Monday, March 7, 2011
PAC It In ( TONIGHT) Lynn Public Schools
Looks like I am going to the Parent Advisory Council meeting tonight at 7 pm. My new BFF Melissa and her husbad are picking me up after a appointment at Salem Hospital to take me to the meeting at the Lynn Houing Authority building at 10 Church Street. I understand Rick Starbard is going for his initial meeting. All of us should get to meet school administration officials Jessica McGlaughiln and Lydia Muggeo (I'm sure I butchered the spelling of their names, I only hope I can be kinder in my reports on the meeting). Hope to see everybody there.
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Thanks for the publicity!
ReplyDeleteI plan on attending....
ReplyDeleteSee you all then.
Dolores DiFillipo
My hope is that we have a high parent turnout; I'm dubious though because the SPED department only puts out connect-ed calls to families with children on IEPs and the calls only go out 6:00pm the night before the meeting. Just another instance of the school department not wanting to work with the families. Who do you think we could talk to about that since our requests have thus far fallen on deaf ears?
ReplyDeleteThey can hear us now!
ReplyDeleteI believe that there should be a minimum 48 hour notice for public meetings. Let's see how it goes with a little different audience tonight and if need be, I will look into it.
ReplyDeleteRick,
ReplyDeleteThank you for attending last night. And you are right - per the open meeting law you must to post the information about the meeting 48 hours before the meeting. Except the PAC's Chairperson, Dave Ellis, takes care of that. Since this is the PAC's meeting we take care of the posting. The school putting out the call through connect-ed is their way of complying with: "School districts are charged with assisting the PAC in maintaining its operation and activities. School district assistance must be provided without charge, but is subject to the availability of staff and resources. The law envisions that there will be a good faith effort by the school district to provide assistance to the PAC," and, "The district must take whatever steps are necessary to ensure there is a district-wide special education parent advisory council (PAC) in operation." (http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/pac/)
We have consistently asked that the administrators of the SPED department place the connect-ed calls the Wednesday before the meeting. They have our entire list of meeting dates and there is truly no reason that the calls go out the Sunday before the meeting and the Monday of the meeting. We have also asked that the calls go out district wide and not just to the 2,300 students on IEPs.
In the past, Parent Liaison, Deb Stone has taken care of all of the notifications of PAC meetings i.e. she has: made the connect-ed call one week before the meeting and a second reminder call, posted the meetings with City Hall, ran notices in the local newspapers, ran notices on cable access, made copies of our material, distributed flyers to the schools to be handed out to the children, etc.
Many times we have been told that the resources are not available, except as we all now know, they have been. The Parent Liaison's position has been funded these past 18 months. In addition to that the school has committed to funding $160,000.00 for a new deputy superintendant and new confidential secretary.
Rick, you were at the meeting last night. You heard first hand what the parents of special needs children are going through. You heard, with your own ears, the staggering number of violations that are occurring. Those violations are going to cost the school department more time and money - money better spent on helping children and families, not hindering them.
In hindsight, the title of this blog is very ironic - because the Lynn Public Schools did pack it in - with employees.
ReplyDeletewhere was rick last election year. not at a PAC meeting. do you not find it a little funny that he attends one now? I do.
ReplyDeleteAs for Deb Stone, she has beeen milking the system since her accident but finds plenty of time to be shopping around the city and walking her dog. It appears that she and her husband but employees of this wonderful city have been tyring to go out on disability claims.
They are being watched closely.
Stanley and |Melissa do your homework on that one.
Be careful who you back and think is your friend, do your homework. They do not care about our special needs children. They do not live our lives or deal with what we do. The ones who care are the ones who have to deal with a special needs child daily in their own home or family.
just very concerned about your choices and statements. Just please do your homework.
You are smart and do not be fooled.
Stop sending the Facebook for Rick. You are being used. I agree with the others that comment about being careful. We are ANON for a reason.
Concerned Special Ed. Parents
Dear Anon:
ReplyDeleteI guess you don't know Deb Stone and her husband have a special needs child...she was part of the decision made by Dept. of Ed. that a spec needs parent should be on board to help children...you might be right on with the other statements...they do deal with a special nds adult on a daily basis...she fought for her child which in turn has helped all spec nds children in Lynn...you need to do your homework! BTW she was blown up because she was exactly a parent liason and every parent she talked too, attended mtgs. for, etc...the admin accused her of working with the parents...I do agree where was Rick the last 2 years? He's sat there and did nothing about Debbie, the Confidential Sec., the children, the parents, etc...when will this all change?
Annoyed!
Annoyed as well I have tolf, screamed begged the school committee to bring back the parent advocate position and nothing. When will we be heard? See you guys at the next election MM
ReplyDelete