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Timberlane Poor NECAP Performance!
Have you seen the articles on our kids necap performance? They are doing terrible -- I should say the SAU is doing terrible.
It's not just that the kids perform poorly nationally and statewide. It's that the educators ignore the results, blame the tests, or blame the parents. In Plaistow, the school CELEBRATED achieving an *exemption* from SINI status.
In Danville, we voted against town and school spending last year and opposed assimilation of the preschools. You guys in the big towns did not. If we are going to fix the schools, we need Plaistow and Atkinson to put up a fight.
If you watch the school board meetings or the pep rallies (evening with timberlane) or read the HS principal's newsletters, you will rarely learn of programs to improve our academic standing. We hear about social clubs, sports programs, global warming, and traffic patterns, but not inept educators and administrators. I find it difficult to blame traffic congestion or ambient temperatures for undereducated children.
We need to make it clear that the schools are for teaching. That we are paying teachers to teach the right things well 180 days a year. I think we should vote down all spending not directly tied to improving test scores. Starting with this year's budget and warrants.
We should also ban all fund raising in the schools. Fund raising compromises tax payer influence on the SAU while depriving the children of much needed classroom time. Peg Ralph brought a Yo Yo peddler into the elementary school for an assembly that ended with the children supporting the school by buying $10 Yo Yos!
We should also not count half days towards the 180 day legal requirement. These half days are not teaching days. When you combine the planned non-teaching days (teacher development, elections, end of year, assemblies) with the weather days, the kids are missing 10% of the year under the best of circumstances. Sometimes you need to dismiss early, but two hour delays put the kids at risk just to 'get the day in.' They are also a problem for parents that rely on daycare. I know some of this is part of the contract, but we don't need to rubber stamp these contracts.
We should publish detailed curricula so parents know what the kids are doing in school. Maybe you saw the high schoolers playing star wars on danvilledelivery.com? My oldest watched videos of the donald trump show every week in class until I complained that there should be something better to do with the time.
The only reason this has become public is No Child Left Behind. The NEA is hoping a democrat win will kill NCLB before it gets teeth. We all need to make support for NCLB an issue in elections at all levels.
Do you have time in your forum to shine a light on this problem before the elections?
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ATKINSON's Vietnam HONOR ROLL as VOTED and PASSED by 2005 Town Meeting and re-approved at Special Town Meeting Sept. 12
EDITORIAL-
A voice of compassion, an example of fairness and reasonable government.
One who believes in the strength and comfort you, your children and your family can draw from good government leadership.
A person who knows Atkinson is our home -- our most important possession that must be preserved and protected through fair taxes and sound community planning and where our children must be safe to grow to become a new generation of leaders.
One who knows that the citizens of Atkinson are all neighbors with her leadership to be dedicated and responsive to all.
One who believes that when those from Atkinson have served our nation and honors are deserved, those honors must be given.
In Valerie Tobin, we now have a leader we know we can entrust with these responsibilities because they are part of her character.
It is our honor to endorse Valerie for election to Atkinson’s Board of Selectmen.
Just a note for those who wish to count the deer.
In January 08 this blog had 16,000 hits and 1,500 unique visitors (for the month).
In 2007 this blog had over 100,000 hits and 5,750 unique visitors (for the year).
In 2007 this blog had over 100,000 hits and 5,750 unique visitors (for the year).
EDITORIAL-
"I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense . . ." [TP, 1776]
We take no small measure of umbrage at such a hostile official act against this BLOG’s patron. Therefore, a timely Editorial comment is both appropriate and necessary.
Discussion of Atkinson’s financial direction, from any viewpoint, is fundamental and encouraged and we will always attempt to limit and correct errors.
However, Righteous indignation towards purported error of such inconsequential nature is not appropriate.
The ENTIRE car deal is problematic. If it was caused by poor judgement, improper exercise of authority, neglect or mistake or even specious reasoning, this will never trump the facts that the entire questionable transaction started and ended within a very small circle of confidants.
We find the entire circumstances surrounding the disposition of the police Cruiser highly irregular at the least and the "explanations" somewhat trifling and exhaustive of our intellect.
Mr. Consentino: It’s time to go. Being Chief of Atkinson’s Police Department is NOT a birthright. That is a fabled legend of yesteryear.
Historically in Atkinson, police chief appointments were made "under the hand of the selectmen" for terms of one year at a time, as was also the case in the beginning of Mr. Consentino’s assorted and discontinuous stream of appointments to this position.
Your only remaining credential established on a claim of indispensability has faded.
So time is neigh. Plan a graceful exit, Clean out your desk, Accept the gratitude and tearful sentiments from some. We plan no editorial recriminations. It is time. Thank you for your service, We wish you a long and happy retirement. Bon Voyage.
LETTER
"To All Atkinson Residents,
I am writing to ask for your help. A member of the Atkinson Police Department needs our help. I am here to ask for your help in Corporal John Lapham's fight for his life. As you are aware, John has been diagnosed with Leukemia. He has been once again hospitalized with an infection that is threatening his life. He is one of the bravest people that I have ever met. He has never asked of anything from the residents of the town. Now is our chance to step up and help both him and his family out. As everyone is aware John has been out of work for a few months. His family has been busy helping John to get better. He needs our help, and I am hoping that this town can step up to the plate and help. From the moment that I met John, I have admired him. He does alot, but never asks for anything in return. He has helped so many people in this town. I for one am one of those people. Please help him.
There is a fund set-up in his name at TDBanknorth in Plaistow. Any amount will help John, while he is out of work. It would be great if this town could help ease a burden off his wife.
Thank You
Also if anyone would like to send a card, please address it to:
John Lapham
c/o Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Ctr.
Inpatient mail
75 Francis Street
Boston, MA 02115
United States
Please show Corporal John Lapham, that this community can stand up and show our support to those in need. I for one, miss John and can not wait until he can get better and return to work. Please show him that we support him. "
63 comments:
ET Article
REGION: Sanborn, Timberlane juniors fare poorly on NECAP test
By Rebecca Correa
Staff writer
The results are in, and they aren't pretty.
More than 70 percent of high school students who took the state's standardized test in math failed to meet the state's expectations. Students scored almost as poorly on the writing portion of their tests and did best on their reading exams.
The test results come from the current junior class, who took the New England Common Assessment Program exam for the first time last year. The state Department of Education released the results yesterday, and they show that a lot more students need to score proficient, or average, to meet the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
Students at Sanborn Regional High School and Timberlane Regional High School scored lower than the state's average student in all three subjects that were tested — math, reading and writing.
At Timberlane, only 1 in 4 students scored as well as the state expected them to on the math portion of the exam.
. . .
.Percentage of high-school students who scored proficient or better
District%Reading%Math%Writing
State average%67%28%33
. . .
Timberlane Regional%58%25%26 .
Comments removed and replaced here:
Anonymous said...
I hate to show my ignorance but what does NCLB stand for.
I no longer have children in school but I still have a vote. I am disturbed by what I hear of our schools and am interested in any thing that is not NEA which I think has ruined the school system. Please enlighten me.
February 22, 2008 9:03 PM
Anonymous said...
I'm sorry they printed your name, but I agree with you wholly. My children are grown and gone (and doing quite well on the education they received in the District. Now I'm having the opportunity to watch some of my grandchildren going through the same District, and I am appalled. One is a sophomore, and he can't spell. He relies on his YOUNGER sibling to spell for him. Neither has any decent background in math. In English, both of them spend many of their periods watching movies.
Ditto Social Studies, study period and History. The youngest child gets relatively respectable grades, although I am concerned. I just can't figure out what those grades are based on. The older one has miserable grades. I'm afraid he's going to drop out before he has a chance to graduate.
And maybe he should, so he can take the GEDs at some other school.
Not approving the budget, by the way, will leave the district with the same amount of money they got last year, with the addition of a few contractual lines that are necessary.
But I would love to see this string carried further, and I know others who would gladly join you.
Keep it going!
No Child Left Behind Act passed in 2001 written mainly by Teddy Kennedy.
My problem with this is that we pay Timberlane $12,000 per kid to educate our kids, and they CAN NOT SEEM TO DO IT!
Less than 53% of kids at Timberlane are proficient on the Math NECAP!
I understand that our school building is 40 years old.
I understand that our teachers want more money because the Mass. border districts make on average $5,000 more than ours do.
I understand that the High School Principle wants two new up to date science labs at a cost of $500,000.
But is it too much to ask that YOU TEACH OUR KIDS BASIC MATH FIRST!!!
http://atkinson-reporter.blogspot.com/2007/07/timberlane-is-going-down-tubes-when.html
This link is to an article I posted in July of 2007, citing some pretty scary incidents, and posing some questions for the school board.
Read it, and you should be shocked!
Funny I have had talks with Mr. Hogan and he told me that NCLB meant that they could not hold a child back! That is ridiculous!
More focus on grades are so very inportant. And maybe on dress codes as well!
I just found this in the Eagle-Tribune online edition...
Atkinson Academy principal resigns, accepts teaching job in Malaysia
By Meghan Carey
Staff writer
ATKINSON, N.H. — Atkinson Academy Principal Heidi Webster announced this week that she is moving to Malaysia at the end of the school year.
The Timberlane Regional School Board accepted Webster's resignation Thursday night. Webster, who has held the job for eight years, has accepted a job as an assistant elementary school principal at the International School Kuala Lumpur.
It all happened very quickly, she said yesterday. While she has been thinking about teaching internationally for years, she said she fell into her new position at a job fair last week. She interviewed last weekend and was immediately offered the job.
"The time is right," Webster said.
She told students on Thursday so they would hear about it before her resignation was announced at the School Board meeting. She also sent a letter home with students yesterday.
Webster, 57, earned more than $79,000 in 2007. Prior to coming to Atkinson, she was a principal and held a number of education jobs in Vermont.
She signed a two-year contract with the International School system but said she is open to staying longer if she is enjoying herself. Her children are grown and she isn't married.
"There's really no reason I can't go see the world," Webster said.
Of course, she first has to sell her house in Derry and get rid of her sweaters and jackets, she said with a laugh. Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia, which sits near the equator and has a tropical climate.
It's a mostly American staff working at the International School, Webster said, and children from more than 50 countries attend. It's English-speaking though, so she won't have to become fluent in Malay before leaving in mid-July.
"It's a wonderful school, and I'll be working with some terrific people," she said.
The International School Kuala Lumpur runs pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Webster will be an assistant principal for pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, which is on its own campus.
Webster is the third administrator who will leave Timberlane on June 30. Director of Elementary Education Peg Ralph and Athletic Director Bucky Tardif have both announced their retirements. The school district will be accepting applications for both of those positions through next week.
if anyone else knows of any incidents that question the direction the district is moving in, please post them here.
http://www.psk12.com/rating/USindexphp/STATE_NH.html
This site is a ranking of all public schools in NH by academic standards.
Notice that TRHS ranks 63rd out of 77!
Notice that TRMS ranks 113th out of 153!
Now much more needs to be said?
Now look at our neighbors...
Middle schools:
Hampstead 50th
Chester 41st
Londonderry 28th
High Schools:
Exeter 5th
Londonderry 12th
Pinkerton 24th
Salem 34th
Sanborn 43rd
The rankings show that the elementary schools in the district are good, but the middle school and high school are abyssmal.
30 years ago Timberlane was one of the Highest academically ranked schools in the state.
Oh how the mighty have fallen. And our school board, who is ultimately responsible for this decline, refuse to discuss or even recognize the problem.
$12,000.00 to send a kid to Timberlane? You can send your kid to Central Catholic and spend alot less than that and get a better education and a better chance of getting into a good college, maybe with a scholarship.
We spent a ton of money on a stupid revolving stage when we are now finding out that our classrooms have been neglected for years and are in serious need of repair.
The school is as mismanaged as the town. We are getting ripped off but know one is smart enough to know it because they went to Timberlane.
Hello Malaysia, good-by Atkinson Academy. Now lets Get Mrs. Dayotis in as principal and get our school running the way it should of been run for the last 7 years.
School Budget 2008:
$59,454,000
Kids in District:
4864
Math:
$12,223/ kid!!!
Whether you decide to send your kids to a private school or not, you STILL have to pay for public schools on top of it.
I think a question we can ask is whether we want to outsource management of our schools. Maybe we can partner with a successful system (private or public) to improve our curriculum and techniques. The goal should be to fix the schools not send our kids somewhere else.
Unfortunately, neither the SAU nor the school board seem to be interested in helping us do that.
I know, I am just spitballing here, but MAYBE our School Board, could exercise a little supervisory control, and management authority over the district, and start to actually correct our downward spiral!
Maybe our school board can demand the raising of expectations, and demand the meeting of standards, and demand the tightening of curriculum. And actually follow through on improving the academics of the Timberlane District.
I saw where the Principle from Manchester was quoted as saying the low scores proved the test was too hard. TOO HARD??
For those of you who buy this Bull**it, here is the "official" sample of the 11th grade test that was quoted in the paper.
http://www.ed.state.nh.us/Education/doe/organization/curriculum/NECAP/NECAP%20Practice%20Tests%202007/NECAP%20Grade%2011%20Practice%20Test%20Math%20Test%20Booklet%202007.pdf
Sorry that site is:
http://www.ed.state.nh.us/Education/doe/organization
/curriculum/NECAP/NECAP%20Practice%20Tests%202007/
NECAP%20Grade%2011%20Practice%20Test%20Math%20
Test%20Booklet%202007.pdf
NO LINKS-Even to your name!
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) -- the main federal law affecting education from kindergarten through high school. Proposed by President Bush shortly after his inauguration, NCLB was signed into law on January 8th, 2002. NCLB is built on four principles: accountability for results, more choices for parents, greater local control and flexibility, and an emphasis on doing what works based on scientific research.
The standards are gradually raised until 2014 at which time all students would achieve proficiency.
In districts where the schools routinely fail the students -- like ours -- NCLB allows parents to move their children to a better school.
You can read more here...
http://www.ed.gov/nclb
What parents can and should do is let the CEO of the SAU know that YOU know that the he is failing our kids and ask him what exactly he plans to do to address this. Ask your kids what they did at school every day and let Mr. LaSalle (rlasalle@timberlane.net) know if you do not think it was appropriate. My oldest was watching The Apprentice once a week. I let Mr. LaSalle know one of his employees was wasting my kids time and my money. If you saw the high schoolers engaging their teacher in a light saber duel, I sent that to Mr. LaSalle as well.
Complain to your school board representatives. Watch the meetings (if you can) or read the minutes. You will not see any discussion of the poor quality of the schools. Call them up. Tell them you want to know what *they* are doing about the terrible school system.
DO NOT VOTE FOR ANY CANDIDATE AT ANY LEVEL THAT DOES NOT SUPPORT NCLB.
Before NCLB, the SAU was telling us they were doing a good job. Now we know better.
February 24, 2008 10:25 PM
We have had a problem for long time with teaching math in this town. I asked about this 5 years ago. We have a program to assist kids who are struggling in reading but not for math. I was told Atkinson is too high on the socio-economic level to quaulify for math. I was forced to find math tutors for my children on my own.
THe typical norm in the school system is to teach to the lowest common denominator. On the outside this may seem like the right thing to do but in most cases hurts the gifted children who later become bored with school.
As a parent, my children were able to read before ever entering first grade. This is because mom and dad cared about their education and still do. Yes, I worked a 40+ hour week but went out of my way to educate my kids (reading, math etc).
Parents are the main teachers in a child's life and should be their responsibility for teaching them right from wrong as well as other fundamentals that make up their education. I always believed school is supplemental to their education and not their primary education venue.
Needless to say my children do not attend the Timberlane school system.
I think the time has come to start paying teacher based on their classroom performance.
To Anonymous at 6:29PM,
Your comment is correct we should assist in our children's education.However do you have a solution when both parents struggle in math also? We look to our public schools for assistance and guidance in this and there wasnot any programs. Would a private school assisted us or advised us to go locate tutors?
To Annon 7:49
As for math, there packages that you can purchase that will help you and your child in math. I have found many of these to be available to "home schoolers" and are very good. In fact most of their stuff is far better than what is published today.
Here is just one of the many items out there.
http://www.mathusee.com/
http://www.homeschooldiscount.com
http://www.homeschoolmath.net/teaching/
It is ironic, that you cannot get the help an assistance you need from the public system even though you are paying good money for it.
The trend I see today is to push the student to the next grade regardless if they meet the standards. It then becomes the next year's teacher problem and so on. In the end, the child suffers.
Am I hearing that the parents are responsible for their children's education? That parents who are not able to personally educate their children should procure tools and engage services to educate their children?
I thought that was what we were doing when we plunked down $56m/yr for TRSD...
Well, we cannot fire the administration and we cannot fire the teachers. We cannot even choose to stop paying them.
All we can do is limit the growth of their budgets. We can vote down every budget and warrant until the administration decides to provide better product -- including those that fund new contracts.
I'd like to see management centralized in the SAU. Money saved by eliminating redundant functions in the individual schools could be used to augment the staff with paraprofessionals -- aids, tutors, and assistants that directly contribute to the education of the children.
We have a SAU, an army of curriculum coordinators, enrichment staffs, and our kids can't read, write, or perform computations. $56m doesn't buy what it used to...
Do you think the school system is responsible for the training of your children?
I have always looked upon the school system as supplemental and the main training should come from the parents. Todays society has us programmed that once we have children and they reach a certain age we can just drop them off at school and wait 12 years later and out of the school factory comes an educated grown up.
If we as parents think our job of teaching and raising are kids is mute, we have a rude awakening in front of us.
Certainly the teachers are responsible to some degree as well as the school "system" in general but it is our responsibility as parents to see that the proper education takes place. Starting them off early in kindergarten is not the answer either.
When was the last time you sat down with your child and read with them or even helped them with their homework?
All we do is to throw more money at the school system. People voted for the kindergarten, budget increases, new high school, new middle school and this is what we get for over $12k per kid?
There's plenty of money to spend teaching the kids. I see this as a failure of the school system, not the parents.
Yes I think it is the JOB of the school district to EDUCATE, not train my kids!
THAT is the job that I pay them $12,000 kid per year to do!
Tell me how would you feel if you hired me to clean your carpets, and I failed to make an improvement but still demanded my pay anyway?
The average Teacher at Timberlane makes $49,000 for 8 months.
The Average Principal makes $84,000
The reason they get paid is to do a job, not to tell me it is MY job to do what I am paying them to do!
So you are upset that little Johnny does not make the grade. Rather than enforce a stricter curriculum you decide to lower your standards.
The system got what it wanted and that is my point.
Wrong, I am tired of the school lowering THEIR standards, and merely accepting what happens and making excuses for it.
Not to mention Coding 18.3% of the kids in the district!
They code kids because they are lazy, inattentive, bored, or just uninterested. All of these problems MUST be learning disabilities, because they could not possibly be due to any other in school influences.
A child is in school for 12 years. My children have been in their for five plus years. At what point do I sit back and hope that the education will get better? These problems are not going to be settled overnight; do you just let the system handle it and present your child with a poor education?
Lets look at it this way using your analogy. Lets say you have two carpet cleaning businesses. The first one is run by concerned parents. You hire this company to clean your carpet but before they start they tell you that they will not be able to get the stains out but will at least try. They mention it maybe better to replace the carpet rather than try to clean it. You hire them. After they finish you pay them; the results are exactly what they had said they were.
The second company is run by TRHS. You ask them to clean your carpet but they say you must pay us first. You pay them and they start cleaning. WHen they are done, you notice that the stain is still there and the carpet looks not much better than when they started. They say they delivered the standard cleaning process and that is what you got. Rather than argue with them you decide to live with the dirty carpet stain.
Lets face it the system is broken. Our standards have been lowered from what we had back in the 60s (now I am dating myself). Rather than lower the standards, we should have been raising them.
Call it what you will, you can fight but that is not going to fix the problem and throwing more money at it is not going to do well either. If you have a child in school you know there is a limited amount of time available to fix the problem before the child is done their school education and trying to get into a decent college.
My daughters went through their entire ecucation in the Timberlane school system. They are both very successfull adults now. Parents should not depend on the school system to bring up their kids. Take responsibility for your own childrens education. The teachers are not their parents. Don't have kids if you don't want to take care of them. Lazy parents are the problem.
Well, first off the complaint should lie in the curriculum choices for math instruction. The EVERYDAY MATH program that Timberlane chooses to use is a complete waste. The program actually insists that children play GAMES every DAY and that hey will eventually learn the facts this way! since when did playing become direct instruction is what i want to know!??!! They should be hiring younger educated teachers who have the ambition to turn the district around is what i say!
Yeah, isn't it nice to be able to blame others when you are unsuccessful in your job. The school system is not effective, they are expensive and are not getting the results. My son was taught good study skills and I followed up on his work. The teaching was left to the private schools I paid extra to send him to. I would not send my kid to Timberlane, I have seen first hand the substandard education his peers are getting. They all have involved parents and it's still not working. If I wasn't effective at work, I would be fired.
To Anon @ 11:28
While I agree that it is a Parents job to raise their child and instill in them the values necessary for life, We parents are paying a school district $12,000 per kid per year, and for what?
If you say don't blame the schools, it is a parents job to educate, then what the hell are we paying the schools for?
So, can I keep my money and do the job myself?
NO! even if I do the job myself, i STILL have to pay the school to not teach my kids!
Tell me; If you were car shopping and decided on a new Honda Accord, but the government had decreed that they were subsidizing GM even though you don't want a GM vehicle. So you had to pay GM $12,000 before you will be allowed to buy the Honda, would you accept that?
This is a frustration that all parent go through if they decide to either homeschool or send their children to a private institution. Most parents don't want to fork over the extra bucks for the private school so they just deal with it. It is the same realization that you have come to and you can't do anything about it.
So do you let your children suffer or do you supplement them so that they can succeed?
I feel your pain and would certainly like my Atkinson tax dollar to not reflect the school system as my children do not go there.
And what about the senior folks or those living in town that do not have children but MUST pay for something they are not even using?
I am not saying it is not the teachers jobs to teach. Unfortunately teachers spend most of their time not teaching becasue the kids are out of control. That blame is on parenting. With most parents now days it's never thier childs fault. I have had parents say that their kid never did their homework and no one ever called them to tell them they were failing. DUH. Take some responsibility.
How about we vote in someone who is for school choice. I didn't see Hillary sending her kid to public school. I wonder about Obama. Don't know. Do you?
Huckabee for homeshool!
Go Mike!
And if a student assaults a teacher, the teacher cannot lay a hand on the student otherwise their pamby parents will have a law suit against the school.
So, I guess I'm hearing that we have to pay for public schools even if they do not provide any value because they cannot be expected to teach well since too many kids and parents are...the problem.
I don't accept that. Let's see if we can find someone that will agree to run our schools and link their compensation to performance. Not get rid of the public school -- just put management out to bid. I'd let other public school systems bid on this as well.
Maybe pay the new super $1k/wk and tie $300k (prorated) to performance.
There ARE schools -- private and public -- that are teaching. Three quarters of the public schools in New Hampshire are doing a better job. Two neighboring districts are doing much better. I think Exeter would accept 50% of the administrative budget of TRSD to manage our schools. I'd give them the other 50% if our kids met or exceeded NCLB standards.
Let's think outside the box.
We may not be able to do this this year or next, but it can be done. Let's start with the end of LaSalle's contract. Does the school board approve his contract? If yes, let's put together a plan to get an education friendly board seated before the contract expires.
In the mean time, vote against EVERY budget and warrant.
To Anon @ 7:04
That is correct! If a kid gets out of line on class, even assaulting a teacher, the teacher shOUld not be able to put a hand on the kid. They should tell the parent, and the parnt should put the fear of god into that kid, or in the case of an assault, the police should be called, and the kid should be kept over night at a minimum to give him a taste of what is in store for him.
There also should be a ban on cell phones, ipods, game boys etc. We never had them in our days, we went to school to learn so that one day we could succeed on our own. Right now there are too many distractions. We even had to repeat a grade if the teacher felt we were not capable of moving onto the next grade. When that happened our parents would see to it that we further buckled down and took the necessary actions so that we could make it.
In todays society if a student is recommended to repeat a grade the parents come down on the teacher and school system saying the work is too hard etc. In the end, they promote the student to the next grade even though they should not have.
Over the years the course standards have been lowered so that every child could make it through. It will be a matter of time that these standards will be lowered because they are deemed too tough.
If anything, our society should have been raising the standard and not lowering it. If an automobile manufacturer has their car crash tested at 40 mph and it fails, do we lower the crash test speed until it passes and call that the standard? If we did, imagine how safe our cars would be today. Our standard for the crash speed would be 20 mph or less!
If you want shock and awe, visit TRHS sometime and see what is going on in the class room. Compare it to your own experience of what school was like and see how things have changed for the worse.
Sorry Mark I don't fully agree with you. A teacher being assaulted by a student should be allowed to protect themselves PERIOD.
If the student is threatening a teacher with a lethal weapon the teacher has the right to protect themselves, even if killing the student is justified. In a non lethal attack the teacher should have the right to uses any method to protect themselves.
Timberlane doesn't hold children back any more. It might damage their self-confidence, pride, etc.
I heard about a kid who's a junior this year, looking forward to graduation next year. Except he still hasn't passed a sophomore math class, a sophomore Literature Class (where they watch the movie instead of read the book) and isn't doing too well on those classes again this year, plus the ones he's supposed to be taking this year. And his parents are horrified, but haven't been able to get through to the teachers and administration at school.
But
No child left behind. His ego might be damaged. Forget the fact he can't read well, can't spell well, and hasn't learned anything. When he gets out in the real world, his ego will be just fine.
Sure it will.
I presonnaly think that if the school system was stricter with the students behavior they would get better results.
If they assault, call the cops. If they don't do their work, detention. If they don't pay attention and flunk, hold them back. If the parents compain that Johnny is being mistreated, too bad.
I believe in tough love, but it's still love and is not abusive.
You never mentioned a "lethal attack" I took your comments to be about a simple assualt. And the school should not have the right of corporal punishment. I case you forgot the longest teachers strike in the nations history took place right here and that was one of the issues.
For all of you; "it's the parents job" people out there, at what point is it ok, to demand service from a business that we pay so much to for that service?
Would you simply accept it if when your house was broken into, the police handled the incident by phone?
Or how about if actually putting the fire out was not the policy of the fire dept. but TRYING to put it out was the accepted norm? Would it be ok, for the fire dept. to only need good intentions, rather than results?
We all know the answers to these questions are an emphatic NO!
So why do we accept the same from our schools?
Isn't that what the police and fire department do now?
I still think if a student punches a teacher in the face the teacher should have the right to defend himself. Thats the way the system worked when I was a kid.
Some kids should have gotten a good woopin' rather than being suspended from school. If the school is not going to take education seriously, what makes you think a suspension is going to make a difference?
Yes, and when the Dad got home the kid usually got another woopin'
To anon feb 28th 11:43am..I agree with you...These kids are not taught to have respect. Parents will call the school and say "why are you picking on my child" ha, except the "child" forgot to tell the parents how disrespectful the child was to the teacher. My son was suspended and he also got an ass whopping at home.Funny didn't really have any problems after that. Society today says we will damage their self esteem. Ha well i cant wait to see where this country will be in 20 years when all these children whom think they can treat authority this way grow up and try to keep a job..First and foremost these kids need to be taught Respect at home. Then the class rooms would be more under control and more learning would be present.
Simply just my Opinion...Thanks
Mark, there are some parents that want their kids to get a decent education and there are others that let the "system" take care of things.
You can fight all you want but that is not going to do much good. This is why many folks have put their kids into a private school or homeschool.
As one person stated, a child is in school for 12 years, you can fight for improvement but by the time you get anywhere the child has already gone through the system and the damage is already done.
The liberal "feel good" attitude is killing our education system and is why parents have taken action into their own hands.
To Annon 3:23.
I agree. And like you said, in 20 years we will have those disrespectful kids as parents raising disrespectful kids.
If the teacher ever reprimanded my kid, rather than question the teacher I would have thanked them for disciplining them and just like you said gave the kid a woopin' when we got home.
We either discipline them now or years later it will be their warden / parole officer doing it.
I agree and will repeat this statement
"First and foremost these kids need to be taught respect at home".
I truly believe this value is beoming less and less taught in family homes. Just read the newspaper and see what is going on with our youth today.
These are the same sort of kids that will toss their fast food restaurant trash out their car window; you find it in your yard the next day. They are also the ones that will pass you on a solid line with a devil may care attitude. They have no respect for the lives of other people.
What about the schools lack of effective teaching of academic subjects? Or are we going to accept their shoddy performance, and make excuses why they cant do better?
Why can I send my kids to Pinkerton for $8,000/yr. and they will get a FAR bETTER education?
Or Central Catholic for $7,000/yr.
Or St. Thomas Aquinas for $8,500/yr.
All of which provide a FAR Superior education to timberlane for 66% of the price!
A better choice would be "free market" education. In this plan rather than have the student committed to the school system in their town, they can choose the school system that they want to go to. Obviously it will be up to the family/student to get there. The monies used for tuition does NOT go to town school system. Each individuals tax money would be directed to the school system of choice rather the that of the district they are living in.
By doing this, schools (like universities and colleges) will need to compete for students by offering a great and tried education. Other school systems that do not make the grade will fall onto the way side.
It also means that the school system is accountable to the dollar tuition for each student. If the school is crappy, the parent may decide to enroll the child into a different school the following year. This gives the parent/guardian the choice of the best use of education dollars.
TRHS will then have to change their policies and curriculum to compete with such schools as Derry Field, Central Catholic, Pinkerton etc.
I have never read so many ignorant, unwarranted posts in my life. It is a shame that this district has some of the most wonderful, hardworking teachers I have ever seen, and this is what they get in return? Did anyone ever think that maybe the teachers cannot spend 100% of the time teaching because they are busy acting as parental figures as well? Busy being that positive role model that a child needs in their life?
Teachers are underpaid and under appreciated. They love their students as if they are their own children.
I went through the Timberlane School District, I credit where I am today to the Timberlane School District.
What teachers do at school with your children, needs to be reinforced at home. Do you make the time to sit down nightly with your child and read? Do you sit down for a half hour a night and work through their homework with them? Or do you just find it easiier to "blame the teachers" when the scores come out?
What many fail to remember is that teachers are not in the profession for the money. They are in it because of their love of children. Their passion for being a positive impact on a child's life. Maybe parents should spend more of their time supporting their teachers, spending time with their child, rather than using their time to post on this blog & be so negative.
Timberlane Teachers, I cannot thank you enough for the time and effort you put in, for the smiles & hugs you give, for being that person that children look up to and adore each day.
If that's the problem, trsdsupporter, then let's get them back to doing the job we're paying them to do. I have the parental figure thing covered.
To TRSD Supporter,
Believe it or not it greatly pains me to be this critical of TRMS and TRHS! The elementary schools in the district are good schools, the middle and high school suck!
The USEd to be good schools, but now they rank in the BOTTOM 25% OF THE STATE!
And no, I dont blame the teachers, by and large, I blame the administration, the school board, and especially the high priced but ineffectual curriculum coordinators!
And just for the record, teachers are not underpaid, comparatively. I am tired of hearing that when the average teacher in the Timberlane District makes $50,145.00 per year.
But it is NOT per year, it is per 8 months! Expressed as an hourly wage it is $33.88 per hour!
And that is DAMN good money by any standard!
Chemical engineers average ony $29.85/hr.
And yes I know, your next comment will be that they dont just work 8 hours a day, they bring work home with them, Yes I know that, but so dont many, many other occupations, and the company does not pay them for that time either.
A Typical teacher works, in school 1480 hours per year, whereas you typical American worker averages 2465 hours per year!
Maybe now you begin to see the difference.
Arcane union work rules, and embracing every educational fad to come down the pike are destroying the greatest national public schoolsystem the world has ever known, and why, because the unions refuse to accept any change that works.
They fight accountability!
They fight charter schools!
They fight standardized testing!
They fight Teacher testing!
They fight school vouchers!
They fight any school choice!
The school board is largely manned by people that act as bobble-heads in front of their employee, the superintendent, while demonstrating their lack of understanding about the issues facing the school, or their lack of research to know what questions they should be asking the principles, and superintendent when they present fads such as Block Scheduling!
Blame yourself MAcciard. We voters elected school board members who selected a teacher to run the school system. If we had elected board members who were more than concerned parents, we might have a 'board of directors' capable of hiring an effective CEO. I wonder if the Chamber of Commerce would be willing to help us recruit future school board members and coach them in the selection of a CEO...
Blame yourself MAcciard. We voters elected school board members who selected a teacher to run the school system. If we had elected board members who were more than concerned parents, we might have a 'board of directors' capable of hiring an effective CEO. I wonder if the Chamber of Commerce would be willing to help us recruit future school board members and coach them in the selection of a CEO...
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