School Restructuring Planned

help wrote:

As a former NB teacher I think video cameras in the classroom would be great! Then the public and administrators could witness for themselves the hardest working people in the district - the teachers! They would see the unreasonable conditions (oversize and behavior)teachers in which they are expected to raise scores. They would see that a good teacher never stops!! Unfortunately, many of the families would not see their child's behavior as unacceptable - it would always be because "blah,blah,blah" and their reason. Something HAS to change.

You are right, something is changing as we speak, George W.'s n.c.l.b. is killing the teachers on the job, making the new ones run for the door, and ruining it for the next generation, because they will "NOT" tolerate the disrespect, poor pay , lack of the simplest forms of support. God bless you for teaching the children of NEW BRITAIN for how ever long you lasted !!!!!!!!!!

Brubaker wrote:

<quoted text>The first round of repairs at New Britain High School cost over ten million dollars in 1980 dollars. They found construction flaws by the original contractor and I believed they deviated from the original plans and specifications and New Britain taxpayers took the hit.
You are the one who is brain dead for staying in that town dealing with all the crime, corruption, poor education, teachers and schools, lack of funding and the remnants of the failed Democratic political machine. You put up with the teacher's union whose members cannot teach the children.
If I had children in New Britain's schools I would move to the burbs ASAP. Tell me one good thing about New Britain other than the roses in Walnut Hill Park; where you would get mugged attempting to smell them.
Incidentlly the teacher salaries and lack of funding too support two schools were the reason. Someone had a brain fart to put addition after addition at the present high school site. We never had a student murdered in front of Pulaski High and if you are a parent do you feel your children are safe at that high school? The police are not there to direct traffic.
Students in my town are picked up at 6:30 A.M. on the yellow school buses to make high school classes on time. Maybe the children in your community should be off the streets by 7:00 PM studying and doing their homework instead of being wannabe gangsters and drug dealers.

I am not going to respond to all your complaints about New Britain, but please do not sit in your glass suburban house and cast stones at the entire community. There are plenty of problems in the 'burbs--don't be naive. There are plenty of outstanding, hard-working, and successful people of all ages in New Britain. A city is a microcosim of society. Don't think that you can escape society's ills by living in a lily-white environment. I live in New Britain, fight to correct the problems we have by volunteering in many capacities, and will be the first to defend the good. By the way, I grew up in a suburb but have lived in NB most of my adult life, so I am not simply defending the only thing I know. I have lived both sides--the grass is not necessarily greener on your side.

Stood out of respect wrote:

<quoted text>
You are right, something is changing as we speak, George W.'s n.c.l.b. is killing the teachers on the job, making the new ones run for the door, and ruining it for the next generation, because they will "NOT" tolerate the disrespect, poor pay , lack of the simplest forms of support. God bless you for teaching the children of NEW BRITAIN for how ever long you lasted !!!!!!!!!!

POOR PAY ???? The average salary for a teacher in New Britain is $82,000 per tear for 185 days of work and 7 hours a day a week off every eight weeks and two weeks at Christmas time, every holiday (15) that you can think of.

New teachers, just out of college, start at $37,000. In order for the average to be $82,000 there must be a large number of teachers making $100,000 plus per year.

tax payer wrote:

<quoted text>
POOR PAY ???? The average salary for a teacher in New Britain is $82,000 per tear for 185 days of work and 7 hours a day a week off every eight weeks and two weeks at Christmas time, every holiday (15) that you can think of.
New teachers, just out of college, start at $37,000. In order for the average to be $82,000 there must be a large number of teachers making $100,000 plus per year.

They get paid plenty and many whine about it. Yes, they have hard jobs, but so do many others in the "real world" with 2 weeks vacation a year. We need to have the kids in school more, but, oh wait--the teachers need a vacation! Sorry, it's supposed to be about the kids, but it's really about the adults.

First of all, your figures are not accurate, I will admit that NB teachers are well paid compared to others in the area BUT why do you think that is necessary?? Secondly, it is obvious from your statements about the "time" teachers put into their jobs that you have never been closely connected to a good teacher. If you had, you would know how much time it really takes AND that much of the summer days are spent taking classes to learn the most current proven methods for effective teaching OR planning for and creating more exciting effective lessons OR actually setting up their classrooms. You would also know how much personal $$$$ is spent on furniture, books, decorations, incentives and yes even cleaning supplies.
They can't pay NB teachers enough for what most of them do everyday!

tax payer wrote:

<quoted text>
POOR PAY ???? The average salary for a teacher in New Britain is $82,000 per tear for 185 days of work and 7 hours a day a week off every eight weeks and two weeks at Christmas time, every holiday (15) that you can think of.
New teachers, just out of college, start at $37,000. In order for the average to be $82,000 there must be a large number of teachers making $100,000 plus per year.

tax payer wrote:

<quoted text>
POOR PAY ???? The average salary for a teacher in New Britain is $82,000 per tear for 185 days of work and 7 hours a day a week off every eight weeks and two weeks at Christmas time, every holiday (15) that you can think of.
New teachers, just out of college, start at $37,000. In order for the average to be $82,000 there must be a large number of teachers making $100,000 plus per year.

Poor pay. First, I would love to see where you found your statistics that the average teachers make 82,000. I pay taxes in New Britain and teach in New Britain and teachers do not make enough. As a teacher your job does not stop when you walk out that classroom door. I spend hours upon hours correcting papers. Teachers put in time before school and after school every day to help students without pay. Phone calls in the evening and meetings with parents because at times you want to see the students succeed more than they even want to. Do you spend hundreds of dollars a year to supply your job with pencils, pens, paper, books and supplies or does your job provide you with all the things that you need to do your job. Spend a day teaching a class of 33 middle school students (previous year) including major disruptive students and then tell me that teachers make enough. I would not trade it for any other job but I take great offense to someone saying teachers make too much without knowing what really goes into the job.

y mouth would be to rewrite you incident report and it would not be accepted until it was rewritten. My answer always was "I stand by my report".
In the case of the pedophile predator teachers; both male and female the system would work with sound. Then the school could provide education by television as they did in my college days and required classes in the freshman curriculum. Perhaps these television classes could be taught to more children with less teachers. The district could then release the deadwood teachers or retrain them.

Half or my response was totally eliminated by the censor in response # 48.

1. Please understand that teachers work well over the time when school is in session, this includes time during the evenings, weekends, and vacations. While some staff put in more time than others,as you find in any career, it is impossible to not put in any time outside of the school day.
2. As a teacher who has looped in an inner city, I beleive there are many benefits to this educational structure. While relationships improve, a greater gain is in both the quantity and quality of material you can cover when you are aware of both what has been taught previously, as well as what methods work best and your students strengths and weaknesses.
3. Yes, planning three years is time-consuming, but not impossible. Teachers should stay currect within the subject they teach. Even without having to plan a new grade each year, teachers should be revising thier plans.

I wish you understood wrote:

First of all, your figures are not accurate, I will admit that NB teachers are well paid compared to others in the area BUT why do you think that is necessary?? Secondly, it is obvious from your statements about the "time" teachers put into their jobs that you have never been closely connected to a good teacher. If you had, you would know how much time it really takes AND that much of the summer days are spent taking classes to learn the most current proven methods for effective teaching OR planning for and creating more exciting effective lessons OR actually setting up their classrooms. You would also know how much personal $$$$ is spent on furniture, books, decorations, incentives and yes even cleaning supplies.
They can't pay NB teachers enough for what most of them do everyday! <quoted text>

You must have retired from teaching or the administration after robbing the school district in New Britain for forty years to have an IPS address in Newport R.I.. They chose that career that no longer exists as they knew it when they were a student or student teacher. That is why I bailed out 40 years ago. I saw the handwriting on the wall. Good-bye Mr. Chips.

concerned in new britain wrote:

<quoted text>
Poor pay. First, I would love to see where you found your statistics that the average teachers make 82,000. I pay taxes in New Britain and teach in New Britain and teachers do not make enough. As a teacher your job does not stop when you walk out that classroom door. I spend hours upon hours correcting papers. Teachers put in time before school and after school every day to help students without pay. Phone calls in the evening and meetings with parents because at times you want to see the students succeed more than they even want to. Do you spend hundreds of dollars a year to supply your job with pencils, pens, paper, books and supplies or does your job provide you with all the things that you need to do your job. Spend a day teaching a class of 33 middle school students (previous year) including major disruptive students and then tell me that teachers make enough. I would not trade it for any other job but I take great offense to someone saying teachers make too much without knowing what really goes into the job.

My dear teacher. It the average salary has been published in the newspaper many many times.. The newer teachers probably do spend extra time but I DO BELIEVE THAT you teachers a a planning periods that is utilized by everyone. You can BS most of the people but not me.

courage in the face of adversity is the true test of character. NCLB has made many mandates on the educational system without the necessary supports to fulfill those mandates. Test scores used as the sole measure of success is ridiculous. How can we measure all students equally when they do not begin their educational life equally. When this country stops funding wars and starts to fund education and equalize education by equalizing taxes and housing then we can standardize are measures. Until then this educational race has different starting points, so how can we all cross the finish line at the same time?

Overall school improvement is the key point that is raised here. Schools that ARE showing improvements and raising their AYP (percentage of students who meet federal/state goals) each year are still deemed as failing schools if they do not meet federal mandated AYP. This issue is something that schools in CT are facing each year as well. As a teacher in NB... some of our schools have raised our AYP each year and this year some raised overall school AYP nearly 15%. However, we are still scoring below mandated AYP levels, because each year as we increase our scores the expected level increases which is mandated from the Gov't. It is like reaching for a rope when you are drowning...each time you get close the rope moves further away). We have shown great improvement throughout the entire school district just as many schools across the state have. Yet we are still deemed as failing. Many people who have no idea what is going on with NCLB or those with no educational backgrounds are the ones making judgments based on what they hear from mass media reportings such as the newspapers. FACT: NB Public School District and Dr. Kurtz did not just decide to RESTRUCTURE... THIS WAS A FEDERALLY MANDATED LAW! The teachers here are making a difference... those who say we are not I challenge you to come into my room and see what I do and make suggestions as to how I could change my approach. I am tired of people who not once have offered to come in and read to the students or volunteer their time to help give their opinions about how wrong teachers, administrators or Dr. Kurtz are.(PS. The NB Pay Scale tops out at 82,000 - THAT IS NOT OUR AVERAGE!) As for teachers pay in general... Please see this site http://www.economist.com/markets/indicators/d... which will show you that the US on average is one of the LOWEST Teacher PAYING COUNTRIES in the world!). Come do what we do for a day... and I promise I will then take you seriously.

Ready to think outside the box? Ready to build a new box for public education? Ready to Educate For A Change? www.educateforachange.com

New Britain, among others is a corrupt school district. The principals (some) threaten their teachers that if they don't raise test scores, they will be looking for a new job. This even goes for Special Education and Bilingual students new to the country. Some principals treat their teachers like3rd class citizens and the paraprofessionals are especially unappreciated. Teachers get paid decently but that is because they have to deal with much more. The kids come from homes where they don't bathe and don't eat and the TV is their babysitter. Their behavior is what takes up the entire day's learning time, not to mention no or poor supplies given to the teachers to use. Every year the district changes every guideline. They change what textbooks the teacher need to teach from, they change the behavior policies, the pullout/inclusion rules, attendance policies, lesson plan formats, everything. It's ridiculous. Pick something and stick to it. Otherwise, nothing will ever work, the kids will fail because they're so confused, the teachers will grow more and more miserable and leave the district, and nobody will accomplish anything.