Saturday, January 15, 2011
Here You Go Again!
Once again the Item is doing an injustice to the education of our students. Today's article on KIPP Academy of Lynn has the appearance of a press release generated by KIPP than a true piece of journalism. Tough questions were not asked of either KIPP or the Lynn Public School system for providing a "supposedly" inferior education.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
disliking the system even more.
ReplyDeleteKIPP is receiving federal grant money, but where is the Section 106 review?
Unfortunately you can't blame KIPP for getting way with it. You can blame the politicians who aren't doing their job. Then when you are done blaming them, you can start blaming the Item for not asking the right questions. If you have any energy left, next ask LPS is their education really inferior to KIPP's and why?
ReplyDeleteEnergy... there's only so much of it. Was there ever a community meeting on this, without a misdirected L
ReplyDeleteit is a state requirement that if the city has failing schools (Lynn has 5) that charter schools are required. Why not argue about the failing schools in the city and how to turn them around? Parents I have spoked to who have children at KIPP were very satisfied. When Lynn has no failing schools, then the charter schools are not needed and can be replaced by innovative schools.
ReplyDeleteMary,
ReplyDeleteAs many times as I explained myself, it is not an argument agains KIPP. It is an argument where to properly place building uses, and which potential historic sites are important to preserve with open space.
Lynn highly needs a city planner.
My argument is not against the methods of instruction used by charter schools or their administrative structure. My objections rest in the deceptions surrounding their funding mechanism and their "random" selection process. If charter schools are the savior of modern education then why dos Lynn's Public School system seem to keep going backward while we have had a charter school, KIPP, for a few years? So what if a few student's MCAS scores are on the rise? How does that affect the overall trend? At the end of the day, we have to look at everyone's scores.
ReplyDeleteThen what is it for Katerina. MYOB. I hope someone soon boots you off the Historical Committee. You create a hostile environment while toting around your title. Your an embarrassment to the City. KIPP is the future of Lynn. Work with them not against them. They are not Walmart!
ReplyDeletePeople I have spoken to as well were happy with KIPP. The children need the space. The new building will greatly improve the area which sadly is over run with drugs and crime!
Melanie,
ReplyDeleteThe community asked for my help. Please do not attack this community or others working hard to preserve Lynn's best areas. I'm sure that is why it is a desired location. It is my job to research and advocate for preservation through writing and educating others. I hope you enjoy some of the research.
Back to the question. If you say the area is run with drugs and crime, how will placing a school full of children in such an environment from other neighborhoods help?
ReplyDeleteThe argument isn't right.
I believe some out there have a false sense of how well KIPP is doing, nationally at least. Are we willing to sacrifice the majority of the students for the possibility of success of a select few? Even that success is not proven over the long term. Statistics can easily be manipulated to bolster any short-term argument. There is clearly something wrong with public education in Lynn but I don't believe private third parties should get rich off our problems. Katerina's argument is one of location, not need. It just so happens that the location KIPP chose happens to be a historically significant place, valuable to all.
ReplyDeleteThis site is the worst place for a school on the edge of a cliff. Now its downtown's fault it has to look up at a tall fence now, if one will go it at all.
ReplyDeleteThe main false fact about KIPP is that it is doing well. Its not. Their stats on line show 20% failure.
ReplyDeleteMelanie,
ReplyDeleteThe people who live around this site will have to deal with the hostile environment of having a school 7 days a week and nights there, for as long as KIPP runs.
The school will bring a sense of community to the area. The area is drug and crime infested. The Girls Club started the long process for improving the area. KIPP will add to it. What a better place to build the school.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the process of the school is not perfected but it is more so than the schools in Lynn. As Mary Ellen noted charter schools are needed with the current state of the Lynn Schools. KIPP encourages parental involvement. The stats may not be up to par(yet) but the other benefits are currently in place.
LoveHighRock are you living in the real world? This school will improve your area. Police will be more present to enforce and stop drugs and gangs on the street. The drugs and gangs will hopefully disband in this area. You should welcome them!
Melanie, you still have failed to address the funding concerns. Should we be giving tax dollars to a private concern? We have had KIPP for a few years and we still are having failing schools. In fact, our schools are getting worse. And just what other benefits are you specifically talking about? The students who go to KIPP are not usually the kinds of kids that go into maladaptive behavior anyway.
ReplyDeleteMelanie, all schools ideally want and need parental involvement. KIPP just didn't develop that concept. Unfortunately a lot of parents don't know how to get involved to advocate for their kids and maybe most of all there are language barriers. That is more of an explanation, not an excuse.
ReplyDeleteAlso you were a little harsh on LoveHighRock. The fact is that the majority of the students will be from other places in Lynn so please tell me, "How is that going to be community building?". Seems to me like it will make a nice picture for postcards and advertising brochures but actually do little to improve the educational climate throughout Lynn
Melanie,
ReplyDeleteHow is will it improve the community? It is taking away precious open space the community values. It is a lot that does not have a record of crime, because it was occupied by war veterans. Seriously now. I agree with Stanley. You are being harsh with no good reason.
Mary Ellen, Melanie,
ReplyDeleteWho are you, and why do you think this is your business, and nobody elses?
From the number of comments this little story has generated, I would say there is some community involvement here. Now we just need to start asking questions of our school committee. KIPP is not the only thing on our educational plate.
ReplyDeleteLet's also hold the Item and Lynn Journal accountable!
ReplyDeleteI wish people cared more about the Highlands. It really is a beautiful area. I'm sure that is why KIPP really wants to be there. It just isn't the right location for a school right there. KIPP should look at other places. Too bad for the neighborhood. KIPP takes away money from the Lynn public school system? Why cant they reconfigure their program to help children in the public school system, instead of creating their own buildings which is now costing tax payers double to maintain?
ReplyDeleteThe problem in our Highlands is that there is no representation by council. Wish we had Capano or Trahant here who seem to represent their wards well.
ReplyDeleteAnon you are right on about charter schools taking money away from the public and into the pockets of private concerns. I believe there are a couple of options for public schools to get the same educational quality as charter schools - Innovation Schools and Horace Mann charter schools. I don't know all the specifics but someone does. By the way, I live in the Highlands, right across the street from Ford School and Trahant is my councilman. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteNot speaking of the Ford School area. Who is council man of the VFW Post site? I don't want to mention his name, but he knows who he is.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately the Highlands is onviently split up amongst 3 councilmen - Trahant, Colucci, and Crieghton, I think. That way they all have cover for not addressing the important issues.
ReplyDeleteColucci
ReplyDelete