Two of the city's schools would be affected by the development of the two schools with wonderful names (Esperanza School of Language and Culture & Renaissance Community School for the Arts) -- Roosevelt Middle School, and Gomes Elementary. What these design teams want is to move into our schools, co-locating and taking over the very resources that are already in use at the schools. I work at Roosevelt, and I can honestly say that we DO NOT have 18 classrooms to give up; in fact, nearly all of our classrooms are full at this time with approximately 850 students per year attending. To install an innovation school in this location would certainly mean displacing the students who already have the right to be there in their neighborhood middle school and having them double up in classroom sizes of over 35 students in order to "make room" for all these extra students who will have smaller class sizes.
In addition, they would be siphoning off our resources of workers such as custodians and cafeteria workers, as well as utilizing the bathrooms, gymnasium, nurse's office, etc. This means double work and less pverall space, including office space for those already working at Roosevelt. Not to mention that they would be placing K-2 students with much older students in 6-8 grade which research has shown is not developmentally helpful (which is why we have junior high and middle schools in the first place). Parents and teachers need to stand up and say NO to this ridiculous proposal.
The same goes for Gomes school. This is a school that the "innovative dream team" claimed had an issue with having many students who are at-risk for dropping out. Well, why not help those students rather than taking all of their current resources and re-routing them elsewhere? The reality is that small autonomous schools DO NOT take in ALL students. They pick and choose those students not requiring more extensive Special Ed services, or those that do not have a history of disciplinary issues. And if by some chance they take under their wing a SPED student that doesn't work out, they have IEP meetings geared toward moving that child out of their building. Where do they go? Back to their neighborhood public school, who welcomes them back AND provides them with the services they need. They claim that they will NOT ever expel any students, force them to leave their wonderful little art school, and keep them through all grades K-5. They stated that they would do everything in their power to forge and maintain relationships with parents. Wonderful, but not necessarily realistic. Small autonomous schools? Hardly not. If they are so autonomous, why can't they provide their own buildings, resources and supplies and leave ours alone?
13 comments:
Self-Interest
http://whalingcitywatch.com/2012/09/11/self-interest/
Maybe its just the jaded way we look at the world, but Whaling City Watch believes that self-interest is one of the most powerful motivational forces. In other words, people want to know what’s in it for them. The two Innovation Schools proposals fit right into this belief.
******** ***** and her confederates have a grandiose vision for a Renaissance Community School for the Arts. Under *****’s proposal, a small number of students in the Gomes School facility would receive more educational resources than virtually any other children in the district. We guess Ms. ***** really doesn’t care about the rest of the Gomes students or the other youngsters in New Bedford.
Do you really think Ms. *****, the niece of former a City Solicitor, is doing all this work out of the goodness of her heart? If you answered “Yes,” you are naïve. The prospectus lists ******** ***** as the “anticipated principal” and states that she is one year away from licensure as a principal. Most people earn the credential first and then apply for positions. Ms. ***** is banking on having a principal’s gig waiting for her.
Things aren’t much better with the proposed Esperanza School of Language and Culture. Their design team is comprised of three carpetbaggers that aren’t currently employed by the New Bedford Public Schools. Ms. Kerry DeJesus is a New Bedford resident, but she works for the Dartmouth Public Schools. My teaching friends tell me that the NBPS pays better and the benefits are a little more generous. Andrea Galipeau teaches at Needham High School. We have to conclude she’s tired of the long commute and wants to work closer to home. Catherine Stillerman doesn’t appear to have a teaching position in a Massachusetts public school. This Innovation School would be her way to obtain one.
The people seeking to advance these private schools that act as leeches on the taxpayer’s money have motives that are less than altruistic.
Whaling City Watch urges YOU to contact the members of the School Committee. Please tell them that true “innovation” can occur without sacrificing the good of the whole for the self-serving interests of a few.
To the person that wrote Self-Interest, I would advice you to check the facts. I am not sure you are getting all the right information from your teacher friends. And no need for the name calling. You can make your point without with more class.
Self serving people can always be counted on to betray everyone in their path to get what they want.
^ it's for the "children", said the 3 from Gomes as they created cushy positions for themselves.
These teachers will do well for themselves as they slit all of our throats.
When it comes to the ringleader of this crew, the apple didn't fall far from the tree.
Cost neutral? Really? I guess they haven't read their prospectuses.
I work at Gomes School and those 3 have denied me a vote. I want to have a say! Why should those ***** decide for me? Where's the democracy in that ***? At the forum you complained about class size so you took care of it for yourself at my expense. That's just plaing wrong. Wher's the shame?
Why should our small budget pay for their moronic ideas? Let these so called "educators" find their own building and their own money source-not ours! It's amuses me when the charter schools tell a difficult child to leave-but the money stays with the charter school. It's so unfair that only the choosen few will receive more art and music! The art and music teachers are fantastic in my school with the little time they are alloted and small budget they are given. I can only imagine what these teachers could achieve with more time and money to teach the arts! Hire more specialist so every child is treated fairly across the board.
Take a look at the prosepectus and the people who signed... their addresses... either they are related or they have formed their own "Jonestown farm". Things that make you say "HMMMMMMM...."
Is this relly about wanting more for the kids???...seems like they want a paycheck for having a ton of prep time and small class sizes. Take a look people, this is a self serving agenda!!!!!! So sad!! We need to wipe out the ENTIRE SC and start over!! They are a sad bunch!!!!
The 3 teachers at Gomes are taking care of themselves while harming our kids and the rest of the teachers. Shameful.
It's amazing what greed will do to some people.
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