Plan to fire all its teachers roils poor RI city

AP on Yahoo ^ | 2/24/10 | Ray Henry - ap

[NormsRevenge]

CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. – The blue-and-white banner exclaiming "anticipation" on the front of Central Falls High School seems like a cruel joke for an institution so chronically troubled that its leaders decided to fire every teacher by year's end.

No more than half those instructors would be hired back under a federal option that has enraged the state's powerful teachers union, earned criticism from students, and brought praise from U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and some parents.

The mass firings were approved by the school district's board of trustees Tuesday night after talks failed between Superintendent Frances Gallo and the local teachers union over implementing changes, including offering more after-school tutoring and a longer school day. The teachers say they want more pay for the additional work.

[Kimmers]

We can't always blame teachers for a students poor performance, we also need to look at any support the student may or not may get from home.....

[wiggen]

From the article,’His friend, Patrick Shirt, 15, stuck up for the school — especially after he advanced from freshman to sophomore year despite having switched schools and dropped out for a portion of the year.

“I felt kind of happy because I didn’t have to go to summer school,” he said. “They still passed me.”
So he thinks they did him a favor. He dropped out for a portion of the year yet they graduated him. Fire them all,take back the ones willing to be real teachers and not just passing time.

[pray4liberty]

The mass firings were approved by the school district's board of trustees Tuesday night after talks failed between Superintendent Frances Gallo and the local teachers union over implementing changes (emphasis added)

The employees at companies I worked for didn't even get that much consideration...

[wiggen]

There’s no question that’s true to some extent but with all the hours and all the days they have these kids the education system cannot shirk their share of the blame.

[Bigg Red]

...praise from U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan....

^^^
At first, I thought this was a good idea, but if the Department of Education is for it, it must be bad.

[Renegade]

As Emeril says “ BAM”!!!

[FrankR]

"...its leaders decided to fire every teacher by year's end. "

This is what it's going to take in this country to straighten things out.

The unions are taking over, and unions are nothing but microcosms of socialism. Take several unions, gather up most citizens as union members, consolidte them, and we have socialist America.

You are not going to like socialist America.

I spent three years in Germany, which is Socialist...and I was sure glad to get back to America, believe me. I couldn't live under those restrictions.

We haven't had any more Air Controllers strikes, as I know of, since Reagan sent them packing. Just like we didn't hear anymore out of Quadafi after the Gipper lobed a couple of missile through his living room window.

It's called "attitude adjustment", and if a country ever needed one, it's the shadow government of America.

Sometimes it takes a 2X4 between the jackass's eyes, just to get his attention...then, he'll cooperate.

[libbylu]

Maybe but it is awesome to see the teachers fired,like Reagan fired the air controllers.
They had their chance to negotiate. This is a good thing. A woman with testicles.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

“So he thinks they did him a favor. He dropped out for a portion of the year yet they graduated him.”

Those sorts of decisions come from higher up than the classroom teacher. Especially in high school, where each student has several teachers. (I.e. the rot runs deep.)

[pray4liberty]

It would be interesting to see what “changes” they were expected to agree to.

[cripplecreek]

All too true unfortunately.

[pray4liberty]

It has been my personal experience that belonging to a union is not all it is cracked up to be, nor it is really a protection. They don't even shine any more at collective bargaining. They sell our rights and benefits downriver instead.

Today, unions exist only to continue to exist and enrich themselves and others (i.e. collect your dues to buy politicians). The union members who are "junior" even after slaving at a job for 15 years or more are still not senior enough to have a voice. The guy at the bottom still gets the shaft, which belies the entire reason for having a union in the first place.

[Scotsman will be Free]

“It has been my personal experience that belonging to a union is not all it is cracked up to be, nor it is really a protection. They don’t even shine any more at collective bargaining. They sell our rights and benefits downriver instead.”
Very true. I belonged to the Teamsters and Retail Clerks union in the past(closed shop)They were very good at making sure they collected your dues which they spent on their priorities, and piss poor at advancing the rank and file’s agenda. Hell, we were fighting the union rep and management one time over a new contract. Finally threatened legal action against our rep to get him off his a$$. I’d of much rather been nonunion, but had no choice. Join or be terminated. You know, like in a free country. s/

[neal1960]

Mike Gallagher (A Conservative talk show host) spoke about this last week. Here's what he said the conditions were.

Six conditions Central Falls High School teachers must accept

Six conditions Central Falls High School teachers must accept by Friday to keep their jobs:

Increase length of school day by 25 minutes to provide more instructional time for students.

Formalize tutoring schedule so struggling students have extra help for one hour before and after school.

Agree to eat lunch with students one day a week to build stronger relationships.

Attend two weeks of professional development in the summer at a rate of $30 an hour.

Stay after school for 90 minutes one day each week to work with fellow teachers analyzing student work and test data and discussing ways to improve teaching at a rate of $30 an hour if Gallo can find grant financing.

Accept more rigorous evaluations by a third-party starting March 1.

http://www.mikeonline.com/

Central Falls has an average income of $22,000. The Union teachers salary...Between $70 and $77k per year.

[YHAOS]

Chickens coming home to roost.

[LibFreeOrDie]

The Superintendent’s response to the picketing:

http://www.cfschools.net/Documents/Teacher%20Picket%20-%20Dr.%20Gallo’s%20response.pdf

[pray4liberty]

If they fire all the teachers, they could have desktops for every child in every class, and put the entire school curriculum online.

Those who are in the senior grades who have their own computers can stay home and still go online. Log in, do your work, and log off.

Imagine how much money would be saved.... that is if they don't spy on the kids at home. /sarc

[LibFreeOrDie]

Central Falls teachers’ union contract:

http://www.ntlongcber.com/cber/docs/_CF.htm

I notice that the high school teachers did NOT have any “duty assignments”, which typically means bus duty, cafeteria duty, hall duty, ...

They get paid extra hourly rates to supervise detention, and the teachers with the most seniority get first dibs.

Lots of sick leave.

The high school is in session for 185 days, from 7:50 AM–2:25 PM (~6.5 hours).

Pay starts at $44,690 and runs up to $73,680 after 10 years of employment. Additional money beyond the 10 years for “longevity.” More money every year if you have additional degrees/credits.

I wsa a teacher for almost 20 years. This is what a typical contract covers, although these teachers have it better than I did!