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Mr Shea, I hope you see on your radar a school that is completely dysfunctional. Give Bonneau a one year job at PRAB for her glorious 50th year in education, and give Normandin a chance to beomce a great school again.
I can see it. On the first day of school Bonneau is going to promise that we'll follow the handbook on discipline this year. I promise. I swear. It will be different. All those 6th and 7th graders who got away with everything last year will understand that we mean business this year. This will last about a month and then Bonneau will go back to blaming the teachers for all the misbehavior.
The article praised the PBIS system. Normandin has had that for a while, and look at all the good its done. This proves that it doesn't matter what program you have in place, if the administration doesn't respect the teachers and vise versa, nothing will work. Normandin needs new leadership.
Just love it! Again, the principal at Roosevelt manages to make herself (and her so-called programs) sound like the greatest thing since sliced bread! And again, she doesn't report the full truth of what's really going on. She neglects to say that administration was told about two years ago that they HAD to lower the numbers of office referrals and conduct cards, and as a result, many teachers were given the message that they should not be calling the office for assistance too frequently, and that they should be "doing everything possible" to deal with the situation before calling for assistance or writing a conduct card. Some teachers, when they dial "0" for assistance, do not always receive a response, or the response is so untimely, that situations escalate further, and they have more of a discipline situation to contend with. New teachers receive no mentoring on classroom management skills, which is essential in such an urban setting.
In addition, some of the numbers given in regards to office referral numbers may not be completely accurate, as there have definitely been disciplinary incidences that have occurred with students, whose discipline records when checked, do not reflect the record accurately, especially incidences that are required by the DESE to be recorded in the data.
As for those 30 students working with a school adjustment counselor, some have quit school when they turn 16, some continue with their behavior issues regardless of services, and some feel a sense of entitlement to be able to leave the class whenever they feel like it to go "visit" the counselor, which means they are not learning, setting them even further behind academically.
Escorting students wastes precious minutes for teachers who otherwise do not have any other time to use the bathroom facilities, and there are student groups (such as some special education students and/or ELL students) who are unescorted at times, when they are often the students who should have more supervision for various reasons. There have been fires in the building, weapons, the setting off of a fire alarm, drugs, fights, etc., all caused by students who have been "escorted" between classes. Things can happen when students go to the bathroom, leave the class unexpectedly, or go to their lockers. This just goes to show you that any amount of "escorting" does not necessarily "fix" the problem. What is needed is a comprehensive, school behavior program that is consistently carried out by all staff members at all times, with a clear, concise message of what the school climate is (set by the principal). This is simply not happening. RTI is also not being implemented comprehensively in the building, despite what principal Fernandes may state in the newspaper.
This is a continuation from the previous post, as I ran out of space!
I applaud Dr. Shea in setting up a meeting on July 5th for teachers to be able to voice concerns and to posit how to fix some of the issues going on in NBPS. I hope that many of them take the time to go, despite their summer vacations, so that perhaps some of these things can be changed for the better in the district. Of course, it would be helpful if administration was not allowed to attend, as I believe that many more teachers would go if they didn't have to fear retribution from administration in their schools for speaking out.
And lastly, I applaud Jill's comment in the Standard Times that parents DO need to step up to the plate when it comes to simply parenting their children. Too many parents state that they "don't know what to do" when it comes to disciplining their children and setting limits, or they want to be their child's "friend" rather than a parent. There are some parents who simply cannot take care of themselves properly, and therefore, cannot parent their children well. This is a HUGE problem that must be addressed somehow, perhaps through parenting classes starting in the lower grades, and helping parent of older students with their teens. Parents need to be held accountable when their child is kept home excessively and for no apparent medical reason Parents need to become involved in the disciplinary process and help the schools by enforcing punishments and consequences at home when their child acts out in the school setting. They also need to ensure that their child is eating and sleeping well each night, doing their homework consistently, and getting to school on time each and every school day, unless REALLY ill.
And students should HAVE to attend their district schools. This nonsense of parents moving their child from one school to another simply because they are not happy with decisions made at their neighborhood school is not acceptable. Or when principals make back-door deals with one another to move students from one building to the next in order to escape having to send a student to Whaling City, and thereby avoid DESE data recording! This policy should be enforced consistently, as well as the attendance policies, the discipline policies, etc, and should be the same for every school across the district, so that there are no questions or excuses from anyone as students move from elementary to middle to high school.
There is a lot of work to be done, and with the right people at the helm, perhaps NB can rise from the ashes, but until these major issues are addressed properly, nothing will really change.
The Watchdog has learned through several sources that Dr. Bonneau has been removed as Normandin's principal. She will serve as the Director of Math for the upcoming school year. Thank you, Mr. Shea. Now, we need to look at the South End!
AS a tax payer, I want to have the freedom of moving my child from a school, if I feel that my child is not getting the right education in his neighbourhood school. I can tell you as a parent that has a child that attends middle school in New Bedford I am disappointed in how little communication I was able to get with the teachers. I wrote notes in several occasions to inquire about my child's progress, and hardly ever got any respond back from the teachers. I was also appaled with the lack of homework. My child did get good grades, but I don't feel that my child was challenge at all. In fact, I know other middle schools in other towns close to NB are challenging their studetns more. I have heard many teachers from NB say that it could not happen in urban schools. I don't think that should be an excused. All kids should have the chance to be challenge. I wonder if sometimes, kids misbehave because they are bore with the curriculum. And I hope that NBPS does a better job to get parents more involved in their child's education. I know I tried but was not given the chance so who do I blame the teachers or the principal for that? In regards to students misbehaving, I think we need to have policies in places in our schools to deal with it. I know New Bedford has so many talented and wonderful teachers that are very dedicated. I hope they can stay and continue working with our kids. I still love what I do, and yes I see all the issues that we are facing. But I do like challenges so I do intend to stick around and continue to fight.
Wow, I am sorry to hear that you did not get responses from teachers. I am a teacher that has the opposite problem. I had more parent conferences, emails, and phone calls this year then in the last four years combined! I am very sad to say that I do not feel it changed much of the behavior or effort in the class room. I did not give up and fought all year but my many of my parents were either not supportive or sat there and said they would help and work with us only to have the same issues and behaviors continue day after day. The homework issue is definitely an issue, it gets assigned and then 20-30% of the class bring it in. Teachers try to keep students after school, some stay, some don't...then it becomes another issue with next days home work and two days owed, more calls home, etc. I can tell you many give up because there is no support from parents and it is exhausting trying to chase down 40 kids for a detention every day. There needs to be a school wide/ district wide homework expectation. As far as school transfers, I believe the person was referring to a student with multiple infractions who is a habitual school offender or has attendance problems and parents just keep moving them school to school. I see it all of the time. The student does not get the services through the court system because parents move around before they can be filed. It is ridiculous and wastes time.
For those parents who ARE doing the right thing and supporting the schools by ensuring their children do the homework, inquire about their child's progress, and support the schools in other ways, I applaud you! However, asking for special dispensation to move your child to a school not in your neighborhood district is not always the solution to obtain a better education in the city. ALL schools in the district have the same issues to deal with, and I would surmise that no matter what middle school a child attends, there is very little time for the teachers to respond to requests from parents due to all of the initiatives, lack of support from administration, and the other issues mentioned in the last post. Therefore, simply moving from one school to another is not the solution. Making your voice heard to the Superintendent of Schools just might be a better choice to change things at the middle school level.
15 comments:
Mr Shea, I hope you see on your radar a school that is completely dysfunctional. Give Bonneau a one year job at PRAB for her glorious 50th year in education, and give Normandin a chance to beomce a great school again.
Discipline at Roosevelt is a joke.
It looks like there is no sense of urgency from the NBPS to look at the Normandin situation.
WOW, what an awesome school I work at, Not!
I can see it. On the first day of school Bonneau is going to promise that we'll follow the handbook on discipline this year. I promise. I swear. It will be different. All those 6th and 7th graders who got away with everything last year will understand that we mean business this year. This will last about a month and then Bonneau will go back to blaming the teachers for all the misbehavior.
The article praised the PBIS system. Normandin has had that for a while, and look at all the good its done. This proves that it doesn't matter what program you have in place, if the administration doesn't respect the teachers and vise versa, nothing will work. Normandin needs new leadership.
Just love it! Again, the principal at Roosevelt manages to make herself (and her so-called programs) sound like the greatest thing since sliced bread! And again, she doesn't report the full truth of what's really going on. She neglects to say that administration was told about two years ago that they HAD to lower the numbers of office referrals and conduct cards, and as a result, many teachers were given the message that they should not be calling the office for assistance too frequently, and that they should be "doing everything possible" to deal with the situation before calling for assistance or writing a conduct card. Some teachers, when they dial "0" for assistance, do not always receive a response, or the response is so untimely, that situations escalate further, and they have more of a discipline situation to contend with. New teachers receive no mentoring on classroom management skills, which is essential in such an urban setting.
In addition, some of the numbers given in regards to office referral numbers may not be completely accurate, as there have definitely been disciplinary incidences that have occurred with students, whose discipline records when checked, do not reflect the record accurately, especially incidences that are required by the DESE to be recorded in the data.
As for those 30 students working with a school adjustment counselor, some have quit school when they turn 16, some continue with their behavior issues regardless of services, and some feel a sense of entitlement to be able to leave the class whenever they feel like it to go "visit" the counselor, which means they are not learning, setting them even further behind academically.
Escorting students wastes precious minutes for teachers who otherwise do not have any other time to use the bathroom facilities, and there are student groups (such as some special education students and/or ELL students) who are unescorted at times, when they are often the students who should have more supervision for various reasons. There have been fires in the building, weapons, the setting off of a fire alarm, drugs, fights, etc., all caused by students who have been "escorted" between classes. Things can happen when students go to the bathroom, leave the class unexpectedly, or go to their lockers. This just goes to show you that any amount of "escorting" does not necessarily "fix" the problem. What is needed is a comprehensive, school behavior program that is consistently carried out by all staff members at all times, with a clear, concise message of what the school climate is (set by the principal). This is simply not happening. RTI is also not being implemented comprehensively in the building, despite what principal Fernandes may state in the newspaper.
This is a continuation from the previous post, as I ran out of space!
I applaud Dr. Shea in setting up a meeting on July 5th for teachers to be able to voice concerns and to posit how to fix some of the issues going on in NBPS. I hope that many of them take the time to go, despite their summer vacations, so that perhaps some of these things can be changed for the better in the district. Of course, it would be helpful if administration was not allowed to attend, as I believe that many more teachers would go if they didn't have to fear retribution from administration in their schools for speaking out.
And lastly, I applaud Jill's comment in the Standard Times that parents DO need to step up to the plate when it comes to simply parenting their children. Too many parents state that they "don't know what to do" when it comes to disciplining their children and setting limits, or they want to be their child's "friend" rather than a parent. There are some parents who simply cannot take care of themselves properly, and therefore, cannot parent their children well. This is a HUGE problem that must be addressed somehow, perhaps through parenting classes starting in the lower grades, and helping parent of older students with their teens. Parents need to be held accountable when their child is kept home excessively and for no apparent medical reason Parents need to become involved in the disciplinary process and help the schools by enforcing punishments and consequences at home when their child acts out in the school setting. They also need to ensure that their child is eating and sleeping well each night, doing their homework consistently, and getting to school on time each and every school day, unless REALLY ill.
And students should HAVE to attend their district schools. This nonsense of parents moving their child from one school to another simply because they are not happy with decisions made at their neighborhood school is not acceptable. Or when principals make back-door deals with one another to move students from one building to the next in order to escape having to send a student to Whaling City, and thereby avoid DESE data recording! This policy should be enforced consistently, as well as the attendance policies, the discipline policies, etc, and should be the same for every school across the district, so that there are no questions or excuses from anyone as students move from elementary to middle to high school.
There is a lot of work to be done, and with the right people at the helm, perhaps NB can rise from the ashes, but until these major issues are addressed properly, nothing will really change.
The Watchdog has learned through several sources that Dr. Bonneau has been removed as Normandin's principal. She will serve as the Director of Math for the upcoming school year. Thank you, Mr. Shea. Now, we need to look at the South End!
The Watchdog also congratulates Mr. Peter Sykes, the new Principal of Keith Middle School. The Keith staff is lucky to have you!
Normandin needs Darcy!
Thank you Mr. Shea and Mr. Mitchell. Wonder who will take over at Normandin.
AS a tax payer, I want to have the freedom of moving my child from a school, if I feel that my child is not getting the right education in his neighbourhood school. I can tell you as a parent that has a child that attends middle school in New Bedford I am disappointed in how little communication I was able to get with the teachers. I wrote notes in several occasions to inquire about my child's progress, and hardly ever got any respond back from the teachers. I was also appaled with the lack of homework. My child did get good grades, but I don't feel that my child was challenge at all. In fact, I know other middle schools in other towns close to NB are challenging their studetns more. I have heard many teachers from NB say that it could not happen in urban schools. I don't think that should be an excused. All kids should have the chance to be challenge. I wonder if sometimes, kids misbehave because they are bore with the curriculum. And I hope that NBPS does a better job to get parents more involved in their child's education. I know I tried but was not given the chance so who do I blame the teachers or the principal for that? In regards to students misbehaving, I think we need to have policies in places in our schools to deal with it. I know New Bedford has so many talented and wonderful teachers that are very dedicated. I hope they can stay and continue working with our kids. I still love what I do, and yes I see all the issues that we are facing. But I do like challenges so I do intend to stick around and continue to fight.
Wow, I am sorry to hear that you did not get responses from teachers. I am a teacher that has the opposite problem. I had more parent conferences, emails, and phone calls this year then in the last four years combined! I am very sad to say that I do not feel it changed much of the behavior or effort in the class room. I did not give up and fought all year but my many of my parents were either not supportive or sat there and said they would help and work with us only to have the same issues and behaviors continue day after day. The homework issue is definitely an issue, it gets assigned and then 20-30% of the class bring it in. Teachers try to keep students after school, some stay, some don't...then it becomes another issue with next days home work and two days owed, more calls home, etc. I can tell you many give up because there is no support from parents and it is exhausting trying to chase down 40 kids for a detention every day. There needs to be a school wide/ district wide homework expectation. As far as school transfers, I believe the person was referring to a student with multiple infractions who is a habitual school offender or has attendance problems and parents just keep moving them school to school. I see it all of the time. The student does not get the services through the court system because parents move around before they can be filed. It is ridiculous and wastes time.
For those parents who ARE doing the right thing and supporting the schools by ensuring their children do the homework, inquire about their child's progress, and support the schools in other ways, I applaud you! However, asking for special dispensation to move your child to a school not in your neighborhood district is not always the solution to obtain a better education in the city. ALL schools in the district have the same issues to deal with, and I would surmise that no matter what middle school a child attends, there is very little time for the teachers to respond to requests from parents due to all of the initiatives, lack of support from administration, and the other issues mentioned in the last post. Therefore, simply moving from one school to another is not the solution. Making your voice heard to the Superintendent of Schools just might be a better choice to change things at the middle school level.
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