Saturday, December 28, 2013
The S-T is becoming increasingly irrelevant and predictable ...Submitted by a member
Today, we were treated to another round of teacher bashing from Mayor Mitchell. Whenever teachers fight back, we have hit a new "low point.". Mitchell, Durkin, et al expect us to roll over and play dead while they destroy our school system and the careers of dedicated and effective teachers.
Elsewhere in today's litter box liner, Craig Dutra, the ultimate tool of New Bedford's power brokers, is hailed as Westport's Man of the Year. John Bullard and Jim Mathes, two other non-residents that berate New Bedford's teachers, are quoted in support of Dutra. There was no mention of the June 2012 incident in which Dutra and his wife were intoxicated after leaving a John Mitchell fundraiser. Dutra has never publicly apologized for his reckless actions. Yeah, he's a real man of the year.
I'm willing to bet that the S-T names Superintendent Stoneface as the Woman of the Year.
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22 comments:
Stoneface is a good description of Dr. Durkin, heartless is another.
She actually told us that firing us would improve our student's scores.
Craig Dutra and his drunken wife could have killed someone. I wonder how MADD feels about this drunken slush being hailed as the Westport Man of the Year! Africano (his wife) should have lost her right to drive. It is a shame that this society hails losers as people our children should look up to.
Word on the street is that Durkin fired a high ranking school department official.
Dutra as Man of the Year? I need to move away from here, this place continues to celebrate moral reprobates.
The beatings will continue until morale improves.
Sssshh. There's no elephant.
Now the teachers are responsible for homelessness, veteran services, and all the economic inequality in this city? Maybe the mayor should reflect on his own role in the serious problems plaguing this city...he might consider ending the mayor's role with the SC. What a colossal waste of a city leaders time. He could be solving all the other things he claimed to be an expert on.
That high ranking official?????JD perhaps
destroying the school system? who do we run that for again, the teachers or the students? must be tough to have a boss who holds her employees accountable like the rest of the world... where we don't get pay raises every year regardless of performance.
To the previous poster: Again, another person who does not know how an educational system is run...
Contrary to popular belief, teachers have been evaluated for years -- just not with the current evaluation procedure, which, by the way, we're not against -- if it's used properly, and we are being evaluated on the actual tenets with which it was originally created. Instead, our so-called new evaluation system is being used as a means of coercion toward principals who are told to give everyone "Needs Improvement" by Dr. Durkin, because God knows none of us know what we are doing!!!
We are not given the correct tools and resources to do our jobs according to the criteria on the evaluation, either. We are TOLD what our goals will be for both the students and for ourselves professionally, even though DESE states that we should be coming up with these ourselves, especially the professional goal.
And no, we should not be evaluated just like the rest of the world (unless it's another school system), because we are not working with a commodity that can be manipulated in such a way as to ensure 100% compliance. We work with human beings who have free will, so we cannot be held accountable for all of the factors that are beyond our control. However, this is what we are being held accountable for. And while we're at it, we should get credit for all of the money that we spend on supplies and resources (including technology) that put out for the children that we teach annually (since the district won't provide us with any.) That's really what our raises actually pay for each year!!!
We are not just employees...we are human beings. Pay raises? Is that a joke? I hope you feel better after posting that ignorant comment.
Durkin is not holding "teachers accountable like the rest of the world", she is putting our school system into a tail spin. It amazes me when people think that they work in the "real world" and teachers, social workers,etc. don't. Believe me, we are exposed to things that would make your hair curl. I wonder if this is Scott Reiniche posting this, lol. Is spinning music, the real world?
Surely it must be the end of the world, the standard times is giving craig Dutra an award. Laughable!
Tomorrow they'll have an editorial criticizing the union and the teachers. We should expect that, It seems to be their MO.
If,in fact, the members of the teachers association no longer choose to contribute to United Way, I have the perfect solution to this problem. United Way should figure out the exact amount that they will be losing AND Durkin (with her salary of $180,000 per year) and the Mayor can donate that amount to United Way. If they do that - they will be offering MORE than just moral support to Ms. Hantman - put your money where your mouth is Mayor Mitchell!
Oh my...teachers get a yearly raise whether they deserve it or not??? Okay...what about fire fighters, cops, city workers, state workers, and a multitude of other people who get raises every year because they have contracts? How about the City Councilors that gave themselves (no negotiations, contract, or voter input involved) a 44% raise plus COLA...they will be getting a raise every year and I might add that I can't name one of them who is deserving. I am totally amazed by some of the extremely ignorant and hateful comments that I read on this blog.
Craig Dutra? I'd vote for something that washed up at Horseneck Beach over him. Westport Man of War > Man of the Year
My brothers and sisters please remember that the United Way helps many of our students in need! Don't stop giving when you terminate your United Way donations...give directly to the charity of your choice instead, please! We must not stop caring or we will hurt the very people we care most about. Give directly! Start a movement! More of your donations for MORE GOOD!
I do not hold a grudge against teachers getting their raise or how much they make but notice the examples you gave were all government workers and none from the private sector. Since 2008 private sector folks have been getting squeezed while government employees either maintain their pay or get raises when our municipalities can afford to do so.
Why do teachers take the most abuse amongst government employees I'm not sure. To get certified to teach in MA is very difficult . I know, I'm certified in 2 subjects. This is clearly a sensitive topic to many people. Firing 1/2 the staff at the high school is wrong. While your energy is wonderful it needs to be directed not only to the Mitchell administration but to Governor Patrick and President Obamaas well. They pushed race to the top and innovation schools yet the locals bear the brundt.
the ENTIRE staff is fired--with the possibility of 1/2 being rehired after a rigorous hiring process. It's true..this is a national wave of public school destruction...and that is what this boycott is all about...it's not about money for the teachers...it's about our working conditions and a toxic environment for staff and students.
If this is a national wave of public school destruction then no incumbent regardless of party affiliation should have the vote of any public school teacher in America!
My raises have been going to pay for classroom supplies which I have been doing for over 25 years. Contrary to public belief, supplies are NOT made available. The $ for supplies from the SD is not happening. I wonder how many people actually have to buy supplies to do thier jobs. Do you?
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