I don't think things will quiet down at BCPSS. The rumors are flying about more schools being zero based. I believe things are going to continue being interesting over the summer.

It has been an eventful year and not in a good way. This could easily be regarded as the worst year in BCPSS history and I put most of that blame on Dr. Alonso.

Dr. Alonso's policy on suspension and expulsion has created a school system controlled by disrespectful and violent kids. I am a teacher at Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School and I can honestly say that you could not pay me enough to send one of my children to that school.

If Dr. Alonso is so into giving principal's more power to run their schools as they see fit then why doesn't he also agive them the power to discipline misbehaving students? Students with behavior problems who are allowed to remain in the classroom without any consequences destroy any chance at all of the rest of the class learning. This ploy of having principals manage their school's budget is no more than a way for him to put the blame on somebody else.

Dr. Alonso should be arrested and tried for child abuse for the actions he's taken this year.

Glad this year is over with: I think it's unfair to blame Alonso for the difficult time you are having at Mervo. I teach at a neighborhood school near yours, with a very supportive administration, and I have never had a student put back in my classroom without some sort of consequence. In my situation, it's all about being assertive. When I write a serious discipline referral, I always include "this child will NOT be allowed back in class until there has been a meeting between myself, a student, a parent, and the administrator." I have had complete support from my administrators when there have been serious infractions.

I have friends who work at Mervo so I know a little bit (of course not as much as you) about what's going on there. I don't believe that Dr. Alonso is to blame for Mervo's behavior problems.

Finally, saying that Dr. Alonso should be charged with child abuse? Seriously? Let's not be ridiculous. BCPSS is in a bad place and change NEEDS to happen. While I don't agree with all of Alonso's decisions, I applaud him for trying new things because what is going on now? -- it's not working.

Guess what???

Teachers finished school on Friday without official written notification of our job assignments for next year. According to several colleagues, this was agreed to by the BTU, although I never saw such a memo -- I just have a contract that says we will be notified by the last day of school.

Nothing like being treated with respect. Nothing like being treated like professionals. Perhaps this is why the BCPSS doesn't always attract and retain the greatest candidates, or why so many of us who try to be the best teachers we can be just can't handle the stress and have begun to look for jobs elsewhere. And it's not the stress from kids -- that comes with the job, and we expect that. It's the stress from our leaders who treat us as part of the problem, not part of the solution...

I applaud Dr Alonso's courage to change the BCPSS, but TREAT TEACHERS WITH RESPECT while doing so -- after all, teachers are the closest links to students! If you want what's best for students, you HAVE TO treat teachers better than he has!

Many teachers don't know if their positions are being cut or reduced, because the chaos surrounding the new budgets is so pervasive, and yet teachers were expected to sign up for a JOB FAIR on MONDAY when we are being told that we won't know what our positions are until WEDNESDAY! How does that make sense? How does THAT send a message that we are valued links in Alonso's administrative chain?!?!

Sara, WHEN will you report THESE details??? Call the BTU and ask how have they agreed to such treatment (like delaying notification of our assignments for next year), because they sure don't answer OUR emails or phone calls...

"Dr. Alonso has hired and fired more central office administrators than I could keep up with (tried as I might), paid students for improving test scores, bagged school water fountains in favor of bottled H20, created six middle/high schools, overhauled the system's alternative schools, discouraged suspensions for non-violent offenses, decentralized the system's budget, given principals autonomy, closed a $50 million budget shortfall, eliminated 310 jobs, made it tougher for elite magnet schools to kick kids out, clashed with the teachers union over planning time, and contracted with community-based organizations to improve parental involvement."

All by himself??!! Good lord, no wonder the guy doesn't sleep.

Once again, the BTU has shown its true value to the teachers. Maybe that is why no one wants to vote for any of them. We can't get rid of them and they do nothing--a perfect combination for the school system.

Oh please god no, not 9 more years. After 1 or 2 more like this, there is not going to anything left for him to break any more. I've got to get out of here. I really don't want to, but I am just so afraid that this maniac will not be happy until he drives the system into the ground. When is the board going to wake up and see what is so painfully obvious - that this is not going well.