It would be interesting to see how many of these teachers were let go by the "new" principals hired in the last year or so. These are the principals that are supposed to understand that they will be held accountable for student achievement. If so, maybe they felt that these teachers did not give them the best team and just like the NFL they got released.

Also in the era of site-based management, it would be hypocritical of the CEO to reverse the decisions of the principals.

I feel for those teachers and all who have been the object of principals who now have almost unlimited power to move staff. Thankfully, they are in the minority. I do hope that these allegations are investigated and redressed where necessary. Teachers continue to take hit after hit in terms of being held accountable without systemic recognitions for a job well done. In some of our schools, the working conditions are such that many people do well just to walk in the door. We all realize that City Schools are under the gun for performance but as has been said many times, there is more than enough blame to go around. Teachers are usually just the easiest target.

In Baltimore City Public Schools this is why we need better school operations day-to-day management oversight and an elected type of school board member’s governance body component. In support for better public elected school board members governance by a citizens vote choice for all (9) school board commissioners.

We will watch this situation handled by the school system CEO AAA, the Great Wizard investigate if the rules and protocols were/were not being followed and then next in examining procedural rights status violations in the citywide schools networks land of Oz.

As a BCPSS teacher, I have witnessed the discrimination and the outright hatred towards my Filipino coworkers, sadly, from principals. A couple of years ago, I interviewed with three City Schools and each principal (all were African American, females) said, "I'm so glad you’re one of those Filipinos. I don't know why North Ave keep sending me them."

In addition, I have two Filipino friends, excellent teachers (two different City Schools), receive unsatisfactory Annual Evaluations and then be told "You know nothing. And, you should stop teaching and go home."

It sickens me to recall these stories!

"And as I also said yesterday, the decisions need to be made on the basis of what is right for kids, as always."

This statement irks me to the core. Yes, educators make decisions based off what is best for their students and classrooms, which should not be in question. This is not a "kids" problem, this is a BCPS(S) employees being treated like garbage problem. This is an adult problem. Hiding behind "what's best for the kids" here is cowardly and resonates of nothing more than jargon.

What is best for the kids is respected, well treated, and appreciated teachers who are support by their staff. Whether the rules were followed or not, these teachers were pushed to a point where they felt victimized. Let’s not chalk this decision up to the kids and let’s stop treating teachers like "capital"... THAT is what's good for the kids.

CEO's comment " All cases come to me for review when they are appealed. None have come to me yet." This puzzled me so much because the issue has been around for about 5 months.
What's taking it too long? Teachers who were affected need closure in order to move on. In my personal opinion The appearance of the Filipino teachers last Tuesday during the School Board meeting was not inappropriate, it was the consequent result of the delay in the process.

I find it interesting that no one has yet commented on this issue. I feel that it is important to point out that not only teachers but other employees of the school system are not being treated fairly, and their careers are at the whim of principals or supervisors. It is obvious by AAA response to the blogger that he was not pleased with the appearance of the teachetrs at the board meeting. Any criticism of his changes is not appreciated. Systems were put in place to protect individuals from personality conflicts. Under Dr. Alonzo many of these safeguards have been trampled. It is time for all the unions associated with the city school system to unite in their efforts to protect the rights of the employee. Teachers and administrators who work in an atmosphere of constant negativity and poor morale can not make the changes necessary to improve student performance. Perhapse these principals should be removed and experience what the teachers are experiencing

This is totally ridiculous, for the Principals to just get rid of good teachers no matter what the race just because they can. This was bound to happen once AAA allowed Principals to have total control of their schools. This also effects the children who have just started to get used to the new teacher(s) and then to have them pulled out, a substitute brought in on a temporary basis for months if not the remainder of the school year. AAA needs to take the helm on this and not rely on others in his circle to be the ones telling him what they investigated because unfortunately most of them are close friends to so many of the Principals who are doing this. My son is in the 11th grade and I just found out that one of his teachers just had a meeting today and found out that he will not be working at the school. My son has a 504 so these sort of changes effects his working habits because once a system has been set up for him and he is able work with that individual to take that person who he feels a relationship with takes a toll on his grades as I am sure it does with so many of our children. I fear that this will be a continuing thing throughout the school year in so many of our schools and, we need to have the decisions of who stays and goes not on a Principals personal reasons but on the qualifications of the teachers, If we are going to hold teachers accountable then we must make sure that the Principals are held accountable on a higher level.

Listen folks. No principal is his or her right mind would get of a good/strong teacher. In addition, no principal has the power to get rid of any teacher with out the submitting for approval ample documentation to the directors of elementary or secondary schools. All of the supporting documentation is submitted and reviewed by those offices and human resources. This documentation includes early identfication and intervention of the presenting problems with the teacher and a perfomance improvement plan. The Performance improvement plan is the support mechanism. The board should not bow down to this political pressure and shame on anyone who wants to makes this out of any more than a teacher effectiveness issue.

FYI, Principals are treated just as badly. The system is operating in a horrible way. I will say that the Filipino teacher's performance is mixed. Some are not effective with students, and those in terms of the contract should go. I know of one who was horrible and the students learned nothing, nothing. That teacher had to be removed by the principal, and I'm glad she did it. Not every non-renewal is personal or without merit.

Is it possible that there was a language barrier and the children could not understand them? We need to look at both sides of the story. If the children can not understand you no matter how good a teacher you are they may not do well.

The problem should not be about ethnicity. All teachers should be evaluated the same and should be graded the same. Learning is not about race, religion, sexual orientation and hiring or firing of teachers should not be either. The issue should be about QUALIFIED teachers, not just qualified because you have been teaching. Most teachers today should not be teaching because they can not speak the language properly and that goes for using slang and ebonics. What is wrong with the teachers and other employed workers of America today is that Unions allow the substandard to continue to have jobs while other more qualified people are unemployed due to quotas and just overall lack of standards. Parents no longer control their children and teachers no longer control their classrooms. The education system allows for too many days off and kids are losing precious classroom/learning time. Get it together or leave the profession. This is not about color, race, sexuality or ethnicity of any kind; it is about education and all of these individual who think I am wrong I applaud your opinion, but you know that a mind is a terrible thing to waste. So stop wasting time and keep good teachers and hire good teachers and get rid of the rest that are substandard. NO more quota teachers or diversity hiring, whichever you want to call it and hire qualified teachers. The Unions of the world have destroyed the reality of what the issue is about.... It is about educating young minds done by qualified educators.....

I have been waiting for the Sun to mention or make a comparison to what just happened in DC. The Mayor is up for election next year and has tied one of her wagons to the CEO. Is this the beginning of the end for AAA?

@JLS: The article states the teachers were sharing "stories about not having their contracts renewed this school year and being denied due process in fighting for their jobs."

I believe the crux of the issue is that all those protocols you listed (things that I believe work when implemented correctly as well) were ignored. This reminds me of what happened at several schools at the end of last year. Augusta Fells Savage, for example, removed all staff without calling it zero basing and had us re-interview for our jobs. Shortly after the interviews it was revealed that several staff were excused from interviewing based on "rigorous criteria" that could barely be explained by any central office staff. In short, they kept who they wanted and ditched the rest back to the hiring pool. Many of the teachers that were let go needed to be, but several teachers lost were amazing staff who taught great lessons, organized HSA events, ran school-wide detention, and other above and beyond activities. Several staff members who were excused from interviewing were departing TFA teachers who despite reminding the central office that they were tapping out had their spots reserved until the school could hire new staff (instead of retaining any of the better teachers they planned on cutting.)

The issue here is that principals and the central office are not letting staff go appropriately (Filipino or otherwise). BTU and Teachers are constantly blamed for being "un-fireable" because principals don't give PIPs and keep up with regular meetings to actually document the lack of improvement in a certain teacher... I guess the new solution is to just fire people you don't like.

@ Freedom Writer

You're opinions are well constructed but I hold issue with one. The idea that unions (in my case BTU) protect poor teachers from being fired is a lie Baltimore has continued to believe for a long time.

Principals can fire any teacher found lacking. The issue arises when a Principal does not assign improvement plans to teachers, or if they do they don't have the regular meetings these plans mandate. Additionally, principals will not make the deadlines for assigning unsatisfactory evaluations on time and be forced to give satisfactory ones. The BTU contract stipulates in detail exactly what administrators must do to fire staff, most principals are too busy, lazy, or unaware to follow the procedures and consequently at the end of the year they cannot fire the poor teacher without violating the contract.

Teachers can be fired, especially teachers who perform poorly all year. The simple fact is most principals would rather avoid doing the documentation (something we teachers are asked to do for every minor thing we do all day) and just blame the BTU.

As we reach the end of September, AAA and his crew will be looking at each school and their enrollment.Changes may be made. Teachers and other staff will be moved, excessed, whatever. Is the union involved in this? Where is the stability for adults or children? By the way, AAA, teachers are human beings, too. The BCPSS should be about the entire learning community. You demand loyalty and dedication and then state that it is not about adults. Are we lesser citizens? Where are the servant leaders? Why are teachers treated exactly the opposite of the way you would like students or parents to be treated? At this point in the year, I am working almost double the hours I am paid for each and every day including weeknds in order to meet the deamnds of the job. How is it leagal to work someone double time and not pay overtime? I know there is no overtime but the expectations required of a teacher should be reasonable! The status of teachers has drastically declined. In case you are wondering, I am a teacher with excellent evaluations and numerous other accolades from within and outside the BCPSS. Teacher, we need to demand that the union and our supervisors play fairly!

As we reach the end of September, AAA and his crew will be looking at each school and their enrollment.Changes may be made. Teachers and other staff will be moved, excessed, whatever. Is the union involved in this? Where is the stability for adults or children? By the way, AAA, teachers are human beings, too. The BCPSS should be about the entire learning community. You demand loyalty and dedication and then state that it is not about adults. Are we lesser citizens? Where are the servant leaders? Why are teachers treated exactly the opposite of the way you would like students or parents to be treated? At this point in the year, I am working almost double the hours I am paid for each and every day including weeknds in order to meet the deamnds of the job. How is it leagal to work someone double time and not pay overtime? I know there is no overtime but the expectations required of a teacher should be reasonable! The status of teachers has drastically declined. In case you are wondering, I am a teacher with excellent evaluations and numerous other accolades from within and outside the BCPSS. Teacher, we need to demand that the union and our supervisors play fairly!

The central office should make their immediate action and investigations about the incompetence and negligence of the said principals so that the individual cases of every teacher will be given justice and be solved as early as possible and back to work. The concerned persons should be firm and sincere on the procedures that need to be followed in giving the right evaluations to the teacher. I hope that this problem will be solved the soonest possible.

They are great with teaching instruction, but they are horrible at managing a classroom,.If you can manage your class, you can teach, no matter who you are.

Terry, I've worked with many teachers who were excellent at management and knew virtually nothing in their content areas. They would have busy work all year and their kids loved and respected them because of tough love tactics & personal involvement. Come testing these students had nothing to work with.

Management isn't everything, but it is absolutely required.

Additionally, generalizing Filipino teachers as a proverbial "they" is ridiculous. "They" do not all teach the same and "they" are each individuals with unique strengths and weaknesses like any other teacher.

Hi! Im Ms. A from the Philippines and A graduate of Bachelor of Elementary Education in PI. I have variety of teaching different nationalities teaching ESL. I will be in MA. soon enough for my K-1 visa and once I get there I also want to practice my teaching profession but I do not know how to begin since the law in MA. is quite different here in the Philippines. I am very particular with the Citizenship issue and if it's possible to teach even I am not yet an American citizen. What are the requirements to become a teacher....EVERYONE!!!!Please INSTRUCT me what to do...
MS. AILEEN

The recent post by Ms. Aileen (above) is an example of why some Filipino teachers did not succeed. As teachers in a primarily English speaking country, students must be instructed in correctly spoken English as well as in written English. My school has had several Filipino teachers. All were well educated, pleasant, intelligent teachers. All were difficult to understand. All had huge classroom management issues as their culture is very different. In all cases our students learned virtually nothing. In addition, other teachers tried to fill in instructional gaps at great personal time and expense. I understand that the Filipino teachers were recruited at at time when there was a teacher shortage but in my school the initiative was a failure and we failed our students. Our students will pay a price for years to come.

Wise educator, even if you did not have any Filipino colleague, I'm sure you continue to fail your students. You may be speaking in English fluently, but the character is rotten. Poor students if they didn't learn how to be open-minded, and understand the culture of the world, not just America. You are singling out the Filipino teachers. Have you reflected on your qualities as a wise educator? I hope you come to your proper senses....

To Gerald,

You are turning this into another discussion. My character is not in question. I spent many hours as just another teacher(not a mentor,administrator etc) helping Filipino teachers;helping with teaching, planning, and with personal issues. I am married to a person from another country. I believe in respect for all cultures. I give respect. I have no issue with the Filipino teachers as people. BUT, my references to culture stand. If a teacher can not teach in the setting in which they have chosen to teach, then they need to not teach there. I watched three teachers waste whole years of students lives due to a lack of management. Should we HAVE to mangae as we do? NO. But is it reality? YES! I would write this same post to ANY PERSON from anywhere if they were not able to deliver effective instruction. I only referred to the Filipine group because this was the topic on the blog.

I have to agree with wise educator regarding the culture. Filipino teachers are well respected and regarded by their students as the highest authority in the classroom - they do not need to do so much classroom terror - tactics in their home country as compared to the US classroom. This is due to so many reasons, one of which is the mere fact that Filipino students are afraid to be punished at home when they disrespect their teachers and the parents are very proactive of their kids' education. I am not saying that ALL American parents do not do the latter, that's beyond my point and experiences vary from district to district, but generally, one would be lucky if all the students' parent/s would be more involved in their child's education.

As for the language barrier, I'd say, it's true. I am a Filipino teacher who worked in a US Public School for 3 years (until my American husband asked me have a break for a while). There are some idioms or expressions we hear from American teachers or students and some that we use ourselves that mean differently depending on the cultural context and we have yet to learn so much, hence, we all need to help each other become more culturally proficient.

Some of us have thick accents as well, but that should not be a determining factor to whether or not we can teach effectively. Before we are considered for an interview, we had to pass a series of English proficiency tests in Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking (i.e. TOEFL/IELTS). I don't see the reason why you think we do not know anything. I'm sorry to say, I observed that a lot of American teachers do not know how to spell correctly or write a grammatically correct sentence (some not all).

On the other hand, have you noticed how patient and dedicated most Filipino teachers are? I am not bragging, but the difficult students I had are not difficult in my classroom - thanks to a ton of experience in Psychology 101 and Special Education. Each student is unique, but they all need compassion and a teacher's listening hear and understanding heart.

Needless to say, we all have flaws, we all have strengths and weaknesses. I just hope that my fellow Filipino teachers get a fair evaluation of their performance. We are resilient and we assimilate fast. Point to us our problem spots and we shall improve. Tell us what you need, help us as we help you, and together, we deliver.