Friday, January 9, 2015

New Bedford councilors challenge school use of bond funds

New Bedford councilors challenge school use of bond funds

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good! It's about time Dr. Durkin is held accountable. She's had free reign to do whatever she wants and the results are nothing but chaos throughout the entire school system. Keep asking questions City Counselors. Unfortunately, the lame School Committee never does. The mayor is still trying to convince himself he hired the best superintendent in the country!

Anonymous said...

General maintainence has never been bonded. Big ticket items such as roof or window replacements or boiler replacements have been bonded in the past. 1 million doesn't go very far in today's world which makes this request so suspicious. The explanation of the facilities manager to the city council was sketchy at best. I'm very disappointed in the councillors who voted in favor of this appropriation.

Anonymous said...

They ask questions but never have a follow-up question. They are not prepared to contradict the great one. It is sad.

Anonymous said...

The City Council has no clue... as usual... wow what a bunch of brainiacs... talking about budgets from 2 years ago

Anonymous said...

Why can't we see the school committee agenda and personnel report for Monday's meeting?
We now have an acting headmaster that has never spent 1 day inside a classroom! She was brought to NBPS when her services were no longer needed at city hall. Changes at the high school made by the new COO are out of control. 1 copier in each of the four teachers room for 150 plus teachers. Can't bring discipline issues to the Whaler office. This is crazy!

Anonymous said...

Is there a reason jobs are not being posted in schools or sent out by email? I understand that there was a position on Schoolspring for an assistant to our teaching and learning specialist that didn't make it out to the rank and file.

Anonymous said...

Lets all wish K. Dawson well. Skeptical about her coming back, especially if her office has been cleaned out. Is PRAB being up front about her longevity with NB? Is she on paid administration leave? Is she gone for good or will she be assigned to another school? How many of Pia's hires are still in place? Why hasn't a NBHS principal been appointed interim headmaster? Lots of questions and few answers. What in the world is going on? Come on ST, ask the questions instead on waiting for Johnathon Carvalho to spoon feed you.

Anonymous said...

why not just go on school spring?

Anonymous said...

You are asking all the correct questions but don't expect any answers to com from the media. Although Pia's latest appointee to interim headmaster has been out of her PR job for a few years now, don't think she doesn't still have her connections. Durkin is and has placed people in administration positions that are media connected. There is a reason for that. The mayor claimed on Wednesday that he had no idea what was happening to Dawson, while at that time rumors were already out and about. By Friday, she is gone, but the Mayor didn't know anything on Wednesday. Yeah, right!

Anonymous said...

You are asking all the correct questions but don't expect any answers to com from the media. Although Pia's latest appointee to interim headmaster has been out of her PR job for a few years now, don't think she doesn't still have her connections. Durkin is and has placed people in administration positions that are media connected. There is a reason for that. The mayor claimed on Wednesday that he had no idea what was happening to Dawson, while at that time rumors were already out and about. By Friday, she is gone, but the Mayor didn't know anything on Wednesday. Yeah, right!

Anonymous said...

The rag of a news paper has reported that Bernadette Coelho will be interim headmaster. I don't believe she has any experience teaching .... Can anyone confirm or deny? Here we go again!!!! We are a district full of people that have no business in the positions that they old. I'm betting Dawson is GONE! She was going to turn things around right ? I think anyone with any sense of our kids knew that this wasn't going to happen. The city council shou demand to know where money has gone. We are a joke and this system just keeps getting worse and the kids and teachers will continue to suffer !!!

Anonymous said...

Bernadette has never taught. Not 1 day of her life. She does have a license as an administrator??
As far as school spring. Aren't all positions supposed to be posted internally before going out to other arenas?

Anonymous said...

I do not know Bernadette Coelho. I'm told she is well respected amongst her colleagues. This may work. Who knows. I do know that plenty of administrators throughout the district who have teaching experience have no sympathy for their teachers plight and blame teachers for everything. I'm open minded on this appointment.

Anonymous said...

An assistant for the teaching and learning specialist how obsurd maybe if the one at our school stopped thinking they were the assistant principal,they could do THEIR job and not the principals.

Anonymous said...

The city council needs to keep asking questions and digging for the truth .........trust none of them........


Council ,please find out where the money is really going.

AUDIT???????ATTORNEY. GENERAL ?????

Anonymous said...

Sorry but if you've never been in the classroom you don't belong being an administrator.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the comment above... You may be able to talk the talk but until you have spent MANY years in a classroom you should NOT be an administrator. This system is sinking more and more each day. People are going to continue to leave because things aren't getting worse , not better.

Anonymous said...

I'll agree in most cases many years of experience in the classroom should be a prerequisite for being an administrator. This case at the high school is unique. If Ms Coelho can treat the staff with respect, listen to their needs and recommendations and more importantly not blame the staff for the unruly behavior of students then I'll be OK with her lack of experience. Many principals and administrators blame teachers for not having their kids "engaged" enough or feel students belong in classroom not the principals office regardless of behavior. The high school was a example of this belief. Let's see what happens . It cant get worse.

Anonymous said...

Not only does she not have the experience, she does not possess admin licensure. She is too quiet and will not challenge Pia as a champion for teachers. We cannot allow passive people to lead. Her current position is federally funded. Hoe does this nonsense continue to foster?

Anonymous said...

You know what pisses me off? Common folk have to meet all the state requirements for their positions, but if you are politically connected, or one of durkin's minions, you can bypass all the bureaucracy. Our education system is a joke. Highly qualified? I think not!

Anonymous said...

As someone who as worked at the HS with Ms. Coelho unlike most of the people commenting, I will say she is professional and respected.... She is also licensed. Plenty of principals out there who are former teachers.. What good does that do us??? Think about it

Anonymous said...

But, she is not a teacher. She worked the Jump Start program. Very different. Has she done a practicum? We need strong and ethical leadership to stand up to the injustices of the mayor, school committee, superintendent, and even the commissioner. I'm sorry, but I do not think she is qualified. Let's learn from past mistakes, hires, and false idols.

Anonymous said...

None at all!

Anonymous said...

Being licensed, professional and respect is all well and good but the fact of the matter is that she has never been a teacher. Nothing replaces experiences in classroom with kids! That's where the real leaning is done .

Anonymous said...

Nothing can replace classroom experience. You are correct. The last two headmasters had classroom experience yet blamed staff for everything. You need a leader first and foremost. Someone who can inspire the staff and earn their trust. That must come first before anything else.

Anonymous said...

The meek shall not dethrone a tyrant.

Anonymous said...

I agree... Leadership skills and classroom experience are key as well as an understanding of the type of kids that we deal with daily. Being a strong administrator means having the total package and a backbone is the most important of all! B

Anonymous said...

Backbone seems to have gone missing amongst our school committee and our principals. Go for it city councilors-don't let the false prophet get away her corrupt ways.

Anonymous said...

Another....YES MAM.............principal...............

Anonymous said...

I would like to know as a parent, why Durkin has so much help but expects the teachers to do without? She is over paid and her "helpers" also bring home huge paychecks . Instead of hiring her cronies, why not hire more paras to help the classroom teachers. Maybe then, her precious scores would improve. She is such a hypocrite.

Anonymous said...

We need parents like you to rally other parents !! Start making noise at school committee meetings, keep asking questions. The public needs to know the destruction she has caused.... We absolutely can't do this another year with her !!!

Anonymous said...

We need principals that can stand up to Durkin. She is such a tyrant. I miss Jo Anne Hogdson, at least she was fair.

Anonymous said...

Not to many principals have the guts to stand up to her.They just turn a blind eye to the injustices being done,and some are even part of those injustices and they know it.