by Stuart Singer

We have spent a great deal of time over the past week on this site discussing our concerns about the mass firings that took place in Central Falls, Rhode Island last week.   I could repeat all of the reasons why I believe this approach is not only wrong, it sets a dangerous precedent.  But those thoughts have been sufficiently stated in a variety of ways.  Instead, I thought it could be enlightening to solicit a response from someone who was a current classroom teacher.  What follows are a few hundred words of a highly successful educator about this subject.

William (Bill) Horkan has taught mathematics at a high school with the highest free and reduced lunch population in his county.  His success has been the subject of a Washington Post article, “To Impressive Success, Fairfax Teacher Nurtures Enrollment, Proficiency in IB Math Classes” and he is an excellent person to solicit input on this subject.  Here are some of his preliminary thoughts about a better plan for the Central Falls school.

“If you took three or four of high quality math teachers and placed them in the Central Falls math department, the program could be turned around in about three years.  I have seen it done in our school and I can see it being done there as well.  Put that core together with the math teachers who wanted to stay (I assume based on the total staff of 74 the math department has about 10 teachers).  Then I would do the following:

- Ask the current teachers for ideas.  It is always a bad idea to go into a situation by telling people what to do.  Also, whether the current teachers are good, bad or average, they still know the students better than anyone else.

- Tell the teachers that any reasonable ideas can be tried.  However, they have to show that they work.

- Realize that not all teachers are the same.  What works for one might not work for another. Have everyone try something, not everyone try everything.

- Realize that teachers are not interchangeable.  Some are good at teaching lower levels, some are good at teaching 'average' students and some are good at teaching higher levels.  Also, some teachers are better at teaching younger students, some are better teaching older students.

- Do not pass a student in a class until that student is ready for the next one.

- Find out what is best for each student.  "One size fits all" doesn't work for students or teachers.

- Do what is best for each student.  If this means going against the rules or making new ones, so be it.

These thoughts reflect the instant response of a professional educator.  Given more time and reflection they would be more precise.  And yet somehow they seem so much more constructive then to simply “fire them all.”