Hundreds celebrate life of L.A. teacher who killed himself

[n2doc]

Rigoberto Ruelas' mother, Rita, takes part in a candlelight vigil in honor of her son, a teacher at Miramonte Elementary School who committed suicide. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times / September 29, 2010)


By Alexandra Zavis and Carla Rivera
September 30, 2010


Hundreds of people filled a church near South Los Angeles and spilled out into the streets for an emotional Mass on Wednesday celebrating the life of a popular fifth-grade teacher at Miramonte Elementary School who committed suicide in the Angeles National Forest.

Tearful relatives, colleagues and students remembered Rigoberto Ruelas as a dedicated educator, who steered children away from gangs, helped them overcome academic difficulties and inspired them to aim for college.

"He wasn't just a teacher to me, he was a second father," said 13-year-old Karla Gonzalez, who broke down and sobbed when she took her turn at the microphone. She said Ruelas helped her learn English when she arrived from Mexico and bought her books to read. "I will always be grateful to him," she said.

more
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-teacher-memorial-20100930,0,6408796.story

[dkf]

1. It doesn't sound like the scores were the main thing...maybe it was the job period.

But when asked by radio host Larry Mantle what his brother had said about the scores, Ruelas indicated that was not the kind of subject Rigoberto discussed. "I don't know if he felt he didn't want to burden anybody," said Alejandro Ruelas, who has declined to speak to The Times.

He said he was unaware of any personal problems in his brother's life. Asked whether he believed that Ruelas took his life out of frustration with the scores, he said the family was still gathering information from his colleagues.

"The little feedback that we are getting right now is that that school wasn't the healthiest place to be working," Ruelas said. "The people who are supposed to be helping them as far as administrators, principals are using this kind of scores also to bully and harass."

[YvonneCa]

2. I was lucky to be able to retire when my school became...

... toxic. Not everyone has that option. The pain of humiliation and defamation of character is very painful.

[wtmusic]

4. Seems like it was what put him over the edge.

Thanks LATimes, for having the guts to evaluate something you know absolutely nothing about.

[Hannah Bell]

6. "principals are using this kind of scores also to bully and harass."

maybe you missed it.

[dkf]

10. These kinds of scores probably refers to any testing.

Really this sounds like the entire system of testing rather than this one LA Times assessment. And rather than being about public humiliation it is more about job performance expected by administrators.

[Hannah Bell]

11. no, it doesn't. as is obvious from the context & the facts.

[YvonneCa]

12. It is humiliating, no matter what...

...it is 'about.'

[Starry Messenger]

3. k & r

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. knr

[maryf]

7. k&r nt

[Sixathome]

8. It's an agenda

that the Time's among others are participants in.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/oct2010/teac-o01.shtml

I home school because of the system not the individual teachers. Maybe the Times should be up on charges just like cyber bullies for terrorism and or slander.I think they should put out grades for the individual cops in that neighborhood and the city. Let the people grade them!

[LWolf]

9. .