School Restructuring Planned

Makes sence on paper, but different teachers open up new doors and new ideas for students, and different students bring new friends and points of view for understanding. Learning to adapt to new situations and new people is a life skill that needs to be taught, and is just as important as "standardized tests". Variety is the spice of life, this plan might produce higher test scores, but prehaps bland students.

Some teachers will produce more results for a variety of reasons. Will there be measureable results? Will some children be stuck with an incompetent teacher for three years? One year is bad enough! Will the teachers' union defend the teacher who does not produce results in his or her classroom? With changes in transportation and consultants hired, what will Kurtz's shortcomings cost the taxpayers?

Kudos to the district for attempting to make change. However, if the plan is to continue packing 30-32 kids in each classroom, it will not work. Not only is the current class size ineffective, but it is also dangerous. Significant reduction in class size seems like a simple solution that is overlooked year after year.

I wonder how many education bureacrats worked on this plan? Keep moving the deck chairs.

Nice to see some kind of plan but how will you prevent teachers from moving? The teachers on the front line know what the problems are - do they endorse this? How will you address the stresses that are causing your teachers to leave? Lower class sizes, more help in the classrooms, support for the behaviorally challenged students - address some of these and you may have teachers who want to stay in NB.

My son is a NB student attending middle school. He is meeting and exceeding goal on the CMT. Early in
his education he was in a pilot class
of "looping". Students stayed with
the same classmates and teacher for two years in a row. There was the occasional situation where a student
and teacher didn't connect. I found
the school system to respond accordingly. My son now attends a middle school in NB where the same group of students stay together with the same teachers for all three
years. I am very satisfied with this
process. I think we need to lend support and look to the positive steps being taken in our inner city
school systems.

YUP!Time to "DUMB DOWN" the tests again to get 'dramatic improvement'
Now, all that will be required to pass is to spell your own name right once out of ten times and you will pass read'n & write'n & ritmatic with flying colors. Did I say flying colors? WOW, they passed art too. HELP!!!

I can not believe that Dr. Kurtz is trying to take credit for these changes. EVERY change that has been made sense Kurtz took over has NOT been her idea. Think closely about the changes. CONSULTANTS have been hired for ALL the changes at a cost of well into the thousands of dollars. Why??? Simply because Dr. Kurtz does not have the experience or the intelligence to initiate the changes herself.
She reads about different changes throughout the country and thinks it will work here. She goes to many conferences (at school district expense) and gets more ideas that she THINKS will work in our district. She pulls articles off of the Internet and claims they are hers. All this because she not competent enough to do things . Check the records and where she has been and why she has left. It is like a "soap opera". And while you are checking look into her expenses.
Dr. Kurtz PLEASE leave before you completely destroy the district. You have made a good start already.

"So a student entering the sixth grade with a certain science teacher would remain with that teacher through the eighth grade, along with the rest of the students in a particular group."

Very nice. What if you get a total dud for a teacher (there are plenty in New Britain)! What if your "group" consists of a bunch of rotten ill behaved maniacs (also quite common in NB)? This is a stupid plan. What New Britain really needs are more schools, especially another high school because the current one (and there is only one except for a Trade school) is overcrowded beyond belief. Smaller classes and better curriculum. And, oh yeah, a total cultural change in the way we look at education. We do not live in an agricultural society any longer, therefore there is no need for a 2 1/2 long summer break - sorry teachers, but this era must come to an end if we want any real sustained learning to take place.

New Britain Parent wrote:

My son is a NB student attending middle school. He is meeting and exceeding goal on the CMT. Early in
his education he was in a pilot class
of "looping". Students stayed with
the same classmates and teacher for two years in a row. There was the occasional situation where a student
and teacher didn't connect. I found
the school system to respond accordingly. My son now attends a middle school in NB where the same group of students stay together with the same teachers for all three
years. I am very satisfied with this
process. I think we need to lend support and look to the positive steps being taken in our inner city
school systems.

A few years ago we had a superintendent that started the process of LOOPING (Dr. Paul Sequiera). No KURTZ is taking credit for the program. Keep it up Doris, the plagerism sheriff is looking into your actions.

i went to parochial schools as did my children. we all got excellent educations. there was no "back talking" to teachers. when the principal entered the room everyone stood out of respect. our test scores were very high. we learned and we learned respect. oh! our classrooms all averaged 30 kids per class.

The plan for DiLoreto focuses on consolidating New Britain's very success dual language immersion programs (educating children through a 50% English, 50% Spanish curriculum). Dual language immersion programs, have as their goal, biliteracy through immersion and content learning in both languages throughout the duration of the student's academic tenure. They are very different from traditional bilingual programs. Children attain fluency in both languages (even if one of the languages is not spoken at home). By design, children at entry come from English-speaking families (50%) and Spanish-speaking families (50%). They learn to read and write and do math in both languages and the children are expected to perform at grade level (at a minimum!) in both languages. They learn the academic language (as opposed to the street language) of both English and Spanish.

Thus the focus of Diloreto Magnet will be on dual-language and NOT bilingual programming. It follows up on very successful dual language programming at Smalley, Diloreto, and hopefully, the middle school dual language programming of Slade Middle School. Dual-language remains a very popular choice program in New Britain.

Dual language and bilingual programs are two very different "animals".

All of these changes will greatly disrupt the learning of the students affected...I only hope that there are improvements in the schools that more than make up for the disruption to the students and staff. Changes just for changes sake won't change a thing.

help wrote:

Nice to see some kind of plan but how will you prevent teachers from moving? The teachers on the front line know what the problems are - do they endorse this? How will you address the stresses that are causing your teachers to leave? Lower class sizes, more help in the classrooms, support for the behaviorally challenged students - address some of these and you may have teachers who want to stay in NB.

Most of the teachers affected didnt find out til last week about THE GREAT NEW PLAN. you are right...the teachers are the ones on the frontline and it is a war. Perhaps if she listened more to their input instead of dismissing anyone that doesnt agree with what she wants the district might see more results in the battle to educate.

Tired of this nonsense wrote:

"So a student entering the sixth grade with a certain science teacher would remain with that teacher through the eighth grade, along with the rest of the students in a particular group."
Very nice. What if you get a total dud for a teacher (there are plenty in New Britain)! What if your "group" consists of a bunch of rotten ill behaved maniacs (also quite common in NB)? This is a stupid plan. What New Britain really needs are more schools, especially another high school because the current one (and there is only one except for a Trade school) is overcrowded beyond belief. Smaller classes and better curriculum. And, oh yeah, a total cultural change in the way we look at education. We do not live in an agricultural society any longer, therefore there is no need for a 2 1/2 long summer break - sorry teachers, but this era must come to an end if we want any real sustained learning to take place.

Year-round schools would definitely work better. How much can you possibly remember after being out for 2.5 months? Have 2 week breaks scattered throughout the year instead of a huge break once a year, and kids would retain more of what they learn and not have to relearn.

Retired wrote:

I can not believe that Dr. Kurtz is trying to take credit for these changes. EVERY change that has been made sense Kurtz took over has NOT been her idea. Think closely about the changes. CONSULTANTS have been hired for ALL the changes at a cost of well into the thousands of dollars. Why??? Simply because Dr. Kurtz does not have the experience or the intelligence to initiate the changes herself.
She reads about different changes throughout the country and thinks it will work here. She goes to many conferences (at school district expense) and gets more ideas that she THINKS will work in our district. She pulls articles off of the Internet and claims they are hers. All this because she not competent enough to do things . Check the records and where she has been and why she has left. It is like a "soap opera". And while you are checking look into her expenses.
Dr. Kurtz PLEASE leave before you completely destroy the district. You have made a good start already.

TOOOOOOOOOO LATE
she has completely destroy the district!!!!!!!!!! Small s is what she is!

Tired of this nonsense wrote:

"So a student entering the sixth grade with a certain science teacher would remain with that teacher through the eighth grade, along with the rest of the students in a particular group."
Very nice. What if you get a total dud for a teacher (there are plenty in New Britain)! What if your "group" consists of a bunch of rotten ill behaved maniacs (also quite common in NB)? This is a stupid plan. What New Britain really needs are more schools, especially another high school because the current one (and there is only one except for a Trade school) is overcrowded beyond belief. Smaller classes and better curriculum. And, oh yeah, a total cultural change in the way we look at education. We do not live in an agricultural society any longer, therefore there is no need for a 2 1/2 long summer break - sorry teachers, but this era must come to an end if we want any real sustained learning to take place.

Follow the European models of education particurally the Germans. You pass the courses or go to trade school. High school as we know it is not preperation for the university education, but college is the equal od high school in the USA.
I attended school in New Britain and we walked to the neighborhood schools. When I graduated from elementary school there were only three students that were in all my classes from K to sixth grade. We never had the same teachers year after year until middle school and high school. I had one teacher for three courses from eigth grade to my senior year in high school; that is three out of five years of courses. I got A's and B's with him.
When I was a junior at Pulaski High which no longer exists as a high school; the student government had an election and the key issue was the new Pulaski Sr. High school location. Forty years later it has not been built and available areas for construction have dwindled. Numerous additions have been added to New Britain High School and I believe it is the largest high school in the state now with over 3,000 students.
The Superintendents had numerous opportunities to rectify this situation and chose not to and went with the flow. Shame on them and all prior Board of Education members. They could have saved millions on transportation costs and provided a better education for all students in New Britain.

shelly wrote:

i went to parochial schools as did my children. we all got excellent educations. there was no "back talking" to teachers. when the principal entered the room everyone stood out of respect. our test scores were very high. we learned and we learned respect. oh! our classrooms all averaged 30 kids per class.

It starts with the uniforms and knowing you did not want to fail or sister would whack you on your knuckles if you acted up. There was also a male figure who everyone looked up to as the principal. Both of my parents attended parochial schools and were honors students during WWII when they graduated. Dad went into the Army Air Corp and Mom worked in the factory at Fafnir inspecting ball bearings for the war effort. When the war was over Mom was a secretary at Stanley Works. They never got to attend college but their three sons did and we also graduated from CCSU.
It is sad to see the education system go down hill in New Britain and there is no reason for this with all the money tossed at it. Dedication and positive test scores are now evasive in the current school system. Where is the CT Education Commisioner on this. The children are being left behind against the Federal mandates. Something has got to give or management and teachers' heads should roll.

Its the parents stupid.
Now the idiots are spreading and no amount of money can change the fact that bling bling is more important than a diploma.

Staying with the same science teacher for three year may be very rewarding or a disaster depending on the teacher and the culture of the class. The cynic in me quickly saw that this program is a matter of scheduling and costs nothing.

It might be helpful if teachers in the schools like teachers in so-called higher education were allowed to determine their curriculum on a departmental basis.

Parochial schools have the luxury of maintaining discipline by dismissing the incorrigible. Public schools do not.

Brubaker wrote:

<quoted text>It starts with the uniforms and knowing you did not want to fail or sister would whack you on your knuckles if you acted up. There was also a male figure who everyone looked up to as the principal. Both of my parents attended parochial schools and were honors students during WWII when they graduated. Dad went into the Army Air Corp and Mom worked in the factory at Fafnir inspecting ball bearings for the war effort. When the war was over Mom was a secretary at Stanley Works. They never got to attend college but their three sons did and we also graduated from CCSU.
It is sad to see the education system go down hill in New Britain and there is no reason for this with all the money tossed at it. Dedication and positive test scores are now evasive in the current school system. Where is the CT Education Commisioner on this. The children are being left behind against the Federal mandates. Something has got to give or management and teachers' heads should roll.

Kochol said it has also created an opportunity to provide bolder initiatives in the effort to improve performance.

"It feels like an imposition, but it might actually be something that helps us do something pioneering," he said. "We're looking at changing a concept of school culture that has been with us for a long time."

Kochol, KURTZ & WOLSKI NEED TO
ROLL
WHAT A CROC
THE STEDY DECLINE OVER THE PAST 5 YEARS? WHO HAS BEEN IN CHARGE??
NOT ROCKET SCIENCE.
THERE HAVE BEEN NO RELATIONSHIPS SINCE THE DICTATOR SHOWED UP.