Failed School

Discipline needs to be re-established, especially at home. People like Crew and Costa deserved to be fired, their work performance is a piece of crap. www.poeticmotherlover.com

Clearly this article is one-sided and totally biased. Ms. Selig is nowhere in the same league or category of teachers or administrators that represent Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Her hysterical diatribe further shows how she is just a bitter, white woman that was fired for her incompetence and just wants to place the blame on someone else for her inability to do her job. She points her prickly finger at everyone but never bothers to look at herself and the fact that she is clearly unacceptable as a teacher and will never have the ability to motivate her students to achieve success. Has anyone checked out what her new administrators and teachers think about her in her new private school in northeast Miami-Dade? I bet you they are now wishing they would have thoroughly checked her credentials before they hired her. Do they have a 97-day dismissal policy at that school too? Let's hope they do.

Ding Dong the Witch is Gone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Even if she were crazy, that doesn't explain the kids wandering the halls, the students' comments about the security at the school, the fact that NO ONE, not even the principal, stopped to ask the reporter who they were and if they had a pass to be there. Even if she were crazy, what gives the right to students to threaten her, call her a white bitch, a ho, etc. If she said those things to the parents, the news would be in an uproar, but if a student says these things...then clearly it's the TEACHER's fault. No wonder Miami is such a such a cess pool....with these type of students and these type of people leaving comments.

Is everyone that works for that school district nuts!!! I see a couple of posts here from people who are obviously on the inside. Quit whining about the whistleblower. You folks have a big problem on your hands that needs to be addressed. BTW, don't think for one minute I don't know what I'm talking about. I'm a Jr. High teacher in a rough part of town in a large urban area. I deal with the same type of students profiled in the article. If any one of them dared to call me a bitch or 'ho, that would be last I saw of them for a long time. We also have high stakes testing in our state. While it is our job to do the best we can to promote success on the tests, our primary focus is on the education of children. Children need discipline. I've seen a few crappy administrators in my day, but this one would definately take the cake!

I went to Allapattah when it was still called Junior High School from 1983-1984. During that time there was a math teacher who during the SSAT provided the answers to the students. I sat in that class dumbfounded that a teacher would provide the answers to a standardized test. This corruption of 12 and 13 year old children was obviously endemic in the school and nothing ever happened to that teacher. The experience was so blatant that I vividly remember it to this day. Soon there after before the next school year my family moved south of the Miami River and I attended Citrus Grove Middle School from 1985-1986. The difference was a 180 degree turn for the better and I can truly say that I flourished at Citrus Grove and Miami High after thereafter. My attendance at Allapattah was a long time ago but the evidence is clear that it hasn't changed much and it's only getting worse. I have sympathy for Ms. Selig. She should have taken her case to the EEOC office of Miami-Dade. Costa wouldn't have been able to touch her and the whole school would have been investigated. This would have been beyond Costa, Crew or UTD's control. Once the Feds get involved they all shiver like the weasels they are. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 would have protected her: Hostile work environment, retaliation, you name it the the law is there to protect anyone who is being treated is the manner Ms. Selig was treated. However, she did the best thing for her own sanity, leave the school.

ms.selig is not telling the truth we do not live in a poor nieghborhood we live in a caring powerful alomost rich nieghborhood and we are interested in education and so does mr.costa he is a good principal and does caare for the students and so is the rest of the falculty and staff

you are a stanky as white cracker. u is one ugly hoe. i dont know you but you a true bitch you heard right to.Ur my favorite bitch. u stink ass hoe. i kno were u live ima shoot that shit up. belive dat cracker. look bitch wat u said bout ap wuz not true we dont fight every 5 sec we fight little white hoes like u dat dont kno shit bout ap. that is good yue left you made our life HELL ON EARTH. . you have shyt to say about allapattah you weren't even at the skool for 3 months to be talking all this BULL CRAP you making our skool sound bad and the security do pay attetion to us and wen we got a problem they solve it. .and thats good what catherine and michelle told you. .

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Might I suggest that comment #8 accurately portrays the school. I've been to Liberty City, and even visited the school. It was my experience that the problem is not simply the students and the administration, but is a result of the culture of the community. Liberty City matches every stereotype about the "Ghetto." The vast majority of residents are below the poverty level surviving off of welfare and food stamps, there aren't hardly any two parent homes, crime and violence are rampant, and excessive drug usage. The worst part about this lifestyle is not that this is actually taking place, but that it is glorified. It is golrified in the clothing that they where, the verbage in their speach, and their lack of desire for upward mobility. The schools will not change, nor will the education provided for the children until the residents of the community change their atitudes and values and stop trying to live their lives like a music video on BET...

You what, GROW UP! NOT everyone is like that. I'm a current 8th grader at Allapattah and yes, there is fights and all. THOSE ARE FLAWS. Every school has it believe or not. It's reality. There are lots of positive things to say about Allapattah. First of all, look up the Hands on Miami project 2008. Many students took a Saturday from playing video games or watching movies to come down to the school to paint Murals & plant gardens. Last year, no 8th grader student scored no lower than a 3 on the Writing FCAT. NONE. Look at the clubs such as FBLA (I infer that you are incredibly stupid to know what it means), Chess. What about the sports. Wrestling made it in county finals. What's that? Accomplishments. I'm not a dumb person who attends Allapattah. I'm a student who works hard, has TWO honor classes (High School credits) & has been accepted to four amazing high schools (MAST Academy, DASH, South Miami, Miami Coral Reef). How? HARD WORK. Plus, I earned awards, trophies and recognition. Oh wait, what school do I attend? ALLAPATTAH. Look at my grammar and vocabulary and you refer us to being stupid? Get you facts straight by the way, lots of what you wrote is complete nonsense. End of the story. yes, and I can write.

This article is both sad and relieving to me. I taught at AMS also as a geography teacher for 96 days as well. I am sure I was les than half the teacher that Ms. Selig was, being 22 years old and with no experience, but my experience with the district and school's administratino was eerily similar. I left Miami shortly thereafter, admittedly ashamed that I had failed where many of my friends had succeeded (many still are veyr successfull teachers in Miami-Dade). As I began to finally establish some semblance of educaiton in the room a number of students tore down the little order I had managed to achieve in my classroom. You don't blame the children though, they are not to be held accoutantable for their actions. The no detention, no punishment policy was in full-force under Brain Hamilton as well. I remember sending 120+ pound students to the office for punching 10 year old girls in the face repeatedly only to have them return to my class in 20 minutes. I remember being cursed out daily by students in front of other students and being revealed to all of those innocent young faces as a powerless charlatan of authority. I remember the students knowing (via the administration) that they did not need to pass my class to move on to the next grade. I remember being told that I could only fail 2 students per quarter so we wouldn't appear to be struggling. I remember going to the administration for support after work and foolishly signing their papers only to have them all turned back on me after 96 days (against which the Teach for America program explicitly advises). I believe the problem is the vast bureaucracy, little pieces of paper used to cut teachers up. The schools fear that little pieces of paper will appear on Rudy Crew's desk as well. These little piees of paper have supplanted young minds and hearts, not only of the students but of those who seek to educate and give water the the barren soil of urban youth.

This article is totally one sided and Ms. Selig only told her side of the story and left out a lot of details. She failed to mention that she herself insulted her students by calling them racial slurs and degrading them. She even called some of her female students "bitches". She also failed to mention that she WALKED out on her class more than one time. Leaving her students unattended and LEFT to go HOME without notifying administration. Her students were left alone in the classroom without any adult supervision...that alone is grounds for termination. She also e-mailed staff during instructional hours with unwanted e-mails, instead of teaching her students she spent her time in the computer complaining(and then she wonders why her students were out of control...how about they were BORED). Nobody can deny that at inner city schools we encounter numerous challenges and behavioral problems but everyone who teaches at these schools know that it comes with the territory. She cannot blame the school or the students because she has absolutely NO CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT! She is trying to make this a racial issue and that is sad. We have wonderful teachers at our school and yes hey are "white". The students respect teachers that earn the respect regardless of color. Mr. Costa is a first year principal who has made a lot of positive changes to the school. We have wonderful students who are proud of the school. Instead of complaining and criticizing, we should get involved. Ms. Selig needs to grow up and stop acting like a child. Lastly, Ms. Selig...you are NOT PETITE...you are a short potbelly biitter person! You are not missed!

Addition to my pervious comment: We have wonderful teachers and that includes teachers of all races and some of our white teachers are happy and have respect for the students and the students respect them in return. Ms. Selig does not speak for every white teacher at Allapattah Middle.

Many Teachers out there are experiencing "Twilight Zone" moments with the public school system. We have entered an era where administrators at schools can no longer ask questions for fear of their boss not knowing the answer. Obviously that would mean a belittling and abusive response in front of colleagues at the next meeting. I do not believe the principle of this school is the "culprit". Nor do I believe it is Rudy Crew. I think it is everyone in the positions between the two. With all of the budget cuts and administrative shuffling everyone in the plush positions of high pay with no students is afraid to lose their job. They must all of a sudden prove that they deserve to sit in an office all day and send ridiculous emails to principles. So they become bullies who are abusive with their power and hold the system back from the change that it needs. The peer pressure to act like this in our system is incredible. I have met principles that do not "speak" to teachers because they are above them. The teacher must go through the "proper channels" first. In my experience administrators are paid too little to put up with ridiculous request from their district offices and regional offices. If a teacher has a question they could never call region because that would mean the administrator is not doing their job. Joining MDCPS is like joining a sorority. Being an administrator is like “rushing”. Our budget has been cut once again. While we (the teachers and administrators) are being threatened with a loss of benefits and an unimaginable work load region/district workers pull into our parking lots in their Mercedes to tell us how we are doing our job incorrectly. I say get rid of all of them re-budget the system and let Crew work directly with us "the little people". If he saw what actually goes on. I believe truly, if he knew how ridiculous the work load is and how real our students problems are Crew would step up. He would defend the under-paid, the over worked, the ones who love the children.

It's unfortunate that the truth hurts! Sorry Diana but if you expect me to believe that you are an 8th grade student you must be smoking that pot readily available at Allapattah. The story had to be one sided because those that on the otherside didn't want to be interviewed for obvious. This story tells it like it is and has always been in the dump called Allapattah. Poverty and single parent family is no excuse for misbehavior.

Such a sad story, I remember being in a similar situation (short lived..I transferred). Most administrators are more than competent. However, there are those who master the 'game' of invalidating teacher concerns; they turn the situation against the teacher in order to stick their heads in the sand. They don't report the true happenings of the school in order to attain a good 'end of the year' report from the powers above. In situations like that...it's all about power; instead of being about the student/teacher safety and acheivement. Those types of 'leaders' play the CYA game. Interesting that the administrators mentioned refused interviews for the article. Why is it that security gives an open door policy to the 'outsider' doing this article? Security even walked the 'outsider' to the teachers' door! Great job at NOT doing your job Mr/Mrs Security person. Did administrators address that? Even the students validate Seligs complaints of violence etc. Unfortunately, the students and dedicated teachers in an environment like that, are the ones on the losing end. The administrators dress up in their suits and strut around as though they are important, but the fact is you can dress them up but you can't make them work! After all, that's what they have the teachers for..to make them look good. It's sickening.

u are all liers b****es !!!!!!!!u made the school the worsest it can be so stop sayin lies also so stop bugging us we not the only bad school there is so shut the **** up

look people u made us the worst so if u think u that good to just talk then get out cauz all u say iz the same thing also u are all liers u evan said this is a good school by the newspaper how people planted to make a good enviorment u taught us science reading math n more fun stuff but look teachers u just make up to much work can we atleast hav some free time for at least 30 minuetes why u makin this school work so why teachers why.........i knowu u think we need to study but if u keep doin that then we never going to move on we goin to stay in the same place just like mr.harris all h sayz iz his kidz and all in the pass but u say we hav to pay attention n we are but we wont work if u keep talkin about somtin else so this was my time i put for all of u so keep reading till u find sumtin out and if u cant then go somewhere else thank you!

why did u write all that stuff for no reason.

Dear,Ms. Selig Hey i understand you but some of them were lies. I thimk this is the best school ever. I know there might be some fights or things like that.I get you on that part but, you are only telling your part tell about the great masteries and the great fun things. When you were here you were an excellent teacher and you smiled everyday you where here.So talk about the fun things that happened in the school. SO STOP LYING,LYING,AND LYING ON US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!AND GETA LIFE I DONT KNOW WHY YOU ARE LYING AND FUSSING WHEN THERE MANY JOBS OUT THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!DUH!!!!!!!SO TAKE CARE OF YOUR RESPONSIBLIES AND DONT THINK ABOUT ALLAPATTAH MIDDLE SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!1

!!!!!!!!!!you r a fucking lier so sotp lieing bitch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ANGEL LAZO! STOP TAKING HER SIDE CAUSE YOU KNOW SHE IS A LYING.YOU SO STUPID CAUSE SOME OF THE THING SHE IS SAYING IN THE NEWS IS A LIE SO BE QUIET!!!!!!!

yo selig you bitch y u lieing u triping u white trash mother fucker u just mad because yo ass got fired hoe u bald head mother fucker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!FROM UR BEST STUDENT EVA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yo selig you bitch y u lieing u triping u white trash mother fucker u just mad because yo ass got fired hoe u bald head mother fucker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!FROM UR BEST STUDENT EVA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mz.Sileg am writing this letter truly for you. Am guessing that you want no kids to come to this school. You want our school to shut down well you¡¯ve been telling some lies. Kids don¡¯t threaten teachers like that wand we don¡¯t carry no guns or pocket knives so you need to STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!u betta stop sayin doez thingz!!!!!!!!! Everyboddi hate u!! 4rom everthing that u sai i hate u 2!! u a bad teacher!! were so glad dat u left da school!!!!!!!!!!!!! U hatin on a.p! diz school iz da best!! u makin kidz,Parents think diz school iz bad!! so u betta shut ur mouth!! U knw anotha name 4 u iz Mz,leg jejeje!! people b crackin on u!! nd u alwayz were jeanz dat wat i heard 4rom people in da school!!! =]!! nd diz school iz a gud school!! we do alot of fun!! nd we love haterz!! which u iz one!!! U makin uz famous!! so hatin on uz we are da best! nd u betta respect are school! all da teacher in a.p teach betta dan u!! everthing u sayin iz a lie!! STOP!!! nd derez no kid dat have the gutz 2 curse in a teacher face!!!!!! c we catch u in a lie!! Nd u betta stop puttin kidz name in diz website!!! BYEE HATER!!!!

ill shot ur house down bitch

I dnt knw wat happend in dat classroom but u knw u was dead ass rong about some of the sufe u said na I can say some bad sufe but I am not cuz I dnt knw wat happend but wat I knw if u would have told MS.Lewis she would have did something about it but sence u want to say ms.lewis wat about ms.sierra you is a races bitch and i anit sorry to say dat to u gon get fuked up on the hause win u here the guns start popin

im a student at allapattah middle and she is worng this school is full of disipline and i hate that teacher shes wrong

I dnt knw wat happend in dat classroom but u knw u was dead ass rong about some of the sufe u said na I can say some bad sufe but I am not cuz I dnt knw wat happend but wat I knw if u would have told MS.Lewis she would have did something about it but sence u want to say ms.lewis wat about ms.sierra you is a races bitch and i anit sorry to say dat to u gon get fuked up on the hause win u here the guns start popin

I dnt knw wat happend in dat classroom but u knw u was dead ass rong about some of the sufe u said na I can say some bad sufe but I am not cuz I dnt knw wat happend but wat I knw if u would have told MS.Lewis she would have did something about it but sence u want to say ms.lewis wat about ms.sierra you is a races bitch and i anit sorry to say dat to u gon get fuked up on the hause win u here the guns start popin

I dnt knw wat happend in dat classroom but u knw u was dead ass rong about some of the sufe u said na I can say some bad sufe but I am not cuz I dnt knw wat happend but wat I knw if u would have told MS.Lewis she would have did something about it but sence u want to say ms.lewis wat about ms.sierra you is a races bitch and i anit sorry to say dat to u gon get fuked up on the hause win u here the guns start popin

This is one of the students from allapattah I dont believe everything u said was true .I feel like you just mad because you dont work here and I know that the student out here have problems but never told somebody they will kill them if you was to give them a "F" .Ms.selig I kno I never had one of your classes but I been going out here for a year and ahalf and I know these kids are not like that.when you said that the student called you a B**** I dont to much believe that at all .The only thing you can say about allapattah is that we got a bad grade for the school but the students got a mine to there own and they are very smart so whatever they put there there mind to they can do whatever and be whatever they want to be and you kno that.Im very upset abou the thing's you said bout are school I know it was kinda heard to work with these students because look we from the hood you just got to learn how to handle it.

Ms.Selig, I¡¯m writing this strongly worded letter to you because you are only telling a story that even I can make up in an instant second. People can think that you are telling the truth but to me this is the best school I have ever been to. People in this school are not that bad.I have never saw any student in this school school ever have the guts to actually curse a teacher out!Never in my life!Maybe it's because I have not been in this school for more than one year but still it's wrong to lie on kids just because you left.If you don't like this school then just forget about it!Keep it to yourself!STOP writing things about this school so people can stop coming to this school!To tell you the truth I know so many people that don't even think that your a good teacher!You want to know something else,just because you wrote this about the school I don't like you either!The bad thing is that I don'teven much know you!You need to get a life!Most of all you need to stop hatin'!Most of these kids know you but I don't and yet I still hate you!Many students in our school made mastery and this is still a bad school to you!You want to know something your just writing all ththese stories to make people mad!Not only that you is for ever hatin'!To tell you the truth many people like me love haters!You know why because the more they talk crap the more famous we get!So if you want to keep making me and my friends famous,like Michele then keep on hatin'!Thanks to Allapattah now I can actually read fluently!Im actually more comfortable!I don't know not one teacher in the school that will scoop to your level!And for your information there is no student in A.P the age of 35!!So don't over exagerate! ☻h ya once again "STOP HATIN" P.S.DONT HATE,APPRECIATE

You have only said your part. You haven't said the truth. this school is the best school i have ever been to. All schools have problem, no school is perfect.It's not fair that you come to our school a long time ago and say all the things that have happened and I'm not saying that what you wrote is true. Allapattah Middle has done alot of good thing. For example we planted plants and flowers for the Elevate Miami.And that not the only good thing we have done many more. You have only wrote what some students may have done.Why dont you write about how we have a big list on our walls of how student have made mastery. About how other schools take more then ten student to write their news paper and we acomplish to only need 9 student to write ours. So yes we made be an "F" school but that dose not mean that we are a bad school. When i came to AP i was a level two reader but now I'm a 3 and I feel much more comfortable reading and I can read fluently. I have never meat no techer that would go that low. P*S THE DEVIL IS A LIER

hi everybody including darion

hi everybody i am bored and darion love chicken,hi everybody i am bored and darion love chicken,hi everybody i am bored and darion love chicken

hi everybody i am bored and darion love chicken,hi everybody i am bored and darion love chicken,hi everybody i am bored and darion love chicken

hi everybody i am bored and darion love chicken,hi everybody i am bored and darion love chicken,hi everybody i am bored and darion love chicken

I like chicken I like chicken I dont like seleg cause she stay bitchen O i like chicken

Well every school fights so thats not a suprise. and we do not fight every 5 . ok? well that dosent sound much like the truth. Also yes lots of kids are smart here. We are not dumb ( like diana said) i agree with her. Most kids are smart and there are some good programs and lots of kids go them. So i disagree with you.

Ms.Selig you is a lier.How u just gone try us like that.You know datz not true about our school.But its all cool though cause wen u loose your other job you gone come lookin for a another job......N dont come back to A.P.

U on this enternet talkinG all this stuff about A.P this n THAT u dont no stuff u sit yo stuck up self in yo classroom n guess wat is goin on..WIT YO STUPID BUTT n u aint even try n teach us u gave us our work n sat down in got on dat enternet.. n u tld us dat we gne be on dat corner or under that bridge.....all dat u talking is a lie they aint course at you stop lieing cause you would have wrote a scam on us just like u did me n two of my friends 4 being late to class in i couldnt come to class 4 almost a week n a half. so dont lie and make ALLAPATTAH seem like a bad school.. yea we have fights just like any other school now u got everybody thinking that thats all we do.. but when u see dawg u gota holla at me n thats real dawg

Ms. Selig You are a dumb bicth I am maunel I am in the 8th Grade and it just that we don't like your fuk ass White shithead

I can completely relate to this story. Upon graduating college, I took a job teaching middle school kids art in an inner city Orlando school. Being one of three white people in the entire school, the students didn't respect me at all. Many of these children are animals. They have no caring families, no education, and ostensibly no future. Trying to get a 14 year old to care about color theory while his dad is in jail and mom is pregnant with another sister is impossible. There is no support at home. There are some people cut out to do this, I am not one of them. The best thing that ever happened to me was getting relieved of that job. Everyday I went to class, I thought I would get fired. My students constantly misbehaved, were rowdy, and my classroom became the spot to have fights. I think the school eventually realized I was a liability and decided to "cut" the art program. Funny enough, the next year, my "cut" position had been restored, with a black man. Looking back, I had some great, caring students in my classes there. Most were pure nightmares. Some of us are cut out to work with these mostly lost children. I am not. Now I teach my affluent, well behaved students in a much more peaceful environment and am happy.

This is just perfect! Some teacher at the school is having his/her students write responses to the article! All those response at around 11:15-11:30/. What wonderful language and grammer she's taught them! If anyone doesn't believe this stuff happens every day, they're dreamin!

i disagree with the whole article dis female need to get life yo.if dis female felt dat way she should have stp babyin deez kidz yo and she would have had more respect she shud hav been cheacked da student wit da ipod.da writer did not tell da whole truth

this is an outrage.Ms Selig is giving false information and is changing words around in this article

im a honor roll student at allapattah middle school you are taking this to far, teachers at this school have went through this for five to ten years and are still working you are just mad because you couldn't have your way you aren't just making our school look bad but your self you sound like a three year old child whing about some words GROW UP!!!!!!!!! we are glad you gone you trippin little baby

the article is somewhat true but some things she didnt have to put there

the article is somewhat true but some things she didnt have to put there

the article is somewhat true but some things she didnt have to put there

fuk azz white bitch suk deez hanglowz yeah i said it bitch

This is not true. Well i wont lie because i come to this school 5 days a week. Sum of it is true some kids are indeed out of control and its true about the lack of action mr. costa and ms. lewis take when the children here misbehave. But what ms. Selig did not state is the words that she said to these kids. She said to a boy named kevin that he would be on a bus stop selling newspapers. And i just want to say is that these are some very intelligent students out here and she should not have put Michelle's buisness out like that. This article was uncalled for. No one beat anyone up with a broom this article is full of lies. And about this neighborhood this neighborhood is not poor and drug infested and she does not live here so she has no right to talk about this neighborhood. And i am passin all lmy classes and to tell you the truth this school is full of kids who work their butts-off and some very good teachers such ass Ms. King, Ms. Shirley, Mr. Noble and Many more i trusted this lady i thought she was so sweet, but after a while i started to see her true side and nowhere in this article did you see anything about what she did. She cursed at kids, told them that there lives are going to be full of suffering and for her to go this far is unnecessary. You let this whole school DOWN!

This is not true. Well i wont lie because i come to this school 5 days a week. Sum of it is true some kids are indeed out of control and its true about the lack of action mr. costa and ms. lewis take when the children here misbehave. But what ms. Selig did not state is the words that she said to these kids. She said to a boy named kevin that he would be on a bus stop selling newspapers. And i just want to say is that these are some very intelligent students out here and she should not have put Michelle's buisness out like that. This article was uncalled for. No one beat anyone up with a broom this article is full of lies. And about this neighborhood this neighborhood is not poor and drug infested and she does not live here so she has no right to talk about this neighborhood. And i am passin all lmy classes and to tell you the truth this school is full of kids who work their butts-off and some very good teachers such ass Ms. King, Ms. Shirley, Mr. Noble and Many more i trusted this lady i thought she was so sweet, but after a while i started to see her true side and nowhere in this article did you see anything about what she did. She cursed at kids, told them that there lives are going to be full of suffering and for her to go this far is unnecessary. You let this whole school DOWN!

whoever made this article has a whole lot of lies and whoever made this I want to tell them in there face dat da wron

JUST BECAUSE YOU DID NOT LIKE US, IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD PUT ALL THAT GARBAGE YOU PUT ON THE PAPER .YOU ARE LIEING ABOUT US, U LIED ABOUT WHAT THOSE GIRL'S DID , AND BECAUSE YOU GOT FIRED YOU GOT MAD AND WENT TO THE NEWSPAPER AND WROTE STRAIGHT LIE'S. DON'T WORRY YOU WILL GET '''''YOURS''''

wat cheack a nigga out i aint even kno dis cracker but she suck me backwards yo she saw thang in her face and she dipped man i dont lyk ppeople lyk dat

I PERSONALLY THINK THAT YOU JUST WENT TOO FAR... MR.COSTA FAT BUT HE AINT PREGNANT HOE WAT U WANA FUK HIM... U MAD CUZ THINGS AINT GO YO WAY N U AINT GET TOO SUCK THE DICK BEFORE YOU LEFT BITCH.... N HOE DNT SURGAR COAT SHIT MARGRETTA AINT SAY SHE GNE SHOOT YOU SHE SAID DAT YOU GOTTA SHOT HER ONE DAT MEAN FITE DUM ASS.. I DONT LIKE WHAT YOU WROTE ABOUT THE SKOOL!!! WE ARE NOT GOOD BUT WE ARE NOT THE WROST SKOOL HOE WORRY BOUT WATS GOING ON AT YOUR HOUSE.... Y WUD YOU PUT MARGRETTA BUSSINIESS OUT LYK DAT HOE DNT YOU THINK THINGS LIKE DAT HURTS HER FEELINGS DUH HOE DATS Y SHE ACT THE WAY SHE ACT CUZ SHE DNT HAVE A MOM TELLIN HER DA RIGHT THINGS TO DO PUSSY ASS HOE NOW PUT THIS IN THE PAPER

I PERSONALLY THINK THAT YOU JUST WENT TOO FAR... MR.COSTA FAT BUT HE AINT PREGNANT HOE WAT U WANA FUK HIM... U MAD CUZ THINGS AINT GO YO WAY N U AINT GET TOO SUCK THE DICK BEFORE YOU LEFT BITCH.... N HOE DNT SURGAR COAT SHIT MARGRETTA AINT SAY SHE GNE SHOOT YOU SHE SAID DAT YOU GOTTA SHOT HER ONE DAT MEAN FITE DUM ASS.. I DONT LIKE WHAT YOU WROTE ABOUT THE SKOOL!!! WE ARE NOT GOOD BUT WE ARE NOT THE WROST SKOOL HOE WORRY BOUT WATS GOING ON AT YOUR HOUSE.... Y WUD YOU PUT MARGRETTA BUSSINIESS OUT LYK DAT HOE DNT YOU THINK THINGS LIKE DAT HURTS HER FEELINGS DUH HOE DATS Y SHE ACT THE WAY SHE ACT CUZ SHE DNT HAVE A MOM TELLIN HER DA RIGHT THINGS TO DO PUSSY ASS HOE NOW PUT THIS IN THE PAPER

ms selig wat you said about the school was wrong all that stuff you said isn't true you might not know what is going on in the school because yyou never leave your room until 4:40 and to anyone who reads this we are a good school with good extra cricular activities our wrestling team won district and county championships so how dare say we are a bad school and have bad students

The students who wrote feedback to this story need to be transferred to Ruth Owens Kruse at once. There, they will learn some discipline and perhaps will have a future. The principal needs to be fired without a recommendation. The Superintendent has greater problems than harassing teachers and failing students. We need to fire him. The School Board Attorney likewise should be fired. I cannot imagine any school system in this country as corrupt as ours. When I first began sharing Miami-Dade County School Board meeting tapes with educators in Canada, they thought I had devised this wonderful standup comic routine. They don't laugh any more. The teacher's union should be replaced with folks who will fight for education, not knuckle under to edu-terrorists.

Don't just go to Allapattah and just say that its a bad school >.

Ms.Selig was not the only teacher that has been threatened.There are some good kids and some bad, but you cant let anybody get in your head.If selig didnt like the shcool, why didnt she just leave. Im a 7th grader at this school and most of the kids are not that bad.All Selig wants to do is make the school look bad because of a few threats. She should know that all kids are not bad. Allapattah is just the beggining of what the future has to hold.

I am currently a student at Allapattah Middle School. Yes, the conduct is not the best but every school has conduct issues and I'm sure Ms.Selig knows that. In every school there is fighting and there is drama. This article is portraying our school in a negative like. She is just angry she didn't have her way. She should have gave a negative side and a positive side. Here at Allapatah there are great things happening. We had a Hands on Miami Program where students gave not one but two Saturdays up to make our school look beautiful. Kids came and painted murals, planted flowers and trees. Why didn't the reporter write about the beautiful garden that we have or murals. We also have great education and wonderful teachers. There is also a chess club with kids who compete in competitions. There is (FBLA) Future Buisness Leaders of America. There is 5000 Role Models. We Have Sports. I was on a wonderful soccer team. We all got along and had great games. Ms.Selig is searching for a perfect job with no problems and that doesn't exsist. I want to be a teacher when I grow up and I know the problems I'm going to face, but I plan to help my students change their behavior. Kids have problems with their families or where they live and that plays a big part in who they are and how they act. Its a teachers responsibility to set an example not spend the day sending e-mails to complain or walking out of class like Ms.Selig did. I recomend people to watch the movie Freedom Writers it has alot to do with this. About Mr.Costa he is a great principal and he really cares about us. I hope that reporter would have said something about the long list of students on our mastery board who got a 70% or higher on Interm Assessments. Mr.Costa makes sure those students are rewarded with an Icecream Party or a Pizza Party. That motavates students to do great. We are currentlly reading novels in homeroom like Tears of a Tiger, Brothers In Arms, Spirit Bear, Blood & Chocolate, The Diary of Anne Frank ect. Kids here spend time on FCAT Explorer most of the time and I garantee you that our school will come up one letter grade this year because of our hard work. Check out the schools attendence during FCAT only two students missed school out of 4 testing days. We may be playful in the halls but we get to class and we try to learn. Before you judge our school take a quick look at the positive side of it, Ms.Selig. I absolutly love coming to school everyday at Allappatah Middle School and I mean that. P.S I thank Mr.Noble for my grammer!! :D Sincerly, Anel, a student at Allappatah :D

This woman is completely out of line! I have been teaching at this school for many years and as the poster above said she DOES NOT speak for all the white teachers at Allapattah I HAVE NEVER been disrespected! my administration has ALWAYS been more than supportive of any an all of my concerns I have nothing but glowing words for MR. Costa , Mrs. Lewis, and Mrs. Sierra they are all top notch administrators! yes it is true our kids do present their fair share of trials and difficulties but what kids in middle school dont? I ask you this it boils down to respect Miss Selig did you give your children any therefore were you yourself worthy of receiving any in return? The same can be said for your job performance and classmanagement style how often were you running off copies to place in peoples mail box and emailing coworkers instead of teaching? OR didnt any one ever tell you when you point a finger at someone you have three more pointing back at you! (try holding the mirror up at your self you nasty woman instead of insulting children!)

Ms.selig lied about every thing she said

why would you tell these lies to these new reporter like that.you think your gonna look good for making up all these lies.is just gonna make you feel bad inside. the first time i met you cussed me out i was just saying good bye to our wonderful teacher Ms.Stering and then you started bithcing at me form that day on i dispised you.I was scared of you i thought if i look at you wrong your gonna smack me across the head and i was gonna hit you back.you should be the mature one in class in fcat you were acting like a baby.if kids as you a question you called them stupid.am guessing your mom didint teach you any manners.and thats messed up about how you lied about our school.and for this kids in the school are gonna hate and for what you did it will be in allapattah history

why would you tell these lies to these new reporter like that.you think your gonna look good for making up all these lies.is just gonna make you feel bad inside. the first time i met you cussed me out i was just saying good bye to our wonderful teacher Ms.Stering and then you started bithcing at me form that day on i dispised you.I was scared of you i thought if i look at you wrong your gonna smack me across the head and i was gonna hit you back.you should be the mature one in class in fcat you were acting like a baby.if kids as you a question you called them stupid.am guessing your mom didint teach you any manners.and thats messed up about how you lied about our school.and for this kids in the school are gonna hate and for what you did it will be in allapattah history

ms.sileg i think that what you did was truly wrong half of the things you said was not true what you did was wrong...

i disagree with most of this subject,i am a 8 grade student of allapattha. there is some true thing such as fights every school has them it a part of nature the stuff this lady said about of school was tottaly unfair i think that the pudlishers should of got an better view of the school from someone who been there loner not just there for 3 mounts allapattha it in woorking process our fcat scors are continually rising. they should have talk to some of our older teacher such as mr harris or mr brabley or even a student. anyhow thanks ms.sligh for getting our school some attiton:0

first of all who are you to tell us what we are and what we are capable of? you dont know what you are talking about lady. and another thing i woyld like to see you come to school every day and put up with what we put up with. and another thing U NEED TO KEEP ALAPATTAH OUT OF YOUR MOUTH IF YOU DONT KNOW WHAT THE HECK U TALKING ABOUT !!!!!

It is so sad that these children from Allapattah show their ignorance with their illiterate, violent, disgustingly trashy comments. Clearly, they don't realize that they only validate Ms. Selig's experience and story even further. It is sad that the children and people in this very nasty ghetto would rather abuse a good teacher because she is WHITE and deny themselves from being properly educated. These ghetto children and their families want to live in denial and think they live in a "rich" neighborhood!? Sure, and I live on Gumdrop Island where there is no racism, and everyone loves one another. Talk about HATERS? What a bunch of racist, ignorant children. And why were these postings allowed during school time? Who was watching the children?

Perhaps teachers at Allapattah need to educate these children that "Mz sleig" didn't WRITE the article. It's called a "newspaper" and there are reporters who write for newspapers. My heart goes out to all the poor, uneducated, violent, angry children who are clearly growing up in a disturbingly violent neighborhood with no discipline and no idea what exists beyond their trashy world. And clearly, as their horrible grammar shows, those children aren't being taught much, if anything at all. Ms. Selig was lucky to get a ticket out of that hellhole before one of those children shot her. I commend you Ms. Selig, for having the courage to speak the truth and stand up for yourself in the face of racist death threats, instead of running out of there as those RACIST children and administration clearly wanted you to do. And by the way, silly children, not all schools have violence and fighting.

any of yall people out there do not believe this lady she is making up so much lies if she was still der and u went der u would see how stupid she would act she will yell for no dangon reason and if yall believe her yall dont know nothing bout Alapattah

any of yall people out there do not believe this lady she is making up so much lies if she was still der and u went der u would see how stupid she would act she will yell for no dangon reason and if yall believe her yall dont know nothing bout Alapattah

any of yall people out there do not believe this lady she is making up so much lies if she was still der and u went der u would see how stupid she would act she will yell for no dangon reason and if yall believe her yall dont know nothing bout Alapattah

There is some truth to her claim. Although I've never attended AMS, I have heard the horror stories during the late 80's. This school has always had a bad reputation because of the locale. Unfortunately, same story different cities (inner). I know that it is usually hard for White teachers to adjust in a culturally diverse inner city school, but you must have the backing of the Administration to help in aiding discipline. Costa apparently did not do much at Edison, he's probaly a Cuban and could care less about his tenure at AMS or maybe AMS is just a pit stop for him while the puppeteers are working him downtown. I think that the school should focus on discipline then the Fundamentals. I hope that Ms. Selig is doing well at her new school.

I am a student who is currently attending Allapattah. Most of those sentences and phrases about the school are somewhat true and somewhat wrong. Nevertheless, I do not think Ms.Selig or however, you spell her name had the rights to spread rumors and lies about the school. The only reason she probably wrote those cruel words is that she could not continue to work at the school. To my point of view, Mr. Costa is a very marvelous man and does a very good job with the school and I would not change him for the world. If Ms.Selig thinks she can do a better job, how about she come and tries to be the boss for a week. I would give her one day and I bet she would not make it. Mr. Costa is doing a great job and so are all the other teachers who work at the school and remember I am a student who has been attending allapattah for one year and is going to continue to attend the school that I love and adore........

I taught for four years at Miami Central in the late 1980s and witnessed much of the same problems. Fresh out of college, I earnestly believed that teachers could make a difference, like mine had for me at Palmetto. I thought that the administration would back up a teacher when threatened or when his or her ability to teach was being compromised by student behavior. Boy was I wrong. I had students in class with rings of cocaine around their nostrils, bouncing off the walls. Students having sex in any semi-hidden place they could find, drug deals in the hallways, one of the PE teachers was screwing female students, everyone knew about it, nothing was done. The security guards were a joke. Not only did the administration cover up problems, they also invented classes, and student rosters to inflate the population and thus get more money from the state, they shuffled the disability students around when they needed more funding from the state (disabled students earn the school extra money), we didn't have enough desks or books. Many of the teachers, both black and white were racist beyond belief. It was a zoo. And while we were using our own funds to supplement supplies, the principal's wife was driving a Rolls Royce. So sad to see another teacher leaving due to the inept management of the school. Thank goodness she wasn't hurt. One of the teachers I worked with was being assaulted. While she was being beaten, she tried to defend herself. She was fired for it. The mean white teacher raising her hands to the poor black kid. His parents went to the principal, and that is how it ended. She was an excellent teacher, a published author, and she really cared about her students. Kudos to all the teachers who remain in the system and work very hard everyday in the face of horrible students, horrible administrators and oblivious parents.

I am a studet at A.P I think I speak or all the students that ms. Selig or how ever you spell her name was out of line for what she said. Allapatah is a great school sure it my have its flaws but no school is perfect and for ms. Selig to lie about the school is just wrong sure we fight at our school and there is always somthing new going on with some drama but the teachers really like us and do try there best to help us learn sure we get them mad but they want us to have a future. We have many good things about allapatah we have a chess team,math,club,FBLA,golf and many other clubs. So before you say anyhing about our school take a good look at the things we have to offer P.S. THANKS to all my teachers here at allapatah for making me an honor roll student and giving me an education!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was raised in an English public school. When I was fourteen, I was learning whole passages of Shakespeare, Marlowe, Alighieri, Dickens, and even Wilde. We had to be able to differentiate Haydn and Mozart after hearing only four bars, and we were able to do this. Disrespectful students were spanked in front of the entire school -- often with canes. This was unpleasant, but I cannot help but feel we were luckier than the illiterate miscreants posting inane defenses of their school on this board. Like their parents and teachers, they have been taught that having "comfort" is more important than having standards. If the two can coexist, fine -- but I do not think that happy idyll has been created at this school, nor at any school in South Florida. If students can disobey (never mind threaten) their teachers and not worry about the consequences, then we may as well cease forcing them to go to school at all: obviously, they have the same wisdom and rights as adults, and should not be impelled to do what anyone says. Of course, this kind of thinking will ruin both the country and the entire western hemisphere in the by and by. If a child disobeys a reasonable command from a teacher, he or she should be forced to suffer a very unpleasant detention -- one involving several hours of classwork from whichever subject the pupil is worst at. If the student fails to comply, expulsion would be appropriate. If the parents are tending properly to their children's upbringing, this eventuality should seldom arise. If the parents are not, there is nothing the school system can do about it, and by trying to pick up the parents' slack they are wandering dangerously beyond their jurisdiction, into arenas in which they shall find themselves terribly impotent. Western schools seem to have forgotten their function: education, education, and still more education. If students try to impede this function, they must be disciplined and removed. If a teacher or an administrator cannot discipline and remove his children as needed, then he too must be removed, for he has willingly sacrificed his own authority and made the system's operation contingent upon the whim of the pupil -- the one person least qualified to dictate terms. Iggy Reilly

ms.sileg what you did was wrong you are disrespecting allapattah middle you must want no kids to come to this school.your a liar talking about we carry guns and knifes to school.ive been coming to this school for 2 in a half years and learned so much for a six grader you should be ashamed of your self yeah thers fights but that happens in every school.you act like where the only school that does that stuff.you wouldnt like it if we wrote a whole bunch of lies about you and put it on the enternet would you.when you where talking about mr. costa the principal he does a great job just dont be jjelous that you dont have his place.i thought you were good but turns out your a cruel person.

ms.sileg what you did was wrong you are disrespecting allapattah middle you must want no kids to come to this school.your a liar talking about we carry guns and knifes to school.ive been coming to this school for 2 in a half years and learned so much for a six grader you should be ashamed of your self yeah thers fights but that happens in every school.you act like where the only school that does that stuff.you wouldnt like it if we wrote a whole bunch of lies about you and put it on the enternet would you.when you where talking about mr. costa the principal he does a great job just dont be jjelous that you dont have his place.i thought you were good but turns out your a cruel person.

I wasn't sure if I would respond with a post or not, as most of these negative, moronic responses deserve no validation. To the angry, violent, clearly psychologically disturbed children who posted (one of whom revealed a child's name that Mr. Alvarado had changed in his article to protect the children's identities): Do you know what a newspaper is? Do you know what a reporter is? Can you differentiate between the person who WROTE the article and the person who is quoted in the article? It also seems your English teachers need to do more to educate you on "author's purpose" and not just TELL you if you're a level 1, 2, or 3, severely below grade-level "reader" (and I use that term "reader" loosely). Also, Frank Alvarado asked MANY teachers and administrators at Allapattah and MDCPS comment in this article, and ALL refused. What does that tell you? If they had any real defense or interest in defending Allapattah, they were given a chance. they were given MULTIPLE chances. THEY chose to make this article one-sided by refusing to get involved, and hiding in their ivory towers because administrators in MDCPS and at Allapattah DO NOT CARE ABOUT CHILDREN IN THE GHETTO. They care about money and power. To the phony "teachers" - administrators - who posted such outrageously ignorant comments, I hope that makes you feel better. "Most white teachers" are "happy" at Allapattah? Well, considering there are about 5 white-Anglo teachers at Allapattah and no white-Anglo students, it's sad that you say "most (not all) white" teachers are happy. Clearly, you are not white, and you are a coward who can't reveal your name. And, you don't know anything about me, and how I have RESPECTFULLY and POSITIVELY served 1000s of student in my 10 year teaching history. How dare you, or any of you disgusting people make your shallow inaccurate assessments of me or what happened to me at Allapattah, when YOU are part of the problem, not the solution. However, I do realize that if you grew up in the ghetto of Allapattah (or somewhere similar) you probably just don't know any better. Ignorance breeds ignorance, so I've learned with my short stint at Allapattah. (Silly me for wanting to fight the ignorance that runs through the veins of many involved at MDCPS and Allapatah.) As only normal, non-barbaric, intelligent human beings would be able to INFER, this article was not about EVERY STUDENT at Allapattah. It was about my horrific experience, and the FACT that MDCPS, Mr. Costa and his incompetent administration could care less about their teachers and their students. The chaos at Allapattah that they perpetuate with their "let's look at the positive and ignore the problems" (denial) attitude IS the problem. This article was an EXAMPLE of the corruption that exists at Allapattah and in MDCPS, the utter incompetence and laziness of the "powers-that-be" in MDCPS and the fact that the CHILDREN are not being educated or held to ANY real behavioral OR academic standards that would make them competitive in the REAL world, beyond the ghetto. How many teachers have come and gone from Allapattah through the years, versus how many teachers who have stayed? And how many teachers who stay there are truly happy and competent, or simply trapped and stuck because they have no self-motivation to do better, and go somewhere better? Now, I fully realize SOME of the teachers there are TRUE heroes, because they sacrifice their own safety (and sanity) to try to help children learn and become better citizens. And someone (maybe) I hope is even trying to teach you PROPER English instead of your trashy, ghetto broken - I can't even call it English - as your e-mail posts indicate. Yes, as Anel stated (and as I stated in the article if ANY of you can READ the final quote) there are MANY wonderful, hard-working, respectful students and teachers at Allapattah. However, Ms. Anel, I am hardly looking for a "perfect" environment. I know quite a bit about pain and anguish, about heartache, about FAR less than "perfect" situations. What you don't understand because you've hardly stepped out of your ghetto world, Ms. Anel, is that there are people like me who purposely come to the ghetto to help children like you, when we could have stayed in our safe, happy, sane more affluent neighborhoods. But I don't expect a child to understand that big picture concept, of course. I just want you to know that I could have left (as most people would have) the DAY that crazy girl threatened me (3 DAYS AFTER I STARTED IN THAT CLASSROOM) but I didn't. I had intended to stay to help my students succeed, as many were doing, against insurmountable odds. Instead, Costa decided to put a first year, uncertified, untrained teacher in that classroom as my replacement. Instead, it was a blessing in disguise, because I am in a much safer, better environment teaching children who go to Ivy League schools. It's no utopia, because ALL schools have issues, however, I am safe and very much appreciated. And I am REALLY TEACHING instead of acting like a behavior monitor/social worker. And let me ask you this: what is wrong with wanting the BEST? What is wrong with wanting to go somewhere better? I guess it's hard to teach that concept to children of generational illiteracy growing up in an environment where hardly any one WANTS to do better. Forgive me, please, for wanting to help. Forgiving me, please, for holding a mirror up to everyone's eyes at Allapattah and MDCPS, FORCING them to take a look in the mirror and asking everyone there: are you part of the problem or part of the solution? And for the person (#2) who is worried about my administrators at my current WONDERFUL private school finding out about this incident or my credentials (which weren't purchased through an online degree program as MANY people in MDCPS have done): don't worry about it! Obviously, I'm not, or I never would have contributed to this article. I'm in a much better place, where my honesty and candor is much appreciated and actually respected. And if that changes, oh well, I'll keep moving on in pursuit of something better. I am able to have that positive you-can't-stop-me attitude because I can stand by my credentials and my reputation, and I don't have to hide in a dysfucntional school where you "can't get fired" after 97 days. You see, outside of bizarro world MDCPS and Allapattah, there is an entire world of civilized, educated, sane people who have solid reputations and aren't afraid of the truth. In fact, they appreciate the truth, unlike those many cowards in MDCPS who have to run from the classroom to an administrative position because they were failures as teachers. I understand many teachers and staff in MDCPS don't have the freedom that I have to stand up and fight. Many people are justifiably worried about losing their jobs and not being able to pay their mortgages and feed their children. I understand. However, the frightening fact still remains that until the MAJORITY of teachers in MDCPS stand up and say "we're not going to be abused like this anymore" the corruption will exist. I don't have a lifetime to wait for that to happen. I have a beautiful, fulfilling life, and I never forget that I come from a better place than Allapattah and corrupt MDCPS system. I have spent 10 years teaching underprivileged children, overprivileged children, and everything in between. Teaching and the field of education has become an abusive profession. Teachers are abused by parents, students, and administrators on a daily basis. But we persevere because we know that in spite of all the ignorance, the racism, the violence, that we DO make a difference, at least for some children. If we only reach 10 out of 100 children, that's ok. The children who WANT to succeed, who want to do better, who WANT to see the truth and get out of the ghetto and rise above the barbaric, violent ghetto mentality will do so no matter what. I just wanted to help those children, and protect them from the violence and chaos that tries to pull them back. And I have SUCCEEDED in helping so many children, protecting them from miserable abusive environments, offering hope for the future. At Allapattah, instead of being able to continue my mission, I was ostracized and crucified by MDCPS powers-that-be because I wouldn't put up and shut up. I understand that there are feeble-minded, uneducated people who are products of MDCPS themselves who probably can't wrap their minds around what my intentions were in contributing to this article and WANTING to teach at Allapattah. Hmmmm, I wonder: Why are there so many private schools and charter schools in Miami? Where I come from, hardly anyone "needs" to go to private school. And guess what, children? There are not fights and violence and such shaos at "all" schools. It breaks my heart that you don't know any better, and no one is educating you to try to teach you HOW to behave in a better manner. The children who posted on here, many of you, are truly lost and without much hope. The only way to exist in that horrendous environment is to live in denial. I understand. And I forgive you for making racist, perverted comments against me and for threatening my life. But it is your fault, and you should be held accountable for your actions and choice of words. The point of this article wasn't really even about ME. This was about trying to help all of you, and trying to make your school safer and more like a "real" school. Why don't you teachers who let your students get on the internet during SCHOOL time on SCHOOL computers and make death threats against me EDUCATE your children and actually READ the article? And, read this post from me, and respond INTELLIGENTLY. If you can. I dare you. Is it EVER ok, under any circumstances, for children to threaten and assault teachers and students? At Allapattah, clearly, and across MDCPS that is the accepted way. I want no part of such a socially dysfunction school district (not to mention the lack of real academic rigor). Good riddance. And good luck to those who remain in MDCPS. May God help you all.

I am a fellow educator and I believe Ms. Selig's story. Although my school has problems just like anywhere else, I am fortunate to have a much more supportive administration. However, I am not blind to the overall problem that is going on in Miami-Dade County Schools. We're so focused on the FCAT and trying to create "little test takers" that we're failing our kids by placing 40+ kids to a teacher, not enough supplies, unhygenic enviornments...you name it. Worse of all, we're letting these kids run the schools! Something needs to be done and Mr. Administrator of the Year is not doing it. Where is the union in all of this? The death threats (left by students in this comments section) should be a clear indication that 1. Someone needs to teach needs kids grammar and 2. their violence disrespect is evident. Ms. Selig, I salute your courage!

Ms.Sileg is NOT telling the TRUTH. She's only telling her PART. but alot of students at Allapattah can tell the reason why they acted that way with her,but it wasn't as she saying.1st she used to threatened the students that she would failed them just for talking and she curse them out.Which students NEVER spoke about. Students did NOT act the way she is saying they just were defending themselves.ANd about that ''meet my little frien'' she misunderstood. We students at Allapattah Middle have our own stories to tell.And the faculties and staff take good care of us and care about our education. Mr.Costa is a GOOD principal he tries his best to help us alot to be someone in life and achieve our GOALS.

Unfortunately this is what our children are facing in today's schools - if the kids are not able to be put in Magnet programs or Charter Schools then they are left to fend for themselves. Where are is our money going? Politics!! Miami Politics!! It is not what you know but who you know!!! We need to have the parents take over the system and we need to elect the people who are in charge. Thank you Ms. Selig - you are the type of Teacher that we wish all of our kids could have. It is time for a change and it is evident!

YOU KNOW I FEEL THAT THE STUDENTS THEY DON'T STOP AND SEE EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE SAYING OR WHAT THEY ARE DOING. THE SAD PART IS THAT THE LITTLE GROUP THAT GRADUATES GOES ON TO JACKSON SENIOR HIGH WITH THE SAME DICIPLINE THAT THEY HAD IN MIDDLE SCHOOL. THATS THE SAD PART,THEN THEY END UP DROPPING OUT AND NEXT THING YOU NOW THEIR IN JAIL, WHERE THEY SHOULD'VE BEEN IN THE FIRST PLACE. IF THERE IS NO DICIPLINE AND NO RESPECT FOR ONE ANOTHER THE ATTITUDE BASICALLY IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE. I JUST FEEL REALLY BAD FOR THE TEACHERS THAT WAKE UP EVERY MORNING TO TRY TO HELP THESE STUDENTS BECOME SOMEONE IN THE FUTURE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THEY WON'T KNOW ANY BETTER UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE.

SORRY FOR THE INCOVIENCE WERE NOT A VERY BAD SCHOOL IT'S BECAUSE OF OUR LOUSY PRINCIPAL WHEN HAMILTON WAS HERE WE WERE A "C" SCHOOL BUT NOW WE HAVE NO FREEDOM STUDENTS JUST GO CRAZY TO HAVE FUN

ya dont know who are ya talking about because all the schools have fights. By the way a.p. is not the only bad schools in miami dade. If you go to a.p. that ROCK but if you dont that your back luck cuz a.p. is a good school who care what people say and thinks about a.p. if you want to a.p. THEN go to a.p. FUCK YOU IF YOU SAY THAT A.P. IS A BAD SCHOOL CUZ ITS NOT!!! BY A STUDENT FROM A.P. :+:A.P. 4 life:+:

Ms. Selig, I remember sitting in the Teacher's Lounge every day you rambled on about your horrible experience. I actually stopped eating in there because of you. Why did you stick around??? It is my understanding that there was a time that you walked out on the class. Why did you return? I remember offering you suggestions on what I did as a first year teacher and actually tried to help you when you initially arrived. However, you only went on and on about the school's administration and how they did nothing to assist you with the behavior problems in the classroom. I offered several activities that you could try as a whole group to establish rapport with your class. You refused to try it!!! You stated to me that the problem was not the entire class, there was only a handful of students that were problematic. You also stated that they were aggressive towards each other not towards you! I think you came to Allapattah with a bitter taste from the previous school and Allapattah's students paid for whatever happened at your previous school. You stated in front of me that you walked out at the school where you previously taught because you and the principal did not meet eye to eye. It is a shame that you are portraying Allapattah the way you did. Yes, I say you because you are leading people to believe that you are an innocent victim, when in fact, I witnessed you as you provoked a young lady in the hallway by talking down to her. All students are different and your approach with a student should never be hostile or belittling. As teenagers, they are going to respond with aggression and resistance to you and your requests. I think you had the potential to make it at Allapattah if only you would have arrived to our school with a better attitude. What actions did you take to try to correct the problem before running to the administrators? (I agree, you are not a petite white woman, you are a white woman but not a petite one!!!! You may need glasses Mr. Reporter)

Ms. Selig story describes well the problems that have always plagued the same schools for decades. However, under Mr. Crew's administration these issues are growing bigger and expanding to other schools. As a former student from one of these F schools, and as a witness to the next generation of students in my family attending these schools, I have seen all these problems first hand. The school's administration in some of these schools do their best to cover up problems instead of solving them, the region's office does the same thing, as well as the department of school's operations. All I can say is that when Mr. Crew took over as Superintendent of M.D.C.P.S. there were 5 F schools and in the present time there are 29.

Need I say more? From the comments from the children at this school it is evident education is not a priority. Ms. Selig, you did the right thing. Don't look back just keep on walking away from the nightmare that is Allapattah. Don't feel bad for the children our will always need ditch diggers.

Need I say more? From the comments from the children at this school it is evident education is not a priority. Ms. Selig, you did the right thing. Don't look back just keep on walking away from the nightmare that is Allapattah. Don't feel bad for the children our society will always need ditch diggers.

look you can not saything becuse we are not only school that acts like this and also it was becuse you got on are on never and you only give us work and you never teach it to us.also you never been to a school like A.P. so befoure you say something you better know what you say. and we are A.P. 4 life

I worked as a teacher for MDCPS for 12 years and I find Selig's experience totally believable. I've seen and experienced similar situations. My conclusion was that the system does not care about the students, only about keeping the machine going. MDCPS is one big horse and pony show. I didn't realize how miserable I was and how abused we teachers were until I left. The ones who are most negatively affected by this are the students.

I go to allapattah and its not a bad school we have lots and lots of fun. Everyone say that a.p. is a bad school but really is NOT.I even have lots of fun and i am a very good student at A.P.If you go to allapattah middle for at least one or two days you will say that a.p. is the samething like school my school and that is TRUE.Just because a.p. is in the news almost everyday does not mean that a.p. is a bad school.And all the student is trying to help a.p. to become a C or at least a D school.and by the way a.p. is not going to be a ZONE school next year for you info.And if people go to a.p. middle gust what high school they are going to be in Jackson. like i say again a.p. is not a bad school.AND AT LEAST WE ARE TRYING TO HELP NOT LIKE SOME OTHER SCHOOL.....

DEAR TRUTH HURTS, (response to post #15) Unfortunately for you, you are a product of ignorance as Diana S is an 8th grade student at Allapattah Middle School who HAS BEEN accepted to MAST, South Miami, Coral Reef and DASH. Hard to believe for a stupid inner city kid huh. Unfortunately for you you are stereotyping a child's abilities based on socioeconomics. What does the area a child live in have to do with her ability to read and write well? I hope that you are NOT a teacher, nor a human being who has the ability to affect anyone's life other than your own. Unfortunately for you, you have gotten caught up Ms. Selig's PROPAGANDA. Allapattah does produce quality students. Yes we have our shortcomings as do most urban schools, but if you scream about the problem and do nothing to fix it or insite your students to rebel in YOUR class, but come to mine and have no problem you must start to look in the mirror. Adults need to act like adults and when you stoop to the level of an 11 year old girl and call her a "BITCH" then fail to show up at work after requesting that her parent come to school for a meeting I question your mental age and maturity. I question your ability to cope with not so ideal circumstances. Yes, Ms Selig taught in Compton - big freakin' deal - she couldn't at Allapattah. She spent most of her day yelling like a lunatic which could be heard in the hallways, rather than trying to gain the trust of her new students. So what if she was raised in an affluent area in the Midwest. I was raised and educated in an affluent area in the Northeast and I have no issue relating to or getting the cooperation of my students. I find this entire article one-sided, offensive and improperly researched.

P.S. Mr. Francisco Alvarado, I'd like to thank you for writing this article so lopsided that the students of Allapattah have had a new found inspiration to read and write! Much appreciated. If Selig couldn't do it in her class you have managed to do it online ! ! ! You should consider teaching!

Students, Students............enough is enough!! Your comments are only proving to anyone that reads this article that what Ms. Selig is quoted as saying is TRUE. Stop responding, especially with ignorance. PARENTS, PARENTS...........please get up off of your butts and go to the school/schoolboard and demand that your children receive better than what they are getting NOW at Allapattah! This is so sad, the students are the ones losing out in this place. Ms. Selig is correct. This article is not about her, it is about what the GOOD students are having to deal with for an entire school year. It is about what the few GOOD, PRODUCTIVE teachers are being subjected to on a daily basis. And if you are a one of the few teachers that are left in this school, you should not feel offended or be defensive about anything that is written in the article. The neighborhood is not the ghetto but most of the students act as if they are. You can believe this is true just by their responses because children that are being raised properly would know better than to use such horrible language towards any adult, regardless of who they are. TEACHERS, TEACHERS...........let's be REAL here. If you have ever taught in an urban school, you know that the number one thing that is most needed in that school is discipline and structure. It should start with Administration but they cannot do it alone. It has to be the daily effort of every employee in the building. Adiministration must first lay the foundation and demand that everyone else follows through. It must be the culture of the school from the beginning of the year until the end. As Ms. Selig stated, why are students responding to the article during school hours? Has Administration addressed this? And if this is going on during school hours, who is being educated and who is doing the educating? LOOK CLOSE INTO YOUR MIRRORS, please. Would you allow your child to attend this school or better yet would you allow your child to be in YOUR class as a student?

fuck you bitch!

Hey at least allapattah is trying to help haiti.

Signs of the times. This is what happens when the students are allowed to run an academic facility. I have lived and worked in the Allahpattah area and I have seen too many horrid incidents occur. The school reflects the neighborhood and the people who live in it. If the parents/guardians of these "deadly darlings" were to assume their duty of being supportive of the school and controlling their children there would be less outrageous behavior. It was the actions and behavior of our Generation X'ers that changed my mind about becoming a part of the world of teaching and academics. The teaching profession has become deadly and not enought is being done to truly manage the situation by our Government officials. I guess it is going to take a few more violent occurences, maybe even a few murders, before something is done.

I am here once again, I wrote comment 76. No, I am not threw with Ms.Selig. You are an old mean lady and has no heart for no one I hope you fell good about yourself I bet you wouldn’t even guess all the problems you put the school and the student threw I personally thought she was a good person but as they say don’t judge a book by its cover. When I first seen Ms.Selig I thought, she was a nice kind of person but when you actually see the real side of a person you outta think it is a dream but as they, say ‘We learn from our mistakes. I am a victim of this saying when my friends told me about the article I had to see it before I could believe it. When I seen I could not believe what I read no I am not as some of the other student write just to sell out. I write to explain how I fell and my real thoughts about this article I am like all the other students and thought she was really wrong but you know as they say we need to push every thing in the pass away and get to the future. That is what I am doing with this comment expressing all of it out. I just hope she doesn’t do it with her new school.

As a teacher at Allapattah I must say I am not surprised by the denial of some of the teachers and the students. We do not work at a good school and all of you know it. I expected the students to respond like this, we hear language like this on a daily basis. But for the teachers to defend our school, this is a joke. I don't know if you guys come to work blind folded or if you're just plain old blind. She's right, many of us don't say anything because we know that they (administration) will make our days a living hell. If you take a poll of how many teachers would like to leave Allapattah, it would be the majority of the teachers. I came with the intent of wanting to help our inner city kids, but now they make me want to throw my hands up and give up and I'm a black teacher. Some days are not so bad, but the majority are. Pay attention to the amount of kids that come to school with no intention of doing any school work (you have to bring pencil and paper to do that, THEY DON'T) I will add that all the students are not bad, but if you can read, Ms. Selig never said that. Everyone's just mad because our little dirty secret is out.

I am officially retracting this entire story. In fact I return to Allapatah Middle often when I need to score some crack, get me a ho, or simply get robbed and shot. I can honestly say that in the time at this school I learned some valuable things, such as how to fry a chicken with its head still on, how to color my hair with grape Kool-Aid, and making watermelon smoothies on those hot Florida summer days. In summary, I look forward to seeing all my former students on TV some day getting cuffed by the cops after trying to take down a convenience store. P.S. One more thing.... fuck off niggas!

I did not write #104 comment, because I am not a racist. And as my comment above indicates, I'm much more literate and intelligent. It is interesting that I saw more black-on-black and more Latino-black racism (calling each other niggers, and calling anyone who "wasn't black enough" a cracker) at Allapattah than anywhere else in my travels (which includes Compton, a predominately black community.)

And to #89 - I see you are as much of a coward as the rest of your racist, in-denial colleagues (not ALL the teachers/administrators at Allapattah but those who are indeed white-woman "cracker" haters) who will be unable to get a REAL teaching job ANYWHERE but the dysfunctional MDCPS or Allapattah, where clearly they only need a warm body to be in the classroom, not a real teacher. As far as your supposed "first hand" accounts of me being the big (not petite! :) bad, evil white lady to those innocent little children, all I can do is laugh. your idea that you could give me advice on how to "handle" the racist, violent children is not only completely laughable but it only illustrates THE ISSUE at Allapattah and elsewhere. You INCOMPETENT "teachers" who are really just glorified social workers actually THINK teachers should take being called racist names and threatened!! You think it's just all in the art of teaching, as if teachers can control 10-15 years of habitual poor (downright CRIMINAL) student behavior. The DAY I arrived in that classroom (because the previous teacher ran FAR, FAR away) I was abused and threatened. Oh I'm sorry, was it my priveledge to be at Allapattah? Was I supposed to learn "how you do" in the hood there? Yes, I guess it was my affluent, white upbringing that was offensive to all those in the hood, many who had never even seen a white woman before. Clearly, you are envious of the fact that I got out of that hellhole, and you're stuck there. As far as your comment that "I could have made it at Allapattah" - are you kidding me? Are you that much of a MORON?? Do you see the point in my contributing to this article was to EXPOSE the horrible abusive environment at Allapattah. I certainly was not hoping to "make it" at Allapattah after the first week of abuse! As if Allapattah is the end-all-be-all? Are you smoking crack with those kids in the bathroom?? Wasn't Allapattah on lock down a few weeks ago because some neighbors had a shoot-out with automatic weapons? Hmmmm, no I must have made it all up. Allapattah is heaven and I'm the devil...yes, that must be it!? You poor, unfortunate woman. I'm sure you don't know any better since your a prime example of the ignorance that pours out of MDCPS. Next time, have the courage to sign your name to your comment - or e-mail me personally. Oh but you wanted your 15 minutes of fame, so there you go. Hope you're enjoying the lovely dining facilities with prison-like bars covering the windows at Allapattah! I'm so glad you can enjoy yourself again now that I'm gone. I know I was such a trouble-maker, such a crazy white lady! How dare I want what everyone wants - to be treated as a person, not as a "cracker".... Do you get it now?? I highly doubt it.

I'm not sure what your point in lying about me was, but clearly you are hurt and upset. Why? The truth hurts, yes it does. And as far as what I did or did not accomplish in that classroom in terms of REAL teaching and learning - how dare you judge me when you don't even know me or anything that went on in that classroom. NO ONE ever stepped foot in my classroom, EVER to evaluate me or otherwise. I was the FIRST teacher to even influence those students to WORK to earn a grade and LEARN. Thank you to all the ignorant teachers and students at Allapattah who posted on here, only proving my point (and verifying this article to be truthful) that you exist in a world of denial, full of racist, violent, ignorant people. To the intelligent teachers who posted and KNOW where I was coming from (and are actually able to READ and not just make assumptions because they are offended that the TRUTH was finally revealed!), may you find a better place as I did, where students and teachers are civilized and teachers are ALLOWED to teach (not just force-feed students with FCAT jargon and utter NONSENSE.) Not all schools are like Allapattah. In fact, many are not. There are better places out there for all you REAL teachers. You non-teacher losers, who bring our profession down because you don't teach - you allow students to misbehave and get on the internet - well, karma is a bitch.

To "inspiring educator" #89 - Do you see the contradictions in your comments? First, you rip on me as if I'm some horribly immature person who brought this situation on myself - and I have no idea what you're talking about me not showing up to work when I had set up a meeting with a parent?? Ummm, that must have been another white teacher who was abused and threatened, not me. I called the police, and had no inclination to ever meet with a parent who is probably as violent and unstable as her child. THEN, after ripping me apart you compliment me and say, I probably COULD have made it at Allapattah. Thank you for your confidence. However, I'm not sure how I could have made it with all the supposed short-comings you conjured up in your pathetic comment. You say the story is one-sided and not well-researched, but then you compliment Mr. Alvarado for inspiring students to write and respond. Again, thank you for giving me the credit I deserve (even though you misplaced it) because without me there would have been no article. MR. ALVARADO ASKED A MULTITUDE OF TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS (INCLUDING MR. COSTA) TO COMMENT AND THEY ALL REFUSED, LIKE THE COWARDS THEY ARE. Maybe you need to go back to college and take English 101 and learn how to build a valid argument. Then again, you're just a baby-sitter, not a real teacher, so what can you expect?

Just awful. Inmates running the asylum...

What a joke.

Dear readers: The person who posted comment number 104 is not Erika Selig. While I support your feedback to my story, even the vicious, vile, vulgar comments many of you anonymous posters have written, please refrain from using this forum to slander or threaten bodily harm on Ms. Selig or anyone else who disagrees with your point of view.

Pathetic.

After having read this article, I can confirm and or relate to much of it. I did time at Allapattah myself, serving as a teacher under the Brian Hamilton/Lewis/Sierra regime. While there, teachers (especially new ones), were subjected to indifference at the least and outright neglect at the most. If we kicked students out for the disrespectful behavior and language such as the kind depicted in many of the illiterate comments that have followed this article, more often than not the student would be returned to the classroom with a pass from an A.P. and no explanation. According to one administrator, even if the kid had no bookbag,and no supplies (read: not there to learn), they were supposed to be in the classroom. We were supposed to allow ourselves to be subjected to that treatment beacuse THEY did not want to deal with it. More often than not, we were always being told what we were doing WRONG but rarely anything right. Granted, the school was under the gun as state and district officials were there constantly, but why put the teachers under such pressure? Even when these often clueless officials (and I am referring to the district spooks, the state officials actually praised me and gave me helpful hints that I use to this day) made major mistakes, the administration did not stand up for us. I recall when a district specialist told use that it was OK for our kids to use slang when composing their FCAT writing essays. Not only was this directive defeatist and counterproductive, it was flat-out racist. Try telling that to students in Kendall. Any principal worth their weight would have had a fit upon hearing that. However, in cases like this the admininistration did not act like a support staff there to help the troops, but rather as the warden overseeing a prison. Allapattah wasn't all bad. There was an administrator (Dr. Cook) who tried to bring order and discipline to the school. There were kids there to learn. And there were many teachers who did their jobs, and whom I learned so much from. They have one of the toughest jobs in the world. However, it's an uphill battle considering the statements made by current Allapattah students writing racist vitriol while they should be in class. Luckily I was able to transfer out. How