Wednesday, April 16, 2014

The problem, Mr. Unger is not with Dr. Durkin’s public relations, it is with a lack of credibility, not only of Dr. Durkin but with your newspaper as well ... Submitted to NBEA

The attempt by the S-T recent editorial “Superintendent Pia Durkin needs a message” tries to explain away the dire state of NBPS as a result of poor PR on the part of Dr. Durkin, is laughable. This superintendent has enjoyed having the local media in lockstep behind her since she arrived in N.B. They have gone to great lengths to defend her positions and policies when many were indefensible. They have expended much journalistic capital on her and are clearly not happy with their negative returns. Their reporting has been at odds with the big boys at the Boston and Providence television news networks. They are looking a little foolish lately. They have gone out on a limb for Durkin and the limb is about to break. Readership is at an all time low and their credibility has been severely damaged.


The fact of the matter is that in all of their best efforts, the S-T simply has not been able to keep up with trying to clean up the negative issue after negative issue that permeates NBPS during this past school year. Their continued use of infantile strategies such as trying to blame those “self absorbed” teachers and their union, is just not working for them.  The analogy for me that comes closest  to what the S-T has been trying to do with the truths in NBPS is that arcade game where those little varmints pop their heads up and you try to whack them with a mallet. At the beginning it is easy to control those varmints (“the truth”) but when more and more of them continue to rear their ugly heads and they keep popping up faster and faster it becomes very difficult to keep them hidden under ground. 

The problem, Mr. Unger is not with Dr. Durkin’s public relations, it is with a lack of credibility, not only of Dr. Durkin but with your newspaper as well.


As Jack Nicholson proclaimed in the movie A Few Good Men, “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH”!


17 comments:

Anonymous said...

The total disregard for teachers during this struggle has left a deep scar in this community. The greatest thing about a place is not architecture, entertainment, or food...it's the people. When we demonize those that help and hold up a place, we have lost our strength as a community. You can not say you respect teachers at the same time you support Dr. Durkin...her poor hiring choices must be addressed. She should not be allowed to walk away from her mistakes.Should we believe manipulated data or teacher testimony?

Anonymous said...

I don't buy this newspaper. To do that would mean that I'm supporting Boob Unger and his propaganda machine.

Anonymous said...

^ I get real news for free.

Anonymous said...

At the meeting, someone will have to make a motion for a vote of no confidence and another will
have to second it.

Anonymous said...

The S-T is also famous for boosting the image of the "other" schools such as the Alma Del Mar school, Our Sisters' School and now the Renaissance School for the Arts. This school had a wonderful front page "ad" in the paper recently.

Anonymous said...

The Renaissance for the arts picks their students, hot all students! They have small classes , SMALL classes not the 32-36 size classes that the rest of the system. They have help, we do not!

Anonymous said...

Hayden McFadden had a wonderful cultural night with fabulous parent engagement this Tuesday. ST was invited to come and see. Where were they?? Where was the praise for our hard working teachers???

Anonymous said...

Should have had vote of no confidence way back when...water under the bridge..NO EXCUSE for this not to happen at meeting this time!

Anonymous said...

What has Durkin done to Parker School? All these vacancies...Something is very, very wrong.


Teacher-Grade 1-Parker Elementary (New Bedford, Massachusetts)


Teacher-Grade 2-Parker Elementary (New Bedford, Massachusetts)


Teacher-Grade 3-Parker Elementary (New Bedford, Massachusetts)

Teacher-Grade 4-Parker Elementary (New Bedford, Massachusetts)

Teacher-Grade 5-Parker Elementary (New Bedford, Massachusetts)

Anonymous said...

Those openings are the result of a leader that let's the behaviors run wild....

Anonymous said...

Shouldn't the Standard Times, if they are serious about journalism, be asking about the Parker situation? I've known a few real journalists and they would cringe at the boosterism shown by the Times concerning Durkin.

Anonymous said...

Parker teachers are afraid to talk about how bad some of the kids and parents are. That includes one fearful staff member that was hit in the belly-a pregnant belly. More stuff swept under the rug.

Anonymous said...

The behaviors are horrible at many elementary schools,teachers not allowed to write conduct cards ,,,,told no paper trails...

Anonymous said...

I hear that the principal of Parker is an unsupportive waste of a principal! No consequences, no discipline and she is a bully. She is sooooooooooo afraid of mayor durkin!
.

Anonymous said...

Sadly, there would never have been an exodus of 18+ teachers from the Parker School had the principal been focused and trustworthy. Teachers never know what their goal is because she keeps changing it. If something goes wrong she is quick to look for someone to throw under the bus. she has no discipline skills. She is very afraid of Durkin. All you had to do was sit in the stakeholders meetings to see that. Anything Durkin said, the principal echoed.
If alienating teachers and being dishonest and sneaky in your actions is the way we are going to fix a level 5 school that should never have been made a level 5 then our district will never improve. we are sunk.

Anonymous said...

Don 't report it...don't record it! That is Pia diddy 's motto! Time to go and destroy another school district. We don't want you, we don't need you! While we are at it.. lets get rid of the useless, SC and the hypocrite of a mayor.

Anonymous said...

Durkin is a commander not a leader, she look to hurt not help, destroy peoples careers to replace them with stooges, and erase the collective memory of staff members who have been working in the system for decades. She is at best a politician and propagandist with the help of the Substandard Times as a tool to keep her flying monkey fleet aloft and her lies alive. Her last letter was pure propaganda (laughable) and damage control. That's what happens when you command from the rear and not lead by example from the front. The mayor and school committee are to blame and should take full responsibility. Have you seen leadership before? This is not what the people of New Bedford deserve.