Rhode Island Teachers fired for refusing to work an additional 25 minutes per week day!

[dasteufelhund]

What is more amazing, is the population and the ethnicity of this CF, is ignored, and the parents of these children are likely not held to the same accountability as teachers from the very get go. If you create a law that empowers the child protective service to go into poor performance areas, one warning, final warning, then temporary removal of guardianship, I bet the student's performance will increase and teachers won't be the one babysitting.

[dasteufelhund]

$70,000 is for those most senior in the field, that is, over 20 or some even with 30 years of service. So don't just say $70,000 like it's for every teacher, this compatible in military and law enforcement. Many of them are already putting in overtime without overtime pay, these are aged teachers, if you're not at that age performing extra hours on top of your overtime, then you should speak at all in regard to this issue, public is very misinformed and misled.

[scottson2]

eric5906: Would you work at a job that told you to stay extra hours for no compensation?

most jobs require this. most jobs just hand you a cell phone as part of the job, and its required for NO compensation., HELLO!!!! this is what we HAVE to do to be competetive in the private sector. you have to give, or you get CUT!!!! And believe me, there are a LOT Of us who don't want to do it, but we have to.. end of story.. they were asked to do the same, they demanded OT pay. (@90/hr)

[dasteufelhund]

So what is the condition for parental involvement?

[81889697]

Excellent video.

[bregshivaffxi]

lazy sobs can't handle 25 more minutes of work, they deserve to be out on the street.

[eugene680]

Don't these teachers know? It's just like any other job out there. Do the job right or they find someone else. Why should these teachers have a job if they're not doing it right? Just like professional sport teams, they fire the head coach if the team has a losing record.

[dasteufelhund]

@eugene680 What you said is colloquialism. "Do the job right or find someone else" There is no one else, and with the dismissal, it is unlikely teachers would want to work there knowing the leadership would betray them. I had already corrected your comparison of sport team and education on another video, it's short sighted and lacked context. Education system is not single layered as entertainment, it is multi-layered with efforts of multiple fields and most importantly but absent, parents.

[eugene680]

You're probably one of those lazy ass teachers they fired. It's about time the education system treats this thing like pro sports.

[dasteufelhund]

@eugene680 To roll with your scenario with treating education like its a pro sport team, you won't be able to afford teachers by the professional standard and you will have a lot of kids fail by that very same "professional" standard. You could hardly speak for yourself due to lack of knowledge on this issue, let alone your assumption of someone else's credential. I'd love to hear what more useless shit you have to say while you're down, because despite your remark, you got schooled.

[SOAHCSOAHCSOAHC]

Thank you for posting this. The more union teachers we can flush out of our school system, the better off our students will be.

[NBAGOATS]

@SOAHCSOAHCSOAHC I agree. Union promotes bad quality in the profession. I for one want teachers to EARN their salary.

[dasteufelhund]

@NBAGOATS Tell me, what evidence you have showing teacher not putting forth to earn their salary?

[eric5906]

Sorry, but these comments were based on ignorance. You don't have all the facts. The teachers were told to extend their work day by two hours, attend 2 weeks of unpaid training and the admin. tried to strongarm them all. Armstrong, you don't know what the hell you're talking about. Would you work at a job that told you to stay extra hours for no compensation? Sure there was a problem in the school, but that isn't the way you solve it.

[SOAHCSOAHCSOAHC]

@eric5906 For three times the local median salary, for a nine-month-a-year job, at which my union-parasite peers and I were obviously malfeasant(as evidenced by the school's appalling failure)? I'd crawl on my belly through broken bottles of hot sauce to stay in a cush position like that.

[eric5906]

@SOAHCSOAHCSOAHC: that isn't the point. I worked at a school that paid more than what the local pop. was getting, but that doesn't give you license to order people (who should be treated like professionals, not dogs) to work for free. Would you order your lawyer/doctor/dentist to do extra work for you because he/she is making "three times the local median salary"?

[SOAHCSOAHCSOAHC]

@eric5906 Certainly not. If my lawyer/doctor/dentist were doing the atrocious job these teachers did, I'd have fired them outright. Watch again, starting at 2:15. I agree with you that the proposed conditions were pretty drastic. The school needed a drastic change, and I think it got exactly what it needed. They were not professionals. They were incompetent, indifferent union slugs. If the school administration has a choice, I hope they'll know better than to ever hire union again.

[dasteufelhund]

@SOAHCSOAHCSOAHC You must know well over 50% of teachers across the nation are not member of a union, the school needs to change, but core of the issue here, is not only teachers, but lack of parental involvement and the accountability of both end. Teachers are blamed for parent's negligence and those who are supposedly "bad teachers" are disgruntled because their effort had been diluted by attitude from home. Just observe Asian and black student's family work ethics you'll see the contrast.

[SOAHCSOAHCSOAHC]

@dasteufelhund Oh, I absolutely agree; parents have a responsibility to reinforce the good work that teachers do, and to repair the damage that incompetent ones do. The first key step that parents should take is choosing a private school and thoroughly vetting the teachers interacting with their children.

Also, this was, as heregoes noted, one of the worst-performing schools in the state. Maybe there was simply a trend of apathetic parents in the district, but my money is still on the teachers.

[thedriver500]

One thing you cant argue because the statistics are there. Since around 1980 the education level has gone down to where it is now at 36-37th in the world. But has the highest funding per child in the world. For years the teachers unions have lied, saying education is doing well. They even bought TV ads in the 90s saying so. YepIts time to clean house and the teachers are a good place to start. Besides looking at most of these teachers they would get an A+ teaching students how to eat.

[ealaara]

What a crappy video from a man who most likely doesn't work in a school.

[braposo23]

central falls is a shithole anyway

[oldteacher1988]

she was switching to an alternative that she was hoping to avoid ---but had at the ready.

What money does she have available? She has not been transparent about what she has done with stimulus money.

She refused to honor the contract. She took away duties then gripes that the teachers dont have duties.

[lostinseganet]

I read the teachers made $79,000 per year.

[dasteufelhund]

@lostinseganet you want to put this figure in perspective? $79,000 are for those with with most likely two or three decades of service. $79,000 is neither an entry pay, nor 5 to 10 year pay. 20 to 30 years! Get your facts together.

[Werebat]

Ya... What is happening in CF is really just a publicity stunt as the state makes a grab for "Race to the Top" money. As for the union/admin conflict, they both made some bad calls and some selfish decisions.

Do you know what "50% failure rate" means? Do a little digging and you'll find that the term is next to meaningless. If a student leaves the school to move to another town, and graduates there at the age of 18, they still count as a "failure" for the original school. It's ludicrous.

[samiemma]

Check the facts before recording your rant.

You don't know anything about educational research.

[PHubb]

You need to spend extra UNPAID time checking reality and your facts. The teachers were already implementing the 'transformation model'. The city of Central Falls taxpayers don't fund the schools. CF is too poor. This is a move to break the union.

SUPPORT THE TEACHERS!

[PHubb]

@ Armstrong Williams This rant is totally ignorant of the facts. POVERTY is the main factor that determines student success or failure. There are dozens of studies going back to the 60s which prove this. The 'Turn Around' model Gallo is forcing through is a failure everywhere it's been tried. Wall St bankers bonuses are sacrosanct contracts, but union contracts can be torn up on a whim. Bush's former education administrator - Diane Ravitch - has published a new book that refutes your position.

[candyjuicy09]

this is crazy i go to c.f high. they dont need to fire all of the teachers thats not gonna change anything.

[ezzz42]

Hear, hear!

[oldteacher1988]

The teachers are between 45-71 on a pay scale which is median in RI.

The teachers said no to the 6 unproven recommendations because the last time they said yes to everything and the scores only went up a little.

Curriculumn was her baby. We followed it and it didnt work well. Now it is her fault.

These are our kids. We want the best not more misguided leadership.

[biggerturtle]

union scum

[ntassistant]

Every Central Falls High School teacher deserves to be fired. If they can't give 25 minutes for their lives (without monetary compensation) to help improve education in a failing school district, they should be fired immediately. Whatever happened to intrinsic motivation?

[enemigosocultos]

Glad they were fired!

[seaturtle999]

now that the bad teacher are gone they could try to become a charter school

[oldteacher1988]

This guy should sue Steve Perry for imitating him on CNN

[oldteacher1988]

Not true. Fired because the Superintendent walked away. Gallo wanted to Increase the work day by 15% yet the Union was talking to her. She chose the turnaround model from one day to the next.

CF teachers make the median income for teachers in RI .

Scores went up . 3 othe schools scored the same no threats, no changes and no bad press.

[BadBunnyRides]

@oldteacher1988

Union demanded (yeah demanded) a raise from $30 to $90 per hour for the "extra" time. Let me tell ya, ANY OTHER business that was doing %50 shit work making a shit product, you'd fire their asses too. This is worse.

This is our kids.

This is their entire life here.

Good ridance to Central FAILS High School teachers.

[mrgibbz]

I teach. I put in 7 hours at school each day. Then I go home and put in 5 - 6 more hours. I work every weekend on school. I prep though the summer. It's an illusion that teachers work 7 hours a day. It's LIE.

[thedriver500]

Where are the parents through all this??...

There out at work...Working two jobs at $20,000 each. To pay for the teachers working 1/2 the time making $75,000. That's where!!

[celticmarine1]

That's the most ignorant, arrogant drivel I've heard in a while. Thanks for the laugh.

[RightCoastJul]

Awesome Armstrong!

[AntoniaCather]

Stop acting so incredulous!!! You have no idea the bullshit teachers go through. Teachers have always "volunteered" extra time, and it is insulting to have someone make it a mandate. It's like you are already cleaning the toilet, and someone in a suit tells you to clean the toilet. You have no idea my workload as a teacher. You need to teach for about five years in a public school and then you will be more informed about the BS that goes on in schools. You might even pee in your pants!!!

[getgene]

@AntoniaCather : I have taught many years in public and private schools, as well a college, and I can agree, once you spend time in a public shool, and I have seen some 15, you will be informed about the BS that goes on in school. That is why dead wood should be fired.

[AntoniaCather]

If the students are low peforming at the high school level, then the problem started way before high school.  Parents, students, politicians, and administrators need to be accountable, too.

[jskaggs2008]

Appears you have a lot of retarded children attending that school.

[patriotslantern]

Great video, many of the problems are teachers, administrators and unions, however one of the problems that has been overlooked for years because of the pressure from teachers unions are a 2 track educational system. In this system those kids who do not want a college education have a vocational/tech options of learning giving the kids who are college bound the advantage of academic instruction. Why would the teachers unions oppose this, you need to ask yourself why indeed?

[BeginnningoftheEnd]

The weak school system's to blame but so are the parents. Where are the parents through all this??

[patriotslantern]

I absolutely agree with you assessment. So many things in our society have gotten screwed up, even when parents try their hardest to be good school parents it seems that life overwhelms them....work places no longer put family first even though they say they do, it is all about the green back and not the school backpack. Gone are the times when whole families spent holidays togethor and gave kids that feeling of belonging. Now its videos and gangs,we have to get government out to make it better

[screenwriterOscar]

Wow. Union teachers destoryed kid's dreams by earning $75,000 a year. What did these kids have become?

A brilliant scientist, Engineers, etc. Or working McDonalds?

[interneti]

Union teachers are not the problem. I've gone into many schools as part of my job and worked with teachers. Students need to do their work, the teacher can only do so much. Most teachers are very decent, good people. The problem is that often times, many of these teachers were not even good students themselves in school and got hired based on who they knew. Then, in many hood schools, the students are just an absolute waste of time. The administrators are the real problem!

[quizerry]

We need more districts to crack down. The Teachers unions are destroying our education. They are costing taxpayer millions more every year as the education of our children is declining.

He is correct they should be fired

[cirving91]

@quizerry: Do you not have a thought process! If the whole staff gets fired, then they can hire a whole new group, and whats to say they are any more educated than the previous group. The problem is that nobody has taught the teachers. The problem can easily be solved, why it's not, I don't know, USA is fucked up.....

[dinamo4889]

well this video does not mention the working conditions of these teachers. If the kids are a problem they should fail out of school why does everyone in America believes were all equal? Some people are more intelligent than others if the average salary in town is 20 something thousand a year ad the teachers make 70 something its because the kids in that school are a problem. The problematic kids should be allowed to fail out of school because they are unfit.

[quizerry]

You also have to ask if these high paid Teachers are educated themselves. If the students aren't getting a good education, could it be the teachers fault because they are not educated. Today we have college educated people who couldn't pass an 8th grade math test.

[dinamo4889]

that is because of the testing system. when ever I have a test for school I just study to get a good grade not to actually learn something.

[Blndrfist]

Well said. It should also be pointed out that, while the teachers had their contracts terminted, that does not mean they are out of work. The reason why the contracts were terminated was to re-write the contracts to allow for the extra 25 mins a day. So in reality, a large percentage of the same teaches will likely be hired right back to teach at the same school under a new contract for the same money with an additional 25 mins to the work day. It's too bad the firings aren't permanent.

[2bumslie]

Its the kids to blame, not the teachers. How can you help someone who refuses the help. If these kids cant learn what they need to learn in a regular school day. What makes you think an extra 25 minutes a day will do the trick. Lets point the finger where it needs to be pointed. Its not that the teachers are not doing their job, it is that the kids don't give a shit. You can lead a horse to water, but you cant make him drink.

[TripperLV]

Excellent explanation! 5-stars! That is the best I've heard of on this issue. Thanks for posting! RJ

[8LowRider2]

thank you Frances Gallo, you made my day with these stupid Unions

[Kritikakis1968]

Socialism fails when you run out of other people's money.

[waynesco1360]

Well said

[danieldeming]

They were not fired for refusing to work an extra 25 minutes...they were fired because their students were failing, they were overpaid and they were unwilling to do anything about it. I would expect that kind of reaction (getting fired) from any private employer so why is this so outrageous when it is govt funded? After all, it is the peoples' money being saved...

[MrSTANDFORAMERICA]

liberals are anyone that know someone else makes more money than them. Whine about it all their lonely lives. Not once willing to get off theie lazy asses and work for it. but rather have it given to them. And if not all other make the same low piss ant wages as them.

LIBERAL!

[papageorgio419]

Thanks for sharing this. The system is broken. The teacher Unions better wake up, people are upset.

[dloc231]

first off the teachers are clearly being payed to much yes fire them if they cant get the failure rate down fire them 25 minutes more time with the kids on a rotation lunch 1 time a week with the kids wow when i went to school the teachers would skip their own lunches daily to help kids and they never got paid nearly as much and bent over backwards to make sure we passed and i recall teachers not asking for more money for this if you want 70 grand a year do that thnx mr. williams

[ryanboyd72yahoo]

its good they got fired

[mrfreedkid]

I think it was totally reasonable to fire the teachers. It sounds like the person who fired them had some good ideas to improve the school.

[bigun89]

So glad this happened.  Now maybe they can get teachers worth their salt.

[MrSTANDFORAMERICA]

You get what you pay for. You pay cheap you get cheap.

Rule # 3 in life.

[AlvaroAndfriends]

UGH math was my main problem and no matter how much i tried to do hard math i am constantly failing and my reading and writing was totally backward. The good teachers i had helped me with all of that.

Being and special ed student was so incredibly depressing but the work was easy and understanding.

Damn there's no real education anymore.

[uncleemph]

I know a person that celebrated when President Reagan fired thousands of UNION Air Traffic Controllers for not going back to work. That was a great day in American History.

[MrSTANDFORAMERICA]

yes it was, that was when the pay scales all across the board dropped. Union and non-union alike. the American worker lost some much that day. and taken years just to get even minimum wage up to $7.25. When it should be $20.

Thanks to Reagan that the pay scale is still less than $10 an hour.

[uncleemph]

Unions are simply extortionists. American workers until recently have done quite well. You and I are typing on a computer and likely have enough to eat. Reagan firing them and this Superintendent will become the norm. Your President Obama is where blame should lie now. His policies are doomed to fail and will and he will be a one term President. Notice I already know I am talking to a liberal.

[MrSTANDFORAMERICA]

this no different than a boss at Burger king tell their employees that they now have to come in a hour before work time to help train new employees.While taking lunch the have to spend the time you don't get payed for to help teach them. Then stary an extra hour after work to help train them somemore.Then come in on the weekends for free to help train the even more.Then work 2 weeks out of the year with no pay. Oh I bet you all want to do that. No time and half of any kind. Just work for free.

[uncleemph]

They are salaried workers not hourly. Salaried workers are required to get the job done not get additional pay for the task. If Burger King Workers were making $75,000. per year dare they refuse to chip in to finish the job. You need to rethink your comment.

[MrSTANDFORAMERICA]

WOW go look at why Rhode Island can't pay teachers. Commissioner Deborah Gist has hired :

School Transformation Officer: @ $150k a year

Chief Legal Counsel:@ $110k

Chief of Accelerating School Performance:@ $125k

Knowledge Officer:@ $100 a

Director of Instruction and Assessment:@ $115k

Charter School Officer:@ $120k

All friends of Deborah Gist. As Deborah Gist not a one from Rhode Island.

[uncleemph]

Where is your logic MrSTANDFORAMERICA? Rhode Island is paying for their teachers. You are a liberal I knew it because your logic is twisted. What does Commisioner Deborah Gist paying other people large salaries have to do with this argument. Your thinking like these fired teachers.

[MrSTANDFORAMERICA]

liberal??? leberals are all non-union. leberal are all for total government take over of your life.

You are the one that can't function without the government handing you everything in life.

[4theConstitution]

MrSTANDFORAMERICA, you will lose considering you are on the wrong side of the argument. First it is not asking much for a teacher earning $80,000 a year to simply cooperate in the methods of trying to help the students become better students and graduate by working a couple hours more a day!, these idiot teachers just made it obvious, as if it wasn't obvious already that public school teachers care not about teaching kids but earning as much money as they can HAHA TO THESE TEACHERS YOU LOSE!!!!

[uncleemph]

Hopefully this will lead to a wave of union firings. Unions especially teachers unions are breaking the United States. The United States is in the middle of a DEPRESSION. Yes President Obama supporters, DEPRESSION. These men and women were making great money. Great money. No matter how hard their job is and how much they whine they are professionals and paid well. If teachers or any other profession do not like your job quit! There are millions of people that are looking for a job. Millions.

[SixSick6]

That shows a bunch of teachers who don't care whatsoever getting paid to teach butt-nothing.

[MrSTANDFORAMERICA]

Then you people have your heads in the sand.

All sates that took stimulus money have strings attached.

North Carolina, now teaches america history but not past 1877.

Maine now teaches homosexuality from perK to 12th grade.

State that took stimulus have to teach or do as the federal government says.

It's nothing about unions or greed.

Full government control. obama is just probing at what he can get away with in each state.

[MrSTANDFORAMERICA]

STOP!

25 minutes extra aday. Then 1 hour of morning tutoring, eat lunch with the students and help them as they eat, then 1 hour of afternoon tutoring.

Somehow in her dink brain comes to 25 minutes.

I don't know about some of you but I work for a living. I spend time away from my family to make that living. but this dink wants that time. And not pay for it.

Some of you need to add because 5 extra hours in not 25 minutes.

[altops]

I would fire you because of the 50% graduation rate! anything under 95% is unacceptable period! NO educated students,,, NO pay. Go pound sand!

[MrSTANDFORAMERICA]

Teachers get payed to teach. They don't get payed to force kids to learn. if the kids mind in in his WOW back home or texting while in class ect...

The teacher can't force them to learn.

if I were payed to read you something and you are to take notes to be asked question later on. I did my job. Now pay me. It's not my job to make you take notes. It's not my job to have you answer the question right. not while you were texting or dreaming of playing games.

[hithur]

at most its about 3 hours of extra work...and for $70000 it shouldnt fucking matter...they make more than a majority of teachers in the country...and they definitely made more than the majority of people in their area

[MrSTANDFORAMERICA]

Yes it does. Ever do a job interview? Then when you get to the part at how much you are willing to work for and they are willing to pay you. And you come to a agreement. then later have them come up and say your going to have to work longer hours without pay.

Yeah right you'ld be the first you in line whining your ass off.

[dasteufelhund]

@hithur $70,000 is for those most senior in the field, that is, over 20 or some even with 30 years of service. So don't just say $70,000 like it's for every teacher, this compatible in military and law enforcement. Many of them are already putting in overtime without overtime pay. You're misinformed and misled.

[hithur]

@dasteufelhund i didnt say every teacher made 70k, i was pointing to the fact that the average salary for that school was 70k. that means almost every teacher there is making more than the average income of the surrounding area. those teachers arent working overtime, trust me i have a few friends that work in that school district. this 25 mins extra a day is so that they WILL put in extra hours after school, which most teachers should do especially if the scores are so below the state average.

[dasteufelhund]

@hithur It is extremely difficult to believe a teacher would refuse 25 minutes of extra work, unless they are already working overtime, handling overloaded classroom. Prove is needed Let's not forget, teachers are the first to reflect student's performance. This is indisputable, but student's performance isn't going to mean much unless the parents are involved, and I think in this particular area, parents are mostly working class, don't have time to spend with their kids on school work.

[hithur]

@dasteufelhund before you call me out for being misinformed and misled, maybe you should do some more research on this specific issue. and that comment was made over a year ago. i am way more informed nowadays. :p

[dasteufelhund]

@hithur show me the source where you see $70,000 teacher salary. Teachers get paid based on years, degree and expertise. $70,000 is just an out of context figure without any factual findings.

[Freemasonry]

well, maybe if our congressmen and women would set a good example and quit leaching off the labors of the working man, these teachers would not have been in this situation

[bernie57]

Armstrong,

good points cogently laid out.  I agree with you

[bertly71]

Unions need to learn that we are all in dies straits, everyone needs to sacrifice in hard times. I feel the unions failed the teachers in this instance.

[MyUncleBill]

Hurray! Maybe more schools should use this procedure to improve their schools. Congrats to the everyone that supported this move.

Thank you, Armstrong, for recognizing this story and making it public.

[N2MUSIC1]

WAIT till the State of Rhode Island goes bankrupt like MOST states will over the next few year, these teachers will be beggin' to work ANY WAY, ANY HOW, ANY TIME ! IT'S COMING, America is getting close to TOTAL COLLAPES . We will see who will work 25 mins over then, want we ! Government workers are going to be up S#it Creek as the taxs dollars that AREN'T BEING MADE BY BUSINESSES , DON'T COMING IN ! Tax revenue is FALLING LIKE A ROCK, States will have NO MONEY TO RUN THE MACHINE ! GOD HELP US !

[mutexnet]

Fantastic. Like Reagan and PATCO - you're all fired and I'm going on vacation. The unions always over play thier hand ruining it for all. Finally a school president with a spine. 5 stars! We need more people like that.