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So, the focus group filled with staff people was not covered by the ST-but the parent meeting was? This article says that teachers were at the parent meeting? Is the total attendance for both focus groups? Dr. Fletcher should not be apologizing-he should be planning to DO SOMETHING! It seems like he is either overly praising things or apologizing for things.
After all the apologies, innovative ideas, op eds and microphone opportunities, there remains the thousand day by day, boring, modest, and detailed pieces of the puzzle that NBEA members are charged with doing. In short, others get the credit for ideas, calls, and apologies but only NBEA members are actually doing anything.
I believe that the Latino community in New Bedford has largely been ignored by the school department. Yes, they are placed in ELL classes when they are new to the country, but there are many other students who may have graduated from the sheltered English immersion program, but still require support for academics. This is simply not happening in the district. There is also not enough Spanish-speaking translators to keep up with the demand.
Why doesn't the administration provide professional development courses to learn Spanish?? It would be better than some of the PD days we have had in the past. It would also help the teachers communicate with our Latino population.
If the district provided PD to make me learn Spanish, I would file a grievance. I'm sorry but I think it's unconstitutional to make American Citizens learn a foreign language to accommodate non English speaking people in this country; many of which are illegal. The ELL students in the district already receive their own classrooms when everyone else is expected to simply differentiate. At the high school they have access to technology and resources that other students do not. Also! Free tutoring is offered 5 days a week from at least 3 different academic programs throughout the school year. Only a very small number of ELL students actually take advantage of it and those students all meet with success. The ELL students have access to remedial reading programs such as READ 180 and System 44. These are very expensive software programs that the district purchased to address the most severe struggling readers. This is an issue that is being addressed, for several years now. Meanwhile the Literacy Initiative at NBHS operated with a zero dollar budget for the last year and they are attempting to address the literacy shortcomings of the entire student body. Every grade, every level. What is not addressed in the SEI program is the fact that many of these young people come from other countries with undiagnosed learning disabilities, not a single word of English fluency, traumatic or abusive homes, and many of them are already 18 or 19 years old. How is the school district supposed to address all of these social issues? What makes these students more entitled to additional resources than the rest of the students in New Bedford? Aren't the students of parents who are legal tax paying participating members of society entitled to the very same? What about the kids that have no advocates, no IEPs, no 504s and sometimes no home? So because they speak English, they are not as deserving or entitled? Seems pretty damn unfair to them. We have an obligation to serve ALL the NBPS students, not just a subgroup that already gets more than the general population. Some school committee members need to get their priorities straight. And on a last note, the director in charge of the SEI program in the district was fired as the principal of Parker Elementary when they were labeled a Level 4 school by the state. So what did the district do? They gave her a promotion and made her the director of Foreign Language and S.E.I. for NBPS. Gee! do You think that might have anything to do with the problems. The level of stupidity in leadership in this district is simply staggering!!
Althought I don't agree with everything that the last blogger wrote in regards to ELL sutdents, I do agree about the poor leadership from the *** #########. I too, can't believe that the NBPS put this person in charge of the program. She is clueless about the program and really is messing up a lot of this kids education. The worst part is that the Admin knows about it and they could care less. What a shame. I wonder who is procteing this person and why.
8 comments:
So, the focus group filled with staff people was not covered by the ST-but the parent meeting was? This article says that teachers were at the parent meeting? Is the total attendance for both focus groups? Dr. Fletcher should not be apologizing-he should be planning to DO SOMETHING! It seems like he is either overly praising things or apologizing for things.
His apology falls on deaf ears. As stated by the DESE the problems of NBPS start with that school committee.
After all the apologies, innovative ideas, op eds and microphone opportunities, there remains the thousand day by day, boring, modest, and detailed pieces of the puzzle that NBEA members are charged with doing. In short, others get the credit for ideas, calls, and apologies but only NBEA members are actually doing anything.
I believe that the Latino community in New Bedford has largely been ignored by the school department. Yes, they are placed in ELL classes when they are new to the country, but there are many other students who may have graduated from the sheltered English immersion program, but still require support for academics. This is simply not happening in the district. There is also not enough Spanish-speaking translators to keep up with the demand.
Are you kidding? ANY student that needs help just needs to ask!
Why doesn't the administration provide professional development courses to learn Spanish?? It would be better than some of the PD days we have had in the past. It would also help the teachers communicate with our Latino population.
If the district provided PD to make me learn Spanish, I would file a grievance. I'm sorry but I think it's unconstitutional to make American Citizens learn a foreign language to accommodate non English speaking people in this country; many of which are illegal. The ELL students in the district already receive their own classrooms when everyone else is expected to simply differentiate. At the high school they have access to technology and resources that other students do not. Also! Free tutoring is offered 5 days a week from at least 3 different academic programs throughout the school year. Only a very small number of ELL students actually take advantage of it and those students all meet with success. The ELL students have access to remedial reading programs such as READ 180 and System 44. These are very expensive software programs that the district purchased to address the most severe struggling readers. This is an issue that is being addressed, for several years now. Meanwhile the Literacy Initiative at NBHS operated with a zero dollar budget for the last year and they are attempting to address the literacy shortcomings of the entire student body. Every grade, every level. What is not addressed in the SEI program is the fact that many of these young people come from other countries with undiagnosed learning disabilities, not a single word of English fluency, traumatic or abusive homes, and many of them are already 18 or 19 years old. How is the school district supposed to address all of these social issues? What makes these students more entitled to additional resources than the rest of the students in New Bedford? Aren't the students of parents who are legal tax paying participating members of society entitled to the very same? What about the kids that have no advocates, no IEPs, no 504s and sometimes no home? So because they speak English, they are not as deserving or entitled? Seems pretty damn unfair to them. We have an obligation to serve ALL the NBPS students, not just a subgroup that already gets more than the general population. Some school committee members need to get their priorities straight. And on a last note, the director in charge of the SEI program in the district was fired as the principal of Parker Elementary when they were labeled a Level 4 school by the state. So what did the district do? They gave her a promotion and made her the director of Foreign Language and S.E.I. for NBPS. Gee! do You think that might have anything to do with the problems. The level of stupidity in leadership in this district is simply staggering!!
Althought I don't agree with everything that the last blogger wrote in regards to ELL sutdents, I do agree about the poor leadership from the *** #########. I too, can't believe that the NBPS put this person in charge of the program. She is clueless about the program and really is messing up a lot of this kids education. The worst part is that the Admin knows about it and they could care less. What a shame. I wonder who is procteing this person and why.
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