Stop the blame game ... Submitted by a NBHS member

I have had the pleasure of enjoying two very different careers. The first, in an industry other than education, allowed me to develop leadership skills that afforded me a wide range of experiences and success as I assumed greater and greater arenas of responsibility. My second career, in education, has allowed me to use my experiences in Career 1 to better help and guide my students in Career 2. I enjoy rock-solid validity because of my life experience and just as solid authenticity because of my strong educational background.

It is with great sadness that I must relate the current devastation of confidence that permeates New Bedford High School. The atmosphere reeks of fear, helplessness, and resignation. Rumors spread like an out-of-control fire and trust, cooperation and mutual respect are feelings of the past. How has this eventuated? Let me enumerated the causes:

Naked intimidation by the new superintendent. Her first meeting in August began with a brief introduction and the statement:  “I will work and give 110% of my effort and if you are not willing to do the same, perhaps you should think about seeking another career”;

2. Our new superintendent has never addressed the staff at NBHS in a collaborative manner and she has engendered an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. This demonstrate a management style based upon a Theory X tenets:  Top-down orders rather than collaborative cooperation;

3.  Staff members are being subjected to “aggressive, progressive discipline” for infractions that do not exist in the verbiage of the existing contract. A feeling of “war” exists;

4.  There is an aire of finger-pointing and blame;

5.  Staff belief that students are held accountable for nothing. Verbal assaults, in terms of foul language, are treated, as all infractions are, as problems of Classroom Management rather than as signs of errant behavior. The drive to reduce suspensions has resulted in an atmosphere of permissibility. Staff have been counseled for writing too many Conduct Cards for offenses such as this;

6. The absence of Administrative leadership. The Headmaster, Assistant Headmaster and Housemasters have been reduced to fault-finding evaluators rather than demonstrating behavior modeling, suggestive founts of information or guidance or concerned examples of professional experts;

7. The appointment of an aggressive and disrespectful Manager of Change by the Messianic Superintendent at an alleged exorbitant high hourly rate despite a budget shortfall and a questioned work history in other districts has resulted in staff confrontations, and the continued expectations that confrontation rather than collaboration will be the future NBHS operating;

8. The complete lack of future plans input negates the staff worth;

9. The daily absentee rate is indicative of a dispirited staff;

10. Local staff cuts while central administration continues to balloon indicates the lopsided emphasis on support importance rather than service delivery;

11. Inability to provide appropriate service levels to students frustrates staff;

12. Reliance on questionable initiatives causes insecurity. Rigor has never been proven, by itself to address learning challenges.

There is no question that NBHS and NBPS face immediate and long-term challenges. The recent declaration of Level-4 by DESE for the high school is an indication that the high school is in trouble and needs change to better its delivery of education to future generations of New Bedford youths. But, we also have to question the deliverers of that change.

Let us ask the follow questions and demand answers from our elected officials:

1. Who is in charge: The Mayor, The School Committee or DESE?;

2. Was the Level-4 designation at the initiative of DESE or as request from the Superintendent?  Both scenarios are quite different?

3.  Is the community fully committed to change?

4. Who will be involved in change:  The community, school leadership, educators, staff and students?

5. Will the finances be allocated for the necessary change or will politics truncate any forward movement?

6. Will change come to the entire district as is necessary?

Lets us use this “crisis of service and education" to do the right thing. Let us resolve to accept nothing less than complete commitment to solve our problems, let us resolve to stop the blame game and come together to forge a future for NBHS, let us pledge to honor and support our differences without rancor or discord, let us vow to support our students to achieve self actualization and become successful, committed future members of the New Bedford family.