Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Assaults and Incidents at New Bedford High School - Police Reports

Just the Facts  - Click here to read the police reports

2011 - 2012: There were 13 "incidents" throughout the entire school year. - Standard Times 11/23/2013

2012 - 2013: There were 23 "incidents" throughout the entire school year. - Standard Times 11/23/2013

11/15/2013: NBEA files a request for information regarding the number of assaults this school year.


11/26/2013: The City Council votes unanimously to request from Dr. Durkin the number of assaults that occurred in the last 3 months. - Standard Times 11/27/2013

12/3/2013: Dr. Durkin told the newspaper that there was 1 assault at the elementary level and 2 assaults at the High School "on record" this school year. - Standard Times 

12/3/2013: Dr. Durkin transfers 10 students from the High School to Whaling City Alternative School. These students were identified as struggling with "insolence, respect, and anger management." - Standard Times 

12/3/2013: Dr. Durkin stated that 2 teachers have been hurt breaking up fights but those incidents were not necessarily assaults. "The teachers, in those instances, agreed they had acted rashly". - Standard Times 

She also stated "that some incidents stemmed from teachers struggling with classroom management and said that professional development would be offered."- Standard Times 

12/11/2013: Police Chief David Provencher said that he had not read the police reports.  In any case, 30 incidents over 3 months does not represent a new or serious problem, he said. "To me it doesn't sound out of the ordinary," he said.  "If there were this uptick, a dramatic increase in incidents, the SRO supervisor would bring that to us, saying there's a problem here. That hasn't happened. In fact, quite the opposite. There is no type of increase."- Standard Times 

12/11/2013: NBEA responds - There were 13 "incidents" in S.Y. 2011- 2012 and 23 incidents all of last year. According Police Chief David Provencher there were 30 incidents in just the first 3 months of this school year. How is that not an increase? 


25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Students are providing testimonials and raising genuine concerns:

Id like to really know whats wrong with new bedford high this year everyday there is fights, student bringing guns and knife thats sad and like honestly lets all be mature because violence never solve the problem.why all that rage for?remember its school not an army.this is my message for all of you because we supposed to go to school to learn stuff not to fight and try kill each other.

NBHS Student

Anonymous said...

The full page support for Durkin was mostly signed by members of the UIA, Education Roundtable, and coalition members. Some of the people who signed the support ad do not live in NB and some of them who live in the city have children not enrolled in the public schools. The facts are the facts that faculty at the high school have been assaulted on several occasions. Sad to say but maybe when someone dies as a result of trying to break up a fight between students then and only then will the School Committee and Superintendent react in an aggressive way. For the school system to succeed, there must be and should be total control over the student body, students must and should face the consequence of their actions. Now you know way there are so many prisoners at the House of Correction as they were once, for the most part, the trouble makers in our schools.

A Parent said...

I just would like to say if our superintendent thinks that our teachers, students and SRO's at NBHS are safe she needs a new pair of glasses! I was mortified,disgusted and flat out shocked! Parents you need to take a stand and be aware of the real trouble NBHS is in. After reading through my email it amazes me how anyone can let this happen. If any parents are concerned of what is truly going on message me and I will share my email. We need to stand together on this..You all will be amazed. Our schools are supposed to be safe for everyone and they are not! and I would appreciate if your our going to post a negative comment below please don't until you read what I have read.

Anonymous said...

I guess it is okay if teachers get hurt... Teachers, the new punching bags

Anonymous said...

I don't understand why 30 "incidents" involving police isn't an issue! Would you want to work or send your child into that situation?

Anonymous said...

Me thinks thou is scared of teachers coming together to support one another! Stay strong NBPS teachers! United we stand!

Anonymous said...

So that list in the standards times is made up of the educational round table and the interfaith council. Very few of those people have ever set foot in a school as anything other than a student. Check it out! It's very educational!

Anonymous said...

So if 30-35 incidents is not an uptick, what was the rate of incidents last year by this time? Funny that no one has actually provided the numbers.

Here, allow me.

If my sources are correct, they are the following:
13 incidents in 2011-2012 and 23 in 2012-2013

Those numbers are for the entire school year, we are currently only half through. I only have a degree in computer science, but that looks like an uptick to me. I mean, 30 is more than 23 and 13. So if I passed 2nd grade math at all, I'd understand that as an uptick. And if we continue the trend for the rest of the year, that's nearly a doubling in incidents. So no uptick? I'm sorry, but the superintendent is not grounded in reality.

Anonymous said...

Yet another s-t article that has a clear one sided bias. How about showing some of the other side of the story? Perhaps you should actually talk to teachers to get their side of the story instead of believing the rhetoric being handed to you by politically motivated players.

For example, why hasn't anyone criticized Dr. Durkin's misuse of the word "rigor?" She's using it to describe changing the standards to a higher level, but really, it's a term commonly used in the realm of discipline. How about the idea that using a term like "rigor" implies that said discipline is being utilized in the system but it is actually not. This superintendent seems to be of the philosophy of "spare the rod, save the child" and it's resulted in double digit assaults on teachers.

But no one is reporting that. Instead of honest unbiased journalism we get mediocre editorial crap like this "article" that this "paper" tries to push out. (And this editorial needed an editor badly to circumvent quite a few typographical and grammatical errors. Do you people not proof read anymore?) No wonder this "paper" is failing.

Why has no one reported on Dr. Durkin's past at Attleboro and what the faculty opinions of her there now that she's "succeeded" and moved on? As a parent, pieces like this infuriate me.

Anonymous said...

Our city has now become a war zone....the Standard-Times is waging "war" against Lou St. John, the NBEA, and every teacher in New Bedford. What's next?? Shame on every single person who signed that full page ad supporting Superintendent Durkin. You'd think she was the new messiah the way some people are acting. Exactly what has she done to deserve such praise?

Anonymous said...

This is absolutely ridiculous! No teacher denies that change needs to happen! What needs to change is the approach to how change will occur! We teach for our students! The teachers are the educators association so if people say they have an issue with the NBEA then they have a problem with teachers as well!

Anonymous said...

All the literature relating to the Common Core does not, by any means, encapsulate rigor to this extent. What is playing out is a radical interpretation of its intended purpose.


Anonymous said...

It is not okay for teachers to get hurt in any capacity or under any circumstance! There are no excuses.

Anonymous said...

The Round Table and United Interfaith propagate illogical reasoning. They are not credible sources and encompass qualities similar to ST, SC, Superintendent, and Mayor. Truth trumps falsehoods, and the whole teaching pool cannot be dismissed as liars.

Anonymous said...

This is absolutely unreal! Without Lou St. John we would all be doomed. He takes the heat for us and we all need to show up on Friday. The knuckleheads running this city are all laughing at us. We are "just Teachers" after all. If we could cut out the red tape, non-stop rigor and get back to doing what we do best: Teach, we could focus on other things in life. This is absolute craziness. Shame on the people of this city that are taking the bait!!

Anonymous said...

We cannot ignore the elephant in the room. There have been too many negative experiences.

Administrators intent on transforming their schools know they need their teachers working
with them every step of the way. When teachers buy into the school’s vision for success,
they incorporate its values and goals into their instruction and their relationships with
families, other staff, and students. This critical piece appears to be absent.

Anonymous said...

Retired Headmaster Donald Vasconcelles says: "I can tell you that up until I retired in 2010, I don't ever remember even getting into double digits!! 30 individual incidents is a definite increase since my retirement. Now figure that some, if not all, could have multiple participants. Do the math. Sorry, just needed to set the record straight at least up until October 14, 2010"

Anonymous said...

After reading the various police reports, all I can say is WOW. What is wrong with our Mayor, School Committee members, and Superintendent for not voicing their outrage at what is happening at the high school? Are they waiting for someone to get killed?

Wonder what will happen if one of the SRO get injured trying to break up these fighters and has to be transported to the hospital?

What is that so called School Improvement Manager at $1,000 per day doing? Waste of money which could be used to purchase new computers!!!

Wake up Mayor Mitchell and members of the School Committee. The City Council gets is but it doesn't appear that you get it.

Anonymous said...

Administration needs to step up to the plate and support teachers. We are not writing conduct cards for the fun of it. Do your job by making the student accountable for his/her actions. Never mind the sob story that they make up.

If you want a well run school, you need discipline. Are you (administrators, running the school or are the students running it. Once the students know they are not going to get away with all this nonsense, they will buckle down and get to the task at hand.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately the discipline is lacking in our schools and thats because of our marvelous superintendent who does not want our students suspended. So she in essence is giving the power to the students. Students are being bullied daily, teachers are being abused daily we write it up and for a feed back one dau detention or call the parents. What happened to zero tolerance with bullying? We teach it but we are not being backed up by our administrators.

Anonymous said...

To the post above, now we know one of reasons why Attleboro did not renew her contract. Another thing the school is in violation of the bullying law by allowing students to torment other students and abuse verbally teachers. Bullying is physical and verbal. So what is wrong with the administration? No backbone.

If this type of behavior is allowed to continue, the entire system will crumble. Our administrators, Superintendent, Mayor, and School Committee members are a GREAT part of the problem for allowing this to happen.

Anonymous said...

I am appalled at what is happening at NBHS. These police reports should be made public for everyone to read as not everyone knows to read the NBEA blog. Durkin, the mayor and SC are nothing, but liar. It's not a question of "if" something tragic is going to happen, it's a question of "when".

Anonymous said...

Another school shooting today. This time it's Colorado. Guaranteed New Bedford will be next at the rate NBHS is going. What will our Education Mayor have to say then?

Anonymous said...

A teacher was the intended target.

Anonymous said...

I guess the police chief is her new message boy. How many others does she have in her pockets? What a joke she has become along with her cronies , the mayor, the school committee, the police chief......I sure there are others. Would every person that supported her in the sub standard times send their children to New Bedford High? I think not!