Let me get this straight, Superintendent Durkin made radio announcements and telephone calls in three languages to parents and guardians of students at the high school as well as eighth grade students at the three middle schools, and the Standard-Times did a big editorial encouraging parents and guardians to attend the all important meetings for the turnaround plan; however, after all that media blitz, less than 4 percent of parents and guardians attended the two meetings--first meeting in afternoon had 15 parents and the second meeting according to the S-T had between 75-100 parents.
On Wednesday the Standard-Times had another editorial “On target” in which the S-T said the meeting was “well-attended.” Well, according to the Mass. DESE’s latest statistics, there are 2,426 students at the high school including 400 seniors,264 eighth graders at Keith, 318 eighth graders at Normandin, and 244 eighth graders at Roosevelt. When you add it all up, there are 3,252 students from grades 8-12 and yet less than 100 people attended the meetings, and the S-T wrote that the meeting was “well-attended”! Please give me a break! Perhaps I missed something in a math course because I believe that out of 100 percent, if I only got 4 percent of the answers correct I would receive a failing grade.
So Dr. Durkin, where were all the parents? Why after all your rigorous work, very few attended the meetings? What will be your next rigorous strategy(ies) to entice parents and guardians to attend these all important meetings? Are you planning on replacing half of the parents for not attending just as you are replacing half of the teachers? Perhaps you should look to an expert from outside of the city for your answers.
Inquiring minds want to know, what is your next silver bullet to getting parents involved as obviously the last one didn't work?!!
14 comments:
I have heard...she is doing the same to Parker School as she is planning to do to the high school...making those teachers reapply for their jobs...totally unfair since many of them were replaced for this year, including a new principal...many of those teachers were chosen because of their good reputations within the system...they have not even had one year to prove they are making a difference...Pia Durkin seems to have forgotten what it is like to be in a classroom..maybe she should return..put the camera on her...see how she does....
Parker school area is filled with drugs, welfare parents, crack heads, I know I live in the area. It's not the teachers, the parents should be fired. Not all, I for one-work and care for my 3 boys. Many are too lazy to even get out of bed, never mind attend a meeting for their child. GET REAL Ms.Durkin!
Just another attempt to deceive.
Feed them and they will come out in droves! Feed them cafeteria food!!
The point of attendance is very well taken. It demonstrates the gap needed to bridge but the tone of this piece highlights the much needed time for a change. It attempts to simply mock and turn information into talking points to for the sake of being adversaries. Numbers aside - I was at that meeting and I must say she answered all questions in a very honest and forthright manner. When she didn't have an answer, she said quite frankly "it will be a challenge". What else is she going to say? I do not agree with firing anywhere near fifty percent - it seems as though that a tactic she's employed. Her attempt to try and get people's attention is in the Michelle Rhea mode and Miss Rhea won few favors - in the end it simply pitted everyone against each other. The first couple of years of this will be painful, as are all other types of re-structuring. Anyone who's been to the professional days at the HS can attest that in MANY instances, its anything but professional. At times it more closely resembles sophomoric, frat house banter with yelps and whistles coming from the seated, professional audience. Poor PD has been provided by an undermanned admin team for years. Terrible leadership selections in key roles have also contributed to the drop in achievement. Dollars to doughnuts she's getting more of an appreciation for absentee parents day by day. Other factors such as a transient population and parents with an ignorance in how to help their children. There are problems from all sides, not one group or another - but in the end the student gets the short straw each year. It has to start with the first step and we cannot throw in the towel because the task seems too daunting. I am sorry to say this but everyone knows THERE ARE teachers who are absolutely disinterested in helping students in that building. I would beg to differ on the numbers and estimate the figure closer to 10 - 15% than what's being bandied about. In the end - look for a number resembling that 15% fired in lieu of the 50% she's parading around (After retirements and people leaving of their own volition). She'll put her team in place, they'll have their directives and will follow the script as she directs them. I don't agree with her style but anyone who works in the building and is honest will agree much of this is irrefutable. (% of teachers need to go, "un"professional days, DD forthright at info sessions, compiling an admin team to resource the needs, real issues effecting a sig % of parents).
She is making those poor teachers at Parker reapply and now according to the S-T there will be "merit" pay...crazy. NBPS has become the petri dish of the state.
I for one did not reapply for my position as I have no desire to stay at NBHS....however, it seems to me that the choices for whom to keep and whom to fire were made long ago, and have little or nothing to do with who are the most dedicated, the best, the most innovative. Many of the teachers who have been let go are the ones who are perceived by the administration to be "rabble-rousers", outspoken, those who refuse to step into line, and most interestingly, those who are involved with the NBEA. Many of the people leaving of their own "volition" have been made so uncomfortable as to have no reason to want to stay, not to mention those who have become physically or emotionally ill because of the stress level, toxic environment, and the lack of safety and support at the high school.
I do agree that "Professional Days" are a joke. The systems sends one or two teachers to a workshop and has them present the information they learned; rather than bring in REAL experts as they have done in the past. Well, someone's got to pay for those big administrative salaries. Not much poverty going on at 455 County Street!
Durkin is vindictive in her campaign to remove specific teachers. The non-threatening teachers get to stay. She does not possess the rigor to work alongside anyone else...and robots require batteries.
How can Durkin and Mitchell justify the outrageous costs of hiring more administrative staff when our school is deprived of the bare necessities? The comment about no poverty at PRAB struck a chord. It is very alarming. The CC should be looking into this and calling a halt to the farce. If anything is inequitable, it encompasses this...
Jumping ship as a last ditch effort was ineffective. The elephant doesn't forget. She's keeping tabs on everything.
Good point about the lack of investment in real PD. Also, we can't even afford the comedic presenters at the start of the year? We had to sit through an amateur power point made by Pia to motivate us?
I think Pia should have to reapply for her job because she didn't get 40 percent of the parents to attend her meetings. She lacked RIGOR.
Let me see, she will have to have all her paper work in by the end of the month, Mar. 28, 2014, which will include her detail plan for engaging parents to be active participants in their child's school, homework, increasing their child's test scores, making sure their child is prepared and ready to work, showing respect for everyone, behaving in class, and engaging parents to volunteer in a tutorial programs to help their child and other children.
Pia, you will be notified within a reasonable time your fate or perhaps you will dangle like some of the teachers at the high school.
RIGOR RIGOR is the battle cry.
Lou,
I would like to inquire as to why my post did not get published? I spoke the truth and those words were contained in my original letter regarding my intent for 2014-2015. If you are more comfortable omitting the part about union reps, then please do so. That is how I feel and I know my colleagues echo my sentiments. They also experienced it. There is always more than one side to a story.
As happy as I am to still have my job, the next week will be very bittersweet for me as I find out which of my colleagues will be gone next year.
Post a Comment