It is easy to beat up on the teacher's union and blame them for the sorry state of our schools. That is because teachers and even principals are the ones we a parents have access to. When is he last time you had a sit down with Dr. Latham or even Dr. Wary? I'm fortunate enough to see them every LSC meeting and we often exchange pleasantries.
Would it be acceptable to them if they had a teacher who's class had one fifth failing grade? We have 5 failing schools in Lynn out of 26. Do you see the analogy?
Of the two Level IV schools we have, the state already rejected one. Failing is bad but it's what you do to make yourself better that is really important. What's the first thing a sports franchise does when it starts habitually losing? There's a lot of unemployed managers out there to answer that question.
Fortunately the superintendent only has a 3 yr contract - if Harrington/Connery are still on 'worst' list next year, the school committee better demand lots of changes! Unfortunately the teachers get tenure and no matter how ineffective they are, they get to stay. Shuffling principals to other schools makes no sense - how can a principal hired to run a Level 4 school be the best choice for a school that might be different make up of students?
ReplyDeleteLynn is a perfect example of what is happening around the country. There is a dysfunctional (and incestuous) relationship between the administration and the teachers union. First of all most of the supers and principles are former Lynn teachers and thus former Lynn teacher's union members. Neither side seems to want to do much about effective and accountable evaluation of teachers and administration. Teacher ten year needs to be redefined (not gotten away with but changed to have performance measurements included somehow). Similarly, the administration needs to be held accountable as well. Whoops gotta go pick up my kid from Ingalls.
ReplyDeletewell said Jesse. but you have to also look at who the school committee is connected to. maria carrrascco campaign manager is the president of the unions. capano has all of her family in the schools throughout lynn.ford has all daughters who are teachers throughout lynn.rick has a wife in the school system. so it will remain the same. well said jesse. well said.
ReplyDeleteJesse, I have to agree with Anon. 1050, yours was a well thought out response. Anon., you have some good points as well. I would urge everyone to examine all the voting records and vote out anyone who isn't voting for the kids.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure that those connections are inherently bad, in fact they could help build bridges. There are schools systems in other parts of the country were unions, school committees and administrations have come together and created fare and effective evaluation systems that reward skilled teachers, are not just based on length of service and makes it easier to move out the bad teachers. I know plenty of great teachers who are really frustrated about the bad teachers in the midst and wish they could be moved out quickly. Bad teachers make good teachers jobs harder. But because there are dysfunctional systems the teachers are afraid of giving up anything.
ReplyDeleteAgain Jesse, well said. We all just need to focus on why we are here - THE KIDS.
ReplyDeletevote out??? The only two new possible members are Dolores (mother, PTA member) and Gallo - single, quiet, conservative, young and not a product of public schools. The Mayor votes with Spirto, Capano and Ford and I predict Gallo if elected. Carrasco, Coppola, Starbard vote together with Dolores if elected is the way I see the two groups. The group with 4 wins!
ReplyDeleteMy concern is that there are not enough "good" people to vote in. At the same time I don't want to see everyone throw in their hat and spread the anti-vote too thin. We don't need ten Ralph Naders getting another Bush into office. Or another Capano, Spirtio, Ford, or Carrasco for that matter.
ReplyDeleteAnon.1124, I kind of agree with your assessment, although I don't know anything about Gallo. That's why I challenge everyone to contribute. That way we'll be able to judge where you truly stand!
ReplyDeleteMelissa - there is hardly a city event that Ford, Starbard and Carrasco are not seen at - they take the city seriously and work hard to make it better for all families - not just a special group. With 70% of the public school students being minorities, don't you think they need representation too? Unless you can specify some exact reason to be totally against a candidate, you should leave names out of this! And if you don't know something specifically positive about a candidate, they shouldn't get your vote either. Your special needs child deserves a voice but so don't the other children in this city.
ReplyDeleteGood point Melissa. But the way I see it more than one seat is in danger of being lost. I see 4 in danger.
ReplyDeleteNot that I'm a Charlie Gallo fan but the excerpt is from his facebook page. Read it for yourself but he seems like another politician to me and my guess is he'll vote with the administration and not for the children. We need non-politicians, people who have children in PUBLIC schools, people who are fighting for their children and ours.
ReplyDelete"Charlie Gallo is an attorney, community college instructor, and taxpayer who wants to be a new voice on the Lynn School Committee. As the first member of his family to graduate from college, he knows firsthand the importance of a quality education.
Charlie attended Sacred Heart School, Sisson Elementary School, and Pickering Middle School. He earned his diploma from St. Mary’s High School in 2001, followed by his Bachelors Degree (magna cum laude, with honors) from Suffolk University in 2005, where he majored in Government.
Charlie earned his Juris Doctor (law degree) in 2009 as an evening student at Suffolk Law School, while working as a paralegal during the day for the law firm at which he now works as an attorney. He hopes to use his legal experience to be an advocate for the Lynn Public Schools."
Isn't John Mihos already an advocate for the Lynn Public Schools, that the tax payers pay for? The children of the Lynn Public Schools need an advocate not the Lynn Public Schools.
Who is Gallo? Oh, is he the guy that ran before and lost.He was sponsered by Mayor Clancy. NO THANKS! Do not even consider him. He is not in it for children. He is in it as a launching pad. He is so far up Dan Cahill's you know what. He is like a mini Clancy and Cahill rounded in one. Almost a little creepy if you ask me. I agree with ANON 1124 and Melissa. as for Jesse, no it is not a good idea to have the so called connections. It has done nothing good for Lynn. So that is a bad idea. I like your previous thinking. It is all about our children.
ReplyDeleteIT'S ALL ABOUT THE KIDS!
ReplyDeletejust what we need another attorney to be on a board or committee. His bio reads like he is a single guy with no life. no wife, no kids, never taught or worked with children. Yet, he thinks he is the new voice. I do not get it. We need someone who has a child in the Lynn PUBLIC schools and is not a politican, attorney but is a educated and will fight for our children and families. Easy answer for me and my family. we are going to give that DEFILLIPO girl our vote. I read her article and it has what we need.
ReplyDeleteConcerned Parents
As Stanley just said "it is all about our children"
ReplyDeleteConcerned Parents
ANON 1213
ReplyDeleteMelissa is so right.
Look at how they vote and you will understand her feelings better. They can go to china and back but in the end they need to VOTE for our children and families. They DO NOT!
Concerned Parents
Anon. 1213 I can pretty much vouch for their attendance the past couple of years.
ReplyDeleteAnon 12:13. I didn't say that the SC members don't attend city events or take the city seriously. Doesn't Ford works for Rep Walsh and Carrasco work for Unemployment. Both very serious city things.
ReplyDeleteAll the children of Lynn need a voice, minority or not, disabled or not. Currently they don't have one. Everyone of our schools has to offer Required School Choice except Sisson, Aborn, Tracey, English and Classical. That means all of the children at those schools have a RIGHT to attend a non-failing school in their district - but we only have five non-failing.
Drewicz, Breed, Brickett, Cobbet, Harrington, Hood, Ingalls, Callahan, English, LVTI, Pickering, Ford, Marshall, and Connery all have to give their kids SES services (tutoring). All children who qualify for free or reduced lunch at each of those schools qualifies for 35 hours of additional tutoring. Who is paying for that? I am. If you own your home and live in Lynn, you are too. Except the notice for SES services went out in English with a note at the bottom in Spanish saying "This is an important document. You should have it translated." So much for the School Committee looking out for its 70% minority population. Besides the fact that it is probably a Civil Rights violation that all of these THOUSANDS of families were not notified of SES in their native language. I'd like to be the lawyer representing the people of Lynn against the LPS in that lawsuit!
Capano, Spirito, Ford and Carrasco may do many wonderful things for our city but, in my opinion, they are not doing many wonderful things for our children. If we have too many new and unqualified people throw their name into the SC race, we'll get two more years of the same.
I also know several specifically positive things about Starbard and DiFillipo - which is why they are getting my vote. Coppola too for voting for our children and against the super.
MELISSA WELL SAID.
ReplyDeleteCONCERNED PARENTS
I agree everything going home should be in at least two languages - where is the PTA on that? Actually everything should also be emailed home too.
ReplyDeleteAnon 1257, those are great idea!
ReplyDeleteNot every school has a PTA. I'm actually in the process of compiling a complete list with the contact info of the PTO officers.
ReplyDeleteGood Work, Melissa!
ReplyDeleteStanley -
ReplyDeleteCan you tell who on the LSC voted for the new deputy super? The teachers in my building are fuming over the idea of spending more money on administrators and personal secretaries. I will help spread the word not to vote for the current members who said "yes" to Dr. Latham.
I really wish the school committee election debate would be more about ideas and less about whose a lawyer and who knows who and lived here longer.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I know Latham's contract is coming up soon. Does anyone know when the teachers contract up for negotiation? I would like to figure out how to get parents voices into those two negotiations. Change will only happen when parents start making their voice heard.
Anon 153 Coppola and Starbard voted against it. The Mayor, Ford, Carrasco, Capano, and Spirito voted for it. I will say the Mayor at the last meeting forced it back into sub-committee for a new job description Latham wanted to post the position immediately using the 5 year old job description. The sub-committee consists of Coppola, Carrasco, and Capano. They will be charged with drafting the new posting. So now contact them if you want to have a voice in the new posting.
ReplyDeleteStanley seems to be forgetting that Maria Carrasco was the lone voice that tried to help him when Ford School was the big issue two years ago. Carrasco and Coppola were the only SC members to vote against Latham for Superintendent. There is so much negative criticism about a group of people that are volunteering their time to do what they believe is best for the families and children. Stanley is on the Highland Coalition Board that Maria Carrasco is a part which includes liaison with N2N and Ford School. With the exception of Stanley, how many people volunteer their time for the schools? SC is a huge commitment.
ReplyDeleteAs far as teacher contracts, Rick, Maria, and John Ford all have relatives working for the school department, so they are by law recused from voting on union matters, which is a lot of the issue for controlling costs.
WOW, so society assumes that people who get free lunches are stupid? Why would they make a generalization as such about "poor"? What about the kids who pay for their lunch? Do they get tutoring as they may be just as stupid and need it too?
ReplyDeleteAlso why should anything be translated into another language. If I were living in any other country and did not speak the language I would never have nerve to ask for special treatment?
Only in the good old USA.
@Mary Ellen - that's a great argument for electing non-affiliated SC members. It's unfortunate, when push came to shove, that Carrasco allowed the deputy super position to be decided by the full committee - when she could have stopped all this nonsense right then and there. The only consistent people voting against the super is Starbard and Coppola. How can we re-elect inconsistent SC members?
ReplyDelete@Anon 5:17 - Children who pay for their lunch do not have access to SES services. Receiving notices from your child's school in your native language falls under civil rights. It's not under section 504 but I do believe (I may be wrong) it's under Title 6. I'd have to look that one up.
Mary Ellen, who's volunteering? Unlike me, LSC members get a stipend. As you know I'm Secretary of the Highlands Coalition. Maria is a member and not on te Board. In the interest of full disclosure, just keeping it real.
ReplyDeleteAttend events verses doing whats right for our children?????
ReplyDeleteThat is the question. I have to agree with Stanley and Melissa. Sorry Maryellen, but you have it wrong and I take it you have no children in the Lynn Public Schools or you would be able to see this differently. Also, it appears that you have your facts wrong. Thanks to Stanley and Melissa, we have an accurate history of the above mentioned School Committee members.
I do have to say that Stanley and Melissa need to do their homework more on Rick Starbard. Instead of pushing Rick thru Facebook you should be taking a better look at the fact that he will NOT push hard because he is afraid for his wife and close buddies in the school system. So you are wasting your time. Melissa do your homework I have noticed that you are good at getting to the bottom of things. I read what Rick wrote after attending a PAC meeting, his first one. He feels he learned alot from Adminstration that presented. I find that very concerning. Ellis was also pretty friendly with the Administration. Be careful.
Concerned Special Ed Parents
Stanley attendance is one thing BUT action is another. We want action on behalf of our children. I do not see action.
ReplyDeleteConcerned Spec Ed Parents
Concerned Spec Ed Parents - I hear you. And I can say, to my knowledge, Rick is the only SC member who has taken what he has heard (here and at other venues) and brought it back to the administration asking questions. He's the only SC member who has pulled out his copy of the budget and looked to see that the Parent Liaison position is still funded, and then asked why don't we have a long term sub for that position?
ReplyDeleteI'll concede that Rick isn't perfect. But until Superman shows up - Rick is working for our kids. I cannot say that about half of the other SC members.
Hearing that Rick learned a lot from the presentation is not an inherently bad thing. I think he learned that we have a lot of good programs here in Lynn, but unfortunately the Sped Admin aren't abiding by the law, and this is causing many expensive complaints to be filed in addition to all of the frustrated parents and children who aren't being helped.
And to Dave being cozy with the Sped Admin, I see it this way: "You catch more flies with honey..." and "You should keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." Dave was the best councilor Lynn has ever seen, he knows every law from State Ethics to Roberts Rules to IDEA 2004 forwards and backwards. And to top it all off - he's not afraid. He wouldn't have voted for that budget. He wouldn't have voted for the new deputy super and he'd be working this very minute on how to get the existing super out. Plus he knows a thing or two about "scientifically study based, peer reviewed" reading and math programs.
I'm just a Lynn parent too. I want to see change in my children's school system because I believe Lynn can be great.
Melissa thank you for responding to my blog and answering all of my concerns. someday I will no longer use "concerned special ed parents" but for now you get it.
ReplyDeleteThank you also for recognizing that we need Superman here. I really like that.
Like yourself, I am going to be voting for someone who is in it for our children and has a child in the schools, educated and has always been open and willing to help me and my family even when she was not running for a seat on school committee.
Delores Defilippo truly cares and helped us with our son when he was at the connery annex. she was the clinical director and was a god sent. our son loved working with her. we loved working with her. she gets it and is not afraid to fight the system. she did it for us when the sped administration was giving us a hard time. she stepped in. she is getting our whole families vote. god bless her.
concerned speical ed parents
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ReplyDeleteI've deleted my post. For some reason it posted on a different thread, from what I was viewing. Weird.
ReplyDelete