It really is sad that the New Bedford Educators Association has had to resort to rallying its members in this way. I totally understand why they have to boycott using their collective buying power to get the attention of the school committee and our community. It’s a shame that not even that it seems has worked to bring the attention to the department’s real problems.
Mr. St. John wants the Mayor, the Superintendent and the School Committee to LISTEN to the real problems. These problems include ineffective mid level management, principals with little regard for discipline and individuals with personal vendettas and those who haven’t a clue how to handle personalities and manage people, students and adults alike. Instead, they continue to dismiss these issues. At meetings the discipline and grievance hearings are hurried, punitive and largely without effective evidence as the new administrators working for Dr. Durkin are challenged to make changes in the most harsh and undiplomatic ways, and during the School Committee open meeting the comment period was buried at the very end, basically dismissing its importance.
Teachers do their best day in and day out, working with some of the most challenging student populations in decades. We live in a culture where many youth would rather “Google” the answer than take time to memorize it. Of course this is all dependant on whether these students even feel the desire to come to school at all and if there is any presence in the home helping them understand the importance of an education. Teachers also have to manage a new transient ethnic population who drops in and drops out of our system without notification, time and again.
Dr. Durkin, Mayor Mitchell, I urge you both to hear what they are telling you and to not simply dismiss the concerns as “saying anything to save their necks.” These people are dedicated. They do not deserve the kind of treatment and disdain you have for them. There are voices on the School committee who you need to listen to as well, there is another one coming in January too. You must not dismiss these elected officials because you have an agenda. The week before Christmas, telling 200 people to get their affairs in order? They are fired. It’s just another example of how challenged you and your administration has been at dealing with people. Leading requires an ability to work with people, something I have yet to see during your tenure Mayor Mitchell. Maybe that is why when the educators complain about poor management you turn your nose up, perhaps you simply wouldn't recognize it?
49 comments:
Thank you Mr. Bousquet for you support!
This man is our local Diane Ravitch. Thank you for your personal and political courage.
You are an example for the rest to follow sir. Thank you!!!!
As a parent of a New Bedford High School student, I'd like to say that it's refreshing to see a leader out there that truly supports New Bedford High. Thank you Mr Bousqquet.
Jon Mitchell has been a leader. He's leading New Bedford Public School into the ground.
Thank you to Mr. Bousquet!
Mr. Bousquet, my respect for you has increased enormously. Finally, a leader willing to call it like it really is.
Should you fall into the churning relentless waters making your way to Teacher Island, I will jump in with the 1000 others, thought to be faceless bums, to save you.
We would do no less for our students.
Thank you so much Mr Bousquet for your support and understanding!
Thank you, Mr. Bousquet for your support of all of us hard working educators in NBPS!!!!
I think Thursday might be the perfect day for a sick day. My resume needs some updating.
You have articulated what was in my head and heart for a very long time. They don't have a right to play God and use unbalanced power to destroy lives. The scars I carry will always be a constant reminder. To teach in NB is comparable to being treated like the lowest form of life. The juxtaposition or irony is that we mold impressionable lives though the gift of knowledge.
Thank you Sir for airing the truth ..
Terrific letter, Henry. You have full knowledge about what is happening inside as well as outside of the classroom. Sadly, the Mayor and School Committee members are totally clueless. What they fail to realize or turn a blind eye to is that the violence in our community has entered into the schools and classrooms. I have written this before that our district will continue to deteriorate unless we clamp down on the discipline. There will be no academic success without discipline. Letting students get away with breaking the school rules is sending them a bad message. We all have to live by the law of the land or pay the consequences. The same should apply for students in schools.
Do the crime, pay the time.
Thank you Henry.
Bravo!
Can't imagine the rag will mention this post. Excellent post Mr. Bousquet, thank you very much!
As a parent of a NBPS student, I want to say thank you for hearing our teachers, and for supporting them, as they fight for the rights and best interest of our students! Thank you, Mr. Bousquet!
I am a parent, thank you sir for telling the truth-not the truth as defined by our useless mayor. You are my children's new hero!
Keep the focus on this incompetent mayor and delusional superintendent, Henry. Demand answers from them and don't let up. When Mitchell wanted money from the SC last spring he didn't hesitate to ask. He hasn't even given a proper response as to why there was such a shortage of money.
I think ALL the City Councilors should be speaking up and demanding answers from this ineffective mayor, uninterested school committee, and useless superintendent.
The part with the principals and their personal vendetta's is so true.
Yes I'm in a bus driver conflict waiting for mayor's response
Thank you to Mr. Bousquet!
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. An elected official with courage and a conscience. You have earned my respect.
thanks henry you are right on but if we sign our real names retaliation will occur
I agree the mayor is literally useless, and dr. Durkin could have waited to announce her plans until the holidays had passed.. However, people dislike her because now they are being held accountable in their classrooms! Teaching from a worksheet isn't teaching! Lets be real here, teachers have gone so long without being monitored in the classroom or being held responsible for not doing the very job that they so "passionately" decided to do when they applied for their position. Complacency is common place district wide! Unfortunately parent involvement hugely contributes to this whole failure, consider Parker school. 50% staff turnover, new principal and was recently declared the first level 5 school in the district. Those teachers and staff are consistently busting their butts to improve a school that has struggled for the last 5 years. Does it matter? Are they guaranteed jobs come September?? NO! It's a waiting game, but please let's not continuously pass the buck on this one. Sure it sucks that people could lose their jobs in all of these cases but if they were doing it in the first place we wouldn't be in this situation!!
Mr. Bousquet - I too applaud you for your personal and political courage in sharing your thoughts. Most teachers are driven to provide the best education they can with the limited resources they have. The question should be that if 50% of teachers are being fired because of poor performance then why aren't administrators who are supposed to be supervising them also being fired. Why isn't the school committee being held accountable for the poor performance of the administrators? Why isn't the mayor being held accountable for his role? The tone always starts at the top no matter what organization/business you're analyzing. To hold just the teachers accountable and blame them for all that is wrong in the school system is absurd. The truth is that the teachers are the lowest hanging fruit. Those who live in NB and surrounding towns are aware that there are several reasons for the breakdown in the system - poverty, lack of parental involvement, broken homes, lack of educational resources, lack of money to provide those resources, poor supervision and management and the list goes on. Let's address the true economic and social issues in the city of NB that are impacting the lack of education.
Thank you for speaking out on what the true issues are. As a parent, we need more leaders like you who aren't afraid to speak the truth.
Thank You Sir. As a Middle School Teacher it is beyond description what is happening on a day to day basis. I believe in a four period day, I have less and less time on learning. The disrespect, lack of interest, and importance of studies is hard to comprehend. The talking, hitting, swearing is out of control. I feel so bad for the students who are interested, and want to succeed. All we hear is the Principal, and Vice Principal's hands are "tied". As soon as a Parent of a disruptive student states that they are calling the Superintendent, the leaders back down. This continues daily.
As a mother of three children who are dedicated teachers in the New Bedford School system I know what they are going through first hand! They use to love their job and teaching but now are under so much stress .... I have one contemplating switching school systems and another changing to a different career totally!! I voted for Jon Mitchell and supported his campaigns but where is his support now? This new concept of teaching and disciplining is not working! Parents do not even know half of what goes on at N B H S and I am truly concerned that we may become another statistic you see on the National News! Lets get back to basics both with the teaching concept and with some strict rules for Students and their Parents to follow!
Thank you Mr. Bousquet! As a Teacher in this city I applaud your comments and support. Please keep it up!!
Thank you, Mr. Bousquet. You definitely have my support! At least one of our current city leaders seems to know what's going on, and not hide his head in the sand!
Parker went through a50% staff reduction 3years ago and a new principal..didn't work then and won't work now.. can you guess why? poverty..lack of resources.bad environment?
I don't know if the person was drunk when they typed up that ignorant comment about complacency and worksheets...when was the last time you saw the caliber of teaching in this district? We are not in this situation because of the teachers! The quality of instruction at the elementary level is unbelievable with the paltry amount of planning time provided.
To the worksheet blogger. They say that ignorance is bliss. I'm not so sure. My mom taught me that if I did not have something good to say, then don't say it at all.
But for you I say, "May God Bless you." I'm sure you don't know it, but you're going to need it some day.
Working at a elementary school in New Bedford is like being in a prison both for the students and the teachers..
This is a very hard thing to take care of. How come in so many of these conversations the acting of students toward school/not all are not here. Along with oparents who somehow act like they do not care about what goes on at all in the education system. Yes our children are at school and are supposed to be protected but it is very hard when they do not care and would rather tourture teachers insrtead. Telling folks to put your affairs in order is not the way to do it.
Thank you, we need you, and more to help our voices be heard and our respect recaptured.
This blog is manipulated to the point of being amateurish propaganda. The overwhelming majority of posts on this and other threads are coming from the same person - the blog editor. Why do NBEA members allow someone so immature to be in control of this blog?
What they said...
Are you also calling a city councilor immature? I think you are just disappointed that those that share your views are not posting as often as those that oppose them. Now THAT is immature.
To the blogger who stated this blog is manipulated,I suggest that if this blog is upsetting you, maybe you should stop creeping here! If you have the ability to access this blog, you have the ability to do your own research. Look up TFA, Common Core, Ed reform etc. Your time would be better spent educating yourself and utilizing the technology available to you to better understand the entire scope of this situation. Ignorance is bliss.
Thank you for your support! I can't believe that everyone is in an uproar about these boycotts during the holiday season but no seems to be the slightest bit upset by the fact that the superintendent basically fired us the week before Christmas and then wished us Happy Holidays! What makes this less appalling than a boycott? I have lived in New Bedford all of my life and never really thought about moving away but now, I am realizing the error of my ways. Why live in a city that goes out and gets cruel, heartless people and treats them like gods? As for the signers of the ad, you may get my respect when you spend a week in my shoes - let's start with you Jon Mitchell! Don't worry! Once you break up your first fight and hear the f word several dozens of times before 9:00, you'll settle in just like the rest of us. Maybe the mayor could get Pia to co teach with him. That might be fun to watch!
Thank you Henry. It is redressing to see a politician speak with conviction and from a view point of knowledge. It would be nice to see other politicians do the same and go with their guy instinct and do the right thing. Thank you again for your support.
Mr. Bousquet -
Has the Mayor or the School Committee been able to provide a reason (and who is to blame) for the shortage in last years school budget? Or is this a ploy to divert attention from their inadequacies and faults. Who should be held accountable for the schools balanced budget (or lack thereof) - school committee, mayor, school administrators? Why is this not being investigated?
Sincerely,
Taxpayer and Parent
Thank you Mr.Bousquet for your support. Hope you run for mayor!
Simply put; thank you so very much, Mr. Bousquet. As you well know, trust is essential to a committed and sincere dialogue between all parties of interest. Unfortunately, that will be more difficult at this juncture than it needed to be. I hope that you would consider acting as an intermediary in that regard?
Thank you Mr. Bousquet, many of us have felt alone in this struggle. We appreciate the support of a true leader like yourself. Thank you!
Thank you Mr. Bousquet. Please don't give up the fight. We need your support and more like you. Teachers in New Bedford are hard working, dedicated professionals that do not deserve to be treated like pond scum. We do appreciate your support!!
Mr Bousquet: Thank you, Your response was so well articulated. Discipline and respect issues are the core problem, and it is the administration that sets the tone and the bottom line. I did my student teaching in Brockton 10 years ago, and if it is still the same, then we could learn a thing or two from BHS. Zero tolerance meant zero tolerance, and the business of education was allowed to be conducted. There is a parenting crisis, and it is the elephant in the room that no one will talk about... right on up to the national level. The lack of support for teachers in this community.. the community where teachers face the greatest challenges, and prevail, and continue to carry on..... it is just shocking. Shame on you Mr. Mayor and Ms. Superintendent. Your insensitivity is just appalling. Teachers would choose to work with you, as a team if you had enough insight and foresight to realize that.
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