Sunday, November 17, 2013

A message for Mr. Bob Unger....Submitted by a member

When I went to my physician last week ... He asked what is going on with the NBPS? When I replied to what I thought was an odd question ... He went on to say he has recently had a huge influx of educators from the system asking for medical assistance . I think that outside, unbiased observation speaks volumes Mr. Unger. 

Personally, I am fortunate to work in fabulous schools with supportive principals, supervisors and peers. These individuals are, and have always been, "rigorous" educators and consummate professionals. However, because I am an itinerant teacher who travels between schools, I have directly witnessed the suffering of teachers in other buildings, especially NBHS - and I cannot turn a blind eye to it. I am looking forward to meeting with my colleagues on Dec. 13th. I wish to listen to what they have to say as well as share my thoughts on how to move forward from this abysmal situation. 

As you stated Mr. Unger: "this is an emotional time," one that affects and pervades the entire staff of the NBPS, including: principals, teachers, support staff, para-professionals, custodians, and cafeteria staff. We wish for the parents and taxpayers to understand we not afraid of hard work or change. What we are afraid of is being assaulted on the job, sexually harrassed, physically and emotionally abused... This is something that has dramatically increased in our schools and yet mysteriously has not been reported in The Standard Times.

I ask you Mr. Unger would this be acceptable in your office or even in your own children's schools? This is why Southcoast physicians have been inundated. We are just trying to survive and do our best for New Bedford's future - its kids.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very well said. It is my hope that this meeting will give us the ability to move forward and meet the needs of our students. We are true professionals and should be respected as such. We need to determine what path we can take to better accommodate the needs of our students and please Mr. Unger, don't forget that some of these "students" are our own children! We live in this city, send our children to school in this city and need the schools to be a place where our children are safe. Do you send your children to school in New Bedford, Mr. Unger? Does Pia Durkin? Who cares more about the city schools than the teacher who is also a parent in THIS city!

Anonymous said...

Perhaps a few mental health professionals should be invited to speak.

Anonymous said...

I agree completely with the previous comment. "I am a teacher who has a child who started at NBHS this past year, not because she had no other choices, we are from Acushnet, she had the option of going to Fairhaven High School and we gave her the option of going to ORR. After shadowing the other schools she chose NBHS because she said she thought the teachers and students were more friendly and that she felt the course work would be difficult. This is a child who has gotten perfect scores on her MCAS previously and so far this year earned all A+ and A's in her pre ap classes. When I asked her if she found it easier, harder or similar to Acushnet her response was that Science and History were much harder, Latin was difficult, and English and Math were about the same. This is a student comparing the "rigor" of a successful system to one that has been deemed unsuccessful. In addition I can also tell you that although the Standard Times is not reporting the whole story, the story is being carried to other workplaces. In addition to doctor's offices, my husband, who works for a very large company, said that everyone is talking about how New Bedford Public Schools are being ruined, how some of the strategies to improve make no sense (specifically the layoffs), and that they are appalled at the number of teacher assaults they are hearing about. Some are beginning to research private transportation options if they decide to send their children to ORR, a school choice school. These are the parents of top students at NBHS and it would be a tragedy if, because administration at the school isn't allowed to control discipline, that top students would be lost to neighboring schools. But rest assured, word is travelling around New Bedford and neither my husband, relatives nor I have heard one person defend the current leadership, school committee or mayor, instead everyone is defending the teachers. It's just a matter of time before the parents have had enough and either leave the district or take a stand.

Anonymous said...


Scratch the surface of an excellent school and you are likely to find an excellent principal. Peer into a failing school and you will find weak leadership.

Anonymous said...

Bob Unger, along with a multitude of others, appears to have no idea about what is actually happening within our schools. I recommend that he visit NBHS or Normandin Middle School and spend a day there so that he can get a better picture of what is going on. Maybe then he can report back to the S-T readers and write an article that is based on truth. I recently spoke to someone who works at Normandin. The school is overcrowded with over a thousand students, classes are huge, discipline is non-existent, and teachers and other staff are desperate for help. They are buying their own supplies, dealing with overwhelming stress, and many are becoming physically ill. Why doesn't Unger write about the outdated computers and lack of technology teachers, classroom teachers, and counselors? I noticed that in his article he made no reference to the fact that Durkin has hired more top-level administrators. Nor did he mention the fact that Attleboro did NOT renew her contract. He should do some research and find out WHY. How can he expect teachers to do their jobs and students to improve test scores by 40% (an impossibility in my opinion)when they are not given the "tools" they need to do their job? Pia Durkin, Jon Mitchell, and several members of the school committee are destroying our public schools. I guess they won't be happy until all of our schools are taken over by the state - just as they did in Lawrence. FYI - the state takeover of Lawrence was an abysmal failure.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Unger:

If your children came home from school and said they could not learn because of disruptive kids that the administration refused to discipline, what would you say/do?

I am serious.

Anonymous said...

^That reminds me....I once worked for a certain principal(still in this district) who refused to discipline an extremely crude, disruptive student in the fourth grade. I asked if she would like her granddaughter in this class with a boy asking her if she had a $&@$& &@#%. THIS is what we need to discuss---the weakness of our principals. They were afraid to discipline before...and now Pia wants data to show a reduction in serious discipline. Not a reduction in bad behavior---a reduction in RECORDED bad conduct.