated when you're on edge and stressed from incompetent principals.Help my colleagues please.No one should have to teach in a school with no support and discipline.
Dear Mr. Shea:
If you are free to do what you want to improve education in New Bedford, please use your short term authority to remove the principals, like Bonneau and Fernandes, who have ruined the atmospheres at two schools and compromised the learning of thousands of young people.
Agree with the previous comments. The rumor is that Mr. Shea might clean house at PRAB. This teacher's opinion is that PRAB isn't the problem! Clean house at the middle schools if you want to see happier teachers, happier students, improved test scores, better discipline etc. We are counting on you, Mr. Shea.
Does anyone know if superintendent Shea reads this blog? It might better serve the teachers,staff,And students if we were to write to him directly. These situations are serious, they are not a matter of disgruntled employees. It is sad to see administration attempting to discipline in late May the students for behaviors they have displayed all year....a bit late. Normandin staff are you ready to deal with the mess ****** has given us for next year? We are in for a tough ride. We can straighten this out if we stick together as a staff and of course get effective administration. Maybe the Keith administrators will train all three middle school leaders? If it can be done at Keith,it can be done, we have theh same population of students.
I wish Normandin had leadership like at Keith. You can't believe the number of teachers at Normandin who fondly recall the strong discipline in place when a current Keith VP was working on Felton St. Now, the chaos is unbearable. Education is an afterthought to getting through the day without being cursed at or run over in the hallways.
I would hope that comments about specific schoool adm. are being made by people teaching at those schools. Witch hunts do no good for anyone. Are there problems at Normandin sure there are and right now discipline is the issue.
While "some" see ousting the principal as the answer lets think about it for a moment. Do you remember when the Normandin staff wanted a vote of no confidence and Souza came to address the complants? Do you remember how you wanted the principal out? That is how you got Bonneau.
While the only answer may be getting rid of the principal, remember there are other things to consider. Teachers at Normandin are given every opportunity for PD, encouraged to meet,share, and learn. No middle school focuses more on curriculum, instruction and data than Normandin.
You can't teach kids if they are not in the seat and you can't teach kids without discpline, true. Please remember an administration that only focuses on discpline and neglects the professional development of its staff is is not going to address the reason for schools to teach kids.
Having been around for awhile I know you cannot have one without the other. The staff at Normandin has been given the most professional development in house and out. Staff has always been encouraged to expand thier knowledge.So while looking for a new adm. that will change things don't forget principals are educational leaders not just discipline leaders.
While some may want her gone I hope whatever the outcome Normandin staff will be led by someone who sees themselves as eductional professionals and not a leader who keep kids and staff in check. Good luck.
To the previous comments:
Professionals, YES, we are at Normandin so that's why I hear my colleagues voicing their strong and legitimate concerns regarding the school culture and climate. This NELMS Spotlight school is no longer shining brightly and has been steadily dimming in brightness because of the inconsistent/non-existent consequences (refer to the school's student handbook), poor or no communication between Admin and staff regarding student/school safety issues, and the use of intimidation and of nepotism/favoritism by admin.
When I see and hear the VERY real safety concerns for our students and staff on a DAILY basis, despite having lots of professional development, then ALL of us need to stop and assess where this once outstanding middle school is heading NOW, not on the first day of school.
Since when can verbal disrespect, vulgarity, and sexually inappropriate comments be allowed and directed towards staff by students and not be immediately addressed?!
Since when does nepotism rule over actual admin experience?!
As professionals, this is NOT a "witch hunt" rather an urgent need for an immediate reality check at our school with some realistic and positive changes for ALL of us.
Lety me say it was not my intent to ever suggest that Normandin "staff" was on a witch hunt, but others that atre not part of this staff. Once again my best wishes for the Normandin staff.
I agree that normandin staff has received a tremendous amount of professional.development but what is the point of all if this pd when teachers CANNOT teach? How about the 75% of students that want to learn? All the pd in the world cannot help right now unless the pd is for the administrative staff (of course it needs to be with regard to EFFECTIVE discipline, consistent consequences, collaboration on discipline and management, etc...) That beautiful school is a mess, students destroy the restrooms on a daily basis, the wander around the building, run and scream in the halls, curse, walk out of classes, to what end? Who is responsible if not admin? Staff have begged for support all year, read the FAC notes, talk to staff members. I can tell you the staff would gladly give up pd for a year or two if they could take back the school and actually teach instead of redirect all day.
Dear Mr. Shea, Where are you? What are you doing? Are you visiting your schools? Talking to teacher, parents, kids? I realize your job is to steer the ship, but it would be nice to hear something from you on occasion. $13,000 a month is a lot of money for silence.
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