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Friday, June 8, 2012
State accepts New Bedford school turnaround plan
What are your thoughts?
49 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Francis writes the plan and Jon Mitchell gives Shea the credit...tell me numbskull didn't have it out for Francis.
“The state’s decision demonstrates confidence that the school district is turning the corner,” said Mayor Jon Mitchell, who serves as chairman ex officio of the School Committee. “It’s also clear that the state’s decision today demonstrates its confidence in the new leadership in the district to implement the plan.”
No Jon, I see through your lies. All it shows is that you cut a deal with state to get rid of Francis.
I agree with the last post. Jon Mitchell has proven that he's the lowest of the low. That man will say and do anything to get what he wants. I'm sorry I ever supported that deceiver.
The plan has been implemented with state oversight since November. The plan that has been approved has now concluded and is being updated for next school year.
Well the turnaround plan has been accepted. The same plan that Mary Lou submitted to the state which Jon Mitchell, the sky is falling and we are in danger of the state taking over, told the state not to work on the plan. Now he is saying that Shea who did absolute nothing for this plan is bring leadership. This is BS and FFP should be ashamed of himself. And lets not forget the fantastic SC who with the exception of Tom Clark are nothing but puppets with their own personal agendas.
Congratulate Mary Lou and your administrative team for putting together the turnaround plan which most likely have been approved in April if Mayor Mitchell hadn't called Mitchell Chester and told him not to work on the acceptance of it.
Thank God we have ANOTHER new plan...lol. The kids are going to ALL pass now (dont they anyway even with F's an 80 absenses)...the halls with be "safe", and the parents will ALL become interested in academics, culture.... Luv it! Does the plan include a rule against shooting each other on the street? OR maybe an "English ONLY" clause? What about "illegals"? Will they be getting more benefits to "assist" in their learning endeavors?
Yup, I'm sure we're "TURNED AROUND" now! How about turning NON-INTERESTED KIDS" around and send them HOME so real students have the opportunity ti learn. ANy ideas on a "new rubric" to INSURE success in the classroom? hehe I hope that's in the plan...gotta have a cute rubric.
I am please that the state accpeted the turn around plan but in all respect, the system will not change unless they look at some of the principals that guide our school ie. Dr. Bonneau. Please Mr. Shea, take note and help the students and saff at Normandin.
To the last post: You are wrong, I have been in a 21st century and still am. I Taught from elementary all the way to high school. Beleive me I know there are problems, and I understand the challeges we teachers face. However, as educators we can't be that negative all the time. I have been reading the articles that Lou has been posting and the comments. I am getting mixed messages. Many teachers do not support charter schools but at the same time they are saying how awful our public schools are and how parents don't care etc. I am a parent and my children attend New Bedford public schools. I can tell you that I would of been more involved in my childrens' schools if perhaps I was asked. I wish that more schools in New Bedford encourage and welcome more parents. That is however, my personal opinion and hope that I don't offend anybody.
I wonder if families know that teachers at Normandin were denied parent volunteers in their classes? How can elementary school teachers have parent volunteers but NOT parents of middle school students?? Is it REALLY a matter of confidentiality?!?
I agree about the post on Normandin. A turnaround plan will mean nothing if we continue to have ineffective leadership in our schools. Bonneau is a disaster. The place has become toxic. Kids are skipping detentions routinely, and then magically they show up in the computer system as having served them. What a joke. Mr. Shea, if you want to make a difference, make some moves! If not, this is all a stupid exercise.
The Turnaround Plan will only be successful if there is a complete "turnaround" in current administrative practices at some of our schools. (Normandin and Roosevelt would be great places to begin) The only way to really change the current culture and climate in the schools is consistency! Students need consequences for behaviors, staff need to be teaching the same curriculum, grades need to be earned-not given, we need to stop passing students along. I could go on and on but lets get effective administrators in place so we can work towards a viable solution. Bonneau has long ago lost touch with reality, she obviously can't see that her time to leave was two years ago and she is destroying what was once a great school.
Why is it only we teachers who are held accountable? I could NEVER get away with some of the stuff pulled by principals and other administrators. Most of us are looking for solid leadership and can never seem to find any support or half decent answers to our problems.Many principals spend the day chatting with their other principal friends trying to figure things out as they go along...and the world wonders why we're in the position we're in???
The blame game is old. Rather then put people down and point the finger take the initiative, motivate yourself and do something about it. You sound like the kids. Get your heads out of the clouds and look at the new effective teacher standards. Whether you like it or not we are all in this together. We are supposed to be professionals. You are insulting the profession and giving the newspapers exactly what they want. Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah.
Effective teacher standards? I know them. I know what makes a good teacher. But it matters very little when your school has been poisoned by a principal. There are many good teachers at Normandin who have been undermined by Bonneau. The culture and effectiveness of a school starts with the principal, and Normandin has become scandalously badly run under Bonneau. People would be thrilled at how Normandin would "turn around" with new leadership.
Mr. Shea and Mayor Mitchell, you need to let the teachers know what your plans are about personnel. The state cares about paperwork. We care about our kids and our schools. Communicate!!!
If Bonneau and Fernandes get another year, I'll completely give up faith in our city's commitment to quality education. I supported you, Mr. Mitchell. I'm waiting for real action.
I agree about those 2 middle school principals. If they really let this go for another year then there really is no hope for the district. The corruption may be too deep. In the mean time, yet another year wasted and another group of students cheated out of what they need.
Teachers have only so much power as was stated earlier. This is not a "blame game" these are facts! Great teachers are in the schools but are allowed to teach with restrictions. You can't have deadlines or due dates, you can't give a student an F even if that is what they earned. You are bullied into inflating grades or they just abuse you and their classmates all year and take a five week summer course move to next grade. What little power teachers had was taken away! Academic rigor is a joke...all students pass within the year even if they sir in the success center listening to ipods, playing on computers, and getting recreational time. The 75% of the students that want to learn are not getting the education they deserve because teachers are dealing with ridiculous behaviors all day. Subs refuse to come to the building. A viable solution is new effective administration.
I hear a certain middle school principal attended Mitchell's $100 per person fundraiser. Could she be lobbying for contract renewal or a shot at the superintendent's office? Decisions must be made soon.
Let the blame games begin. Teaching is a profession, not a crime. Parental guidance is a non factor when the teachers get blamed for poor performances. They want it done yesterday.
To the "step up to the bat" person. Could you please tell me what Mr. Mitchell has done for our kids in New Bedford Public Schools other than fire a dedicated professional of 30 + years. In my 24 years of teaching there has never been such turmoil. The Standard Times and outside agencies are leading him around by the nose. I am ashamed to have voted for such a person and his promises, but I should've known better.
We need to go back to the Junior High concept where students were prepared to attend high school. Teachers need to live in New Bedford to have a true voice in the politics of this community. Our school committee needs to be replaced - every one of them. Our system is in a shambles due to politics as usual. There may be different faces there but they learned well how to manipulate everything to what they want.
New Bedford High School should be the FLAGSHIP of New Bedford Public Schools. These politicians have torn the building to shreds. There hasn't been any improvements made to the building since the building of the new Roosevelt and don't tell me about lights!!!!! Technology and the ability to use the technology we have is a joke. Xerox machines - no. Computers - more than 10 years old.
We will be going through an accreditation process soon. I wonder what the outcome will be? Does our community care? NO!
Responding to the last post. Why doesn't anyone blame Scott Lang. Mary Lou couldn't place items on her own agenda without his approval. Her hire was a joke. There were two other people in the system licensed as superintendents but Lang chose the person he could control. And by the way, the school committee let it happen. Pollack has no business telling kulak he can't suspend a student. That's his building and shame on him for being bullied by Pollack and Francis. And please tell me how any $ can be spent upgrading NBHS when there are only 10 maintenance men left system wide. They can't keep up with daily issues thanks to Scott Lang. From now on blame the people who deserve blame not anyone who inherited this disaster.
The teachers at NBHS need to follow the example set by Fairhaven's teachers. When NEASC came to town, the FHS teachers highlighted the inadequacies of the building. The high school was put on Probation. Thus, the town revamped the 1906 building and constructed an addition. The same thing should be done in New Bedford. NEASC is the tool to build a new high school!
There was a recent study that showed that a principal is the single biggest factor in whether a school succeeds or fails. I believe it. Normandin is not what it should be because of Bonneau. The teachers are good. The kids are the same as they've always been. Bonneau has deteriorated and so has the school. From the lack of discipline to the administrative bullying of teachers, the list of failures is sad.
I agree with the last post! Maybe our voices need to be heard. Why hide the truth? We have been run by the "good ole boys" for so long and to what end? Who is suffering? The students and teachers.
I agree with the bullying comment. We are supposed to be a bully free school....yet staff are bullied by Bonneau and the rest of admin on a daily basis. What a sad, sad, joke. I also know that detentions that were never served were cleared out as served. How about absences being erased? We know her main concern is getting the attendance banner. So ridiculous. The real joke will be how many failed grades get changed and how many just spend five weeks in summer school...oops vacation school, and then move on up to repeat the cycle. This is teaching the students nothing about responsibility never mind academics. She must move on...
Again "step up to the bat": this isn't about blame. I asked what Mr. Mitchel has done for our children! He came in as an agent of change, so...... Last night at graduation he basically gave the same speech he gave the night before at awards. Does he know how to just talk? It was the previous administration that chose to keep building middle schools and elementary schools taking and taking from the high school. The other day a middle school teacher went looking for a copy machine at the high school. She stated the middle schools have them in every TEACHER'S room and office. Sea Lab has them in every classroom! Not at the high school! As far as the principals go, they aren't the only ones that are afraid. Everyone at the administration level is ducking for cover! No one has the guts to stand up for their building. I wonder how long Mr. Kulak has before someone goes after him? Maintenance is the least of what is needed at NBHS. The building itself is not in bad shape. It needs upgrades: wireless systems, computers that aren't as old as the kids, TVs and DVRs in classroom, projectors, TEXTBOOKS, tools to help kids learn!!! These upgrades cannot be done by school employees.
Amen to the last writer. It's sad when the kids have access to information that the teachers don't because they have their ipads and iphones and the teacher doesn't even have access to the Internet in his/her classroom...some teachers do, but at least one of the houses at NBHS does not. It's sad when a teacher takes a class of 12 students to the "computer lab" and there aren't enough computers working out of 30 machines to serve all of the 12 students. Not to mention windows that we can't see out of -- a safety issue in this day and age when armed intruders or drug sellers could be approaching the building and be ushered in by a student opening the door to the outside and no one can see it happening. It seems that all of the schools in our system have issues, but the answer was NOT to let Dr. Francis go! I, too, am regretting that I supported Mr. Mitchell. Mr. Shea, by the way, gave an excellent talk at last night's graduation ceremony. I hope he can walk the walk too!
To the last post. Unfortunately this is about blame. In order to move forward we need to figure out how we got here. I'll ask everyone here. Was the the school system in better shape before Scott Lang became mayor or after he left office? In my opinion he left behind a disaster that we will feel for years to come. As far as the technological upgrades needed at Nbhs. I couldn't agree more. All of those things are needed but how can you justify that spending when windows are needed and regular maintenance issues go undone. There aren't enough maintenance men to cut grass! All of these little things count. If we as a community want our school system back we need to take it back. It starts the school committee. Vote them out or better yet lets recall them out.
First step in the Turnaround Plan -- get rid of all the dead wood! Fire Fernandes & Bonneau, then concentrate on discipline, real academics, and new textbooks. My nine years teaching at RMS, was without an English series, and a Social Studies book that was 16 years old. So old in fact that the information was totally inaccurate. Lucky for my students that my years of experience and my prior knowledge enabled me to deliver them a quality education but no thanks to the NBPS's administration. I am very curious where the line item money for text books/ replacements went? Nine years without books in two major subject areas equals some serious money!Someone has been making some very poor decisions for this district. Glad I'm out!
My sympathies with those at NBHS. As a Normandin teacher, I face different challenges, most having to do with a principal who is out of control. It's clear that each building is dealing with different issues. Maybe downtown should be paying attention. The more you focus on seemingly unsolvable district issues, the more you miss building-by-building issues that can be handled. By focusing on the inidividual schoools, the more you will build teacher and community morale and find the trust that is lacking. There a political win/win here if someone wants to seize it.
The high school always gets the shaft from admin and the school committee, yet all those self serving, egotistical people have the nerve to sit in the middle of the football field at NBHS's graduation and hand diplomas to grads that they have done NOTHING for. It is such a joke! They are supposed to be honored guests! Ha! What honor does the school committee have? They never even set foot a single day of the school year in that building but they show up for the accomplishments they had nothing to do with. Disgusting! That horrid woman Pollack and her lapdog, Livramento do nothing but push their innovation school agenda and they were shameful enough to help hand out diplomas!! They do not even support NBHS! What hypocrisy!!
Maybe if more teachers went to school committe meeting things will be different. I went a few times and hardly saw any teachers. But yet there is a lot to say through these blogs. Perhaps, we should start letting our voices heard to the people that need to hear it the most. Maybe the way we can make an impact so thing can change. I am a positive person and really believe that change is possible and could really happen. However, I am sick of doing it alone and having no support from the ones that talk the most.
The majority perception of going to the school committee and voicing our concerns publicly is that it just puts a target on our backs. We don't have enough power or time on our hands to play politics.
Normandin could be great again if Bonneau left and they hired a new principal who respected teachers, implemented discipline, and remembered what it is actually like to be in a classroom. If she stays, more of the mediocre same.
I don't go to many school committee meetings but I serve as a union rep in my building and use the channels available to us to forward good teachers suggestions, voice concerns, complaints and safety issues etc. Everything is documented and submitted downtown according to procedure. Some things get taken care of, usually if it is within the control of building administration (we have some good ones), but if it requires funding or approval from central admin, then it usually doesn't happen. Everyone in power is very quick to condemn the high school for all its shortcomings and failures but when viable cost effective solutions are presented to them to address the problems, they are ignored or there is a spending freeze in effect. Another problem is that those in charge do not want to enforce policies that are unpopular but at the same time enable student failure like student retention due to poor attendance. The school committee and central admin are all too far detached from the actual students to really know what is going on and yet they don't listen to those that are engaged with them everyday. We need bottom up management decisions, not top down. That method's proven fruitless and the state agrees, but everything seems to fall on deaf ears because I know our voices are heard. I've seen the paperwork.
To the last post: So what I am gathering from your information is that their is no hope. I hate to think that nothing can be change. Maybe we need to come up with more solutions rather then pointing out what the problems are. What is the point of it if we as teacher don't become proactive. I still think things could change and that we do have a powerful voice but maybe we ned more guts.
I can tell you that there is power in numbers but....too many of us do not actually step up. The few that do are labeled as troublemakers. So, WE have to be supportive of one another and stand up for what is right. Talking here is great with regard to easing frustration but it is a bandaid solution, nothing will really get accomplished. At Normandin, some are standing up and giving the grades students earned while others are still inflating grades and passing them on. The old "don't fail too many and don't put a Target on your back" is the school of thought. How about....follow your moral and ethical obligations...you are doing a disservice to the students to keep passing them along.
Did anyone else know that the "honorable" Mayor blew off evening school graduation?! He had his own $100 per plate function that night. Guess we know where his priorities are!
Yeah, a few "extra" school committee members showed up to night school graduation and stated "They didn't attend the mayor's function because night school graduation was too important". How much did they pay to miss FFP's time and cover his ass?
Just an FYI- we had a teacher at the HS who wrote a mini grant and got wireless for one of the houses. She took it upon herself and hooked everything up- made sure it did not interfere with the school's network. Tech dept came in over one of the breaks and disconnected everything, took all the equipment and it took her over 6 months to get the hundreds of dollars worth of equipment returned- only to be told we could never hook it up again! So even when we get "Free" stuff- there is someone trying to sabbotage our efforts!
Supposedly each teachers room has a wireless connection so does every resource room. It appears that they do not make a wireless system to cover an entire house due to building construction and the like. If they did I would be more than happy to donate one. My system covers approximately 4 classrooms but that's it. We need help and support. I'm hoping that will happen before my retirement!
49 comments:
Francis writes the plan and Jon Mitchell gives Shea the credit...tell me numbskull didn't have it out for Francis.
“The state’s decision demonstrates confidence that the school district is turning the corner,” said Mayor Jon Mitchell, who serves as chairman ex officio of the School Committee. “It’s also clear that the state’s decision today demonstrates its confidence in the new leadership in the district to implement the plan.”
No Jon, I see through your lies. All it shows is that you cut a deal with state to get rid of Francis.
I agree with the last post. Jon Mitchell has proven that he's the lowest of the low. That man will say and do anything to get what he wants. I'm sorry I ever supported that deceiver.
I agree with Mitchell. Ir is about time that someone steps up to the plate to bat a homerun for New Bedford Public Schools.
The plan has been implemented with state oversight since November. The plan that has been approved has now concluded and is being updated for next school year.
Well the turnaround plan has been accepted. The same plan that Mary Lou submitted to the state which Jon Mitchell, the sky is falling and we are in danger of the state taking over, told the state not to work on the plan. Now he is saying that Shea who did absolute nothing for this plan is bring leadership. This is BS and FFP should be ashamed of himself. And lets not forget the fantastic SC who with the exception of Tom Clark are nothing but puppets with their own personal agendas.
Congratulate Mary Lou and your administrative team for putting together the turnaround plan which most likely have been approved in April if Mayor Mitchell hadn't called Mitchell Chester and told him not to work on the acceptance of it.
Thank God we have ANOTHER new plan...lol. The kids are going to ALL pass now (dont they anyway even with F's an 80 absenses)...the halls with be "safe", and the parents will ALL become interested in academics, culture.... Luv it! Does the plan include a rule against shooting each other on the street? OR maybe an "English ONLY" clause? What about "illegals"? Will they be getting more benefits to "assist" in their learning endeavors?
Yup, I'm sure we're "TURNED AROUND" now! How about turning NON-INTERESTED KIDS" around and send them HOME so real students have the opportunity ti learn. ANy ideas on a "new rubric" to INSURE success in the classroom? hehe I hope that's in the plan...gotta have a cute rubric.
"NON-INTERESTED KIDS" Wow! talk about having hate issues. Why teach if you feel that way.
Last post evidently has never been in a 21st century public school classroom...............
I am please that the state accpeted the turn around plan but in all respect, the system will not change unless they look at some of the principals that guide our school ie. Dr. Bonneau. Please Mr. Shea, take note and help the students and saff at Normandin.
To the last post: You are wrong, I have been in a 21st century and still am. I Taught from elementary all the way to high school. Beleive me I know there are problems, and I understand the challeges we teachers face. However, as educators we can't be that negative all the time. I have been reading the articles that Lou has been posting and the comments. I am getting mixed messages. Many teachers do not support charter schools but at the same time they are saying how awful our public schools are and how parents don't care etc. I am a parent and my children attend New Bedford public schools. I can tell you that I would of been more involved in my childrens' schools if perhaps I was asked. I wish that more schools in New Bedford encourage and welcome more parents. That is however, my personal opinion and hope that I don't offend anybody.
I wonder if families know that teachers at Normandin were denied parent volunteers in their classes? How can elementary school teachers have parent volunteers but NOT parents of middle school students?? Is it REALLY a matter of confidentiality?!?
I agree about the post on Normandin. A turnaround plan will mean nothing if we continue to have ineffective leadership in our schools. Bonneau is a disaster. The place has become toxic. Kids are skipping detentions routinely, and then magically they show up in the computer system as having served them. What a joke. Mr. Shea, if you want to make a difference, make some moves! If not, this is all a stupid exercise.
The Turnaround Plan will only be successful if there is a complete "turnaround" in current administrative practices at some of our schools. (Normandin and Roosevelt would be great places to begin) The only way to really change the current culture and climate in the schools is consistency! Students need consequences for behaviors, staff need to be teaching the same curriculum, grades need to be earned-not given, we need to stop passing students along. I could go on and on but lets get effective administrators in place so we can work towards a viable solution. Bonneau has long ago lost touch with reality, she obviously can't see that her time to leave was two years ago and she is destroying what was once a great school.
Why is it only we teachers who are held accountable? I could NEVER get away with some of the stuff pulled by principals and other administrators. Most of us are looking for solid leadership and can never seem to find any support or half decent answers to our problems.Many principals spend the day chatting with their other principal friends trying to figure things out as they go along...and the world wonders why we're in the position we're in???
The blame game is old. Rather then put people down and point the finger take the initiative, motivate yourself and do something about it. You sound like the kids. Get your heads out of the clouds and look at the new effective teacher standards. Whether you like it or not we are all in this together. We are supposed to be professionals. You are insulting the profession and giving the newspapers exactly what they want. Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah.
Effective teacher standards? I know them. I know what makes a good teacher. But it matters very little when your school has been poisoned by a principal. There are many good teachers at Normandin who have been undermined by Bonneau. The culture and effectiveness of a school starts with the principal, and Normandin has become scandalously badly run under Bonneau. People would be thrilled at how Normandin would "turn around" with new leadership.
Mr. Shea and Mayor Mitchell, you need to let the teachers know what your plans are about personnel. The state cares about paperwork. We care about our kids and our schools. Communicate!!!
If Bonneau and Fernandes get another year, I'll completely give up faith in our city's commitment to quality education. I supported you, Mr. Mitchell. I'm waiting for real action.
I agree about those 2 middle school principals. If they really let this go for another year then there really is no hope for the district. The corruption may be too deep. In the mean time, yet another year wasted and another group of students cheated out of what they need.
Teachers have only so much power as was stated earlier. This is not a "blame game" these are facts! Great teachers are in the schools but are allowed to teach with restrictions. You can't have deadlines or due dates, you can't give a student an F even if that is what they earned. You are bullied into inflating grades or they just abuse you and their classmates all year and take a five week summer course move to next grade. What little power teachers had was taken away! Academic rigor is a joke...all students pass within the year even if they sir in the success center listening to ipods, playing on computers, and getting recreational time. The 75% of the students that want to learn are not getting the education they deserve because teachers are dealing with ridiculous behaviors all day. Subs refuse to come to the building. A viable solution is new effective administration.
I hear a certain middle school principal attended Mitchell's $100 per person fundraiser. Could she be lobbying for contract renewal or a shot at the superintendent's office?
Decisions must be made soon.
Let the blame games begin. Teaching is a profession, not a crime. Parental guidance is a non factor when the teachers get blamed for poor performances. They want it done yesterday.
To the "step up to the bat" person. Could you please tell me what Mr. Mitchell has done for our kids in New Bedford Public Schools other than fire a dedicated professional of 30 + years. In my 24 years of teaching there has never been such turmoil. The Standard Times and outside agencies are leading him around by the nose. I am ashamed to have voted for such a person and his promises, but I should've known better.
We need to go back to the Junior High concept where students were prepared to attend high school. Teachers need to live in New Bedford to have a true voice in the politics of this community. Our school committee needs to be replaced - every one of them. Our system is in a shambles due to politics as usual. There may be different faces there but they learned well how to manipulate everything to what they want.
New Bedford High School should be the FLAGSHIP of New Bedford Public Schools. These politicians have torn the building to shreds. There hasn't been any improvements made to the building since the building of the new Roosevelt and don't tell me about lights!!!!! Technology and the ability to use the technology we have is a joke. Xerox machines - no. Computers - more than 10 years old.
We will be going through an accreditation process soon. I wonder what the outcome will be? Does our community care? NO!
Responding to the last post. Why doesn't anyone blame Scott Lang. Mary Lou couldn't place items on her own agenda without his approval. Her hire was a joke. There were two other people in the system licensed as superintendents but Lang chose the person he could control. And by the way, the school committee let it happen. Pollack has no business telling kulak he can't suspend a student. That's his building and shame on him for being bullied by Pollack and Francis. And please tell me how any $ can be spent upgrading NBHS when there are only 10 maintenance men left system wide. They can't keep up with daily issues thanks to Scott Lang. From now on blame the people who deserve blame not anyone who inherited this disaster.
The teachers at NBHS need to follow the example set by Fairhaven's teachers.
When NEASC came to town, the FHS teachers highlighted the inadequacies of the building. The high school was put on Probation. Thus, the town revamped the 1906 building and constructed an addition.
The same thing should be done in New Bedford. NEASC is the tool to build a new high school!
No confidence vote in school committee.
There was a recent study that showed that a principal is the single biggest factor in whether a school succeeds or fails. I believe it. Normandin is not what it should be because of Bonneau. The teachers are good. The kids are the same as they've always been. Bonneau has deteriorated and so has the school. From the lack of discipline to the administrative bullying of teachers, the list of failures is sad.
I agree with the last post! Maybe our voices need to be heard. Why hide the truth? We have been run by the "good ole boys" for so long and to what end? Who is suffering? The students and teachers.
I agree with the bullying comment. We are supposed to be a bully free school....yet staff are bullied by Bonneau and the rest of admin on a daily basis. What a sad, sad, joke. I also know that detentions that were never served were cleared out as served. How about absences being erased? We know her main concern is getting the attendance banner. So ridiculous. The real joke will be how many failed grades get changed and how many just spend five weeks in summer school...oops vacation school, and then move on up to repeat the cycle. This is teaching the students nothing about responsibility never mind academics. She must move on...
Again "step up to the bat": this isn't about blame. I asked what Mr. Mitchel has done for our children! He came in as an agent of change, so...... Last night at graduation he basically gave the same speech he gave the night before at awards. Does he know how to just talk? It was the previous administration that chose to keep building middle schools and elementary schools taking and taking from the high school. The other day a middle school teacher went looking for a copy machine at the high school. She stated the middle schools have them in every TEACHER'S room and office. Sea Lab has them in every classroom! Not at the high school! As far as the principals go, they aren't the only ones that are afraid. Everyone at the administration level is ducking for cover! No one has the guts to stand up for their building. I wonder how long Mr. Kulak has before someone goes after him? Maintenance is the least of what is needed at NBHS. The building itself is not in bad shape. It needs upgrades: wireless systems, computers that aren't as old as the kids, TVs and DVRs in classroom, projectors, TEXTBOOKS, tools to help kids learn!!! These upgrades cannot be done by school
employees.
Amen to the last writer. It's sad when the kids have access to information that the teachers don't because they have their ipads and iphones and the teacher doesn't even have access to the Internet in his/her classroom...some teachers do, but at least one of the houses at NBHS does not. It's sad when a teacher takes a class of 12 students to the "computer lab" and there aren't enough computers working out of 30 machines to serve all of the 12 students. Not to mention windows that we can't see out of -- a safety issue in this day and age when armed intruders or drug sellers could be approaching the building and be ushered in by a student opening the door to the outside and no one can see it happening.
It seems that all of the schools in our system have issues, but the answer was NOT to let Dr. Francis go! I, too, am regretting that I supported Mr. Mitchell.
Mr. Shea, by the way, gave an excellent talk at last night's graduation ceremony. I hope he can walk the walk too!
To the last post. Unfortunately this is about blame. In order to move forward we need to figure out how we got here. I'll ask everyone here. Was the the school system in better shape before Scott Lang became mayor or after he left office? In my opinion he left behind a disaster that we will feel for years to come. As far as the technological upgrades needed at Nbhs. I couldn't agree more. All of those things are needed but how can you justify that spending when windows are needed and regular maintenance issues go undone. There aren't enough maintenance men to cut grass! All of these little things count. If we as a community want our school system back we need to take it back. It starts the school committee. Vote them out or better yet lets recall them out.
First step in the Turnaround Plan -- get rid of all the dead wood! Fire Fernandes & Bonneau, then concentrate on discipline, real academics, and new textbooks. My nine years teaching at RMS, was without an English series, and a Social Studies book that was 16 years old. So old in fact that the information was totally inaccurate. Lucky for my students that my years of experience and my prior knowledge enabled me to deliver them a quality education but no thanks to the NBPS's administration. I am very curious where the line item money for text books/ replacements went? Nine years without books in two major subject areas equals some serious money!Someone has been making some very poor decisions for this district. Glad I'm out!
My sympathies with those at NBHS. As a Normandin teacher, I face different challenges, most having to do with a principal who is out of control. It's clear that each building is dealing with different issues. Maybe downtown should be paying attention. The more you focus on seemingly unsolvable district issues, the more you miss building-by-building issues that can be handled. By focusing on the inidividual schoools, the more you will build teacher and community morale and find the trust that is lacking. There a political win/win here if someone wants to seize it.
The high school always gets the shaft from admin and the school committee, yet all those self serving, egotistical people have the nerve to sit in the middle of the football field at NBHS's graduation and hand diplomas to grads that they have done NOTHING for. It is such a joke! They are supposed to be honored guests! Ha! What honor does the school committee have? They never even set foot a single day of the school year in that building but they show up for the accomplishments they had nothing to do with. Disgusting! That horrid woman Pollack and her lapdog, Livramento do nothing but push their innovation school agenda and they were shameful enough to help hand out diplomas!! They do not even support NBHS! What hypocrisy!!
Maybe if more teachers went to school committe meeting things will be different. I went a few times and hardly saw any teachers. But yet there is a lot to say through these blogs. Perhaps, we should start letting our voices heard to the people that need to hear it the most. Maybe the way we can make an impact so thing can change. I am a positive person and really believe that change is possible and could really happen. However, I am sick of doing it alone and having no support from the ones that talk the most.
The majority perception of going to the school committee and voicing our concerns publicly is that it just puts a target on our backs. We don't have enough power or time on our hands to play politics.
The last post has to be the dumbest post I've read on this blog.
Normandin could be great again if Bonneau left and they hired a new principal who respected teachers, implemented discipline, and remembered what it is actually like to be in a classroom. If she stays, more of the mediocre same.
I don't go to many school committee meetings but I serve as a union rep in my building and use the channels available to us to forward good teachers suggestions, voice concerns, complaints and safety issues etc. Everything is documented and submitted downtown according to procedure. Some things get taken care of, usually if it is within the control of building administration (we have some good ones), but if it requires funding or approval from central admin, then it usually doesn't happen. Everyone in power is very quick to condemn the high school for all its shortcomings and failures but when viable cost effective solutions are presented to them to address the problems, they are ignored or there is a spending freeze in effect. Another problem is that those in charge do not want to enforce policies that are unpopular but at the same time enable student failure like student retention due to poor attendance. The school committee and central admin are all too far detached from the actual students to really know what is going on and yet they don't listen to those that are engaged with them everyday. We need bottom up management decisions, not top down. That method's proven fruitless and the state agrees, but everything seems to fall on deaf ears because I know our voices are heard. I've seen the paperwork.
To the last post: So what I am gathering from your information is that their is no hope. I hate to think that nothing can be change. Maybe we need to come up with more solutions rather then pointing out what the problems are. What is the point of it if we as teacher don't become proactive. I still think things could change and that we do have a powerful voice but maybe we ned more guts.
I can tell you that there is power in numbers but....too many of us do not actually step up. The few that do are labeled as troublemakers. So, WE have to be supportive of one another and stand up for what is right. Talking here is great with regard to easing frustration but it is a bandaid solution, nothing will really get accomplished. At Normandin, some are standing up and giving the grades students earned while others are still inflating grades and passing them on. The old "don't fail too many and don't put a Target on your back" is the school of thought. How about....follow your moral and ethical obligations...you are doing a disservice to the students to keep passing them along.
start picketing school committee mtgs, political functions for those unfavorable school committee members...
Did anyone else know that the "honorable" Mayor blew off evening school graduation?! He had his own $100 per plate function that night. Guess we know where his priorities are!
Yeah, a few "extra" school committee members showed up to night school graduation and stated "They didn't attend the mayor's function because night school graduation was too important". How much did they pay to miss FFP's time and cover his ass?
Just an FYI- we had a teacher at the HS who wrote a mini grant and got wireless for one of the houses. She took it upon herself and hooked everything up- made sure it did not interfere with the school's network. Tech dept came in over one of the breaks and disconnected everything, took all the equipment and it took her over 6 months to get the hundreds of dollars worth of equipment returned- only to be told we could never hook it up again! So even when we get "Free" stuff- there is someone trying to sabbotage our efforts!
Supposedly each teachers room has a wireless connection so does every resource room. It appears that they do not make a wireless system to cover an entire house due to building construction and the like. If they did I would be more than happy to donate one. My system covers approximately 4 classrooms but that's it. We need help and support. I'm hoping that will happen before my retirement!
Hey I say computer people at the high school! It's a miracle! I wonder what they were there for?
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