At least someone cared because it is very obvious the school did not and does not. Shows education alone doen't cut it. You just have to be born with common sense which the girl has and the school personnel do not. Go Girl!
ISN'T THIS LIKE SHOOTING THE MESSENGER. THOSE ADMINISTRATORS NEED TO GET ON THE BALL AND DO SOMETHING. THIS GIRL SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN SUSPENDED, SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN THANKED FOR SHOWING CONCERN FOR THE CLASSROOM AND HER CLASSMATES THAT ARE REALLY TRYING TO LEARN. KICK THOSE OTHER BRATS OUT OF THE ROOM UNTIL THEY CAN BEHAVE THEMSELVES OR HAVE THIER PARENTS COME AND SPEND A DAY AT SCHOOL WITH THEM.
Why does this surprise anyone. Government schools and their unions are a joke. How did someone who speaks broken English get a job as a teacher. Who hired him? No more money should be alloted to public schools until they stop declaring that everyone "is an honor student". My cattle dog is smarter that most of these kids.
"How did someone who speaks broken English get a job as a teacher. Who hired him?" which is a good question TheBullValley. I recall when a similar thing happened with a lady teacher who was teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to many students who were from a number of different countries. Yet, she could barely speak English to the teachers, explaining what she was attempting to do. Sitting with the students and providing them booklets to work out of, just didn't cut it! She should have learned the English language, herself, before attempting to teach ESL. Oh, woe!
"No more money should be alloted to public schools until they stop declaring that everyone "is an honor student". My cattle dog is smarter that most of these kids." is a little harsh, don't you think? I don't see where every student is declared "an honor student," for they're not! To say your cattle dog is smarter than most of these kids," I chuckle for your dog might be smart, but I'll put most of the kids, today, up against your cattle dog anyday.
I know how we can solve this problem. Throw more money at the school district. Yea, that's right. More money always solves the problem. This poor school needs more money!
Gary Swanson, the principal, and his administration are the worst. They do not address or respond to issues. I had a situation when my son attended Clayton Valled that could very easily have been handled at the school level but ended up having to be addressed by the superintendent. The office is so bad that the superintendent called Mr. Swanson on one occasion to pull some records and he made an excuse as to why that could not be done and the superintendant actually got up and had to drive over to the school to get the information. If this staff was in the private sector they would have been fired ages ago. I am just so happy that my son has graduated and no longer attends Clayton Valley. The fact that they suspended this young girl shows exactly how they operate. Her suspension should be dismissed based on she tried to do to have the situation addressed many times with no response or care for the situation. It seemed to me that the staff really does not care about the students education or they would respond to these situations easily. If the staff had listened to this young girl and responded things would never had to get this far.
This happens EVERY SINGLE DAY in campuses all over the place. Same situation in Antioch. My son had an Algebra teacher that BARELY speaks English, had no control over her class, and these kids are learning nothing. Are you really surprised that administration would punish the kid who tried to expose a problem in the school?? haha Um, not so much of a surprise to me!! Do any type of search for "school fight' or "classroom fight" on youtube...if you really can't believe that this stuff is happening in our kids schools. My son video-tapes things all day everyday on campus and it would make your blood boil knowing what goes on in these schools. Fights, disrespect, bull[bleep] "punishments" to the wrong kids by administration. They don't know what to do with these kids and because they fear lack of money, they do NOTHING.
It's really gotten out of hand. How do we restore discipline when you aren't allowed to do the things you did to command respect in the old days? Kids are scared, teachers are scared, parents feel they have no control over the situation. It's not getting any better.
Any time a situation is not investigated and looked at for what it is, be it a fight, a kid bringing in a "weapon" (I use quotes because a plastic lunch knife can be considered a "weapon"), or any other "violation of policy," there will almost always be unwanted results. When a kid brings in a chewable aspirin, they should not be handled in the same way as a kid bringing in meth. Yet, with zero tolerance policies, that is precisely what happens.
School administrators are presumably hired, in part, for their ability to make intelligent decisions. They should be allowed to do so. If they continually fail in this task, then they should be terminated. In fairness to the administrators, their hands are tied often times in these situations; they know what SHOULD be done, but can't do it due to "district policy." Some do try to work within the system for change, but others seem to be pleased with the fact that the decision is out of their hands. That is another sad consequence of “Zero Tolerance.” If we, as a society, were not so quick to sue or level charges, then perhaps this lazy, ineffective management style would have never come into place.
My daughter also had this teacher this year in a Alg.II class. At back to school night, Mr. Huang did not address the parents, instead had us come to the front to see our students grade. Nothing handed out. All year my daughter and her friends complained to the administrators. A VP came and sat in on the class once. He reprimanded the kids for their unruly behavior. She could not understand him a lot of the time. He wouldn't go over homework. He would lose papers (another teacher in English II also has this problem). This problem has nothing to do with $ but with unions and bureaucracy. He was protected by his union. As a second year teacher was he not on "probation"? We will lose many great teachers this year because of their seniority and be left with some not so great teachers. It is very hard to get rid of someone because of their union contracts.
This young lady should not be suspended. She tried to go through the proper channnels and it got her nowhere. If I had thought of it, I would have suggested it to my daughter.
As a parent with a son entering high school, I am very frustrated by all of this. The schools are not able to control the classes, the children are not receiving a quality education and the State, the Teachers Unions and the School Districts seem to think the only sollution is to tax the taxpayers more and throw more money at the problem, rather than solve the problem itself. I pay taxes and support the public schools, yet I am forced to send my son to a private school in order for him to receive a quality education in a structured learning environment. I am paying twice and do not feel that it is fair. All schools should become private entities and the Unions need to get out of the way and let the schools operate as private entities without tying the hands of the administrators with all the demands placed on them to keep teachers that do not and cannot perform. We need to approve school vouchers and let parents decide for themselves where their money should be spent and what school deserves their patronage.
Clearly Clayton Valley blew it here and did not address the problem and their only sollution is to punish the child who exposed the situation which is the wrong decision. Moore's suspension should be reversed and the school should address the situation properly.
Your comments about what goes on at private schools is what most people believe, but not entirely accurate. While I currently can't speak directly to private schools in California, I do have quite a bit of contact with private schools here in Colorado. The idea that if a kid continuously misbehaves that he is summarily dismissed or expelled is more wishful thinking than actual fact. I see real examples on a regular basis.
One thing that comes into play quite often that many parents don't seem to consider; a private school is a business. For them to stay in business, they must be profitable. If they are not making a profit, they close their doors. There are indeed times that schools will look the other way when dealing with unruly students because the school can't afford to lose the tuition. It's more common than you might think.
As a side note, when I was in school in the Tri-Valley are back in the 70's, there was an expose` written about De La Salle regarding rampant drug use by the students there. I recall reading in the Catholic Voice a stinging article which estimated more than half the student body were actually attending classes under the influence. Now please understand that I don't believe this is happening currently! I bring it up as an example of what CAN happen; even at private schools. They are not the panacea that many seem to believe.
i did not say a word about what is going on in private schools or not, and with no word did i say they are angels.....there are the same problems, drugs and alcohol like in any other high school.
what i said was...that the privat school has much more follow up/ power, however you want to call it, compair to public school.
just read all the threats about public schools here on this board. the first thing if something happens...the teachers are blamed
STOP about the private schools garbage... My son went to De La Salle and this happened in his Math Class.. He was NOT a participant, so he got a Straight "A". according to teacher - he was not a behavior problem... The problem students were FOOTBALL JOCKS, they got Saturday suspensions (School didn't want them to miss playing the game on Friday Night)...
Parents, stop coddling your babies and teach them some manners, for crying out loud. These unruly kids must have no guidance at home. Still, the teacher should be providing guidance and boundaries while they're at school, so the kids are double-teamed in apathy, it seems. What a shame.
I have been both a student and a teacher in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District. My opinion is that over the past 20 years, the district has been mismanaged. I have been through several situations as both a student and a teacher that were handled in ways similar to the way this girl's complaining about the lack of classroom control has been handled. As a student complaining about similar lack of control in my 5th grade classroom, I was told I had a fantastic imagination - which was tantamount to calling me a liar. The teacher in question became an elementary school principal not long after. As a teacher, I witnessed that parents were consistently kept at arms' length from the administration. Rather than treating parents as allies and working with them through organizations such as the PTA, parents were treated as enemies. I therefore think that this district should be broken up into smaller districts in order to be more easily managed, and that more competent district administrators and school administrators should be placed in charge.
What a crock! The student should have been protected under the Whistleblowers protections! How else will a student be able to prove that something is wrong? So much for common sense from the MDUSD staff.
As a teacher at CV we know that kids will take as much as the teacher will allow, but there's sure not a lot of support for Mr. Huang. How many of you working parents had your professions mastered your 2nd year? I've taught with Mr. Huang and he's a sweet man who's very intelligent but speaks with an accent. Our kids tease him ruthlessly, with no repercussions from administration, because for one reason they say they can't understand him. You'd think that a diverse community like the one at CVHS would demonstrate a little more compassion for an English learner. We’re beyond expecting much respect, but is patience out of the question? Be careful not to sentence a good man based solely on the cell phone from a 15yr old.
Oh, and by the way.... Do parents really wonder why Mt. Diablo USD has difficulty finding quality teachers? How many of you would want this level of loyalty and support from your working community? I won't even begin my rant on the administration.
"You'd think that a diverse community like the one at CVHS would demonstrate a little more compassion for an English learner." When I was in school, we had teachers who spoke clear english. We had asian, hispanic, european and korean teachers all of which had no problem teaching the class. It seems the problem lies on the people who hand these jerks the teaching credits on a silver platter! I am only 31 years old, it wasn't 50 years ago that this was the way things worked. If you can't or won't speak clear english, don't expect a job where it is dependent on your language skills. The kids need and have rights, and if the state forces education upon them, they damn well better provide it!
Apparently the lot of you fall victim to tunnel vision -- er -- tunnel hearing as it were. You can hear her egging on the paper tossers. Since none of you get to say 'you were there' and are instead basing your exercises in breathing hot air on one-sided stories, opinions and slants...allow me to be the voice of reason with the following: Be quiet.
I disagree with the entry from free B1ird. I think there are many more students and parents that do keep quiet instead of speaking up. I don't think many parents our students take that extra step to get involved when they should. I am sure there are many that figure nothing will get done so why bother. This kind of class room behavior and behavior of the administration towards the students and parents needs to be addressed. Not just ignored so that it will continue. Clayton Valley really could be a decent school if only there was a differnet attitude. I agree with one of the other responders who said the administration treats the students and parents as if they are the enemy. That is how it is with Mr. Swanson in charge.
The teacher is disinterested, most of the kids are disinterested, and these are the people who are going to be voting and making decisions in the future? We have no future, folks. The student who taped the chaos should be given a medal, not a suspension; now she's been taught to never speak up for what's right.
For those who feel so superior let's have them try teaching a class where at least a third of the students see no value in what they are being taught and a few actually come to school with the sole intention of avoiding learning an all costs. A handful of those troublemakers ruin the entire class. Take you eyes off them for just a second to help a student who wants to learn and they loose all control, throwing things, taking other students property, starting play fights, or anything else they can do to avoid learning. Most teachers became teachers to help others learn not to be prison guards. I suggest that all parents with school age children be required to spend a minimum of 2 days a semester in class with their kid. Let them see for themselves how some of these rascals behave and then maybe they might not be so quick to judge.
It's so easy to say, from the outside, that the administration seems completely incompetant, but one must take a good look at the factors influencing the classroom teacher and even the administrators, before he can truly judge.
Mister C, I feel you...I do. I know that it cannot possibly be an easy thing to be a teacher in our schools today. You've got unruly kids who are so out of control no one knows what to do with them and you've got an administration that probably doesn't have your back a lot of the time. HOWEVER...if I were a teacher, I would make it clear at the beginning of the year (to both the kids and the administration) that you get TWO CHANCES to change your behavior in my class and then BYE-BYE! ADIOS! YOU ARE THROWN OUT AND DO NOT COME BACK! My kids have had half a handful of teachers throughout their entire school career (they are both in high school...one is a sophomore and the other a junior) that have been tough on this stance...and while it may make them seem harsh at first, it works long-term and these are the teachers that my kids have learned the most from and taken away life-long lessons from. You can get rid of a few troublemaking kids right off the bat, which then sends the message to the rest of the kids that the teacher is serious and you will be GONE if you continue to be a disruption to the class. I don't know about you, but the last thing I would ever want to have to do as a kid is to go home to tell my parents that I've been kicked out of my high school algebra class because I was beig disruptive. I know as a parent, I would NOT take that news lightly. It's time for parents to be responsible and on that same note, for teachers to become responsible in their classrooms. Fear is taking over every aspect...and if it continues we are DOOMED!!
And if all parents were like you there would be no problems. I would be willing to bet that your kids were part of the majority who are well behaved and wanted to learn. Unfortunately there are kids whose parents have no control what so ever. Nothing works on this group, you can take away privileges until they sit in an empty bedroom. Even corporal punishment does no good as it just makes them more resistant. The problem is they do not want to be there and they see school as meaningless. When you look up the number of times some of these kids have been in trouble it is stunning! Page after page of behavior contracts, suspensions, Friday school etc. The astonishing thing is they see this as something to be proud of. It is easy to say just get rid of them but to where? Just push the problem off somewhere else. Most importantly, once they are gone you have lost all chance of making positive change. I for one have a real tough time doing that, it is as if I have given up and I just abhor quitting. That is not what these kids need. I don't know the answer is, heck I hardly have the slightest grasp of the problem but if we spent a fraction of what we spend on war and punishment to try to solve this problem we as a society would all be better off. Remember Einsteins teachers said he would never amount to anything and he didn't, oh wait I guess he did. :)
Not only should parents be required to be in their kids' classrooms a couple times a year, but each member of administration and each member of the local Board of Education should be required to spend at least 1 full day per grading period as a substitute teacher.... Any kid and teacher knows the subs really catch he11!!
I teach inner city... MANY of the kids today only attend to socialize 1st, learning is secondary! For some - the wonderful SPED programs for those behaviorally challenged as a case in point - they just come to cause trouble...
Parental support as mentioned - when I have involved parents, I hardly ever have a problem with their kids, go figure - a good home-life does make a difference???
Oh and I just completed my 4th year - after a career change from Industry... Do parents ever wonder who would want to hire kids like this???????
I agree that there needs to be protection of privacy, etc., but there also needs to be an amped up discipline system. In the name of students' rights, many of the teachers' and health care workers' rights have been revoked--all the ways we used to have of maintaining control of our classroom are now considered "abuse." I ask you, who's really being abused?
I am the mom in the story. I in no way condone the behavior of the kids and I am shocked and disgusted by the lack of respect toward adults and teachers. I also think that the kids did terrorize Mr. Huang on a daily basis. My point in all of this has been the fact that the kids did not behave because they knew they could get away with acting out, the teacher did not do his job by demanding control and the administration failed by not following up adequatly with the numerous complaints from both kids and parents. When my daughter got fed up and filmed the class to prove her point she did not know she was breaking an educational code. It was her intention to simply prove what was going on and for someone to take notice. I did not want her to be the scapegoat and take all the blame for exposing what was really happening in the classroom. The kids are there to learn and the teachers certainly should not have to police and babysit unruly kids. I do think that the parents need to take responsibility and make it clear that such behavior in school is not and will not be tolerated. I am satisfied with the outcome of her suspension being expunged from her record and I hope we can all move forward in the future and work together to make school a safe place to learn for both students and teachers.
Here is my problem with this story - as well as the entire school system... I am willing to believe that Mr Huang is a nice, honorable man. He may even become a decent teacher at some point but if your speech is such that you cannot be understood by the students you are trying to teach, you should not be in these schools trying to teach. I would think that you have to be able to verbally communicate effectively in order to teach. He could not, so he should not. He was put in a situation where all he could do was fail.
Which gets to the second part of my problem. No "good" administrator should berate a teacher in front of their students. Absolutely bad leadership. If anything this teacher should be counselled - in private or amongst peers - on how to improve their abilities and be effective in class. No support from administration doesn't help this situation either.
It's hard to pinpoint the crux of this problem because everything is wrong and it seems no one is willing to apply common sense to correct it. Suspending the student for bringing this to light is ludicrous and I hope some sane person rectifies this. My personal opinion is that we don't need to throw money at our school problem, just tear down and overhaul the entire thing from the top down. Get these babbling idiots in positions of authority out of there.
There are mentor teachers through the district that should have been helping this teacher improve. I have met this teacher and his speech was very difficult to understand and he knew it. My daughter said that when someone would come to visit the classroom from the district or front office, Mr. Huang would put a problem on the board and have a student teach it. This man may have the potential to be a great teacher, but his heavy accent and his lack of teaching skills could not be overcome on his own.
By no means is this an isolated case. There is at least one classroom like this on every campus. There was in middle school and there is at another school my sister works at in the MDUSD. What are the answers?????
After reading all the post here, almost everyone wants to blame the teacher, school, district, or sure, the union.
Let's start with the real problem, PARENTING. Parents all think it's some else's fault. If your child gets in trouble, the first thing they want to do is find out who else is to blame. We now live in a time that parents think they should give their kids all the things that they didn't have when they were kids. Most, not all, kids get cars, cell phones, PDA, Ipods, you name it, not because they need them, only because Johnny or Susie has one and my kid should have one too. When they get into trouble in school, Mommy or Daddy run to the office and argue and yell until they get their way or say they will file a lawsuit. I know when I was a student like most of you, if my parents went to the school, it scared the h e l l out of me and it didn't matter if the school was right or I was, my parents, and myself as a parent, NEVER, let a child know what happened behind closed doors in the office. The school was always respected. Parents now a days tell the student what happened and and the kids know they get away with anything. Than the other side of the coin is the parents that just don't care, their child has to go to school so they send them and when they come home, the kids go where ever they want with anyone they want.
As for the Teacher that speaks limited english, First: if he hasn't been teaching for more than two years, the district can let him go without any reason, period, if they choose this is called a probation period. If he tenured, than, and only than, it must be for just cause. I find that it is kind of funny that a lot of you posters must have gone to college and taken a math or science course, most of the teachers are limited in english. In these fields they our among the best.
MDUSD has it's problems like many other districts, but it's time we look in to our own houses and most of the problems are caused by students with a few leaders at the school and a whole bunch of followers that think that they are kool (sorry, but I'm old school). If we, as parents, get back to doing our job as parents and not our kids friends, I bet a lot of the problems will go away. WE ARE NOT OUR CHILDRENS FRIENDS,WE OUR THEIR TEACHERS FIRST, AS A PARENT.
A microwave in the classroom????? A math classroom at that???? WHAT THE HELL KIND OF CRAP IS THAT????????????????????? What are they teaching the students? How to recognize numbers on the keypad??????????????
Take you eyes off them for just a second to help a student who wants to learn and they loose all control, throwing things, taking other students property, starting play fights, or anything else they can do to avoid learning."
A kid who merely wants to avoid learning simply shuts down, stays quiet with his/her arms crossed, acts as if he/she is not there, stares out the window, and doesn't respond to the teacher at all.
A kid doing as you describe is, in fact, a kid shouting for attention by acting out. A kid acting in this way doesn't do so just to avoid learning. A kid acting in this way does so because there is a deeper problem that needs to be addressed before he or she will be ready to learn.
As I said before, I was both a student and a teacher at MDUSD. And while I agree that some of the problem is caused by parents who don't pay enough attention to their kids, these are problems that only the parents themselves can address.
Meanwhile, a good administration who hires good teachers can redirect the energy of children who are acting out by showing them that they will be listened to; and that they will receive positive attention and be rewarded for good behavior, and negative attention and appropriate discipline for bad behavior. This message can best be reinforced by parents, teachers and administrators working together effectively through organizations such as the PTA, not by administrations pushing parents away.
Furthermore, a school should be first and foremost about the students. Therefore, when students have concerns and/or problems, the administration's first response should be to listen and try to address the situation appropriately, not to pass immediate judgment and push the student away.
These are all the areas in which I feel MDUSD has been failing for twenty years, and that need to be changed. And yes, I do feel it is in part the fault of district and school administrators because they are the ones who have set district and school policies that work against students, parents and teachers, instead of with.
I dont know the answer but I think the question is valid. Is this problem due to a small amount of student ruining it for everyone else? If so is it 1%, 5% 10% 20%.
If it is 1-10% I think the answer is pretty simple. Remove the small amount of kids that are the root cause. I think before this is done a message to students and partents needs to go out.
After fair warning the expulsion process should begin. Why allow the class to be run by the ones that dont want to learn anyway?
Nothing has changed with that concept. It will always be a small percentage that affects the environment of everyone else. That's life. In this situation it's, as it always has been, kids will be kids. Kids will push the limits until and authority figure keeps them from going any further. These kids are no different from when we were kids. At least I know I pushed my boundaries when I could. I grew out of that though and so will most of them. Those that don't will most likely suffer dire circumstances. One thing I have learned is that those that don't outgrow those childish tendencies tend to instill them in their children as well and further enable them by blaming others and lacking accountability when they are called on it with their offspring. They can't teach their kids to do the right thing because they never figured out what the right thing was themselves. Hence their kids have no guidance and wreaks havoc upon society with anti-social behaviors. Can't fire parents though and our legal system is not set up to properly hold anyone accountable.
It would be nice if there were a process to correct these discrepancies with ease but there is not. Bad kids and their parents have civil rights that must be upheld and some can be very litigious with a push from some questionable organizations. Teachers have unions that have no problem with pyrrhic victories - as long as they win. Administrators and politicians have platitudes and rhetoric to insulate them from having to make real change and they are only interested in stats and not rocking the boat if it will cost them money. Leaving the children with the short stick. Everybody is protected except the ones that should be protected - kids that want to learn.
I am so tired of people blaming teachers. As for the accent, we live in America, and we have teachers and students who have accents. Even native English speakers have accents-just go to Boston or the South. The principal was aware of this situation. There are severe issues with discipline throughout the West and East Contra Costa School Districts with administrators not dealing with severe discipline issues. Teachers can only ask for help in those situations. The principal instead of criticizing the teacher, should have offered support from the beginning. So, why are we not blaming the principal? Or asking why the principal did nothing all year to support a new teacher? Most new teachers resign within two years of teaching because they do not get the support that they need. The principals are also not being provided with adequate training on these serious behavioral issues-they too need support, trainings, "next steps". . A strong school site starts from the top down. The strongest school sites have competent administration. Someone needs to provide solutions when traditional management strategies are not working. I watched this video and I thought it does not look so much like a paper fight as it looks like this exercise some teachers use where students write their ideas on paper and share them that way. It is a cooperative learning technique that many elementary teachers use because the kids get to be silly yet exchange ideas.
1. no more cell phones in schools... when did high school students become so important that they needed cell phones.. they should put some device in the school that blocks transmission. the students should use the office phone if they need to make a call.
2. unruly students should be removed from class and not be allowed to attend until a parent or guardian accompanies them to school and sits in the class with the teacher.
3. teachers need to be held responsible also, if they are screwing off ( my sons teacher shows dvds and allows the kids to make phone calls during class) they should be fired.
4. make school hours from 8am to 3pm for all students, not this half day crap, split schedules, etc..
5. schools are putting out a lot of kids that have very little chance for good employment or college, with an unemployment rate of 11.5% get ready for your taxes to continue to be raised to support more and more people who are unable to obtain quality work...
pay attention to your kids, pay attention to their schools...
i agree with the one poster that said schools and parents need to work much closer to resolve these issues..
Have the parents of these disruptive students seen this video of what THEIR children are doing in our PUBLIC schools? Didn't you teach your kids anything at home before sending them to our shared public school system? Do you think teachers should have to police or babysit these kid's with no respect, Teachers are there to teach
There are a very few that have children that can be called parents. The few are the ones that make sure they supervise and correct their children for the actions, the others are the ones that pass the buck and roll out the kids for the dog and pony show of "look at my wonderful and lovely family". I think schools and the courts should make parents either do detention with their kids or make them pay big $$$ for the school improvements, eventually these parents might step up when they get sick of completing a sentence with their kids or paying out $$$.
This is also the fault of the school and the teachers union. 1. The school should never allowed the girl to be punished after numerous complaints had been made about this class and 2. The teachers union should be fined and have to pay the school money for backing such teachers whether they be vested or new teachers should be held accountable for their lack of skills.
Parents be parents and don't be so ready to believe everything that comes out of the little darlings mouth, support the teacher when it is warranted. School administrators and teachers hold the parents accountable for their childrens actions, make sure the person in charge of the class knows the topic and can teach it to those they are in charge of, and don't be too quick to believe everything that comes out of the mouths of those backing administration and teachers - cover ups hurt everyone. Teachers Union and unions in general make sure your members are strong and represent your union with the strength of their skill and knowledge, cut out those that only hurt you and those they touch, and be ready to own up to your union members faults and inability uphold the skills they purport themselves to have.
the parents of these kids should be ashamed, but they won't. when will we start needing a security guard in each room ? why dont they have parents volunteer to sit in on every class... they could have some do morning classes and others the afternoons... someone / parents sitting in the cafeteria, put cameras in the classrooms to protect the teachers, the students, and the school, all from each other. when a problem comes up, be it a fight, kids acting out of control, the teacher not performing their duties it would all be captured. .. also suspending these students is the dumbest thing you could do... they don't want to be there anyway. the best thing to do is make them go to school extra days. more homework and maybe a class in GIVING RESPECT, and EARNING RESPECT, not the bs these kids think ..you OWE them respect... the world isn't that way. where is the principal, the other teachers next door, they didnt hear or see any of this crap going on ?? or report anything ? other students ... only one girl thought not learning in a class all year was not good ?? the video is the only real proof of the events going on in that room. good for her, now she deserves the suspension (DAY OFF)... also if the teach was at that point where he had just given up .. he should have quit.
Then where will we get teachers? I don't know this teacher, whether he is good or bad but we could run out of teachers if they all quit because they are not being backed up by administration. In my grand-daughters 4th grade class, the kids were so unruly the teacher walked out, left the kids alone and took the next couple days off. The kids throw books, and pencils and use foul language in class and on the play-yard. Her moher was told, the parents don't care.
Teachers should be expected to teach but students should be expected to uphold a minimum level of behavior. If the students do not do their part the teacher can not do their's.
Parents need to step up and students need to be held accontable. At the same time teachers need to be held accontable as well.
We had what was considered a bad teacher at CWMS a few years ago. We met with the Prinicpal after numerous attempts with the teacher. The problem was she was assigning "busy work" and not indepth course work. She was on probation as a new hire and was let go.
This happened because ten sets of parents banded together. The kids ranged from GATE straight A to average but all of the parents were involved. If my kid ever behaved like what I saw in the classroom on the video here he would understand in no uncertain terms that this is unnaccpetable.
This depressing event is tough to watch. For anyone that has kids about to start school. Please don't be afraid, This is the exception, not the rule. It likely happens in a some form in almost every school at one time or another, but, it is very, very rare. Yes, it probably even happens in private schools.
In my opinion, it is most likely to happen in Math classes for many reasons. First of all, credentialed Math teachers are difficult to find. Administrators have a tough time finding Math teachers and take chances on Math teachers they might not take with someone in another subject. Also, Math is the only subject in most schools that break up students by skill level. The problems are very often in classes for less advanced Math classes. The more advanced students want to get to college and almost all of them want to learn; therefore, they do not cause nearly as many distrubances (in my humble opinion).
As a former Math instructor I can tell people that Math can be a very dry subject. There would be lessons where I felt I was on the top of my game; however, when I looked at the class, I saw a lot of my students had glazed eyes and seemed lost and/or bored.
Talk to any teacher, and they will almost always stress the importance of classroom management. It certainly appears this teacher's classroom management was weak. Yeah, that's probably a huge understatement.
Any time you get a combination of less advanced Math students, a teacher with poor classroom management skills and a teacher that the kids think 'talks funny', there is a risk of this happening.
I remember, seventeen years ago, my oldest was about to start school and I would read or hear about these types of classrooms. I was scared and suspected many kids probably brought knives to school. I was afraid kids were disrespectful to teachers. Now, two of my three have graduated from high school and a third is about to start his junior year. I am very, very happy with their experiences in Antioch schools and hope that the parents with kids about to start school don't get too scared. Again, the classroom action witnessed here is very, very rare.
my comment about quitting is ... if the teacher has given up the fight, and then given up the classroom to the kids... he might as well quit. i agree with you that some parents just dont care and it makes learning harder on the kids that want to, and the teachers that want to teach.
Posted on Monday, 6/22/2009 - 4:59 p.m. PDT — by olrascal
Joined: Jun 2008
Current Posts: 208
At least someone cared because it is very obvious the school did not and does not. Shows education alone doen't cut it. You just have to be born with common sense which the girl has and the school personnel do not. Go Girl!
Joined: Sep 2008
Current Posts: 96
the $99 parcel tax didn't pass....
1. The teacher was not competent. 2. The school administration did not follow up appropriately. 3. The district failed in its hiring procedures.
Too much administration. I would have rather paid the $99 directly to the school, than have most of it going to an ineffective bloated bureaucracy.
Joined: Jun 2009
Current Posts: 4
ISN'T THIS LIKE SHOOTING THE MESSENGER. THOSE ADMINISTRATORS NEED TO GET ON THE BALL AND DO SOMETHING. THIS GIRL SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN SUSPENDED, SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN THANKED FOR SHOWING CONCERN FOR THE CLASSROOM AND HER CLASSMATES THAT ARE REALLY TRYING TO LEARN. KICK THOSE OTHER BRATS OUT OF THE ROOM UNTIL THEY CAN BEHAVE THEMSELVES OR HAVE THIER PARENTS COME AND SPEND A DAY AT SCHOOL WITH THEM.
Joined: Jun 2009
Current Posts: 71
Why does this surprise anyone. Government schools and their unions are a joke. How did someone who speaks broken English get a job as a teacher. Who hired him? No more money should be alloted to public schools until they stop declaring that everyone "is an honor student". My cattle dog is smarter that most of these kids.
Joined: Oct 2005
Current Posts: 22
"How did someone who speaks broken English get a job as a teacher. Who hired him?" which is a good question TheBullValley. I recall when a similar thing happened with a lady teacher who was teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to many students who were from a number of different countries. Yet, she could barely speak English to the teachers, explaining what she was attempting to do. Sitting with the students and providing them booklets to work out of, just didn't cut it! She should have learned the English language, herself, before attempting to teach ESL. Oh, woe!
"No more money should be alloted to public schools until they stop declaring that everyone "is an honor student". My cattle dog is smarter that most of these kids." is a little harsh, don't you think? I don't see where every student is declared "an honor student," for they're not! To say your cattle dog is smarter than most of these kids," I chuckle for your dog might be smart, but I'll put most of the kids, today, up against your cattle dog anyday.
Joined: Feb 2008
Current Posts: 251
Mr. Huang has been hired as a middle school administrator in the West Contra Costa Unified School District.
Joined: Jun 2009
Current Posts: 2
West Contra Costa Times education reporter Kim Wetzel called the West County school district and was told that Michael Huang is not a new employee.
Also, we have posted a new story updating this one, noting that the district has expunged the suspension, according to Moore.
Joined: Nov 2008
Current Posts: 3
I know how we can solve this problem. Throw more money at the school district. Yea, that's right. More money always solves the problem. This poor school needs more money!
Joined: Apr 2009
Current Posts: 71
yes! and they can get that money by starting a work camp for the kids who don't want to learn.
Joined: Jun 2009
Current Posts: 2
Gary Swanson, the principal, and his administration are the worst. They do not address or respond to issues. I had a situation when my son attended Clayton Valled that could very easily have been handled at the school level but ended up having to be addressed by the superintendent. The office is so bad that the superintendent called Mr. Swanson on one occasion to pull some records and he made an excuse as to why that could not be done and the superintendant actually got up and had to drive over to the school to get the information. If this staff was in the private sector they would have been fired ages ago. I am just so happy that my son has graduated and no longer attends Clayton Valley. The fact that they suspended this young girl shows exactly how they operate. Her suspension should be dismissed based on she tried to do to have the situation addressed many times with no response or care for the situation. It seemed to me that the staff really does not care about the students education or they would respond to these situations easily. If the staff had listened to this young girl and responded things would never had to get this far.
Joined: May 2009
Current Posts: 9
This happens EVERY SINGLE DAY in campuses all over the place. Same situation in Antioch. My son had an Algebra teacher that BARELY speaks English, had no control over her class, and these kids are learning nothing. Are you really surprised that administration would punish the kid who tried to expose a problem in the school?? haha Um, not so much of a surprise to me!! Do any type of search for "school fight' or "classroom fight" on youtube...if you really can't believe that this stuff is happening in our kids schools. My son video-tapes things all day everyday on campus and it would make your blood boil knowing what goes on in these schools. Fights, disrespect, bull[bleep] "punishments" to the wrong kids by administration. They don't know what to do with these kids and because they fear lack of money, they do NOTHING.
Joined: Sep 2006
Current Posts: 4931
It's really gotten out of hand. How do we restore discipline when you aren't allowed to do the things you did to command respect in the old days? Kids are scared, teachers are scared, parents feel they have no control over the situation. It's not getting any better.
Only 471 Remaining Until Bazooka Joe's Last Post!
Joined: Nov 2006
Current Posts: 400
Any time a situation is not investigated and looked at for what it is, be it a fight, a kid bringing in a "weapon" (I use quotes because a plastic lunch knife can be considered a "weapon"), or any other "violation of policy," there will almost always be unwanted results. When a kid brings in a chewable aspirin, they should not be handled in the same way as a kid bringing in meth. Yet, with zero tolerance policies, that is precisely what happens.
School administrators are presumably hired, in part, for their ability to make intelligent decisions. They should be allowed to do so. If they continually fail in this task, then they should be terminated. In fairness to the administrators, their hands are tied often times in these situations; they know what SHOULD be done, but can't do it due to "district policy." Some do try to work within the system for change, but others seem to be pleased with the fact that the decision is out of their hands. That is another sad consequence of “Zero Tolerance.” If we, as a society, were not so quick to sue or level charges, then perhaps this lazy, ineffective management style would have never come into place.
Joined: Jun 2009
Current Posts: 2
My daughter also had this teacher this year in a Alg.II class. At back to school night, Mr. Huang did not address the parents, instead had us come to the front to see our students grade. Nothing handed out. All year my daughter and her friends complained to the administrators. A VP came and sat in on the class once. He reprimanded the kids for their unruly behavior. She could not understand him a lot of the time. He wouldn't go over homework. He would lose papers (another teacher in English II also has this problem). This problem has nothing to do with $ but with unions and bureaucracy. He was protected by his union. As a second year teacher was he not on "probation"? We will lose many great teachers this year because of their seniority and be left with some not so great teachers. It is very hard to get rid of someone because of their union contracts.
This young lady should not be suspended. She tried to go through the proper channnels and it got her nowhere. If I had thought of it, I would have suggested it to my daughter.
Joined: Jun 2009
Current Posts: 1
As a parent with a son entering high school, I am very frustrated by all of this. The schools are not able to control the classes, the children are not receiving a quality education and the State, the Teachers Unions and the School Districts seem to think the only sollution is to tax the taxpayers more and throw more money at the problem, rather than solve the problem itself. I pay taxes and support the public schools, yet I am forced to send my son to a private school in order for him to receive a quality education in a structured learning environment. I am paying twice and do not feel that it is fair. All schools should become private entities and the Unions need to get out of the way and let the schools operate as private entities without tying the hands of the administrators with all the demands placed on them to keep teachers that do not and cannot perform. We need to approve school vouchers and let parents decide for themselves where their money should be spent and what school deserves their patronage.
Clearly Clayton Valley blew it here and did not address the problem and their only sollution is to punish the child who exposed the situation which is the wrong decision. Moore's suspension should be reversed and the school should address the situation properly.
Joined: Dec 2005
Current Posts: 1247
@baysoonergirl,
well, my girls are going also to a private school, and you are missing to say, that a private school is NOT taking crap from any student.
the ones who choose to be disrespectfull, or not follow the school plicies etc are kicked out in a moment.
a public school does not have that power because the parents are missing their part.
it's to simple to blame the teachers.......
i am paying twice too, and support a voucher system, but i would kick my daughters little butt if she is a rebel at school.
she can be a rebel in her room by cleaning her makeup crap and bring a's home only.
Joined: Nov 2006
Current Posts: 400
Your comments about what goes on at private schools is what most people believe, but not entirely accurate. While I currently can't speak directly to private schools in California, I do have quite a bit of contact with private schools here in Colorado. The idea that if a kid continuously misbehaves that he is summarily dismissed or expelled is more wishful thinking than actual fact. I see real examples on a regular basis.
One thing that comes into play quite often that many parents don't seem to consider; a private school is a business. For them to stay in business, they must be profitable. If they are not making a profit, they close their doors. There are indeed times that schools will look the other way when dealing with unruly students because the school can't afford to lose the tuition. It's more common than you might think.
As a side note, when I was in school in the Tri-Valley are back in the 70's, there was an expose` written about De La Salle regarding rampant drug use by the students there. I recall reading in the Catholic Voice a stinging article which estimated more than half the student body were actually attending classes under the influence. Now please understand that I don't believe this is happening currently! I bring it up as an example of what CAN happen; even at private schools. They are not the panacea that many seem to believe.
Joined: Dec 2005
Current Posts: 1247
i did not say a word about what is going on in private schools or not, and with no word did i say they are angels.....there are the same problems, drugs and alcohol like in any other high school.
what i said was...that the privat school has much more follow up/ power, however you want to call it, compair to public school.
just read all the threats about public schools here on this board. the first thing if something happens...the teachers are blamed
the main issue is, that the parents have failed.
Joined: Sep 2008
Current Posts: 40
STOP about the private schools garbage... My son went to De La Salle and this happened in his Math Class.. He was NOT a participant, so he got a Straight "A". according to teacher - he was not a behavior problem... The problem students were FOOTBALL JOCKS, they got Saturday suspensions (School didn't want them to miss playing the game on Friday Night)...
Public or Private... Teenagers are teenagers...
Joined: Aug 2008
Current Posts: 20
CONTROL YOUR OWN KIDS.
Joined: Mar 2006
Current Posts: 125
Parents, stop coddling your babies and teach them some manners, for crying out loud. These unruly kids must have no guidance at home. Still, the teacher should be providing guidance and boundaries while they're at school, so the kids are double-teamed in apathy, it seems. What a shame.
Joined: Oct 2008
Current Posts: 13
I have been both a student and a teacher in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District. My opinion is that over the past 20 years, the district has been mismanaged. I have been through several situations as both a student and a teacher that were handled in ways similar to the way this girl's complaining about the lack of classroom control has been handled. As a student complaining about similar lack of control in my 5th grade classroom, I was told I had a fantastic imagination - which was tantamount to calling me a liar. The teacher in question became an elementary school principal not long after. As a teacher, I witnessed that parents were consistently kept at arms' length from the administration. Rather than treating parents as allies and working with them through organizations such as the PTA, parents were treated as enemies. I therefore think that this district should be broken up into smaller districts in order to be more easily managed, and that more competent district administrators and school administrators should be placed in charge.
Joined: Nov 2006
Current Posts: 1457
What a crock! The student should have been protected under the Whistleblowers protections! How else will a student be able to prove that something is wrong? So much for common sense from the MDUSD staff.
Joined: Mar 2008
Current Posts: 61
If this was his second year, what was his first year like?
Was his performance reviewed?
Were there issues found, documented and did the administration work with him to correct them?
All this would be standard procedure in any business.
Assuming it did not play out this way, why not?
Is this incompetence on the part of administration, or union power, or ????
Joined: Jun 2009
Current Posts: 1
As a teacher at CV we know that kids will take as much as the teacher will allow, but there's sure not a lot of support for Mr. Huang. How many of you working parents had your professions mastered your 2nd year? I've taught with Mr. Huang and he's a sweet man who's very intelligent but speaks with an accent. Our kids tease him ruthlessly, with no repercussions from administration, because for one reason they say they can't understand him. You'd think that a diverse community like the one at CVHS would demonstrate a little more compassion for an English learner. We’re beyond expecting much respect, but is patience out of the question? Be careful not to sentence a good man based solely on the cell phone from a 15yr old. Oh, and by the way.... Do parents really wonder why Mt. Diablo USD has difficulty finding quality teachers? How many of you would want this level of loyalty and support from your working community? I won't even begin my rant on the administration.
Joined: Apr 2008
Current Posts: 61
"You'd think that a diverse community like the one at CVHS would demonstrate a little more compassion for an English learner." When I was in school, we had teachers who spoke clear english. We had asian, hispanic, european and korean teachers all of which had no problem teaching the class. It seems the problem lies on the people who hand these jerks the teaching credits on a silver platter! I am only 31 years old, it wasn't 50 years ago that this was the way things worked. If you can't or won't speak clear english, don't expect a job where it is dependent on your language skills. The kids need and have rights, and if the state forces education upon them, they damn well better provide it!
Joined: Feb 2009
Current Posts: 17
That girl absolutely deserves to be suspended.
Apparently the lot of you fall victim to tunnel vision -- er -- tunnel hearing as it were. You can hear her egging on the paper tossers. Since none of you get to say 'you were there' and are instead basing your exercises in breathing hot air on one-sided stories, opinions and slants...allow me to be the voice of reason with the following: Be quiet.
Joined: Jun 2009
Current Posts: 2
I disagree with the entry from free B1ird. I think there are many more students and parents that do keep quiet instead of speaking up. I don't think many parents our students take that extra step to get involved when they should. I am sure there are many that figure nothing will get done so why bother. This kind of class room behavior and behavior of the administration towards the students and parents needs to be addressed. Not just ignored so that it will continue. Clayton Valley really could be a decent school if only there was a differnet attitude. I agree with one of the other responders who said the administration treats the students and parents as if they are the enemy. That is how it is with Mr. Swanson in charge.
Joined: Apr 2008
Current Posts: 111
The teacher is disinterested, most of the kids are disinterested, and these are the people who are going to be voting and making decisions in the future? We have no future, folks. The student who taped the chaos should be given a medal, not a suspension; now she's been taught to never speak up for what's right.
Joined: Jun 2009
Current Posts: 2
For those who feel so superior let's have them try teaching a class where at least a third of the students see no value in what they are being taught and a few actually come to school with the sole intention of avoiding learning an all costs. A handful of those troublemakers ruin the entire class. Take you eyes off them for just a second to help a student who wants to learn and they loose all control, throwing things, taking other students property, starting play fights, or anything else they can do to avoid learning. Most teachers became teachers to help others learn not to be prison guards. I suggest that all parents with school age children be required to spend a minimum of 2 days a semester in class with their kid. Let them see for themselves how some of these rascals behave and then maybe they might not be so quick to judge.
Joined: Jun 2009
Current Posts: 2
It's so easy to say, from the outside, that the administration seems completely incompetant, but one must take a good look at the factors influencing the classroom teacher and even the administrators, before he can truly judge.
Joined: May 2009
Current Posts: 9
Mister C, I feel you...I do. I know that it cannot possibly be an easy thing to be a teacher in our schools today. You've got unruly kids who are so out of control no one knows what to do with them and you've got an administration that probably doesn't have your back a lot of the time. HOWEVER...if I were a teacher, I would make it clear at the beginning of the year (to both the kids and the administration) that you get TWO CHANCES to change your behavior in my class and then BYE-BYE! ADIOS! YOU ARE THROWN OUT AND DO NOT COME BACK! My kids have had half a handful of teachers throughout their entire school career (they are both in high school...one is a sophomore and the other a junior) that have been tough on this stance...and while it may make them seem harsh at first, it works long-term and these are the teachers that my kids have learned the most from and taken away life-long lessons from. You can get rid of a few troublemaking kids right off the bat, which then sends the message to the rest of the kids that the teacher is serious and you will be GONE if you continue to be a disruption to the class. I don't know about you, but the last thing I would ever want to have to do as a kid is to go home to tell my parents that I've been kicked out of my high school algebra class because I was beig disruptive. I know as a parent, I would NOT take that news lightly. It's time for parents to be responsible and on that same note, for teachers to become responsible in their classrooms. Fear is taking over every aspect...and if it continues we are DOOMED!!
Joined: Jun 2009
Current Posts: 2
And if all parents were like you there would be no problems. I would be willing to bet that your kids were part of the majority who are well behaved and wanted to learn. Unfortunately there are kids whose parents have no control what so ever. Nothing works on this group, you can take away privileges until they sit in an empty bedroom. Even corporal punishment does no good as it just makes them more resistant. The problem is they do not want to be there and they see school as meaningless. When you look up the number of times some of these kids have been in trouble it is stunning! Page after page of behavior contracts, suspensions, Friday school etc. The astonishing thing is they see this as something to be proud of. It is easy to say just get rid of them but to where? Just push the problem off somewhere else. Most importantly, once they are gone you have lost all chance of making positive change. I for one have a real tough time doing that, it is as if I have given up and I just abhor quitting. That is not what these kids need. I don't know the answer is, heck I hardly have the slightest grasp of the problem but if we spent a fraction of what we spend on war and punishment to try to solve this problem we as a society would all be better off. Remember Einsteins teachers said he would never amount to anything and he didn't, oh wait I guess he did. :)
Joined: Jul 2009
Current Posts: 1
Mister C...
Not only should parents be required to be in their kids' classrooms a couple times a year, but each member of administration and each member of the local Board of Education should be required to spend at least 1 full day per grading period as a substitute teacher.... Any kid and teacher knows the subs really catch he11!!
I teach inner city... MANY of the kids today only attend to socialize 1st, learning is secondary! For some - the wonderful SPED programs for those behaviorally challenged as a case in point - they just come to cause trouble...
Parental support as mentioned - when I have involved parents, I hardly ever have a problem with their kids, go figure - a good home-life does make a difference???
Oh and I just completed my 4th year - after a career change from Industry... Do parents ever wonder who would want to hire kids like this???????
Joined: Jun 2009
Current Posts: 2
I agree that there needs to be protection of privacy, etc., but there also needs to be an amped up discipline system. In the name of students' rights, many of the teachers' and health care workers' rights have been revoked--all the ways we used to have of maintaining control of our classroom are now considered "abuse." I ask you, who's really being abused?
Joined: Jun 2009
Current Posts: 1
I am the mom in the story. I in no way condone the behavior of the kids and I am shocked and disgusted by the lack of respect toward adults and teachers. I also think that the kids did terrorize Mr. Huang on a daily basis. My point in all of this has been the fact that the kids did not behave because they knew they could get away with acting out, the teacher did not do his job by demanding control and the administration failed by not following up adequatly with the numerous complaints from both kids and parents. When my daughter got fed up and filmed the class to prove her point she did not know she was breaking an educational code. It was her intention to simply prove what was going on and for someone to take notice. I did not want her to be the scapegoat and take all the blame for exposing what was really happening in the classroom. The kids are there to learn and the teachers certainly should not have to police and babysit unruly kids. I do think that the parents need to take responsibility and make it clear that such behavior in school is not and will not be tolerated. I am satisfied with the outcome of her suspension being expunged from her record and I hope we can all move forward in the future and work together to make school a safe place to learn for both students and teachers.
Joined: Jun 2006
Current Posts: 252
Here is my problem with this story - as well as the entire school system... I am willing to believe that Mr Huang is a nice, honorable man. He may even become a decent teacher at some point but if your speech is such that you cannot be understood by the students you are trying to teach, you should not be in these schools trying to teach. I would think that you have to be able to verbally communicate effectively in order to teach. He could not, so he should not. He was put in a situation where all he could do was fail.
Which gets to the second part of my problem. No "good" administrator should berate a teacher in front of their students. Absolutely bad leadership. If anything this teacher should be counselled - in private or amongst peers - on how to improve their abilities and be effective in class. No support from administration doesn't help this situation either.
It's hard to pinpoint the crux of this problem because everything is wrong and it seems no one is willing to apply common sense to correct it. Suspending the student for bringing this to light is ludicrous and I hope some sane person rectifies this. My personal opinion is that we don't need to throw money at our school problem, just tear down and overhaul the entire thing from the top down. Get these babbling idiots in positions of authority out of there.
Joined: Jun 2009
Current Posts: 2
I agree with Mr. Temptation. Very well put.
There are mentor teachers through the district that should have been helping this teacher improve. I have met this teacher and his speech was very difficult to understand and he knew it. My daughter said that when someone would come to visit the classroom from the district or front office, Mr. Huang would put a problem on the board and have a student teach it. This man may have the potential to be a great teacher, but his heavy accent and his lack of teaching skills could not be overcome on his own.
By no means is this an isolated case. There is at least one classroom like this on every campus. There was in middle school and there is at another school my sister works at in the MDUSD. What are the answers?????
Joined: Dec 2008
Current Posts: 225
After reading all the post here, almost everyone wants to blame the teacher, school, district, or sure, the union.
Let's start with the real problem, PARENTING. Parents all think it's some else's fault. If your child gets in trouble, the first thing they want to do is find out who else is to blame. We now live in a time that parents think they should give their kids all the things that they didn't have when they were kids. Most, not all, kids get cars, cell phones, PDA, Ipods, you name it, not because they need them, only because Johnny or Susie has one and my kid should have one too. When they get into trouble in school, Mommy or Daddy run to the office and argue and yell until they get their way or say they will file a lawsuit. I know when I was a student like most of you, if my parents went to the school, it scared the h e l l out of me and it didn't matter if the school was right or I was, my parents, and myself as a parent, NEVER, let a child know what happened behind closed doors in the office. The school was always respected. Parents now a days tell the student what happened and and the kids know they get away with anything. Than the other side of the coin is the parents that just don't care, their child has to go to school so they send them and when they come home, the kids go where ever they want with anyone they want.
As for the Teacher that speaks limited english, First: if he hasn't been teaching for more than two years, the district can let him go without any reason, period, if they choose this is called a probation period. If he tenured, than, and only than, it must be for just cause. I find that it is kind of funny that a lot of you posters must have gone to college and taken a math or science course, most of the teachers are limited in english. In these fields they our among the best.
MDUSD has it's problems like many other districts, but it's time we look in to our own houses and most of the problems are caused by students with a few leaders at the school and a whole bunch of followers that think that they are kool (sorry, but I'm old school). If we, as parents, get back to doing our job as parents and not our kids friends, I bet a lot of the problems will go away. WE ARE NOT OUR CHILDRENS FRIENDS,WE OUR THEIR TEACHERS FIRST, AS A PARENT.
Joined: Oct 2008
Current Posts: 16
Eliminate the teachers union!
Joined: Feb 2003
Current Posts: 512
A microwave in the classroom????? A math classroom at that???? WHAT THE HELL KIND OF CRAP IS THAT????????????????????? What are they teaching the students? How to recognize numbers on the keypad??????????????
Joined: Dec 2007
Current Posts: 4
This is what 40% of the state budget goes for. Can you spell C h a r t e r S c h o o l?
Joined: Oct 2008
Current Posts: 13
Take you eyes off them for just a second to help a student who wants to learn and they loose all control, throwing things, taking other students property, starting play fights, or anything else they can do to avoid learning."
A kid who merely wants to avoid learning simply shuts down, stays quiet with his/her arms crossed, acts as if he/she is not there, stares out the window, and doesn't respond to the teacher at all.
A kid doing as you describe is, in fact, a kid shouting for attention by acting out. A kid acting in this way doesn't do so just to avoid learning. A kid acting in this way does so because there is a deeper problem that needs to be addressed before he or she will be ready to learn.
As I said before, I was both a student and a teacher at MDUSD. And while I agree that some of the problem is caused by parents who don't pay enough attention to their kids, these are problems that only the parents themselves can address.
Meanwhile, a good administration who hires good teachers can redirect the energy of children who are acting out by showing them that they will be listened to; and that they will receive positive attention and be rewarded for good behavior, and negative attention and appropriate discipline for bad behavior. This message can best be reinforced by parents, teachers and administrators working together effectively through organizations such as the PTA, not by administrations pushing parents away.
Furthermore, a school should be first and foremost about the students. Therefore, when students have concerns and/or problems, the administration's first response should be to listen and try to address the situation appropriately, not to pass immediate judgment and push the student away.
These are all the areas in which I feel MDUSD has been failing for twenty years, and that need to be changed. And yes, I do feel it is in part the fault of district and school administrators because they are the ones who have set district and school policies that work against students, parents and teachers, instead of with.
Joined: Jul 2008
Current Posts: 1191
I dont know the answer but I think the question is valid. Is this problem due to a small amount of student ruining it for everyone else? If so is it 1%, 5% 10% 20%.
If it is 1-10% I think the answer is pretty simple. Remove the small amount of kids that are the root cause. I think before this is done a message to students and partents needs to go out.
After fair warning the expulsion process should begin. Why allow the class to be run by the ones that dont want to learn anyway?
Joined: Jun 2006
Current Posts: 252
Nothing has changed with that concept. It will always be a small percentage that affects the environment of everyone else. That's life. In this situation it's, as it always has been, kids will be kids. Kids will push the limits until and authority figure keeps them from going any further. These kids are no different from when we were kids. At least I know I pushed my boundaries when I could. I grew out of that though and so will most of them. Those that don't will most likely suffer dire circumstances. One thing I have learned is that those that don't outgrow those childish tendencies tend to instill them in their children as well and further enable them by blaming others and lacking accountability when they are called on it with their offspring. They can't teach their kids to do the right thing because they never figured out what the right thing was themselves. Hence their kids have no guidance and wreaks havoc upon society with anti-social behaviors. Can't fire parents though and our legal system is not set up to properly hold anyone accountable.
It would be nice if there were a process to correct these discrepancies with ease but there is not. Bad kids and their parents have civil rights that must be upheld and some can be very litigious with a push from some questionable organizations. Teachers have unions that have no problem with pyrrhic victories - as long as they win. Administrators and politicians have platitudes and rhetoric to insulate them from having to make real change and they are only interested in stats and not rocking the boat if it will cost them money. Leaving the children with the short stick. Everybody is protected except the ones that should be protected - kids that want to learn.
Joined: Jun 2009
Current Posts: 1
I am so tired of people blaming teachers. As for the accent, we live in America, and we have teachers and students who have accents. Even native English speakers have accents-just go to Boston or the South. The principal was aware of this situation. There are severe issues with discipline throughout the West and East Contra Costa School Districts with administrators not dealing with severe discipline issues. Teachers can only ask for help in those situations. The principal instead of criticizing the teacher, should have offered support from the beginning. So, why are we not blaming the principal? Or asking why the principal did nothing all year to support a new teacher? Most new teachers resign within two years of teaching because they do not get the support that they need. The principals are also not being provided with adequate training on these serious behavioral issues-they too need support, trainings, "next steps". . A strong school site starts from the top down. The strongest school sites have competent administration. Someone needs to provide solutions when traditional management strategies are not working. I watched this video and I thought it does not look so much like a paper fight as it looks like this exercise some teachers use where students write their ideas on paper and share them that way. It is a cooperative learning technique that many elementary teachers use because the kids get to be silly yet exchange ideas.
Joined: Jul 2006
Current Posts: 483
1. no more cell phones in schools... when did high school students become so important that they needed cell phones.. they should put some device in the school that blocks transmission. the students should use the office phone if they need to make a call.
2. unruly students should be removed from class and not be allowed to attend until a parent or guardian accompanies them to school and sits in the class with the teacher.
3. teachers need to be held responsible also, if they are screwing off ( my sons teacher shows dvds and allows the kids to make phone calls during class) they should be fired.
4. make school hours from 8am to 3pm for all students, not this half day crap, split schedules, etc..
5. schools are putting out a lot of kids that have very little chance for good employment or college, with an unemployment rate of 11.5% get ready for your taxes to continue to be raised to support more and more people who are unable to obtain quality work...
pay attention to your kids, pay attention to their schools...
i agree with the one poster that said schools and parents need to work much closer to resolve these issues..
Joined: May 2009
Current Posts: 3
Have the parents of these disruptive students seen this video of what THEIR children are doing in our PUBLIC schools? Didn't you teach your kids anything at home before sending them to our shared public school system? Do you think teachers should have to police or babysit these kid's with no respect, Teachers are there to teach
Joined: Aug 2006
Current Posts: 1
There are a very few that have children that can be called parents. The few are the ones that make sure they supervise and correct their children for the actions, the others are the ones that pass the buck and roll out the kids for the dog and pony show of "look at my wonderful and lovely family". I think schools and the courts should make parents either do detention with their kids or make them pay big $$$ for the school improvements, eventually these parents might step up when they get sick of completing a sentence with their kids or paying out $$$.
This is also the fault of the school and the teachers union. 1. The school should never allowed the girl to be punished after numerous complaints had been made about this class and 2. The teachers union should be fined and have to pay the school money for backing such teachers whether they be vested or new teachers should be held accountable for their lack of skills.
Parents be parents and don't be so ready to believe everything that comes out of the little darlings mouth, support the teacher when it is warranted. School administrators and teachers hold the parents accountable for their childrens actions, make sure the person in charge of the class knows the topic and can teach it to those they are in charge of, and don't be too quick to believe everything that comes out of the mouths of those backing administration and teachers - cover ups hurt everyone. Teachers Union and unions in general make sure your members are strong and represent your union with the strength of their skill and knowledge, cut out those that only hurt you and those they touch, and be ready to own up to your union members faults and inability uphold the skills they purport themselves to have.
Joined: Jul 2006
Current Posts: 483
the parents of these kids should be ashamed, but they won't. when will we start needing a security guard in each room ? why dont they have parents volunteer to sit in on every class... they could have some do morning classes and others the afternoons... someone / parents sitting in the cafeteria, put cameras in the classrooms to protect the teachers, the students, and the school, all from each other. when a problem comes up, be it a fight, kids acting out of control, the teacher not performing their duties it would all be captured. .. also suspending these students is the dumbest thing you could do... they don't want to be there anyway. the best thing to do is make them go to school extra days. more homework and maybe a class in GIVING RESPECT, and EARNING RESPECT, not the bs these kids think ..you OWE them respect... the world isn't that way. where is the principal, the other teachers next door, they didnt hear or see any of this crap going on ?? or report anything ? other students ... only one girl thought not learning in a class all year was not good ?? the video is the only real proof of the events going on in that room. good for her, now she deserves the suspension (DAY OFF)... also if the teach was at that point where he had just given up .. he should have quit.
Joined: Sep 2006
Current Posts: 1928
Then where will we get teachers? I don't know this teacher, whether he is good or bad but we could run out of teachers if they all quit because they are not being backed up by administration. In my grand-daughters 4th grade class, the kids were so unruly the teacher walked out, left the kids alone and took the next couple days off. The kids throw books, and pencils and use foul language in class and on the play-yard. Her moher was told, the parents don't care.
Joined: Jul 2008
Current Posts: 1191
Teachers should be expected to teach but students should be expected to uphold a minimum level of behavior. If the students do not do their part the teacher can not do their's.
Parents need to step up and students need to be held accontable. At the same time teachers need to be held accontable as well.
We had what was considered a bad teacher at CWMS a few years ago. We met with the Prinicpal after numerous attempts with the teacher. The problem was she was assigning "busy work" and not indepth course work. She was on probation as a new hire and was let go.
This happened because ten sets of parents banded together. The kids ranged from GATE straight A to average but all of the parents were involved. If my kid ever behaved like what I saw in the classroom on the video here he would understand in no uncertain terms that this is unnaccpetable.
Joined: Dec 2006
Current Posts: 144
This depressing event is tough to watch. For anyone that has kids about to start school. Please don't be afraid, This is the exception, not the rule. It likely happens in a some form in almost every school at one time or another, but, it is very, very rare. Yes, it probably even happens in private schools.
In my opinion, it is most likely to happen in Math classes for many reasons. First of all, credentialed Math teachers are difficult to find. Administrators have a tough time finding Math teachers and take chances on Math teachers they might not take with someone in another subject. Also, Math is the only subject in most schools that break up students by skill level. The problems are very often in classes for less advanced Math classes. The more advanced students want to get to college and almost all of them want to learn; therefore, they do not cause nearly as many distrubances (in my humble opinion).
As a former Math instructor I can tell people that Math can be a very dry subject. There would be lessons where I felt I was on the top of my game; however, when I looked at the class, I saw a lot of my students had glazed eyes and seemed lost and/or bored.
Talk to any teacher, and they will almost always stress the importance of classroom management. It certainly appears this teacher's classroom management was weak. Yeah, that's probably a huge understatement.
Any time you get a combination of less advanced Math students, a teacher with poor classroom management skills and a teacher that the kids think 'talks funny', there is a risk of this happening.
I remember, seventeen years ago, my oldest was about to start school and I would read or hear about these types of classrooms. I was scared and suspected many kids probably brought knives to school. I was afraid kids were disrespectful to teachers. Now, two of my three have graduated from high school and a third is about to start his junior year. I am very, very happy with their experiences in Antioch schools and hope that the parents with kids about to start school don't get too scared. Again, the classroom action witnessed here is very, very rare.
Andy
Joined: Jul 2006
Current Posts: 483
my comment about quitting is ... if the teacher has given up the fight, and then given up the classroom to the kids... he might as well quit. i agree with you that some parents just dont care and it makes learning harder on the kids that want to, and the teachers that want to teach.