Thursday, May 29, 2014

“It’s Just Business…” Submitted to NBEA


In a recent newspaper article entitled “State Gives New Bedford 2.4 M for High School Turnaround, Dr. PiaDurkin was quoted as saying “additional funds could be used to fund libraries, tech. upgrades and to hire additional English Language Learner Teachers.

 

Using funds to offset the costs of libraries and upgrade computers as well as various forms of technology in existing schools would be of tremendous benefit to teachers and students system-wide.  Using the additional monies to hire ESL teachers is complete mismanagement of funds.  Right now NBPS, like all other systems in the Commonwealth, is scrambling to get all of their existing classroom teachers (with the exception of one identified group) qualified to teach in English Language Learners by the year 2016.

 

In order to do this, New Bedford, in conjunction with Bridgewater State University, is offering its general education classroom teachers fourteen separate Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) Endorsement courses that will each be open to 25-30 participants.  This is a 45 contact hour course that will give general education teachers the needed ESL credentials necessary to keep their existing jobs and work with English Language Learners (ELLs) that will soon be integrated into their classrooms.  Approximately 420 general education teachers in the city will be offered this course.  The head of the ESL Department recently requested that eighteen additional ESL teachers be hired to support the transition of bilingual students into the mainstream classrooms.  The School Committee approved the hiring of only three new ESL teachers.  Perhaps the school committee acted wisely in their decision.  Maybe they know something that the general population does not.  

 

NBPS presently employs 33 Sheltered English Emersion Teachers (SEI) many of whom have extensive experience (15+ years) working with ELL’s.  Because of their experience, these individuals require much less training than general education teachers; specifically a 15 contact hour abridged SEI Endorsement course instead of the 45 contact hour course offered throughout the city.  Originally this course was to be offered to the SEI teachers but most recently they have been informed that no such course will be provided in the city nor will they be admitted to the 45 hour course offered to their colleagues because they already possess the skills needed to deal with ELL students.  This means that this select group of educators, with an average combined history of over 15+ years of teaching experience with ELL students, must go outside of the system and pay for the abridged SEI Endorsement course, if they are lucky enough to find one within driving distance.

 

So the next question to be asked is why NBPS would do this to their own, highly trained staff.  The answer once again is simple:  MONEY.  It is a minimal investment for NBPS to offer a 15 hour course to existing teachers with a plethora of experience.  Here is the hidden agenda that most taxpayers do not know. If these SEI teachers do not take some version of the SEI Endorsement Course before 2016, they most likely will be terminated by the NBPS resulting in the need to hire more ESL teachers (as per recent request of the Director of ESL in the Central Office). These new hires may consist of recent TFA graduates or ESL instructors with limited or no actual experience working with inner city ELL students.  Is this a wise decision for the students and staff of NBPS?  One would argue that it is not.  Present SEI educators have been working with ELL students for the last several years.  They already know the needs of the students who are being mainstreamed by the turnaround plan and for that reason would be better able to assist general education teachers in the transition process of the more than 800 identified ELL students in the city.  In addition, the majority of these teachers speak two or three different languages and can communicate directly with parents and guardians in their native language.  They are familiar with families of ELL students and have already established strong bonds with parents and student advocates.  

 

Once again the decision to request new ESL teachers instead of investing in existing SEI teachers is simple –MONEY--.  It is more cost effective to eliminate older, higher paid educators.  An additional caveat to removal of these teachers is that most are union members and would be replaced with non- union members that would result in less contract bargaining agreements (aka red tape) for the central administration.  

 

Unfortunately for the SEI teachers with professional teacher status, (formerly known as tenure) their existing teaching credentials will not be valid after 2016.  This will allow NBPS to conveniently terminate them.  This is a travesty akin to firing individuals on the verge of retirement in order to save money.   In essence it is age discrimination.  These SEI teachers are not old enough to retire but cannot continue teaching because they have not been allowed by their own system to recertify.  They possess a vast amount of knowledge but cost too much to keep.  Like everyone else, they have families to feed, children to put through school, mortgages and bills to pay.  End result:  SEI students in NBPS do not receive the best instruction possible, the city’s unemployment rate goes up andproperty values go down all because of poor administrative decisions and faulty money management.  Teachers know that times are hard across the Commonwealth and across the country.  What they don’t understand is the heartless indifference to the needs of ELL students and injustice to loyal, long-term employees.   Once again … administration will argue “its just business”.  Teachers, parents and students are smart enough to know and deserve better.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey! You were driven out by Pia Durkin now what will you do? Get hired by a higher performing district that respects your expertise!

Anonymous said...

Whatever happened to class-action lawsuits? Talk about BAD business!

Anonymous said...

I love people that comment on this blog and say " find a job somewhere else"
these people have little to no understanding of how the current system works. It is nearly impossible for a highly qualified top step teacher to get a job in another district.
My advice is that all the SEI teachers get together and for a local cohort to do their training. Pay for it themselves and outwit Durkin.
yes it will suck that they have to pay for it themselves but it will be tax deductable and then they won't get fired.
Beat her at her own game.....

Anonymous said...

check that tax deduction suggestion. The only thing teachers can deduct is $250 per year no matter how much they spend

Anonymous said...

This is bad practice. Most districts pride themselves on retaining highly-qualified and experienced teachers. ELLs are regarded as the throw-away population in NBPS by administration. Durkin and her ESL director are shameless in their actions. Mr. Chase was correct when he said Durkin creates more problems than solutions. Fire them all. They are bleeding the system dry.

Anonymous said...

Teachers can claim a straight 250.00 based on supplies that they buy- which often top out over 250.
but for continueing education is a seperate deduction- this is from the H & R block website:
Where do I enter deductions for continuing education expenses related to my work?

Depending on where you received the education, you can deduct expenses on either of these:
•Form 1040
•Schedule C

If you received the education from eligible sources, claim the expenses on Form 1040. Schools eligible to offer federal student aid include:
•Colleges
•Universities
•Vocational schools
•Other postsecondary educational institutions

If the education wasn’t at an eligible institution, you might still be able to deduct the costs. You can deduct qualifying education as a business expense. Qualifying work-related education must meet one of these tests:
•The education serves a bona fide business purpose of your employer. Either your employer or the law requires it for you to keep you: •Current salary
•Status
•Job

•The education maintains or improves skills you need for your present work.

Even if the education meets one or both of the tests, it still might not be considered work-related. It’s not qualifying work-related education if it’s either of these:
•Necessary to meet the minimum educational requirements of your present trade or business
•Part of a program of study that qualifies you for a new trade or business

If your education qualifies as work-related, you can deduct your expenses. Report them as miscellaneous expenses on Schedule C.

Anonymous said...

Durkin is all about the numbers not the people
she does not care about teachers, kids, parents or anyone....

Anonymous said...

Don't know if they are bleeding the system dry or just biting off their nose despite their face ... Either way looks like these very qualified teachers are SOL! Perhaps they are now overqualified to work in NBPS. Regardless, it is a complete waste of money and time replacing them with transient "newbies" who have little intention of investing as much time as the existing SEI teachers ... But that's just New Bedford being New Bedford ... No real vision for ELL's ...just throw them into the pool with all the other kids and hope they can swim as fast and as far as their peers. Sounds like a stellar plan Sonia Walmsley has devised!!!!

Anonymous said...

low level ELLs should be getting 2.5 hrs a day of pull out services ..... And that is not going to happen . Breaking more laws.

Anonymous said...

What is the salary for a newbie who designs pretty posters and carries out durkin's orders?

Anonymous said...

Pia can manipulate the young and impressionable with false promises of a bright future at the expense of others.

Anonymous said...

It is not about the students. It's about a fantastic pension package.

Anonymous said...

Durkin, Sonia, and &$$$$$ are a bad combination and are all for removing teachers with a voice of discontentment. Yet, Marlene, hand flapper and mayor adore and applaud them for the great services and contributions. Remove, rehire, and redefine under the guise of career and college readiness. For Durkin and her henchmen, it is a get rich quick scheme. Their alignment with Durkin will be the catalyst for their demise. Teachers are disgusted and fed up with their mission to seek and destroy. This is a vendetta against teachers and they won't stop until all those who are seen as a threat are forced out. We also have grave concerns about how the state funding will be dispersed. PIA Durkin is a snake and cannot be trusted to invest it where it is needed most. This erratic woman is on a power trip. She makes the rules and breaks the rules. Her ego trumps ethics.

Anonymous said...

Call in the advocacy groups to help fight for what's right for our students. We can't turn to DESE and durkin's bud Chester.

Anonymous said...

If only a layperson could understand the magnitude of deceit that transpires in this school system. I've come to the conclusion that Durkin purposefully commits stupid acts and wastes taxpayers to exasperate her staff so that they will voluntarily abandon ship. Like they say "you can't fix stupid" ... Honestly, It is a brilliant plan but maddening to those who are more intelligent than she.

Anonymous said...

To add to the tax discussion, the educational expense can also be taken as the "Lifetime Learning Credit" which reimburses actual expenses as a 20% credit, depending on your income level and filing status. And you don't have to file a Schedule A--itemized deductions in order to take that. That's in addition to the $250 Educator Expense deduction for non-itemizers.
That being said, as a business instructor, I was told that I was not eligible for the RETELL training because I was not in the core subjects. Yet somehow New Bedford thinks they are exempt from responsibility for offering this training to ALL teachers who have at least one ELL student (I have several in EVERY class). I, too, would like some straight answers on this, even though I'm not going back to NBHS next school year.

Anonymous said...

I know a newbie that just got a job at Parker. All I can say is good luck because the principal is not on your side. The parents ,most, don't care about their child's education and old Pia will nail you to a cross for something that is out of your control. Drugs,apathy and entitlement run rampant in this district.