Rhode Island teachers all rehired. Now what?

[eliza61]

I was watching CNN this morning and they were interviewing the 97 RI teachers who were fired earlier this year for the students poor performance.

Many here thought it was a brillant idea, so where does it leave this H.S? All the teachers have been rehired with pretty much a few changes (longer teaching day and after school tutoring which the teachers will be compensation $30/hour and $3000 stipend) and now some of them from the interview seem to really have resentment toward the school board. Can't imagine that's going to be good for the school teaching environment.

Personally I feel that teachers are the scape goat for every ill especially here in NJ but that's just my personal opinion.

Do you think this is going to help that school or the students any?

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

The whole town where that school is located is in trouble. The public officials were replaced by an attorney in an attempt to fix the problems.
The school is only one of many problems going on in Central Falls right now. It is a sad situation.

 

[DawnCt1]

I was watching CNN this morning and they were interviewing the 97 RI teachers who were fired earlier this year for the students poor performance.

Many here thought it was a brillant idea, so where does it leave this H.S? All the teachers have been rehired with pretty much a few changes (longer teaching day and after school tutoring which the teachers will be compensation $30/hour and $3000 stipend) and now some of them from the interview seem to really have resentment toward the school board. Can't imagine that's going to be good for the school teaching environment.

Personally I feel that teachers are the scape goat for every ill especially here in NJ but that's just my personal opinion.

Do you think this is going to help that school or the students any?

If seems like the schools will have longer hours, teachers available for teaching and at a rate that the school board can agree will not over burden the taxpayers. The only problem I see here is the possibility that resentful teachers will not behave in a professional manner and do their jobs at the compensation that they have agreed to. As long as they behave professionally and teach enthusiastically, I don't see a problem. No one is blaming teachers for every ill, but the fact remains, the private sector financially supports public sector jobs. The unemployment rate has hit the private sector rather hard. I think you would be hard pressed to convince the unemployed that they should joyfully pay higher taxes so the teachers aren't "resentful".

 

[eliza61]

If seems like the schools will have longer hours, teachers available for teaching and at a rate that the school board can agree will not over burden the taxpayers. The only problem I see here is the possibility that resentful teachers will not behave in a professional manner and do their jobs at the compensation that they have agreed to. As long as they behave professionally and teach enthusiastically, I don't see a problem. No one is blaming teachers for every ill, but the fact remains, the private sector financially supports public sector jobs. The unemployment rate has hit the private sector rather hard. I think you would be hard pressed to convince the unemployed that they should joyfully pay higher taxes so the teachers aren't "resentful".

Then why the claim that the schools were not performing due to the teachers? I thought at the time the big mantra was the school was such a poor performer that the teachers had to be replaced to bring about change. I didn't hear they were fired due to salary problems.

From what I read the teachers will have mandatory tutoring which they will be compensated for. Ok, tutoring is all good and well if the kids actually go to tutoring.

So imo they were made scape goats. If the teachers were so lousy, what's changed that will make an effect on a school that has a graduation rate of less than 50% and where only 10% of 11 graders are proficient in math and reading?

So in a nutshell, in exchange for not suing the pants of the school district teachers got their jobs back but now you've got some resentful teachers. And I'm finding it hard to believe it won't effect how the work, could be me though.
School districts has mandatory tutoring but no way to actually force the kids that need help to get tutoring anyway. With a dropout rate of almost 40% if they can't get the kids to school, how the heck are they going to force them to tutoring. Every teacher I've ever known has said that they are usually more than willing to offer after school help but 9/10 times can't get the failing kid to show up
Longer school day.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Hopefully, the teachers won't be out for revenge by acting like idiots, but rather prove that they can make a difference. If they're really that resentful, they should be applying for jobs somewhere else.

And hopefully there will be more interaction from teachers and administrators, as far as getting kids to utilize the extra help.

And hopefully they're using some method of measuring the effectiveness of the changes they've made.

As a RIer, I know that city...once considered "the cocaine capitol of New England"...and it certainly will need more than changes in the length of the workday, etc, to have successful schools. But hopefully it's a start. It's not going to change overnight. Just because attempting to fix one problem won't be the cure all doesn't mean they shouldn't try to fix that one problem. I seriously doubt that the superintendent of schools or the Central Falls government are sitting back and patting themselves on the backs thinking "problem solved".

 

[Hoodie]

Simply put, the teachers caved.

The teachers were fired because under new federal rules, states have to fix their worst schools by one of four ways: school closure; takeover by a charter or school-management organization; transformation which requires a longer school day, among other changes; and “turnaround” which requires the entire teaching staff be fired and no more than 50 percent rehired in the fall. They tried to change via the transformation clause, but the teacher's wanted $90/hour for the extra time. The school committee offered $30/hour. Union/teachers walked out and school board fired them.

Since they are back at the longer day and at $30/hour, looks like the school board won.

 

[golfgal]

Or maybe the school board figured out that they wouldn't be able to hire any other teachers for the same no compensation offer AND that teachers wouldn't be willing to take a job there with the constant threat of job loss if kids don't perform due to NO fault of their own. I am STILL waiting for this town to start holding the PARENTS responsible for their kids lack of education through the years. Teachers can only do so much if the kids go home to a parent that just doesn't care.

 

[DawnCt1]

Since they are back at the longer day and at $30/hour, looks like the school board won.

It sounds like the taxpayers won, since they are the ones actually on the hook for the salaries.

 

[Hoodie]

It sounds like the taxpayers won, since they are the ones actually on the hook for the salaries.

That too.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Or maybe the school board figured out that they wouldn't be able to hire any other teachers for the same no compensation offer AND that teachers wouldn't be willing to take a job there with the constant threat of job loss if kids don't perform due to NO fault of their own. I am STILL waiting for this town to start holding the PARENTS responsible for their kids lack of education through the years. Teachers can only do so much if the kids go home to a parent that just doesn't care.

I repeat...it's not a cure all.

Who says the problems in the school system are "NO" fault of the teachers?? There is no ONE problem. This is a start. Maybe it will work, maybe it won't...they'll have to evaluate the results, or lack of results, in some way, at some point. They can't go into these kids' homes and fix everything there. Maybe they are currently looking at ways to improve involvement from home too. But firing the teachers made the big headlines.

I doubt, no matter what they do, that this city's schools will ever be near the top of the best performing schools in the state. Just because they can't turn things around completely with one move, doesn't mean they shouldn't do anything. No doubt a year from now there will be media (and the DIS) announcing that yes, it's still an under-performing school. And I don't doubt for a minute that it will be.

 

[DawnCt1]

I repeat...it's not a cure all.

Who says the problems in the school system are "NO" fault of the teachers?? There is no ONE problem. This is a start. Maybe it will work, maybe it won't...they'll have to evaluate the results, or lack of results, in some way, at some point. They can't go into these kids' homes and fix everything there. Maybe they are currently looking at ways to improve involvement from home too. But firing the teachers made the big headlines.

I doubt, no matter what they do, that this city's schools will ever be near the top of the best performing schools in the state. Just because they can't turn things around completely with one move, doesn't mean they shouldn't do anything. No doubt a year from now there will be media (and the DIS) announcing that yes, it's still an under-performing school. And I don't doubt for a minute that it will be.

Well said. Throwing more money at the problem obviously hasn't worked. Maybe there will be some improvement. Having teachers available after school and at an affordable rate, should help.

 

[eliza61]

Interestingly, no one mentioned this being a good thing for the students.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

We have so many new teachers at my school, it's insane. People were telling me their schedules and I was like "I haven't even HEARD of half these teachers!". I don't live in Central Falls, though.

 

[dakcp2001]

I dont think I would feel comfortable sending my kids to these schools regardless of how this issue was resolved. With new or ther old teachers the problem goes much deeper than that and since the real issue has not been addressed, I would send my kids elsewhere. The failure of the schools can not be blamed on just one issue, I am sure there was a lot of other factors that went into it.

I dont blame the teachers at all. I have the utmost repsect for them, they never get paid what they should for what they do and when something goes wrong, they get blamed?

 

[daughtersrus]

Having teachers available after school and at an affordable rate, should help.

Only if the students that are failing show up to school AND stay after school for tutoring.

A teacher sitting in an empty classroom after school isn't going to help anyone.

An interesting study would be to take the teachers from the best performing school and switch them with the teachers from the worst performing school. Chances are that the students at the best performing school will still be the best and the students from the worst performing school will still be the worst.

There's so much more than just the teacher that determines the test scores of the students.

 

[golfgal]

Only if the students that are failing show up to school AND stay after school for tutoring.

A teacher sitting in an empty classroom after school isn't going to help anyone.

An interesting study would be to take the teachers from the best performing school and switch them with the teachers from the worst performing school. Chances are that the students at the best performing school will still be the best and the students from the worst performing school will still be the worst.

There's so much more than just the teacher that determines the test scores of the students.

And it will happen in ONE YEAR.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Interestingly, no one mentioned this being a good thing for the students.

No? That's the point of the whole thing...trying to improve student learning. This is ONE OF THE THINGS they're doing towards that end...it being good for the students.

I dont think I would feel comfortable sending my kids to these schools regardless of how this issue was resolved. With new or ther old teachers the problem goes much deeper than that and since the real issue has not been addressed, I would send my kids elsewhere. The failure of the schools can not be blamed on just one issue, I am sure there was a lot of other factors that went into it.

Exactly, and I've said all that. There is no way on the face of this earth I'd EVER live in Central Falls, nor send my kids to CFHS, no matter what improvement is shown with the changes in the schools. It's not the only problem and this is not the only solution. It's a start, which hopefully will...but may not...be part of the solution. It's a high immigrant, minority, non-English speaking population, with many many problems. OF COURSE staying after school and being available for these students is not a cure-all; there is no one problem, there is no one solution.

Only if the students that are failing show up to school AND stay after school for tutoring.

A teacher sitting in an empty classroom after school isn't going to help anyone.

An interesting study would be to take the teachers from the best performing school and switch them with the teachers from the worst performing school. Chances are that the students at the best performing school will still be the best and the students from the worst performing school will still be the worst.

There's so much more than just the teacher that determines the test scores of the students.

Of course a teacher sitting in an empty classroom isn't going to help anything. There are many services available to people in need that aren't utilized. I'm guessing the solution isn't to omit the service, but to promote using it. And maybe with implementing "advisory time" (which is done at my son's school, and which in the beginning, I didn't think was necessary but has actually been quite helpful), where there's counseling of students, there will be better bonds with teachers and encouragement to take advantage of after school tutoring.

I don't think there's as much putting down of these teachers as far as their abilities, as there is wanting to implement different methods, and that's where the teachers had the hissy fit. They didn't want to change anything, and wanted outrageous compensation for additional time. If you put the teachers from the best performing schools in there with the old methods, yes, maybe there wouldn't be an improvement either. Which is why they're trying to make changes to the methods, programs, availability, etc.

And if they don't make these changes, what IS the solution? If the bigger problems in the city are (and they are) the demographics, how do they go in and change the demographics? Bus kids around all over Rhode Island to make things more even? Have singles night so the single parents can find a spouse and create a typical suburban family? How much going INTO these kids homes can they do? Not much. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't at least attempt to make changes in the schools, where they do have some control; the alternative would be to sit back and do nothing.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

And it will happen in ONE YEAR.

????????? Link please, where anyone says everything will be all better in a year.

 

[Crankyshank]

this isn't an average suburban town with run of the mill problems and an under performing school. This is a seriously corrupt and impoverished city that is broken at the very basic level.

For those unfamiliar with CF, it is only about 1.3miles with about 20,000 people living in it. That makes it the smallest most densely populated city in the state. Over 60% of the population do not speak English as a first language and many don't speak English at all. The graduation rate for CF is less than 50%. 64% of students qualify for free lunch. The mayor was just demoted to advisory status now that the city is in receivership.

So clearly this teacher situation isn't going to be a cure-all and anyone who claims it will be turned around in one year has never set foot in the city (or the state for that matter). So I would love to see where Dr. Gallo, Deborah Gist, or anyone directly associated with the CF educational system said this will be turned around in a year. Teacher's don't take all of the blame here and they certainly can't turn this rotting pumpkin into a coach that quickly, especially with the gross lack of parental involvement and the lack of importance placed on education in this town.

 

[golfgal]

????????? Link please, where anyone says everything will be all better in a year.

I was responding to a post where someone said that it would be interesting to see this happen and MY OPINION is that if you did this the "bad" school would become the "good" school in one year. We have a lot of teachers at our school that did their first 2-3 years at an inner city school that are EXCELLENT teachers yet their students at the inner city school couldn't seem to read or write or do well on standardized tests and everyone blames the teachers. Funny how all these kids in a better school are just doing fine with the same teachers.