Monday, December 30, 2013

The education gap is not caused by teachers, but by economically starved cities that offer little or no hope to increase household income ... Submitted to NBEA

There is enough research and data on the internet, in magazines, on tape, in books, on the lecture circuit, being written and taught in our colleges and universities that demonstrate that the education gap is not caused by teachers, but by economically starved cities that offer little or no hope to increase household income. 

The stresses related to these circumstances that is placed upon parents, single or not, and their children can predict better than 75 percent of the time the dropout rate, career successes, and a variety of other student outcomes.

Leaders, please do what we ask our students to do, and that is read. 

There is a world of information out there that will shed light on the very problems that you believe you understand. 

You do not understand the problems, you only see the results, and believe you understand the problems. In my opinion this practice is not only showing your ignorance, but worse of all your arrogance, and that is not what the public elected you to do.

Research has proven that a mind is malleable. You have a chance to confirm the research. Don't miss a golden opportunity to investigate the mounds of information available before jumping into an unproven solution. The swapping out teachers is unproven, and early results have shown not to close the education gap.

The superintendent is not the only person privileged to read. Be brave, read some articles, and begin to formulate your own opinions. It can be empowering in a positive way, and give you some of the credibility with the teachers you so very much need. 

Change for change-sake is not a solution. Open-mindedness, open-discussion and reading available research, combined with the ability to demonstrate your understanding and practice of Blooms Taxonomy may assist you in pointing this ship in the right direction. 

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

There has been so much crime committed in New Bedford since Jon Mitchell became mayor. Should the police chief fire 50% of the policemen?

Anonymous said...

^ no, we should fire Jon Mitchell for being soft on crime and not very bright on anything else.

Anonymous said...

Bob Unger loves Jon because he's easy to manipulate.

Anonymous said...

Wide reading is a Common Core expectation. Why aren't our school leaders taking the time to understand all the angles? If they are doing the research, are they intentionally choosing to do harm? Why is this happening in Massachusetts? Why is this happening in New Bedford? READ!

Anonymous said...

The mayor, superintendent, school committee are all proving they are not thinking. Fact, many people in New Bedford are against firing 50% of the teachers and are speaking out against it. So think about it, do you think the 50% remaining teachers are going to reach out and help the new teachers? The students are speaking out against firing the good teachers at NBHS. Do you think they will be overly cooperative? This is a recipe for disaster. A thinking manager would look at this and find a way to become the hero. What do you think would happen if Dr. Durkin, with the support of the mayor and school committee, made a speech that stated she was unaware of the outrage this plan would cause, that because she wants to make sure the students return in Septemeber to a stable environment, she is going to change to the slower plan that does not involve firing 50% of the teachers? This is what I think would happen. She would gain the loyalty of the teachers because they would forgive her error, she would gain the support of the parents who would sing her praises for taking a tougher route but putting their children first and listening to their pleas and anyone who didn't have children in NBPS would probably still support her for listening to the public. The outcome, the superintendent, mayor and school committee would no longer be seen as evil threats to be worked against, but human beings who could be worked with. Wouldn't a lot more get accomplished this way? Unfortunately I doubt anyone with power reads this and, because the egos involved are more important than a feasable plan or the children and teachers being affected I doubt you'd see a change like this.

Anonymous said...

Why haven't all the social agencies who signed the ad had a greater impact on the poverty and living conditions of our population? Big fail. Fire them all. Start over.

Anonymous said...

A few years ago the principal of one of the Attleboro middle schools came under fire for one reason or another. Included in one of the Sun Chronicle articles was a man who stood up at a meeting and complained that the principal was not teaching his son the "discipline he needs."

These are the kind of parents who give America's public school system all of the character of a demilitarized zone.

Until someone in a position of prominence loudly and repeatedly places the blame for criminal behavior and poor student performance on criminally incompetent parents you people will continue to be scapegoated for everything.

Pia Durkin and her peanut gallery of supporters would be wise to remember the following. A masters degree is required to become a public school teacher while any moron, psychopath, or mental defective with a sperm count can reproduce.

Anonymous said...

These credentials are not required for TFA. Read the literature and you'll see. They are just warm bodies to fill a void.

Anonymous said...

The above post states that "she would gain the teacher's loyalty because they would forgive her error". For me, at least, it is WAY too late for that. A snake will remain a snake. Do we not know her track record in Attleboro? RI? Do we not see the attitude that started day one? Was it not less than two weeks ago that the NBHS teachers received their "Christmas present". No. I am a good, moral, giving person. But some things go way beyond the pale.

Anonymous said...

It is interesting that the news media does not attack the police department for its poor performance - unsolved murders, robberies, assaults, shootings, etc. They should absolutely be called to task for this along with the mayor. I think the public should evaluate the effectiveness of the police department and the mayor's poor job performance. And then they should be threatened with termination unless they come up with a "turn-around" plan to make New Bedford a safer place to live and work. Nobody's complaining about how much money is made working details and overtime. I'll bet not one police officer buys his own computer, paper, pens, or weapons. They also get a clothing allowance. What do teachers get? Seems that teachers deserve nothing but abuse and denial of the rights that all other public employees enjoy.

Anonymous said...

Our trust has been broken and cannot be regained. We mean nothing to her, mayor, or SC. We have given so much and look where it got us? A leopard does not change its spots!

Anonymous said...

Has anyone, including the superintendent articulated the reason why replacing teachers is the best option? If the answer is research based, let us be the judge. Point to the research. Better yet, can the mayor or anyone on the SC articulate the reason? ST, now that would be a good question to ask.

Anonymous said...

The irony here is that before this turnaround plan took place, PRAB and other school administrators had numerous opportunities to integrate and provide meaningful initiatives and professional development. They are the ones who neglected to invest in us and our district. Now, teachers are paying the price. Additionally, just throw some barbed wire around the high school; a drab, outdated, and unwelcome structure (compare to Keith), and you have the makings of a prison. Who the hell would want to teach there? How does that inspire students to want to attend? And,the inside is also a true reflection of the outside and typical of what you would find in a poor urban district. Nobody has mentioned the contaminants that plague our school. What are the long-term affects: Cancer causing agents? Respiratory conditions? Inhalation of mold spores? Just think of all the cover ups and years of neglect by our wonderful mayor. His message is loud and clear: Our teachers and students aren't worth investing in!Our neighboring district, Fairhaven, puts NBPS to shame!

Anonymous said...

Don't let the mayor, superintendent, or SC bring you down. This falls on their shoulders. They are the criminals here. Incompetence brought us to this place. Let them clean up their own mess. Karma is alive and well, and what goes around comes around. It will bite them in the end. They have hurt so many innocent people including the students. Their credibility is shot with holes.

Anonymous said...

A Much Needed Wake-up Call

Based on our experiences as NBPS educators and our testimonials we might consider this as an option as we have been unfairly dehumanized demoralized, violated, berated and threatened:

Class action lawsuits are a civil litigation "device." Civil law, as opposed to criminal law, deals with private disputes where one party accuses the other of injury (physical, psychological, emotional or financial) and sues for damages. A class action is considered a device of civil litigation because it doesn't change the rules of civil law; it simply allows multiple parties to sue over the same legal grounds.

Anonymous said...

Time to clean house and first order of business is to remove the mayor from office. Once he goes, the school committee and superintendent are next. We could start fresh. We are committed to this district and have the capacity to enact change. We know what we are doing. We know our kids. We know what needs to be done and we are willing and able. There are many brilliant educators who want to contribute. Our contributions will look nothing like we've seen so far. We are much to professional for that. We are valuable resources and works in progress. Our learning never stops. We want an opportunity to apply this knowledge to our chosen careers. We do this because we care.