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There are only three things that are certain in life: death, taxes, and terrible writing by Clive McFarlane. Every time he gets stuck on a particular topic and continues to write about it, he gets worse. It’s reached the point where the best part about a Clive column is the inevitable Turtleboy response where we point out what a dooshnozzle he is. Today he went after the usual people he enjoys bullying more than any others – North High teachers. Let’s take a look.

At Thursday’s School Committee meeting, a number of North High teachers expressed strong beliefs that their troubles would be over if the tenure of Superintendent Melinda Boone, the first and only minority educator to head the Worcester public schools, were to end immediately.

The first sentence. The very first freaking sentence he plays the race card. Basically he’s making it clear that if you DARE to believe that Melinda Boone is incompetent (which she has clearly shown time and time again that she is) then you are racist. It’s right there. Why else would it matter that she’s the first and only minority to head the Worcester public schools? How is that at all relevant to her job performance? Why mention that? Oh yea – because you’re a bigot if you want students and faculty at North High to be safe.

After that his column got weird. I swear to God, he’s trying to be Turtleboy now. If you read it you’ll notice that it’s written in classic Turtleboy style. It’s sarcastic and theatrical. We invented that. I guess if you can’t beat em’ then you gotta be em’, right Cliverino?

If true, then the basis of that logic — hysteria rather than facts — opens the door to multiple other remedies.

Here are a few:

•File a home-rule petition to mandate Worcester School Committee members always make decisions based on the political expediency of the moment, rather than on what’s best for the school system.

See what I mean? That’s our style, not Clive’s. The difference is we use logic and do research – like reporters do. Had he done so he would realize that teachers don’t want Boone gone because of “political expediency of the moment.” They want her gone because she’s not a good leader.

Remember the 2012 Red Sox shit show? That got out of hand because Bobby Valentine was a joke. He completely lost his clubhouse. Yes, the disgruntled and rebellious players like Dustin Pedroia were below him on the totem pole. But it’s the managers job to make sure his players wanna play for him. It’s the manager’s job to inspire confidence in his underlings that they’re all working towards the same goal. The mere fact that the teachers have rebelled like this is proof positive that she is in fact a shitty, shitty leader. She is the Bobby V of public education.

With such a mandate in place, Ms. Boone in this case would surely be gone, as the wishes of a few disgruntled employees would win out over the good of the system.  

Oh that’s cute. A “few disgruntled employees” huh? Interesting. Because a quick little Google search reveals that the teacher’s union gave her a vote of “no confidence” in 2011. They VOTED for that. Like in a democracy. The MAJORITY felt that way, not a “few disgruntled employees.” Since then it’s gotten a million times worse because now they’re getting the shit kicked out of them by 20 year old sophomores every other Tuesday.

Yes, this mandate would deal a death blow to maintaining ethical behavior as a cherished character trait, but who cares? Who cares whether committee members have the guts to display the courage and commitment to duty and fair play that the five members who voted to extend Ms. Boone’s contract have so far demonstrated? Not the rabble-rousers at North, many of whom are threatening to target these five members in the next election.

Dude, you’re totally biting off Turtleboy’s style Clive. Get that jive out of my face. And please, tell me more about how Tracy Novick has “guts” for voting to renew her contract. Keep in mind, this is the same Tracy Novick who voted AGAINST her contract renewal in 2011. Tell me more about how Tracy Novick has guts for spending the entire school committee meeting updating her blog and Twitter feed that no one cares about. Because a real leader would look at the people in the eyes who she represents. But not Tracy. She’s appointed herself town crier. She doesn’t have to listen to people.

And God forbid that the voters “target” the five members who voted to renew her contract. Why do you hate democracy so much Cliveerino? And why are they “rabble rousers” for participating in the democratic process? Why are you trying to suppress their right to free speech and voting rights? Why do you hate teachers so much? What did they ever do to you? Serious question – are you in love with Melinda Boone? Because if you are then you’re coming on way too strong.

Reclassify North as a Level 4 school under the state accountability system.

Such a classification would help the school to put “the right leaders and teachers in place” and give the principal the autonomy to make changes as needed.

Some characteristics of the turnaround plans for schools classified as Level 4 over the past two years and which subsequently gain greater academic success included replacing 45 percent of the teaching staff in the first two years, and modifying bidding and bumping practices to allow schools to hire and retain the staff they need.

North would be sure to improve with teachers who view young people as students, rather than as inmates.

Imagine what North High teachers felt like when they read that last sentence this morning. Here they are going to North High School every day to work with some of Worcester’s most at-risk youths, simply because they’re nice people who wanna give back to society. Here you have people who pay hundreds, if not thousands of dollars a year out of pocket to buy supplies for their classes in order to enhance their student’s learning experience. How do you think it made them feel to read the Telegram and Gazette this morning and see a columnist tell them that they’re treating students like “inmates?”

Turtleboy has become almost a therapist of sorts for North High teachers. I’ve spoken with more of them than I can count. Last week one nice lady sent me a message about how she was sitting at the bar crying because she cares about her students so much and has to read this garbage in the newspaper. Does that make you feel like a big man Clive? That you’re making people feel like dog shit who have dedicated their lives to helping kids learn?

Not that I should even have to say this, but it’s blatantly ridiculous to say that teachers treat students like “inmates.” Inmates don’t get to leave at 1:45. Inmates have perfect attendance in jail. Inmates wear jumpsuits. Inmates have no rights. Inmates have no freedom.

But let’s say we go ahead with Clive’s plan and fire half the faculty at North. You tell me, who the HELL would ever wanna work there? Who would want to be picked on by a racist, bullying columnist at the Telegram and Gazette? Who would wanna be called racist because they don’t wanna be punched in the face by their students?

According to the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice, in the 2012-13 school year, 72 percent of Massachusetts in-school and out-of-school suspensions and expulsions “were for minor misbehavior,” like dress code violations and disrespect.

No, that’s a lie. That’s a blatantly made up, fabricated statistic by an organization that clearly has an agenda to push. Kids don’t get suspended for dress code violations. But certainly if a student tells a teacher to go fuck themselves, that would count as “disrespect” and only a savage thinks that sort of behavior should not result in a suspension.

Sure, a North High charter school would come with a loss of union protection, a lack of job security and substandard pay, but what is that compared to how priceless it would be to wantonly kick kids out of school? 

Yup. That’s all you North teachers wanna do. Randomly kick nice little angels out of school because you don’t understand their “culture.” Don’t you know the kids who punched all four assistant principals in the face are in school because they wanna learn?

Oh yea, and I did a little research Cliverino. Guess what race the majority of the students are who have been involved in these violent altercations? They’re white!!! You probably didn’t wanna know that though because it would screw up your whole “racism” theory that you like to peddle.

Here’s what needs to be done. What he’s doing is bullying. He’s blatantly lying and using his position at the Telegram to harass and discredit teachers who are dissatisfied with their leadership. The people of Worcester should NOT put up with this. The teachers at North live amongst us. They are our friends, family, and neighbors. This month it’s North High teachers he’s bullying. Next month it will be the Elm Park teachers. After that he’ll move on to Sullivan Middle or Forest Grove. Clive McFarlane eats away at the heart of the community, and the people of Worcester shouldn’t stand for it. This is the contact information for the guy who hits “publish” on Clive articles:

James F. Normandin: Publisher, (508) 793-9111, james.normandin@telegram.com

Stop what you’re doing and email him. Then call and leave a message. Bombard him and let him know that the people of Worcester aren’t going to tolerate this garbage anymore. He wants to come after Turtleboy? Go for it. He wants to police what City Councilors like Mike Gaffney read in their free time? Whatever, he’s a public figure. But he wants to come after teachers? That’s going too far. Let James Normandin know that as long as he continues to trade in the Telegram’s integrity for clickbaiting hate speech, we’re not buying the paper, and we’re not gonna stand for it.

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