Teacher Rigoberto Ruelas Commits Suicide Over Published Ratings

16 Responses to Teacher Rigoberto Ruelas Commits Suicide Over Published Ratings

1. Torn

   May 6, 2011 at 12:56 pm

   And I thought I was the sensible one. Thanks for setting me srtahigt.

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2. Lea

   October 24, 2010 at 1:58 pm

   Now, let's say that the good teachers decide they still want to teach, but they want to avoid "the list". Maybe they will leave the public school system in order to teach at private schools and thereby avoid the public listing. This could possibly be the momentum needed to pass legislation on vouchers.

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3. Lea

   October 24, 2010 at 1:57 pm

   The listing of teachers based on test scores is happening in my state now. Parents have actually called into these schools requesting their child to be removed from certain teachers' classes. So, what is going to happen when the higher ranked teachers' class becomes overloaded and then her/his scores are brought down? What happens when good teachers leave the profession because of this public humiliation?

   Let's say, in theory, the list will get rid of all the bad teachers and all we will have left are really great teachers. There will still be a list and there will still be people, really good teachers, at the bottom of the list. Eventually those good teachers will leave too because, quite honestly, it's the least amount of pay for the amount of education required, daily stress, paperwork, district demands, and behavior management of students that are only in school so they won't go to jail for truancy. OH! To add to all of this, now there is personal public humiliation.

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4. arnett

   October 5, 2010 at 12:36 pm

   Whoever wrote this article, ought to have enough spine to include their name, especially when they demand the names of those who respond. Your piece is extremely biased.

   Mr. Rigoberto Ruelas Jr., committed suicide after the Los Angeles Times named him as an ineffective teacher, based upon his test scores. News reports indicate that he was an outstanding teacher. In fourteen years of teaching he had nearly perfect attendance. He worked hard spending his own time after school, during lunch, and on weekends, mentoring kids who were in gangs, and encouraging all of his students to work hard to get into college. It stands to reason that Mr. Ruelas’ students might not all score high on the state bubble test, because he was teaching many of the students who were most at risk to fail in education. Undoubtedly, many of his students were also second language learners.

   I am a teacher. Currently, I am studying for my Masters degree in education. I am respected by my peers and have a good relationship with my students. I have taught for 22 years in a district where many of the students come from a lower socio-economic class. Almost half of the students in my school district are second language learners. What angers me the most is the absurdity of posting test scores and acting as if all students come into the test on an even playing field.

   I do not think that the test scores of students who have been in this country only a few years should be compared to students who were born here, and who have scored high on standardized test scores since the beginning of their entry into the educational system. When one examines quantifiable research like test scores to assess how a teacher is doing, one must be certain to include all of the variables. Some variables which should be included would be parental education levels, socio-economic status, whether or not the student is a second language learner, whether or not the student is learning disabled, e.g. suffering from Down Syndrome, etc. The reason these factors need to be looked at, is because they can directly impact how a student does in school.

   Now if Rigoberto was teaching kids who only recently arrived in the country and students either in gangs or at risk of joining gangs, one would think that it would stand to reason that his students would probably not score as well on a standardized test, as students who are native speakers of English, or students in an honors class. Unfortunately, the writers from the Los Angeles Times who assassinated Rigoberto’s good name did not take this into account. Neither do the bureaucrats from the Department of Education at the state and local levels, like Michelle Rhee Secretary of Education for the city of Washington D.C., or Arne Duncan, the corporate lawyer in charge of the nation’s educational system, both of whom have been firing teachers based upon low test scores.

   These educational mandarins have supported the indiscriminate firing of all of the teachers whose students’ test scores are low. Rhee recently fired all teachers who scored in the bottom five percent in her school district. When Rhode Island fired all of the teachers from a low performing school, Arne Duncan came out in support of this. Again, it is necessary to stress that one must take many variables into account if one is to properly assess how a teacher is doing. The “educational leaders” from the government, bureaucrats one and all, do not take any of this into account.

   It is easy to attack teachers in the press. Sadly, the politicians and the bureaucrats have had teachers in their sights ever since the advent of the law No Child Left Behind. Unlike the bureaucrats and politicians who continually are attacking teachers through the press, most teachers actually spend money out of their own pockets to enhance classroom instruction. The average teacher spends over $300 dollars a year out of his or her own pocket to get better materials to teach with.

   The politicians who demonize teachers might find this hard to understand. Most of them receive all sorts of money and “kickbacks” from lobbyists. These lobbyists represent a form of legalized bribery. In truth, as one author put it, we now have the best democracy that money can buy. The politicians who report that they are so concerned with the state of public education and who care so much about the children, do not put any extra money into education. In fact, they have been slashing educational budgets, overcrowding classrooms, and simultaneously taking away teachers’ ability to create curriculum.

   The bureaucrats are no better. Recently, our superintendent was placed on administrative leave. This person had worked in our district for six months. Many felt that he was incompetent. He received a severance package of $174,000 for his six months of service. My friend who retired last year, a dedicated teacher who gave thirty years of service to his students, was encouraged to retire last year so that less teachers would be fired due to budget cuts. To encourage veteran teachers to retire the district offered a severance package of $35,000. My colleague was quite happy with the package but noted how ironic it was that a bureaucrat who gave six months of what many might call spotty service to the district, received a severance package almost five times greater than that given to long term teachers.

   I love teaching and I love my students, but due to the current climate in the field of education, I have never felt so much like quitting. The truth is that I teach honor students, so my test scores will be acceptable. For most of my career, however, I have taught students who were learning to speak, read and write in English. I can guarantee that the test scores of my honors students will be much higher than the test scores of my immigrant students who were still learning English. One would think that would be a no brainer, but apparently it is not.

   Now that I am teaching honors students, I do not have to fear for my job due to low test scores, but those colleagues who teach the so called “at risk” students who are below grade level will be judged according to how well their students do on the same test my students are taking. Does this seem fair or equitable?

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5. Claudia

   September 28, 2010 at 12:27 pm

   One thing we must keep in mind is that the development of learning begins at home, and teachers are not gods. What good does a carefully planned out and delivered lesson do, when it is not reinforced at home? For a lot of the students at Miramonte Elementary, English is their second language and/or come from only Spanish speaking homes, making it inevitable for them to score low when compared to other students who come from higher socioeconomic levels. Another well known factor about learning is that children learn at different rates and using different methods, when these two factors are taken into consideration along with socioeconomic factor, make teaching a very difficult job. Because I understand the different dynamics in the learning and knew Rigo, it angers me to hear and read all these negative comments of people who have no idea of what his struggles and accomplishments as a teacher where.

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6. Grethel Ruelas

   September 28, 2010 at 8:26 am

   It is true that the union is trying to use my brother-in-law Rigo as a posterchild for their boycott against the LA Times. But why not? Rigo is the ultimate example of how publicly ridiculing a person can affect them. Rigo was not married and did not have any children. He dedicated his entire life to teaching. He dedicated his life to being a teacher ( In an area of Los Angeles where most people wouldn't dare walk after dark). If you were labeled as being ineffective at something that you have dedicated 15 years of your life doing, how would you feel?

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   • Claudia

     September 28, 2010 at 12:25 pm

     Grethel,
     I am deeply saddened by the loss, I was fortunate enough to have met Rigo. I was also able to witness Rigo’s dedication to education and helping others, always willing to help anyone in any way possible. I met Rigo my 3rd grade year at Miramonte, today I am a senior in college and in great part I thank Rigo. Growing up in South Central the idea of going to college seems out of reach, nevertheless Rigo made sure to inspire and push his students to pursue higher education. I can say that I certainly did not get the idea of going to college from a cereal box, it was from Rigo. It was also Rigo who periodically checked in to see my progress and to make sure I was on the right path, keep me motivated and help me in the process, and like myself there are many other students who benefited from Rigo’s dedication. It is sad to admit, but not even my parents showed as much interest in my education as Rigo did.

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7. grethel

   September 28, 2010 at 8:14 am

   very true thanx for sharing

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9. Guest

   September 27, 2010 at 11:41 pm

   I am sorry to the family of this teacher for his passing. There are good teachers and those who are protected by their union, even though they don't make the cut. If the union didn't protect those who needed to be reassigned or relieved of duty maybe people wouldn't be so angry with the money that is being bilked by the teachers union.

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10. DPO HN

    September 27, 2010 at 10:54 pm

    I was a Probation Officer for 37 years. If you grade me according to how many probationers succesfully completed probation I would get an "F". Why? Because I would immediately calendar violations. If a probationer was violating his conditions of probation I would recommend jail or state prison. Thus my "success" rate was poor. However incarceration or imprisonment insured the protection of the community. These very same criminals started out as students, mostly of the L.A.Unified School District. Those who wanted to leave criminality I would channel to appropriate programs. Remember the old addage: You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear.

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11. ted

    September 27, 2010 at 9:49 pm

    excellent article –right on the nail head!!!

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12. Kate

    September 27, 2010 at 3:34 pm

    Teachers are the most important people in our children's lives after parents..I have been teaching for many years and have a masters and administrative credential from UCLA. Scores go up and scores go down..scores on any test given over will yield different results always..Tests should not determine the value of a child or a teacher..I had a Dad after spending 3 days at a science camp with me say " After spending 3 days with these kids.I bow to you….I truly believe teachers are underpaid and underappreciated….

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13. The Kid

    September 27, 2010 at 2:43 pm

    You should be ashamed to post this article. You offer nothing but raw opinion and innuendo and in the process demean this man and the profession itself. Sure, there are problems, but they will never get fixed when people like you in the public are so naive.

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14. Room 427

    September 27, 2010 at 2:04 pm

    You are a piece of shit. How dare you even try to speak out against teachers, what do you know besides what you have been told. Spend one day in my class and tell me your real thoughts after that, you bag of SHIT. This man like many other teacher's are great teacher's, we are given students who are years behind yet we are blamed for the short comings or the test scores of another human being. Go figure you idiot. The ridicule from the LA Times public defamation of his teaching killed him. CASE CLOSED

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15. disrespectful

    September 27, 2010 at 1:18 pm

    Your statements are not true. Please post facts!
    California has the highest State Content Standards and the highest class size. Those are facts.
    California also has (one of the) highest cost of living and the ratio of average teacher salary to cost of living is NOT high, it's low!!!
    Can't just blow hot air – remember Dragnet -just the facts, ma'am!
    Thank God for unions – somebody has to pay monthly income taxes! – they float the boat!
    Want to attack unions – go after the prison guards, police, fire, etc.
    You should remove the picture – it's very disrespectful – even for crazy teacher haters!
    Based on your site description – I see no humor or satire in your post

    Reply