Every Central Falls teacher fired, labor outraged | Rhode Island news | projo.com | The Providence Journal (http://www.projo.com/news/content/central_falls_trustees_vote_02-24-10_EOHI83C_v59.3c21342.html)

Couple of folks in our school system I'd like to hold accountable. Maybe this will serve as a warning shot......

Thats the same district that goes on strike every three years, once they were out for five months, so this isn't surprising. The MTA should be watching this.

Central Falls....
is Cocaine still King there?
or was that just in the eighties?

Teachers Unions.. don't even get me started...
only union that won't play ball with our town with the economic squeeze...and other issues...
I'm trying to get mandatory drug testing for teachers...hey, the union guys that drive trucks got to take it... why not the ones that shape kids minds..
I know of a couple that would never pass the first test.... at 73K a year plus bennies & tenured :doh:... (plus they want 4 and a half percent increase for next year...FIRM).. all other unions in town agreed to 3 % this year, 0 next year....and reduction in hours as well..just to stem lay offs....

Central Falls has been an absolute craphole for as long as I've been alive.

I hope they get rid of some of the teachers here in Warwick.
They have it made. In these economic times teachers need to face the reality that their union will have to concede on some contract issues or they will be replaced EVERYWHERE.

firing the teachers is a good thing, but what about the principal? superintendent?
lets hold them ALL accountable!
Send in some Marine DIs along with a bunch of heavyweight teachers. Do a lock down and whip those kids into shape. Make mandatory summer work camp and field trips to prisions so the kids will understand that this will be there life if they dont straighten up

We need Morgan Freeman........Get them chains on the doors

"You've tried it your way for years, and your students can't even pass the State's Minimum Basic Skills Test. THAT MEANS THEY CAN BARELY READ! Now, they've given me one year to turn this place around - to get those test scores up - so that the State will not take us over to perform the task which YOU have failed to accomplish: the task of EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN! So forget about the way it used to be. This is not a damn democracy! We are in a state of emergency and my word is law! There's only one boss around here, and that's me. The HNIC."


lets all join in for a chorus of "Lean on Me"

They should make all the teachers watch "Stand and Deliver" with Edward James Olmos. Then they might realize how sucky they are compared to someone who actually wants to teach.

They need to get Jaime Escalante in there.

YouTube - Montage Stand and Deliver Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRtjlUfqJNg#t=0m30s)


**Edit** Damn you fishbones for always raining on my parade.

Central Falls has been an absolute craphole for as long as I've been alive.


Yea it's a crap hole but that dosn't change the fact that there are still some good people that live there. Maybe this is the shake up they need to bring on some change. I don't like when people call other areas crap holes or anything else negative just because it's "Always" been a crap hole so it will always be a crap hole. These kids deserve every opportunity that the silver spoon kids of other afluent towns get. This is a tough issue and i don't have the answers but we shouldn't shun a town because it's a "crap hole".

I agree.
The issue is the school and teachers.
I would have gone right to the top and make EVERYONE from superintendent on down have to reapply for their jobs.
Just make sure you use an outside hiring firm, so that there can be no question of shady issues being involved.
As one parent put it: Shouldn't the process start at home with the family? Do the parents really have a hand in their children's lives and upbringing, or had they become "absentee parents" relying on the kids to monitor themselves?

I wish them well in this undertaking, and hopefully the students will win out in the end!

It's mostly a symbolic move. However, it should serve as a wake-up call.

The terminations go in to effect the last day of school in June and up to 50% of the same teachers can be re-hired for the Fall.

I guess it will be a busy summer in Central Falls!

Thank goodness the fast food restaurants all have cash registers with pictures of the food items, so that adding and subtracting won't be an issue when applying for a summer job (and potential career).

I still think it should be a clean sweep of the ENTIRE system. To put the brunt of blame on the teachers is like saying that the crew should pay the price for the captains problem.

"A fish stinks from theb head down."

Is this just a teacher problem or a society problem ???

Is this just a teacher problem or a society problem ???

Imho, the majority of the problem lies with the students and parents.
Go to a private school where teachers are paid less than in the public schools
and you will see kids respecting their teachers and willing to learn and learning because the parents are backing the teachers and the school.
Most teachers i've met became teachers because they felt they had something to offer and are dedicated to teaching.
If they don't get the backing from the parents and the kids are disrespetful they have a very hard time doing their job.

firing the teachers is a good thing, but what about the principal? superintendent?
lets hold them ALL accountable!
Send in some Marine DIs along with a bunch of heavyweight teachers. Do a lock down and whip those kids into shape. Make mandatory summer work camp and field trips to prisions so the kids will understand that this will be there life if they dont straighten up


I'm definitely for this. The Jesuit's did it for me.

It's "D", all of the above problem. But where the rubber meets the road is the teachers, students, and the parents. Too many parents just don't give or can't give enough of a crap and expect the teachers to make up the shortfall. Some teachers don't give a bleep (maybe they once did) and want 5 students per classroom and an easy job. Other teachers with 20 students are so good they could probably succeed with 120 (not recommending that). Lot fewer of them.

MC, everyone should get the same opportunity, that is correct, but parents need to put a max effort in and that does not happen. How many times when we were kids and got in trouble we were scared bleepless our parents would take the side of the school, now the parents practically sue the school....

/rant

As I often get first-hand exposure to classroom activities,...I sometimes ask myself, .....how does one maintain the drive to teach disrespectful students?

It is NOT the teacher's job to teach the kids respect. That SHOULD be taught at home. If 30% of the class does not have respect for the teacher, the teacher will lose the battle in teaching the class as a whole. In most cases, they spend more time disciplining the children than they do teaching them.

I TRULY believe that schools with such high failure rates are the product of poor parenting. YES, IT BEGINS AT HOME!!!!! I imagine that as a teacher, when you continue to get disrespected day in - day out, you lose your "drive"....you feel like a baby-sitter as opposed to an educator. Trying to get parents to come to school to discuss their child's education is pointless. Most parents living in places like Central Falls suffered the same upbringing,....for the most part, you teach what you learned. They're not learning respect at home....so WHY should they act respectful?

A respectful child will learn faster and quicker. They go hand in hand. Parents like to blame the educators.....:hs:, too bad, because it's the kids that will suffer the most.

Are there bad teachers out there? Absolutely, do a few bad apples ruin the basket? I dunno, this is a tough subject. When the PRINCIPALS' office area is full of delinquent kids, the word goes out to the teachers to try and keep the kids in the classroom...the kids aren't stupid, they know how far they can push....and they know when to use that tool.

OK....somebody help me off the soapbox...:banano:

OK....somebody help me off the soapbox...:banano:

You stay up there....you're doing fine.

that is probably the best summation to the problem.

IMO education is much improved vs. when I was younger. I know my wife and I play a huge role in making sure things are done the right way in order to keep the kids in the game. We monitor the homework,tests, and quizzes and try to instill the work ethic that it will take to be successful.When I was younger my parents barely acknowledged the fact we were in school and never had questions regarding homework and school activities.The teachers in CF had their chance to play ball, but they were greedy.At 50% graduation they should get canned.What type of opportunities can a child in that environment have?

When I was younger my parents barely acknowledged the fact we were in school and never had questions regarding homework and school activities.

But what happened if the school sent home a letter saying you were disrespecting the teachers.......thats the difference. Back then my dad never went to a single parent teacher conference.....but If I screwed up at school I sure as hell dreaded what was coming when I got home.

Nowadays if the kid screws up at school.....its the teachers fault....not the kids.

But what happened if the school sent home a letter saying you were disrespecting the teachers.......thats the difference. Back then my dad never went to a single parent teacher conference.....but If I screwed up at school I sure as hell dreaded what was coming when I got home.

Nowadays if the kid screws up at school.....its the teachers fault....not the kids.

This falls into something I've sure you've seen me mention before... a significant decrease in the sense of responsibility in parents. It is always someone else's fault that their child is a screw up - video games made my kid shoot up that school (Columbine), violent movies, South Park, Family Guy, Jackass... hell, even "Dr." Phil is reported to partially blame video games for the VTech shootings.

Many parents tend not to discipline their kids any more, they just make excuses for them. I taught in an after school program and saw it every day.

But the parents can't be the only ones to blame.

One of the other issues I think exists in all schools school systems (along with just about all union jobs) is the seniority based pay system and a lack of merit-based pay. Once you are hired, where's the incentive to perform well? If you don't have enough years under your belt and budget cuts come up, you get fired regardless of how well you perform your job. If you're tenured, you can go along for 20 years performing the minimum necessary requirements then retire at 55 with a pension.

It's a joke.

If it wasn't for the union, this wouldn't have happened. The under-performing and over-paid teachers could be fired to make room for better teachers.

The entire system from top to bottom, Superintendent to parents are to blame for a 50% graduation rates. Parents want the village to raise their children, the teachers don't give a damn because the kids are disrespectful. It's a shame really. Too bad there isn't a test you have to take before you can have kids.

Nowadays if the kid screws up at school.....its the teachers fault....not the kids.

Well, no disrespect intended if it works for you. I realize kids,especially teens are going to screw up. But if were a case of disrupting the class or being disrespectful to any adult,it would not fly in my world.Some things can be overlooked, but you have got to stick to your principles.
IMO MCAS is the best thing to ever happen to our schools,in that it provides accountability from teachers as well as pupils.Teaching most subjects is incredibly easy, considering it is generally the same curriculum being recycled every year.Unfortunately I have been shocked at some teachers I have met with through the years. Some really go through the motions.

Well, no disrespect intended if it works for you. I realize kids,especially teens are going to screw up. But if were a case of disrupting the class or being disrespectful to any adult,it would not fly in my world.

Er Umm....I agree with you....that doesn't fly with me either. I was saying that it flies with too many other people today. That seems to be what a lot of people these days think.

Trust me....My kids Effs up...... he Owns up. And feel free to ask him he'll tell you such.

As I often get first-hand exposure to classroom activities,...I sometimes ask myself, .....how does one maintain the drive to teach disrespectful students?

It is NOT the teacher's job to teach the kids respect. That SHOULD be taught at home. If 30% of the class does not have respect for the teacher, the teacher will lose the battle in teaching the class as a whole. In most cases, they spend more time disciplining the children than they do teaching them.

I TRULY believe that schools with such high failure rates are the product of poor parenting. YES, IT BEGINS AT HOME!!!!! I imagine that as a teacher, when you continue to get disrespected day in - day out, you lose your "drive"....you feel like a baby-sitter as opposed to an educator. Trying to get parents to come to school to discuss their child's education is pointless. Most parents living in places like Central Falls suffered the same upbringing,....for the most part, you teach what you learned. They're not learning respect at home....so WHY should they act respectful?

Then throw in drugs, bullying and the way kids treat each other.

My suggestion for parents wanting to understand what goes on in school,
spend a full day sitting in classes and changing classes with the kids.
Eye opener.

As I often get first-hand exposure to classroom activities,...I sometimes ask myself, .....how does one maintain the drive to teach disrespectful students?

It is NOT the teacher's job to teach the kids respect. That SHOULD be taught at home. If 30% of the class does not have respect for the teacher, the teacher will lose the battle in teaching the class as a whole. In most cases, they spend more time disciplining the children than they do teaching them.

I TRULY believe that schools with such high failure rates are the product of poor parenting. YES, IT BEGINS AT HOME!!!!! I imagine that as a teacher, when you continue to get disrespected day in - day out, you lose your "drive"....you feel like a baby-sitter as opposed to an educator. Trying to get parents to come to school to discuss their child's education is pointless. Most parents living in places like Central Falls suffered the same upbringing,....for the most part, you teach what you learned. They're not learning respect at home....so WHY should they act respectful?

A respectful child will learn faster and quicker. They go hand in hand. Parents like to blame the educators.....:hs:, too bad, because it's the kids that will suffer the most.

Are there bad teachers out there? Absolutely, do a few bad apples ruin the basket? I dunno, this is a tough subject. When the PRINCIPALS' office area is full of delinquent kids, the word goes out to the teachers to try and keep the kids in the classroom...the kids aren't stupid, they know how far they can push....and they know when to use that tool.

OK....somebody help me off the soapbox...:banano:

Your missing a HUGE fact in the Centrals Falls case - the majority of the parents do not speak English. I have a 2nd grader, every night I sit and do homework with her. She needs me to and she is a bright kid. What would happen if I didnt speak English? My kid would be falling behind as early as kindergarten! The problem with Central Falls isnt teacher respect, its more complicated than that. If children are progressing through grades without being able to read, its the schools fault. Otherwise the kids should be held back, no?

A viable solution may just be to blow the town up and use it for a landfill.Otherwise RI can look forward to widespread crime and stupid people who get caught and cost the taxpayers mucho dollars.I'm sure it would be cheaper in the long run and a better use of the land.

________________________________________
* Some teachers do nothing but show up to collect a check. Some go into it just for the work schedule and benies. Kids deserve better.

* Teachers hands are becoming ever more tied by Federal and State mandates, and correspondingly overstuffed curricula, that force a high teaching pace just to expose kids to the material before they take the standardized achievement tests. It would be far better to teach less content but to a greater depth than to turn kids into memorizing machines that can't solve basic problems. Less is more.

* Administration no longer works to protect the learning environment from disruptive students who deter the others from learning. Parents, and kids, have learned how to bully administrators, thus, the admin is lax and lets kids get away with too much. This in turn sets the example for other kids who quickly realize there are no/minor consequences for acting out. Administration won't stand behind their teachers anymore, and they often toss them under the bus when contentious issues arise. They have spared the rod and spoiled the children, just as parents have.

* Administrators are often upwardly mobile and intent on becoming superintendents. As such, their focus is on running a smooth operation for a few years to bide their time to get the experience needed to move up to the top paying education jobs. It used to be that administration worked for the teachers to provide the kids with a good education. Now they work for themselves first, their superiors second, parents third and the teachers last.

* Towns like Central Falls are destined for educational disaster solely due to their socioeconomic composition. Poverty brings drugs, alcohol, broken homes, homelessness and crime. KIDS GROWING UP IN THESE CONDITIONS VALUE A SCHOOL MOSTLY AS A SAFE HAVEN FOR 8 HOURS A DAY. Effective parenting is nonexistent, thus the kids are unruly in school and disrupt teaching and learning to entertain themselves. Sadly, many of these kids don't see education as a way out of their troubles, nor do they respect the institution for their classmates who do. Teachers are powerless to make kids behave, much less learn in this situation.

* Teachers unions, like any other, can bring out the worst while trying to protect their members. The CF union over played their hand, but not all do this- my union took a 0% increase for next year, and we agreed to freeze our steps for at least 2 years to help our community.

The issues at hand here were created by society, not a profession. Fix our society and the teachers will happily make the children achieve.

nice woody. couldn't agree more.

________________________________________
* Some teachers do nothing but show up to collect a check. Some go into it just for the work schedule and benies. Kids deserve better.

* Teachers hands are becoming ever more tied by Federal and State mandates, and correspondingly overstuffed curricula, that force a high teaching pace just to expose kids to the material before they take the standardized achievement tests. It would be far better to teach less content but to a greater depth than to turn kids into memorizing machines that can't solve basic problems. Less is more.

* Administration no longer works to protect the learning environment from disruptive students who deter the others from learning. Parents, and kids, have learned how to bully administrators, thus, the admin is lax and lets kids get away with too much. This in turn sets the example for other kids who quickly realize there are no/minor consequences for acting out. Administration won't stand behind their teachers anymore, and they often toss them under the bus when contentious issues arise. They have spared the rod and spoiled the children, just as parents have.

* Administrators are often upwardly mobile and intent on becoming superintendents. As such, their focus is on running a smooth operation for a few years to bide their time to get the experience needed to move up to the top paying education jobs. It used to be that administration worked for the teachers to provide the kids with a good education. Now they work for themselves first, their superiors second, parents third and the teachers last.

* Towns like Central Falls are destined for educational disaster solely due to their socioeconomic composition. Poverty brings drugs, alcohol, broken homes, homelessness and crime. KIDS GROWING UP IN THESE CONDITIONS VALUE A SCHOOL MOSTLY AS A SAFE HAVEN FOR 8 HOURS A DAY. Effective parenting is nonexistent, thus the kids are unruly in school and disrupt teaching and learning to entertain themselves. Sadly, many of these kids don't see education as a way out of their troubles, nor do they respect the institution for their classmates who do. Teachers are powerless to make kids behave, much less learn in this situation.

* Teachers unions, like any other, can bring out the worst while trying to protect their members. The CF union over played their hand, but not all do this- my union took a 0% increase for next year, and we agreed to freeze our steps for at least 2 years to help our community.

The issues at hand here were created by society, not a profession. Fix our society and the teachers will happily make the children achieve.

I think its a big show that will have no go. The unions will choke that school off if they don't work out some deal.

Its too bad the children get stereotyped with the city. My guess is that there are 95 good kids for every 5 bad. The trouble is that its the 5 bad that seem to take up 90% of the resources.

I have always been inm favor of kicking the trouble makers out. They are going to quit eventually and kicking them out would allow the ones who want to learn to do so.

I grew up in CF but went to a Catholic school. Same mix of incomes and minorities that the city schools had except that if you caused trouble you got kicked out and went to the public school. They public schools should have the same option. People who are over the top get kicked out and myust attend very strict , lockdown types of schools until they are 16 or 18 , whatever is chosen. If you get kicked out of the normal school ou go to the "reform School". Give them oppurtunities to work their way back to the regular schools by good behavior. You keep causing trouble in the "reform school" and you get kcik out and become a problem for the police , not the school system.

Now you do have to be aware of the special situation in CF which is so high in non english speaking people. That problem needs to be addressed with federal money and if there is not enough then they can't allow so much immigration. zero tolerance for illegal aliens also.

Anyway , its a big mess but this latest action is so abviously a Union Breaking tactic that all the big unions will support the teachers union and the city will have to back down. My guess is they are running up a hge tab of backp[ay right now that they eventually will have to cover while the teachers enjoy some vacation time.