The new Deputy Superintendent's position has already been approved. Done deal.The votes were taken and only Starbard and Coppola voted against it. Our fate has been sealed, our future certain. Or is it?
We don't have to be held hostage by those that may not have the best interests of our kids first in mind. The position has been approved, it has not been filled yet. Dr. Latham can still be subjected to the pressure of public opinion. Write, call, or e mail her at the school department. Make your voices heard.
There is still another way to yield your influence. Maybe Mayor Kennedy was having second thoughts about her earlier affirmative vote but whatever the reason she insisted the posting be sent back to the Personnel Sub-committee for revising or updating the job description. Dr. Latham was ready to put the process in motion and did not appear to be happy with this delay.
The Personnel Sub-committee consists of Coppola, who is chair, Carrasco, and Capano. I would recommend calling or writing them so at least you can have a little influence on the type of person who eventually gets the position. If you like failing schools or like the way LPS has done business in the past, by all means remain silent, Dr. Latham will be glad you did.
Sending that posting to the Personel Sub-Committee was only a matter of procedure. The sub-committee will review and may make suggestions to tweak it before sending to the full committee for approval. I think that Dr. Latham read that posting fully before presenting it. It is not like she just dusted it off and submitted it. I don't see much changing in it as it pretty much covers the duties of that job. As I have said before, I don't doubt that they are over burdened in work, but so is every principal and teacher in the city. I feel that it is a morale buster for both parents and staff and I wish we could just wait so that we can see what next year's finances are going to look like. I am not sure what we are going to gain this year when we are already halfway through the 3rd quarter. We will need to go through an interview process, (nationwide search??), get the new person settled and replace that person in the role that they had, if they come from within our system. If they come from within our system, what kind of disruption might that have on their previous position during the school year. I can't tell you how many teachers, principals and parents have come to me questioning this move.
ReplyDeleteTime for bed. I have got 8 hours of school committee school in the morning.
Rick you sound like you are with everyone...be for the children, parents, and staff members...EXCEPTIONALLY FOR THE CHILDREN ONLY!
ReplyDeleteWow the subcommittee members are the one's who let that Confidential get laid off...she speaks so highly about them and now here it is...I'm going to call her because she tried to find out who they were...Stanley, did they approve to terminate that nice Confidential lady you've been blogging about? This is shocking because she supported them...talk about unbelievable! Spill the beans Stanley, please!
This changed my mind who can we really trust? She used to live on Belle Ave., my neighborhood, and she had all their signs plastered on her property...then they do this? How can they do such a horrible thing and she has helped them alot...I voted for them because of her.
Let's just say she invites us all over to cookouts, 4th of July parties, and when voting comes she asks us to support some of them...she lived in this neighborhood for 15 yrs. and all of us here are very friendly with her and go to her new home all the time! Rick explain how you are her FB friend and don't tell her when she says vote for Maria, Donna, AND YOU AND DOLORES DIFILLIPO...Rick it takes one SC member to fix it...it's election year, so do the right thing put her back to work...I have a spec nds child and I can't get anyone to answer the phone down there and she always answered her phone...let's be real! She always speaks so highly of LPS this is ridiculous!!!!!!!
so if teachers, principals, and parents are questioning this deputy move then why aren't you trying to stop it? As for funds this city has plenty of money and they are adding positions at city hall and the school dept everyday! Let's stop the pitty of no money; you know it's a joke!
Come on Rick...what are you doing...everyday it's another thing the SC members don't do...let's get off the fence and fix it - forget about retaliating towards you...they retaliate because no one does anything to stop them...there's places to file if they retaliate you...what's Mihos Dr. L's lawyer or the SC...the Mayor needs to join in the effort to stop these things from happening! What about the lawyer for the Mayor can he help the SC?
GET WITH IT SC!
Rick, I don't doubt it was a procedural move but it was an important one. If we are committing ourselves to spending this money then we need to get our money's worth. The qualification should include a doctor's degree and the appropriate experience. This will most likely mean a nationwide search.
ReplyDeleteI hear that Rick and Maria are all over FACEBOOK begging people in Lynn for their votes. I would have to say they sound desperate and scared. They should be. Maria should be running for cover after voting in a dep super. It is clear that she votes the way the majoirity tells her to and Rick is hiding behind the fact that his wife works for the school dept so he is not going to ruin the apple cart. He does a good job pretending to help. Stop hiding and lying to people they do find out eventually. You both deserve to be voted out.
ReplyDeleteAlso please stop sending out FACEBOOKS to everyone in Lynn. It is making them not vote for you and they are sick of it.
wasting time and money. super latham already has her pick. rick you are just giving us the run around. you already know the answer. as for the secretary lady, it sounds like you were part of her getting fired or laid off. I lost track of the stupidity of the school committee meetings and excuses. It is starting to sound like you are losing track yourself. and I do not care that you are going ot bed or trying to make it sound like you are really working for us.
ReplyDeleteI agree with ANON 824 adn 731.
sorry but your time is up.
If you care so much, then get someone to answer the phone in the special education department. PLEASE.
ReplyDeleteSomebody got off the wrong side of the bed today. Done deal in Lynn? Just another day. Don't worry Rick and Maria you have always had my vote. Everyone makes mistakes sometime!
ReplyDeleteLG
Leslie, in MY opinion Rick did not make a mistake. He voted against the creation of the Deputy Super. position. Maria, on the hand, voted for it twice - once in the personnel sub-committee meeting and then again when the vote came before the whole committee. Don't get me wrong I have been a BIG Maria fan in the past but on this issue she was on the wrong side.
ReplyDeleteRick is the type of person we should see on the school committee. If his actions of caring could multiply, there would be more wonderful things happening in the Lynn School system. Keep up the good work Rick, and thank you! Sometimes do-gooding is a thankless job.
ReplyDeleteFinally you admitted your flaw Stanley, a BIG Maira fan. It must be the late night meetings at the N2N and Highland Col./Ford School that got to you but you have been very wrong for many years. I have been in her presence when she had made the statement that I do it (school committee) because I am alone and need the money. Oh, it has been said in many of the spanish arenas. But she did not know that some of her audience understands spanish.
ReplyDeleteAs for Rick, I disagree with katrina. He is far from a do gooder. He has been known to be investigated for years at Lynn Tech for taking away work/busy from the kids and sending it to his multi-millions auto body shop in Revere. you are too being fooled by the prentending to care attitude. not to mention that he was being investigated by the ethics comminsion for violations as well. Go as Rick about that.
Go ask Maria, if she is going to try and use her day job with the dept. of unemployment to get spanish votes again. I will make sure that does not happen again. A bug was already planted in their ear. many secrets they have. but in time they all come out in Lynn.
Anon
ReplyDeletethose are tough words behind an anonymous name. Do you mind saying who you are to give your commenting any valuable credit?
Anon. 117, I have many flaws and I have a history of making mistake (once again I remind everybody I am on my fourth marriage, so while I have a history of making mistakes, I'm always willing to try again). My knowledge about Rick only extends to about the last twenty months or so, He was cleared of the recent ethics charges that I heard were filed by Latham (go figure). I don't know details of his Tech history. I know he is a hard worker and somewhat naive about the workings of politics. He seems to me to be grounded and pragmatic in his views about education,
ReplyDeleteAs for Maria, I don't know much about her day job and I certainly don't know Spanish. I have been involved with her for a couple of years with the Highland Coalition. I have witnessed her fight for the Ford School, librarians, and show up at every dog fight in a school yard. I have no doubt she is a politician, they all are. You just have to pick and choose who most closely matches your overall outlook.
That all being said I am always learning!
lol. If Latham filed those charges then its is an obvious joke. She needs to do! place her on the stand, like Fortucci.
ReplyDeleteshe needs to go! on the stand!
ReplyDeleteAnon 21o Don't you think you advice to Anon 117 is kind of ironic (funny) about hiding behind the anonymous tag?
ReplyDeleteWow anonymous apparently doesn't know what she's talking about when it comes to Rick. If you call inviting friends to his fundraiser begging for votes than you obviously are a very confused person. If those friends forward to their friends and for whatever reason they don't want to go then so be it. If you have something to say be more specific when you bash the most caring school committee member out there.
ReplyDeleteAnon.304, thanks for giving Anon 117 a lesson about the way politics works
ReplyDeleteAnon (friend of confid). Best way to separate you from the slanderous Anon; No one from the school committee can create or replace a staff member of the LPS with the exception of what is outlined below. This was reiterated in a Mass. Assoc of School Committees seminar that I sat in most of the day today. Our only personnel functions are:
ReplyDelete1. Hire and contract with the Supt,
2. Hire and retain legal counsel
3 Advise and consent on:
a. Asst/Associate/Deputy Supt.
b. School Business Manager
c. Special Education Director
d. Physicians, nurses and Attend Officers
4. Set district personnel policy
5. Establish "compensation" for principals and others not set by collective bargaining.
That is verbatim from the presentation slide. This person is aware of this and I believe that she understands that no SC member can put this person back. I did question the manner in which the move was made and stated that I felt it unfair the manner in which this happened. Civil Service will hopefully shine some light on this and justice will be done. I did not raise concerns soley for this person, but for anyone that this has happened to or could have it happen to them.
I have spoken to parents that have stated that this person was invaluable to them when they had contacted the SPED Dept, a problem only compounded by not having a Parent Liaison in place. The Parent Liaison is something that I have been communicating with the Supt. over for the past couple of weeks and I hope will be resolved shortly. That is something that I can raise concerns over as it is funded in the budget but there is no one perfoming the job right now. I do understand your frustration (something that I got a better sense of Monday night) and I am sorry that I cannot give you the answer that you are looking for, but please believe that I am trying.
Rick
Well said Rick.
ReplyDeleteI would like to echo Anon 356's comment and remind everybody that Rick and Delores are the only ones running for school committee that have shown us repsect by stating their position through this blog.
ReplyDeleteSlanderous Anon: Part 1 (too long)
ReplyDeleteI don’t know who you work for or what your ultimate mission is here, but I have only been known at LVTI for working towards making the collision repair program at that school one of the best in the state and has been written about in national trade magazines and the local press. Do you know how many jobs that I created and either provided my students or got them. Investigated at LVTI?? If you were to ask any of the principals that I worked for at Tech, Al Maligrifia, Bart Conlon, Jim Ridley, or any of the over 100 faculty members that I worked or my former students about my character, you would get the truth.
Slanderous Anon part 2
ReplyDeleteTook business from school to my shop??? How could I make millions by taking business from school to my shop when the school doesn't charge labor. In fact when I have customers come to my business that cannot afford repairs, I send them to Tech. You are not a business major are you??? Ethics violation??? When we were going through the budget process last year, LVTI was adding admin. positions at a time that they were eliminating a position in a shop that I had serious concerns for the safety of students in an understaffed dangerous environment. Having worked in that school for 14 years, I knew the importance of that teaching position and felt equally as strong against the need for this administrative hire especially with reduced enrollment numbers. (This is long. Are you following me??)In my position as a member of the finance sub-committee, we have the right to remove lines from the budget and I removed that one. The sub-committee vote passed. The next day, I got a call from the LVTI principal and Supt. asking me if I would restore the position and they would restore the teaching cut. I made the deal so that the teacher would not be lost and I rescinded my move to cut the admin position. (BTW: They transferred someone else to that job as I had previously suggested and not filled that position so what I thought was best ultimately happened). 2 weeks later I got a call from the ethics commission investigating allegations that I held up the budget process by fighting for the teacher position because of my political ties with teachers. (That's what I get for making deals. My baptism into politics) They investigated and sent me a letter stating that I was cleared of any wrongdoing. So I was reported to the Ethics Commission for standing up for teachers and got a letter clearing me of wrongdoing. I consider that letter a trophy and hope that I get enough to paper my walls with. I would love to show it to you. Ohhh damn, I can't because you are anonymous. You still with me?? I got more. Wanna talk about me not wanting to upset the apple cart because my wife works for the LPS?? Yeah she does. She is a para for a special needs student at Sisson. She did at one time have a very good paying job at John Hancock for 16 years until we had kids. When our kids began grade school she began working as a para. If you ever spoke to anyone that has had a student in any class that she has worked in or asked anyone that has worked with my wife, you would here that she is one of the hardest working, caring people that they have ever encountered. She is waaaaay nicer than me. Know what she makes after about 12 years of dedicated service?? About 20 grand a year and of that over $100 per week comes out for insurance. I guess that it is easy to understand why I wouldn't want to upset the LPS gravy train that makes it's way to 221 Verona St every week. Do you really think anyone that knows me is going to think that my wife's lucrative salary is going to keep me from asking questions or fighting for what is best for the kids of Lynn?? As far as begging for votes on FB, I have never begged for anything, not business, not friends and certainly not votes. Besides, votes are earned, not begged for and I don't give a rats ass if i have yours.
I think you are the same person that I responded to last week, but one again I will leave you my info in case you ever want to talk. 781-599-7999 rstarbard@comcast.net. You even have my address now in case you want to wish me a happy birthday, or you could just friend request me on Facebook. :)
Good one, Rick. I'll have to remember to wish you a "Happy Birthday" when the time comes.
ReplyDeleteWell said Rick!
ReplyDeleteRick,
ReplyDeleteI don't know u but love your stand up. nasty snobs do help shine the light on good things when it comes down to seeing yours and your supporters' comments.
Stan- slow it down a bit on attacking everyONE.
Jasmine, Thanks for joining in the discussion. I don't think I attack EVERYONE but of course, I would say that. Thanks again for your input and putting a name to your comments.
ReplyDeleteOne example of him giving back is when he dedicated his time and “School Committee” money to reward children at the Sisson School with an ice cream party for bringing in over 400 toys during the Toys for Tots toy drive in December. Not only did he buy the ice cream but he served it after loading the toys in the truck. This may seem trivial to some people but the way I see it, he is truly vested in the “good” of the children in this city when some only focus on the bad. Again, this is just one example, I could go on and on but I won’t. As for the hiding behind me so as not to ruin the apple cart, again, you have no idea AT ALL what you are talking about. As of right now, the only financial upside of me working for the school department is now I take care of the insurance for the family. Our family took a huge cut in pay when Rick made this decision to leave his teaching job but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I think what he is doing for the school department should be commended. Rick may be a bit outspoken at times but he tells it how it is and isn’t afraid to voice his opinion but he is not a liar as you have stated in your anonymous comment. Maybe it would be in your best interest to sit down with Rick and talk to him one on one so you can understand what he is all about. I think you will be impressed.
ReplyDeleteLois Starbard
Stanly - I am having trouble posting my whole comment, it says it's going through but then doesn't. I thought it was too long so I split it but now I can't get the first part to copy.
ReplyDeleteLois Starbard
I’d like to throw in my 2 cents to anonymous for what it’s worth. As for your comments about my husband, Rick Starbard, I have a problem with your lack of knowledge of this man. Not only because he is my husband but I have to say, and many would agree, that Rick Starbard is one of the most honest, helpful, stand up guys you will ever meet. Rick gave up his teaching job to dedicate more time to his business but because he was so interested in what goes on in the school system, he decided to run for School Committee so he could stay actively involved. I can say with 100% certainty that he is on this committee for the better of the children and teachers. He answers every email, phone call and letter immediately and is willing to help whoever and whenever he can. He goes to as many events as he possibly can (trust me I know). Not because he has to or wants to be seen but because he wants to be actively involved in the community and understand what is going on so that when people call or e-mail him he is educated on the subject. Rick not only attends events and fundraisers, but also likes to give back to the community with the money he earns on the School Committee. One example of him giving back is when he dedicated his time and “School Committee” money to reward children at the Sisson School with an ice cream party for bringing in over 400 toys during the Toys for Tots toy drive in December. Not only did he buy the ice cream but he served it after loading the toys in the truck. This may seem trivial to some people but the way I see it, he is truly vested in the “good” of the children in this city when some only focus on the bad. Again, this is just one example, I could go on and on but I won’t. As for the hiding behind me so as not to ruin the apple cart, again, you have no idea AT ALL what you are talking about. As of right now, the only financial upside of me working for the school department is now I take care of the insurance for the family. Our family took a huge cut in pay when Rick made this decision to leave his teaching job but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I think what he is doing for the school department should be commended. Rick may be a bit outspoken at times but he tells it how it is and isn’t afraid to voice his opinion but he is not a liar as you have stated in your anonymous comment. Maybe it would be in your best interest to sit down with Rick and talk to him one on one so you can understand what he is all about. I think you will be impressed.
ReplyDeleteLois Starbard
I’d like to throw in my 2 cents to anonymous for what it’s worth. As for your comments about my husband, Rick Starbard, I have a problem with your lack of knowledge of this man. Not only because he is my husband but I have to say, and many would agree, that Rick Starbard is one of the most honest, helpful, stand up guys you will ever meet. Rick gave up his teaching job to dedicate more time to his business but because he was so interested in what goes on in the school system, he decided to run for School Committee so he could stay actively involved. I can say with 100% certainty that he is on this committee for the better of the children and teachers. He answers every email, phone call and letter immediately and is willing to help whoever and whenever he can. He goes to as many events as he possibly can (trust me I know). Not because he has to or wants to be seen but because he wants to be actively involved in the community and understand what is going on so that when people call or e-mail him he is educated on the subject. Rick not only attends events and fundraisers, but also likes to give back to the community with the money he earns on the School Committee
ReplyDeleteThank you - ok read part 1 first. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Starbard - If you sign up to "follow" Stanley's blog and crate a screen name (or use your real name) you will stop having issues with your posts being too long. I had a similar issue until I created a screen name, my real name. And thank you for your comments.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I will look into doing that. I'm not afraid to use my real name unlike some who have a lot to say but choose to remain anonymous.
ReplyDeleteLois Starbard
It is disappointing when people are targeted for trying to do the right thing, and an army is created against on person based on lies. It is happening a lot lately. I thought highschool was over after graduation.
ReplyDeleteBtw- Where can one bring their car to the tech for mech or autobody work?
My car and a few others have been hit and run. Thanks
Your right Katerina, we all need to be adults. We are in this for the kids.
ReplyDeleteHello Everyone,
ReplyDeleteSo sorry my computer had avirus due to my wonderful daughter using that LimeWire to download songs. So, I have been without my computer for awhile.
It appears that I have missed much and can not believe some of the things that I am reading. I had the pleasure of speaking with Rick the other day at an event and he was giving me the updates. This is why people need to take a stand. We need to stop the dirty politics in Lynn and work to make it a much better place for our families. I am shocked at some of what I have been reading and feel the same as Rick. Call us with your concerns and feelings. Placing comments on a blog and not allowing a person to speak to you face to face is not the way to go about doing things. Let's remember we are trying to create change here and welcome your support. Please feel free to contact me as well at : DEE42012@hotmail or 781-589-7459 cell. Please stay focused on the issues at hand and not peoples personal lives.
I look forward to a positive campaign and I am open and willing to hear anyones concerns and feelings.
Regards,
Dolores 'Dee" DiFillipo
Candidate for Lynn School Committee
On another note, During the campaign trails in 2009, I had the pleasure of meeting Rick & Lois Starbard for the first time. They were some of the highlights for me and my family. A good, solid family, like mine, who want to give back to the community and make a difference.
ReplyDeleteThat is what Lynn needs. More of us.
Dolores "Dee" DiFillipo
Candidate for Lynn School Committee
DEE42012@hotmail
781-589-7459 cell
Delores, fess up. Your virus was an STD (School Transmitted Disease). Seriously, glad to have you back joining the discussion. You are right, only by focusing on the issues can we effect change.
ReplyDelete