The recent publicity and bad rap New Bedford High School has received due to its underperforming status is hard to swallow. As a native of New Bedford, alumni of New Bedford High School class of '77, and parent to two children in New Bedford High School, one graduate and one still attending, it is apparent the foundation of our school system is broken.
The adage "no child left behind" that is predominant in our public elementary school seems to be forgotten in New Bedford Middle School and High School. Part of the broken foundation lies with the responsibility of the parents/guardians of our children. Parents continually criticize and point fingers at our education system, but the real underlying issue is our parenting system.
I have attended many open houses and events during my children's middle school and high school years, and it is apparent that the parents who do care are the ones that attend; not the parents of the children that are struggling to succeed, not just in school, but in life in general.
Many of our "inner-city" students come from broken families, low-income families, foster homes, and even homelessness, giving them little hope or drive to succeed in school or in life itself. Our educators can only do what they can for our children in the short time our students attend school.
It is imperative that we must support our educators. However, on the flip side, educators must understand the dynamics of our children, and appropriate interventions must be in place in our schools to give our children hope. Crisis counselors and other staff that can identify when a student is in trouble, not just in school but in their home environment, is paramount in all our schools. These "underperforming" students are crying out for help, not discipline.
The high dropout rate in our high school is to students having no support to do the best they can and be the best they can be to make a brighter future for themselves. Poverty breeds poverty. It's the easy road. However, success breeds success, which can sometimes be the hard road.
Our educators also need to evaluate how they are impacting our children, and reflect why they became teachers in the first place. It shouldn't be just a job, or a paycheck, or a cushy retirement package. It is the future of our city and our children. Our educators are sometimes the only small glimmer of hope our students find and can impact a student's future just by showing the student how much they care.
Respect, perseverance, acceptance of others, kindness, thoughtfulness, and general respect for each other is what is missing. Towns such as Mattapoisett and Dartmouth have been considered "top performers" academically, but it's apparent that the poverty level in New Bedford far exceeds what these towns will ever see.
Let's get back to basics New Bedford, and let's build a new generation from the foundation up. This begins with respect for each other and each other's opinions, working together as a team for the good of our children (including the teachers, teachers' union, administration, school committee, and parents), identifying the real reason why students fail academically, and addressing the issues honestly without pretending these issues don't exist.
5 comments:
One of the most important components for turning around our schools is parents instilling in their child(ren) the value of an education. Carol, you have said it all in your editorial. Parents and guardians need to be accountable.
Teaching has never been "just a job" and every qualified teacher in this city could have taken the "job" of teacher in any community, but we are dedicated to the students in this city. Many are researching districts now (as far as 40 miles away)....some of your points are valid...but even hinting that we have enough of the types of teachers that would just collect a check is inaccurate. The teachers are NOT the culprits.
Carol, you are right, parents need to be held accountable for their children's actions . Thank you for that point! But the money that we earn every week, a percentage is taken out of our well earned checks and put toward our retirement fund-that we earn. Believe me, it's not cushy. You could do the same thing, have a % of money taken out of your work check into a IRA or savings. I don't know why people think we earn so much money-we work at a profession that requires a lot of education, a lot our own time working at night to catch up, I have been school twice this week to work-vacation week. I love all 1000 of my students, the un-disciplined and well as the well behaved children. Well behaved students do have the upper hand though, parents who care.
In the context that you refer to educators “evaluating how they are impacting our children” etc., it has the connotation in your statement that that is in reference to teachers. In your earlier paragraphs you speak to demographics, social concerns, appropriate interventions, crisis counselors and alike. Please understand that most of those support strategies that you speak of, and I would not disagree that they are not necessary, are the responsibility of the administration to put into place and staff appropriately. So, let’s place that blame where it deserves to be. I would argue that that has not been done over the past several years.
To suggest that teachers need to reflect as to why they got into teaching in the first place, I can quite honestly tell you that takes place for most of us when the school bell rings everyday. You see, once the bell tolls, there are 25-30 students whether big or small looking back at you for guidance each and everyday. For most teachers your students require your undivided attention all day except for your 30 minute lunch and your 15 minute break. They are with us, in class, to the bathroom and to their lunch, WITH US! There are many other professions out that a masters’ degree will get you with a lot less stress and a lot more respect for equal or more money. That cushy pension you speak of, well if you are suggesting that someone would expose themselves to working with “inner city” students for the 35 years in which it is required to max out into your pension solely for the purpose of working for a pension, than clearly you have never taught in a classroom at all or for any length of time.
And that is an Honest Answer….
Amen, to the last comment. I am a very long time teacher at NBHS. With all due respect, Carol Lopes, it has been a long time since you have been in high school. "Being a parent of", is not the same as, actually being in the classroom at NBHS. Your children are the kind of students that we are grateful for every day. This statement that you made is not exactly accurate from my perspective: "These "underperforming" students are crying out for help, not discipline." I teach classes with many underperforming students. Many have IEP's, many do not. The kids with discipline issues that have to be continually dealt with PRREVENT ME FROM TEACHING. Let me say that again. They bring to a stop the whole educational process of the classroom with their continual acting out. The reasons why may certainly not be their fault. But regardless, they prevent me from doing my job. And everyday, when I look at the many poor, quiet, good, respectful students who I cannot attend to, teach, or even acknowledge (with many of their own serious issues) because my energy is spent with the discipline problems it makes me very angry. That is not fair. They deserve an education just as much as the "problem" children. And I for one, am sick and tired of the non-discipline problem kids being "left behind."
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