With this increased scrutiny that is going on about LPS's reading program "Sidewalks On Reading Street", it has refocused my attention on the wrong direction we are heading in our educational geography. Our libraries are barely on the map.
In the few schools that actually have libraries of their own the have avenues of unattended books collecting dust. With no librarians to direct traffic our educational highways remained under traveled.
Librarians are included in the road map for rehabilitation of Harrington and Connery. Isn't it better to know how o get to your destination before you leave than to rely somebody else's directions once you are already lost?
The reason this is especially important now is that we are fast approaching budget time. We all need to pressure our LSC members along with Dr. Latham to fund the librarians for next year. Reading should be a priority no matter what road we take.
Maybe that's the good Doctor's plan. Let them all hit Level 4, and then the state will give us the money to fund Librarians. Considering that Drewicz, Cobbet, Ford, Hood, Marshall, Breed, Classical, and LVTI are all Level 3 schools - maybe they're next in line to get Librarians. Only MCAS will tell.
ReplyDelete(http://search.doe.mass.edu/search.aspx?q=EYS#-7b0HYBxJliUmL23Ke39K9UrX4HShCIBgEyTYkEAQ7MGIzeaS7B1pRyMpqyqBymVWZV1mFkDM7Z28995777333nvvvfe6O51OJ%2Fff%2Fz9cZmQBbPbOStrJniGAqsgfP358Hz8ifvzHd3%2FXp%2Fl5ti7b35V%2B%2F31%2F1wd7e5%2FeP3i4u%2Ff7%2Fq70v53f93fd3tunf%2BkbfP37%2Fr6%2F6y%2Bqr%2FFD%2FsJDjfSX50XTptV5%2Bjy%2FzMv0Xvp6Oq%2BqsknN9%2Fb%2FBpb7gLr4XadtubPzu%2BHf3d9Nfq8bQWon9j9643f9fwA%3D)
Surely you jest!
ReplyDeleteState did not give money to fund librarians at Harrington and Connery - it was a state requirement that they have librarians and set a max number of students per class - turnaround plan would NOT have been approved otherwise. The dept of Education takes over schools if the city does not take certain steps including getting rid of the principal. Money is given for approved turnaround plans - they need to show results now.
ReplyDeleteOf course the state doesn't give us money to fund Librarians - my point was Harrington failed and now they gets lots of money, librarians and smaller class sizes. How does that saying go? Screw up move up? Sounds like an incentive to fail to me. Call me cynical but it's not a bad deal. Yes the principal loses their job but look at all the pluses. To me it's akin to not paying my mortgage and the bank coming along and saying, "That's ok. Here's lots of money, a gardener and we'll through in a new husband because that last one wasn't helpin' out around here."
ReplyDeleteno one wants to see schools fail - more crime, more gangs, lower house values, less jobs, more police needed - all adds up to a big minus. Would you want your kid in a failing school? If the schools don't improve, the state will come in and take over and I doubt that will be something to look forward to. Banks are not giving people money if they don't pay their mortgage - refinancing is not a gift.
ReplyDeleteMy child is in a failing school. And I think there are many more contributing factors to: more gangs, lower house values, less jobs, more police needed. I, personally, cannot wait for the state to come and take over. Anything has got to be better then what we have now. Eight more schools have the potential to be added to the Level 4 list! The state can't do worse then that!
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