Friday, May 22, 2015

City Council sorts through issues of violence in New Bedford's public schools

City Council sorts through issues of violence in New Bedford's public schools

15 comments:

Eddie Johnson said...

Those of You Who Read The Standard Times This Morning, Please Be Advised That This 5/22/15 Story That Was Written In The Early On Line Edition, By Standard Times Education Reporter, Carol Kozma, Is Not Even A Close Indication or Representation Of What Was Factually Stated & Presented To New Bedford's City Council By Lou St. John, President of The NBEA, Parents, A Guidance Counselor, Several Teachers & A Parent Who Complained About The Horrific Behavior Of Her Own Son Who Was Failing Four of His Subjects. This Same Parent Also Spoke On How Her Own Son Had Sexually Harassed A Teacher, How Her Son Had Threaten A Teacher With Violence, How He Had Cut All of His Classes More Than 50 Times & Received "NO" Discipline From School Administration At All. This Same Parent Pleaded To The City Council For Help. The First Parent Who Spoke, Addressed The Out of Control Education & Bullying At Parker Elementary School. Other Teachers Spoke out To The Discipline & Out of Control Educational Issues On The Elementary, Middle & High School Level. These Teachers Are On The Front Line & In The School Trenches On A Daily Basis. Should Not Their Comments been Reported On? I Am Willing To Bet That The Standard Times Education Editor, Susan P. Seaman, Purposely Choose To Ignore Those Facts, And The Credible Evidence of Out of Control Student Discipline, On All School Levels And Nothing Being Done About It In New Bedford's Education System. Carol Kozma Perhaps Wrote An Article of What Was Stated & Presented. However The Editors At The Standard Times, Susan P. Seaman Deliberately Used Only Some Portion of Lou St. John's Comments/Presentation, To Make It Appear That The Teachers Union And Teachers, Were In Bed & Had A Love In With Pia Durkin. That Was Not The case. Not One of The Brave & Courageous Teachers Who Spoke With Conviction, Facts & Credible Evidence, Statement Were Printed. Why? This Was Both A Deliberate & Intentional Hatchet Job, By The Standard Times, In Trying To Cover Up Failures & Unprofessional Behavior By The Durkin Administration. Beth Purdue Is No Different Than Bob Unger. They Both Are Committed To Lying & Making Up News Stories To Prove The Newspaper So-Called Education Agenda.

Eddie Johnson said...

Not One Reporter or Editor At The Standard Times, Have Any Children In New Bedford's School System. Also Some of The Supposed To Be Facts In This Piece Posted From WBSM's On Line News Brief Is Very Inaccurate. Today's Standard Times Deliberate Made Up Published Story By The Standard Times Reporter Carol Kozma's Written News Story Is Bordering on Deliberately Lying To The Public To Support This Newspaper's Very False & Dishonorable, Without Any Validity Written Position On Superintendent Durkin & The State of Education In New Bedford. Anyone Who Reads This Today's Standard Times & There Should Be A Collective Effort To The Standard Times Owners, The Wall Street Journal To Go Beyond The Editor/Assist Publisher Beth Purdue. Further At The Next School Committee Meeting During Citizens Input Time, All School Committee Mtg. Are televised, I Along With Others Will Speak Out About This Big Lie ^ made Up News Story By The Standard Times & Very Poorly Written By Standard Times Staff Writer Carol Kozma. if The Stand Times Wants A Fight Let Us Give Them One. The Old Saying of, "Never Pick A Fight With Anyone Who Buys Ink By The Barrel", Is No Longer In Vogue or Accurate. This Is A New Day & Time We All Have Computers & Keyboards, Which Equalizes The Fight With Those Who Buy Ink By The Barrel. I Was There, This Is How The Standard Times Will Deliberately Write And Make Up News Stories, When Issues Like This Is Not Being Publically Televised. Please Notice The Standard Times Also Flatly Refuses To Publish The Massachusetts Department of Education & Secondary Education Accountability Report & Report Cards On New Bedford School District, As They Show With "CREDIBLE EVIDENCE" The More Than Two (2) Years of Failure By Superintendent of New Bedford's Public School District By Dr. Pia Durkin. A Demonstration At The Standard Times Should Be The Next Order of Business, To Show The Owners of The Standard Times How This Local Newspaper Make Up News Stories & Deliberately Lie To Meet Former Assist Publisher Robert Unger's, & Present Editor Publisher Beth Perdue's Political Agenda.

Anonymous said...

There is more than enough evidence here that a good investigative journalist inclined to tell the truth could write a story that would be of great impact and probably worthy of journalistic rewards. Instead we have a collusion of elites that utilize propaganda to achieve their desired outcome, and if you think it is for the good of New Bedford you are sadly mistaken.

Anonymous said...

When I first read the story, Eddie Johnson, I thought, "Wow, I guess real progress has been made to what I've read in previous stories." It sort of took me by surprise because while standing outside of NBPS with my anti-CC message, parents at two schools in particular mentioned that kids won't learn until administrators get classroom discipline under control. Good thing you attend these meetings.

Anonymous said...

I was at the meeting last night and I can honestly say that the standard Times totally ignored what Lou said during his presentation and what they reported was completely out of context.

Shameful!

Anonymous said...

Just once I'd like the Standard Times to report the truth. Eddie, thank you.

Anonymous said...

Maybe if there were more witnesses, aka union members in attendance at these meetings, the Standard Times would be forced to be more cautious to the extent they manipulate their report. I attended last night’s meeting and was appalled at the lack in attendance by union membership. I approximate about 25 people at the City Council meeting last night with probably less than half of that were unit A members. To say that representation was pathetic would be an understatement, more like disgusting! The City Council opened it’s chambers to hear the concerns of teachers and administrators on safety, health, discipline and behavior and this membership through it’s actions or lack there of, in essence said thanks, but no thanks. I am so sick of listening to teachers whine and complain of how terrible it is to work in NBPS under the leadership of Pia Durkin and yet time after time when the opportunity presents itself to voice their concerns in public forum, no one shows up. I completely understand the fear of reprisal to speak publicly as an individual under this administration; however, maybe if your NBEA president had more members backing him up by showing up, he would have much more leverage with the powers that be. Apathy will get you no where. Either “SHOW UP OR SHUT UP”!!

Anonymous said...

Kozma should be fired if she did not report the meeting with reporter integrity. Shame on the editor for not "probing" the writer on this hot topic. If fired Kozma may get hired by the NBPS, who knows. Maybe the current spokesperson is inline for a promotion.

Anonymous said...

Educators don't show up because they are beaten down. They are not stupid. The rulers are the rulers. There is no venue for debate. It is a waste of time to confront reality. It can't even get reported correctly. Nobody listens and accepts the truth for what it is. It's all about the future, and not the realities of the present. If we get through the year without incident, then luck has won out.

Anonymous said...

In response to the person who said Show Up or Shut Up.....Im not sure if you are an employee of New Bedford Schools or you are just part of the same group of people who think it is so easy to just show up at public meetings and tell everyone how your boss is incompetent and not expect some retaliation. I do show up to meetings, I have voiced my concerns to the school committee, to the city council, to my prinicipal but nothing is changing. You know why? Dr. Durkin is a master of smoke and mirrors.She is well aware of the problems in the district but she chooses not to fix the problems. She has her assistants like DeFalco, Emmsley, and Walmsley who are of no help to the staff because all they do is blame the teachers for all the problems. If the scores are low-teachers fault. Behavior issues-teachers fault. But when the scores show improvement-superintendent gets the praise. Make sense to you? Doesn't to me. Where are the parents? Why aren't they showing up? There's a threat of Kempton closing and holy crap parents show up to save a small school that needs to be closed. Parents aren't exactly supporting their child's education appropriately. Schools don't have enough subs to cover classrooms. Did you know that when custodians are absent there aren't enough subs to cover their buildings? Not a big deal right? Who changes the garbages at lunch? Who cleans up vomit? Guess.....yep teachers!!!!...in some schools you have parent volunteers doing it. Why do we not have enough subs? NO ONE wants to work for Durkin.
My last statement to you is what the paper printed wasn't even everything that was said at the meeting so the newspaper is obviously on Durkin's payroll. Parents spoke up against the admin but that didn't get published. Why don't you use your "expertise" in how teachers should handle themselves and sub in schools? You wouldn't last.....you would SHUT UP or be told to shut up by a student!!!

Anonymous said...

Teachers ARE afraid to say anything. We see students crumbling emotionally like never before. Part time counselors-part time ESL teachers-interim this and substitute that--full time TESTING!

I heard someone had a principal serving lunches due to lack of food service staff!

Anonymous said...

How many reporters does it take to write a decent factual article? Two and counting!

Anonymous said...

To the person who responded to my "Show up or Shut up" statement, yes I have been a teacher with NBPS for the past 35 years and a faculty rep for at least 15 of those years. I am well aware of all of the issues you raise, however they will not go away on their own without a unified stance against this administration.

Anonymous said...

About time some principals come out of their office instead of checking their Facebook and texting their friends

Anonymous said...

35 years.......time to get out ....before they drive you out....