Rather than trying to work with the New Bedford Educators Association to improve our schools together, they insult the NBEA as "inflexible" and dismiss an op-ed by Greater Southeastern Massachusetts Labor Council president Cynthia Rodrigues as "divisive" and "negative."
They also accept without question the claim that the two Innovation Schools being proposed for New Bedford are "new" schools rather than "conversion" schools, even though they will be operating out of existing school buildings with many of the same students and staff.
What's the difference? Under state law, two-thirds of the teachers must vote in favor of the Innovation School plan in a conversion school, but no teacher vote is required in a new school.
We received a legal opinion on this issue from Sandra Quinn, an attorney with the Massachusetts Teachers Association. She found: "I conclude that the Innovation Schools in question... are conversion schools that must secure the approval of the teachers in the school buildings into which the Innovation Schools will locate."
If these proposals are so obviously beneficial to students, why are the supporters against allowing the affected teachers to vote on them? If a vote is held and two-thirds of the teachers in those schools vote in favor, the NBEA will not stand in the way of the proposals being implemented. That's hardly inflexible. That's what democracy looks like.
Lou St. John
President
NBEA
10 comments:
I heard Lou on the radio this morning talking about the letter written by Tom Davis and Craig Dutra.
The fact that Davis signed a letter without having read the law or knowing the facts about Innovation Schools is mind boggling.
I went back and read the letter and here are some of the negative statements made by these two:
Ms. Rodrigues' letter is "a divisive, negative and non-factual campaign that has been orchestrated by the New Bedford Educators Association.
”New Bedford Public Schools have suffered at the hands of its inflexible administrative and union leadership for decades."
“We need the labor leaders of New Bedford to take a rigorous and independent view of this issue and not deliver "knee-jerk" essays on behalf of an embattled teachers union.”
The fact that neither of these two men disclosed their affiliations to the failing Global Learning Charter School and the Education Roundtable in their letter to the Standard Times is also very telling. They obviously didn't want the public to know.
In my opinion, these two have no respect for our students and community.
Dutra lives in Westport and Davis lives in Dartmouth. Why don't these two set up these schools where the live?
Craig Dutra's wife was recently arrested for drunk driving after leaving a Jon Mitchell political function. Since Craig-ster was in the car, what does that tell you about the condition he was in? The Herald reported that Craig was also intoxicated but since he wasn't driving he wasn't arrested.
I'm willing to bet she'll beat it in court, money talks.
I wonder if Craig and Carolina were thinking about our children And community while they were driving drunk?
I would guess that the Standard Times would name craig and Carolina the power couple of the year.
The argument of their op ed is that the district has "suffered" and therefore any idea by any group that appears "innovative' is preferable. The allocation of limited resources should not have such a low bar and I doubt that Davis and Dutra would run their respective enterprises in this manner. The NBEA is the only group in this discussion that is seeking to hold a high standard for our students' resources. Why is that?
The Renaissance proposal refers directly to Gomes school throughout. It is clearly an attempt to convert Gomes school. It is against the spirit of the law to refer to this proposal as a "new" school.
Two thirds of Gomes school teachers will not support this proposal. It would be nice to be allowed a voice, however.
Dumb and Dumber…
by whalingcitywatch
The "Dumb" is Tom Davis, Executive Director of the Greater New Bedford Industrial Foundation. "Dumber" is none other than Craig Dutra, President of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts. These two jackasses had the nerve to write an op-ed piece in the Dying Daily praising the two Innovation Schools proposals.
First off, neither disclosed their current or past affiliation with the Education Roundtable and the Global Learning Public Charter School. Both of these scumbags are hardly supporters of real public schools. They have no credibility.
Tom "Two-Faced" Davis is the biggest blowhard and kiss-ass around. Davis smiled at former Superintendent Francis and gave every sign he supported her, yet constantly knifed her in the back. This captain of industry is always quick to point-out that his father was an ardent supporter of teacher's unions, but Davis consistently attacks the New Bedford Educators Association. Whaling City Watch wishes Mr. Davis would spend more time running the New Bedford Business Park and encouraging economic development in our region. Our spies tell us that "Two-Faced" takes credit for companies locating in the Business Park even when they had planned on moving there anyway.
Then we have Craig Dutra. We know that Dutra loves Whaling City Watch because he has been the subject of many columns here. Mr. Dutra has referred to us as a "trash blog." Seriously Craig, no one from Whaling City Watch gets tanked at Jon Mitchell fundraisers and then misses their exit on I-195. The Community Foundation should have fired your ass for being involved in an incident that endangered public safety. We're looking forward to your wife's (Sylvia Carolina Africano) drunken driving trial on February 12. While the Dying Daily has tried to cover-up this scandal, Whaling City Watch will bring our readers complete coverage of the court proceedings. However, we don't have much faith your little enchalada will receive the punishment she deserves. In the words of Lenny Bruce, "In the Halls of Justice, the only justice is in the halls."
The op-ed piece accuses New Bedford's teachers of waging a "divisive, negative and non-factual campaign" against Innovation Schools. We strongly disagree. The lies have come from Moscow Marlene Pollock, Jackass Livramento, United Interfaith Action (New Bedford's al-Qaeda), and the Education Roundtable.
Whaling City Watch will continue to expose the hypocrites and liars attempting to hijack/segregate the New Bedford Public Schools. Unlike Bob Unger and his Dying Daily, we won't be intimidated and/or bought off.
whalingcitywatch | January 6, 2013 at 10:10 am |
Tom has been on the Superintendent's Roundtable since it began and has done NOTHING for the students of NBPS. All he does is quote statistics which are incorrect--told this by two reliable inside sources. If he cared about the students of NBPS, why doesn't he attend School Committee meetings? Speak out at S/C meetings with suggestions to better serve the students, both he and Craig could donate those Community Foundation funds to purchase supplementary materials for our students, and volunteer their time to help in the classrooms. The two of them are so full of themselves it stinks. I can't wait for the next Superintendent's Roundtable to see those two mindless men along with Jackass Livramento.
His words are always empty. The only time he responds is when he is put on the spot.
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