Comments on: Norwalk: Opdahl And Loose Ends

By: Aunty Em

Aunty Em — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:31:03 +0000

Ctyankee:

Would you like to teach in Norwalk? Do you know what it’s like to be a teacher in Norwalk? Before you make comments about getting rid of them all, think before you write them down in a blog site like this one. It’s easy to say, but there are more teachers who are truly dedicated at what they do than those who are burned out. There are more issues today to deal with than there were 25 years ago. Children are having children, there’s more access to any type of drug they want (prescription, especially) and the teachers are really trying their best. There has to be legitimate support from the administrators for the educators, or the system will fail. Sal will fall here in Norwalk because one by one, he’s being seen for what he really is – not a fit match for Norwalk.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:20:29 +0000

#27: Sal needs “yes” men and women around him — sycophants. Norwalk has suffered because of his poor ability to judge character and talent, as well as his failure to understand the importance of communication (where have we heard that before?) and the necessity of considering the views of others as being valuable.

Sal, egocentrism is a serious flaw.

By: Anon

Anon — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:17:28 +0000

This may be a little late, but why would Corda bring back people who left? He was afraid of them – that’s why he got rid of them. He’s an insecure , “tiny” boy.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 21:18:50 +0000

If only the system could bring back some of the people who have left. Corda would never allow it because he wants his own people.

By: Aunt Bertha

Aunt Bertha — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 17:56:52 +0000

Townie- you are right. just don’t lay down any of your dollars on Corda, he should be giving back some of his dollars to the system.

By: Townie

Townie — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 17:03:24 +0000

A good reply by Aunt Bertha to some valid ideas by Ctyankee. The problems are indeed deep having filtered down over the last seven years under Corda’s lack of leadership and missmanagement of a once proud and functional public school system. Being a born & raised Norwalker and working at the BOE myself for over 25 years, I can honestly tell you that I have never (and I mean never) seen things as bad as they are today. If a poll of the 8 or so bargaining units representing the Norwalk Public School systems 1,000 plus employees were taken tomorrow, I would bet my last dollar that 90% would have a vote of NO CONFIDENCE in Corda.

By: Aunt Bertha

Aunt Bertha — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:25:12 +0000

Ctyankee I do see your thoughts. I agree that those who are not doing their job should go. If only schools were run like business they would learn to document the problems and get rid of them. Some of your idea is sound.

By: ctyankee

ctyankee — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 15:51:20 +0000

#11 As I’ve followed the threads, it is apparent that the problems are deep, and based in the status-quo. The *only* way to disrupt such firmly established patterns is to smash the matrix in which they are embedded.

Can anyone here honestly say that the job vacuum created bu the complete dismissal would make it difficult to re-hire the few good folks back into the *new* school system?

As we all know >40% of the workforce would be easy to eliminate. The 60% are carrying the weight right now as it is.

Any HR department worth its salt could weed out the dead-wood in three weeks if it was given carte-blanch to the right thing. Hence the problem. No one down town has the guts to do what is right, only what is easy and expedient.

The 40% cut in headcount coming from the upper salary spectrum of overpaid, under worked, utterly useless talking heads, would accomplish several goals.

1) It would re-invigorate the demoralized teachers, by recognizing the value of their contribution.

2) I would send a clear message to the students, that accountability for your actions/inactions is a fact in the real world.

Kids, parents, and families have to *want* education, not have it thrust upon them. As I see it the city runs an unproductive, unaccountable, and expensive day-care and babysitting service.

By: Aunt Bertha

Aunt Bertha — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 13:23:44 +0000

What about a critique of the lecture? We saw a lot of charts. Heard a lot of comparisons between whites, blacks, asians, hispanics and others. We were told over and over and over that the gap between the races came to a leveling out in about the 1988′s and that is when the good Doctor was starting his research into bridging the gap between white learners and minority groups. I got all this from sitting in the back. Okay, so then let those of us who were around in the late 1980′s talk about what was going on then. Why were there increases in the 70′s and early 80′s in minority learning? Was imagration lower? Where both parents in the house or at least one of the parents in the house spoke english? How about inclusion or mainstreaming as the old school ones will remember it as how much of it was done before 1988? Are we sacrificing our top learners for the sake of answering law suits? How about the fact that the USA has dropped in world standing in Math since this time? And the high learners even though they may be white have dropped and leveled out with other groups? Is this openning a can of worms? Are our administrators leading with encouragement or are they demanding things be done? It is proven by the evidence that those who are taught by encouragement do far better, shouldn’t that same theory be used by the administrators? If Corda encouraged us to move to the front instead of demanded would there have been more people helping him out? Practice what you want us to preach. I was just thinking out loud. Have a wonderful weekend.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 02:18:57 +0000

How about when Corda said, “I’ll give you 30 seconds.” Even “pathetic” does not do it justice. I think the stories about Dr. Moore need to be heard here daily. I think the public needs to hear these stories. Please post them…