What Year Was It?

I feel compelled to respond to the Lynn Journal's selection of Dr. Catherine Latham as Woman  of the Year for 2010. This brings to mind questions of the paper's credibility and perhaps even integrity as a news source.

Since I started my blog, Lynn School Watch, in July I have occasionally been critical of Dr. Latham's performance as school superintendent this year but I have also given her praise in my most recent critique of her performance on a particular issue.

There is no doubt that she has a difficult task. Lynn is the fifth largest school system in the state and in a time of dwindling resources, the degree of difficulty only increases. To tout her level of sincerity as a justification for her selection is ludicrous and irresponsible. Using what many would call a misjudgement or misperception, only raises doubts about your paper's professionalism and quality of journalism.

One reason given for her winning of this award was that she was the first woman to be a superintendent of Lynn schools. What about the fact that Mayor Kennedy was the first woman elected mayor of Lynn? Mayor Kennedy's is a much harder and larger job. And oh yeah, she is Dr. Latham's boss.

I know it's asking a lot but let's stick to the facts. Two of  Lynn's elementary school achieved Level IV status this past year. Maybe she was not responsible for these school's reaching that status but she has been responsible for their Turnaround plans I have attended all of the LSC meetings since spring of 2010 with the exception of the Sept. 28th meeting that I missed due to cataract surgery and there were many questions raised about the quality of these plans, especially about the level of parent involvement.

During a time when our student's MCAS scores are falling,  the libraries of most of our elementary schools are closed. We should be adding libraries not closing them. We need a thorough accounting of the four million dollars or so of federal and state money that has been infused into our school system.. This has been promised and I look forward to analysing the list of expenditures.

Then I have heard from multiple sources that three more schools will achieve Level IV designation this fall. Two of the three middle schools in the city are supposed to be given a failing label. If my sources are correct then Dr. Latham's responsibility can not be denied. I do not have access to all of the confidential reports that would verify my concerns or would vindicate Dr. Latham's performance. When you have no answers, you are only left with questions.

I have been on the opposite end of Dr. Latham's bullying tactics during my recent struggles to get my special needs son the educational services he is entitled to by federal law. I was repeatedly warned about her temper and alternating periods of crying as an attempt to intimidate and effect the outcome of meetings with her. I have been dinner guests along side a senator and a member of the House of Representatives on two different occasions so her superior education and extra initials after her name was not enough to scare me away.

My son has been the beneficiary of my successful encounter with Dr. Latham and has made the honor roll at Pickering due in no small part to the level of services that I fought to have included in his IEP.

At a recent LSC meeting Dr. Latham expressed her outage through tears at the characterization of Lynn's Public Schools  in a Lynn Journal article about KIPP breaking ground. The severity of her reaction makes the paper's designation of her as "Woman of the Year" both surprising and suspect. How did Dr. Latham suddenly become worthy of the paper's adoration.

The inequalities in Lynn's Public School system has inspired me to found my blog, Lynn School Watch, to focus attention on the problems of our children's education. Their future and ours depends onit.