KINDERGARTEN KIDS GO FOR RIDE

The COMMERCIAL STREET Consolidation of the KINDERGARTEN Classes will mean long buses for short people. Has this ever happened before?

PICKERING PROUD OF BOSTON STRONG

Parents: Friday is Boston Strong! Day. We'll be raising money for the One Fundhttps://secure.onefundboston.org/page/contribute/default ALL money raised will be given to that fund. Students can wear anything 'Boston' related (sports team shirts, hats, anything appropriate with Boston on it) We are asking for a $2+ donation - students asked if they could donate more - absolutely. I will say it again: your kids have been awesome when it comes to community service and helping others. You should all be very proud!!

The One Fund | Donate secure.onefundboston.org Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Tom Menino have announced the formation of The...

MAYBE NOT A VIOLATION OF CIVIL RIGHTS BUT IT IS A VIOLATION OF THE RIGHT TO BE SENSIBLE

At a time when LPS claims to want to get parents involved, well it kind of boggles my mind that they would choose to isolate the parents of the smallest children they serve. I'm talking about the Kindergarten Konsolidation Krisis (remember I'm a poet at heart, I have a license).

Granted we have a space problem. Someone is going to have to be moved, that;s just the facts. Wouldn't it make more sense to move kids at the other end of the elementary spectrum, I'm talking fifth graders We could open up probably the same number of classrooms by moving less people. (there's a transportation savings right there). Plus, the parent-teacher interaction is more important, vital even with kindergarten students versus the older kids. Not to mention the older kids would transition better to a pre-middle school than the little ones would to a remote location.

Putting older kids there would also help generate excitement about wanting to go to LVTI for high school thus alleviating potential future overcrowding at CLASSICAL and ENGLISH.

SECURITY INSECURITY

I don't recall hearing about any changes in the law, it must just be a change in the direction of the political winds. Of course, I'm talking about the crisis they are planning with the new KINDERGARTEN CENTER.
Seems like when there was talk before about putting some middle school kids in there before we were told, "No, no, state law forbids it. You can't mix them with high school kids, especially in a voc setting."

All of a sudden, it's OKAY to mix in KINDERGARTEN KIDDIES . Little children don't have enough of a development in their language abilities to accurately express themselves in regards to their own personal safety. SPEAK NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL so SEE NO EVIL.

I admit I now think my initial position, my thinking was WRONG. I so wanted to be a good soldier, a team player.

SORRY, I DISCOVERED THE UNIFORM DOESN'T FIT!

OLD BUSINESS AS USUAL

No doubt about it, we need new schools and if you've looked around we need lots of them. Which one should be first? Of course you could argue about it but it doesn't matter MARSHALL is going to be first.

OR.....

is it? At Tuesday night's LSC meeting the MONTHLY progress update was accepted for the file and well those of us lucky enough to have an agenda got to read that one line identifying what they were going to do. People at home watching on LynnCAM got to hear a vote accepting it for the file.

NEWS FLASH!

The votes gonna fail. The voters are never gonna pass a BOND that means a tax increase for that school. Dead in the water. Sianari suckers!

UNLESS....

LPS starts putting out there the progress and starts reinforcing the need. We need to put the voters in the picture. Right now LPS is directing a HORROR show.

KINDERGARTEN CHAOS

Excuse Me! I feel like  have been kissing the business end of a Pack Mule. I'm talking about PACKING up the kindergartens at the three schools, BRICKETT, FORD, and TRACY and taking them down to COMMERCIAL STREET. I thought everybody was on board and I just gobbled up whatever the superintendent was feeding me. You know me, I just want to get along

From the outpouring I'm hearing from teachers and parents, especially parents, this may not be such a good idea after all. I hear that some of the parents are upset they won't have the same access. to their child's teacher and some of those teacher;s feel slighted they weren't consulted.

Looks like CHUCK was right, sometimes I need to do more research. I just was so sure DR. LATHAM wouldn't steer me wrong.

LOOKS LIKE LPS WILL BE LOOSENING THEIR PURSE STRINGS

Get ready!  How about a share of the wealth? After giving double digit raises to princiPALS and the superintendent raising her OWN salary by $25,000, the teachers are coming knocking, Can you blame them,? They are the ones who are on the front lines,

I am basing my prediction or speculation on a request read into the record. The LYNN TEACHERS UNION  requests negotiations over terms & conditions  of employment relative to TEACHING STRATEGIES GOLD.

It was only one line on the agenda and nobody said nothing. Still when you add in a couple seemingly unrelated facts, CHA-CHING. Remember the teachers recently won a grievance against the DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION I believe for something about expecting them to do something with templates or writing their own textbooks or something. I don't know all that technical stuff, that's why I'm a POET not a TEACHER.

With all these NEW requirements involving the CORE Curriculum and all those education initiatives by GOVERNOR Patrick these teachers got to be looking to get PAID.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING THERE

One good thing about the disorganized STUDENT GOVERNMENT DAYat TUE. night's LSC was the representation of FACTEAU-LEARY/ The student, I don;t know his name, hopefully someone will tell me so I can give him PROPER credit. This boy had an EXCEEDS on his MCAS, Pretty good.

I've been going to meetings for THREE years and I don't ever remember them being represented before. Too often that school is treated like a foster brother. You get what you expect.

Funny though, for the first time ST/ MARY;S wasn't represented. INTERESTING!

THE LAWS OF LIFE

Here I was all set to go to the MAYOR'S CAMPAIGN KICK-OFF. I know they would have introduced me as a candidate. I was all set.

I did my research, thanks to a helpful suggestion from my little friend. By the night's end mt nomination papers would have been close to complete.

Unfortunately I ended up with a parental emergency. Sometimes being a parent means sometimes you have to learn how to set priorities. They don't teach you that stuff in no fancy school. You don't get no initials to put after your name. Some people with all their education just don't have that experience.

KINDERGARTEN KUDOS

Since my emails are BLOCKED from LPS I thought I ought to express my compliments personally to DR. LATHAM for her plan for a KINDERGARTEN CENTER in the COMMERCIAL STREET COMPLEX. Now I have been singing that old Swing Space Shuffle for some time now. I guess she has been listening to my tune.Okay I didn't write the song but I have been banging the drum.

So the plan is to consolidate the kindergartens of FORD, TRACY, and BRICKETT together in where the current administration offices are on COMMERCIAL STREET. Those administrators are moving over the summer to BENNETT STREET. This three pronged relocation consolidation will free-up much needed classroom space.

It ain't gonna be cheap. They are budgeting about $580,000 for this program. There are unresolved problems like busing, how to handle when a kid needs to get dismissed early for whatever reason, and LSC member DONNA COPPOLA brought up a valid concern about the stairs and those little legs. She wondered if the DOE had signed off on the idea. Honestly I think this is a better place than where they are now. DR. LATHAM assured everyone that we will make it work and I believe she will or I'll tell you about it, don't you know.

IN THE SHADOWS, OUT IN THE OPEN

You know I was going to lead with this story coming out of last night's LSC meeting......

BUT.....

that was picked on by a professional politician who's priorities are not in order unless being re=elected is a priority. Still I'm no threat to him, I mean BEST OF LUCK, CHUCK! Hey, may THE FORCE BE WITH YOU, I'm sure the machine will be.....

ANYWHO.....

seems kind of funny that the last two people to the table last night were the MAYOR (who we all know is a BRILLIANT attorney) and LSC legal counsel ATTORNEY MIHOS. Probably they were late because they never got the memo on research tips from ATTORNEY GALLO. You see since I am not sure if there actually was any OPEN MEETING law violations last night.

Imean there was this separate meeting posted all legal-like where like in years past, the students would have their own individual meeting. For these meetings, the LSC members would join me in the audience. Well evidently that didn't sit too well with the MAYOR (see I told you those chairs weren't comfortable) and the selected students got to hold hands with some of the officials, elected and otherwise.

Long story short, the last minute changes managed to make for a wildly disorganized meeting that was not really well attended by the students it was for and we were robbed of some innovative ideas.

OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES!

THE LETTER OF THE LAW, JD'S ARE NOT MD'S - THANK GOODNESS

Maybe I was wrong, maybe I got confused. All of these big, bad numbers confuse my poetic persona. Excuse me for saying writer when I should have said manager who in fact writes.

Leave it to a lawyer to give me a lesson on being wrong since lawyers are EXPERTS on being wrong since some lawyer is wrong half the time. It's a structural thing, I mean it's set up that way.

How would you feel about going to a doctor that had a FIFTY-FIFTY chance of being right. I guess that's why lawyers don't write prescriptions.

FACING FACTS, AVOIDING POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

 Classical assembly educates students on autism

Not only was this a well written article, but also the timing is important and appropriate. With the rising number of people being born being on the spectrum, we a in for a tsunami of necessary changes of classroom control.

Traditional techniques will often only make matters worse. However there are ones that do work and allow us to turn what are often perceived to be problems into gifts.

GALLO GOES GONZO - WHAT WOULD CHUCK DO?

Here I was all set to write about possible OPEN MEETING law violations. I made notes and everything  before the meeting. I debated on speaking about it at OPEN MIKE but I figured I didn't want to ruin the kids night, it being STUDENT GOVERNMENT DAY and everything....

SO.....

I thought I just go with my first idea and go with my call for some accountability from the new full-time grants writer. I figured since my kids got report cards today, why not have a report from this GRANTS writer? We are paying this person pretty good. I mean I don't know dollars, I mean that is evident after all like I've said before I'm poor.

How can I complain about lack of results if we don't know of any? All I was saying is "SHOW ME THE MONEY". I did mention the CITY'S person in the similar position didn't do so well. I was done, POINT MADE.

After the meeting was over I got accosted by an attorney. It wasn't a good time. CHARLIE came up on me, speaking short and not standing tall.

"Do your research, it's not a FULL-TIME position" he says to me and walks away. If he had any toys, he was taking them home.

I tried to tell him, "CHARLIE, CHARLIE, you got it all wrong". But he just kept walking, I guess he couldn't stand up to me.

You see I wasn't saying it was definitely a poor premise to put someone in that position, I just wanted some sort of progress report, nothing personal.

BUT.....

boy, I got blindsided by this barrister. I didn't see it coming. The vertically challenged do have a stealth advantage.
MAYBE I was wrong about the part-time thing (Insert standard four wives joke), but I just wanted to know WHAT'S UP CHUCK!

I wasn't talking about his precious private partnership person. I know that person is part time and I ain't gonna say nudtin  bad about no SARA JACKSON. I mean she's got chops and she ain't even been in the position that long.

Well after licking my lesions left from a lawyers lashes, I realized what may have been the real reason behind  CHUCK'S charming charisma. Before the meeting tonight he cane over to introduce himself to a couple of SALEM STATE students. His interaction with them interrupted their signing my nomination papers,

SORRY CHARLIE!

PICKERING PLEADS

Teacher Appreciation Luncheon
Tuesday, May 7th
We are looking for food donations - sandwiches, desserts, beverages and help.

Please contact Kim or Mary. Thank you.

HOW'S THAT JOB GOING?

We have reorganized the department. brought back a sub-committee, even hired a full time grants writer but what have we got for all our time, effort. and money? Hopefully it was a wise investment. I got no argument about FREE cash if it's really free.....

BUT.....

I go to all the meetings but I guess I missed those announcements of awards. In all honesty, it does take to be successful getting grants. I mean, look how long it took the CITY'S GRANTS Writer who this position was modeled after to be successful.

Okay maybe that was a bad example/ I am sure she is busy doing something. Is it too much to ask for a progress report? It's kind of poetic, justice-wise to ask this question today since my kids third quarter report cards come out today.

I mean we hold our children accountable, why not do the same for the people who work for us and them?

I JUST WANTED TO WISH LPS A "HAPPY EARTH DAY"

I have officially been a candidate for three weeks. Still not time to shear all the black off this sheep!

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WITHOUT A HOME, WITHOUT A HEART

Out talking with the people and collecting signatures this morning and I stopped to talk to a man who signed my papers. As I was getting ready to leave he pleaded, "Don't forget the homeless!"

It got me thinking, we have hundreds of kids in LYNN PUBLIC SCHOOLS and you know the most I can remember about how LPS deals with this problem is the eager anticipation on how we are going to spend the reimbursement from the state for their transportation cost.

We had a Homeless Liaison who left. We may have replaced her, maybe not.. I don't ever remember a presentation about a program in the three years I've been attending LSC meetings. It seems like a significant segment of the student population is being ignored. Almost every meeting there is time to mention some individual's accommodation or accomplishment. The MAYOR often finds time to make a certificate.

What about OUR accomplishment. When I am elected I promised this resident of the SHELTER I won't forget.

MAKING MARSHALL PROUD

 Teens spend day of service to beautify Marshall

It's great to see the kids take pride and a little ownership in their school, A new MARSHALL won't be built in a few years at best . Besides sprucing up the old one this effort teaches a lesson about community responsibility.

GHOSTS IN THE POLITICAL MACHINE

Since everyone agrees Lynn Public Schools are crowded, I wonder why we hear no talk of how the COMMERCIAL STREET classrooms that were turned into offices for seemingly ever expanding administration are going to be used in the future now.

The prevailing rumor is that all of the administration offices including all of the SPED ones currently on BROAD STREET are going to be moved to and consolidated at the BENNETT STREET location. Okay, Good deal.

Before the site selection of the new MARSHALL was agreed to be the BROOKLINE site, we were told we would use it for SWING SPACE (sounds like a retro-dance club) but now it looks like that may not be necessary....

SO...

what's the deal or should I ask.....

WHOSE DEAL IS IT?

YOU MAY HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO

You know I went to the ECCO Action on Immigrant Rights/ Granted these are volatile and contentious issues. It did however get me to thinking about JUSTICE.

Can anyone tell me how it is JUST that we have around 26 people at LPS making over $100,000 a year but our kids must share outdated textbooks that are in such short supply that two classes can't study the same subject at the same time?

Can anyone tell me how giving our superintendent a double digit percentage ($25,000) raise made her BETTER at her job?

WHY I MUST RISE TO THE OCCASION

After deep reflection and soul searching, I finally realized why I am running for LYNN SCHOOL COMMITTEE.......

BETTER SEATING

Have you noticed the chairs they sit in at the head table? They are heavily padded on all sides. Being disabled as I am, my back and bum gets really sore sitting through those long meetings. With subs, I'm often there three hours. Afterwards, I ache.

When I go to a city council meetings, I find a nice padded place to sit......

hence......

I am not running for council.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT!

COMFORT FOOD.

WITH A LITTLE RETAINING, WE CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT SUSTAINING

Meeting today with people from NORTH SHORE COMMUNITY COLLEGE where art can be used to powerfully educate. A series of posters illustrate the importance of thinking about what you put you put in your mouth, me, some would say I need to think about what comes out of my mouth,

It would seem to me that this sort of education program about SUSTAINABILITY would lend itself well around the lunch table. My friends at the HIGHLANDS COALITION have been preaching a similar message to the students at the FORD SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL GARDEN.

If we leverage what NSCC will do for us, we can get some good learning on the cheap.

WHAT LANGUAGE DOES MONEY TALK IN?

 Educators, parents torn on bilingual classes issue

It seems to me that giving teacher the flexibility to use whatever id going to be the most effective seems the most logical....

BUT.....

we do have a LOT of different languages spoken throughout LPS so it all comes down to cost. Paying all those expensive administrators salaries doesn't leave much money for extra teachers. It's all about who you wanna pay.

A COALITION OF COALITIONS COME TOGETHER

Three church groups joined with the HIGHLANDS COALITION today  as they had Saturday to work outside of FORD SCHOOL cleaning up the asphalt lot and working at both the International Garden and Cook Street park. What a great thing to see the people taking ownership of their own community and schools.

BIG BOOTING - PROSECUTION WITHOUT EDUCATION WILL NOT LEAD TO PREVENTION

At Thursday night;'s LSC meeting at OPEN MIKE I took the opportunity to offer my experiences with head injury to help educate the middle school kids about the dangers involved brain damage. I rattled off an impressive resume of my past chairmanships of a commission and a committee not mention being a board member of a foundation.. The fact is I show my influential credentials with my talk and walk.

I thought I ought to speak up since my e mails are blocked from LPS and well the MAYOR hadn't responded to my letter. In order to ease their collective minds I promised I would behave. So far I have got no response, no surprise/ They tell you before you speak these sessions aren't intended to start a dialogue.

BULLDOG UP FOR OTHERS

English High junior to walk marathon route on stilts for charity

Standing tall among his fellow classmates, ENGLISH junior DANNY SULLIVAN will give a new new meaning to raising money.

MAYBE THE MAYOR IS GOING TO CONTRIBUTE TO MY CAMPAIGN

Rumor has it that the MAYOR is going to contribute the portion of her salary that corresponds to the portion that would correspond to time last night that she was to be paid for her ABSENCE at last night's LSC meeting. Now I have great confidence in this rumor since I started it.

 It may not be true but I want it to be.

A LITTLE ENGLISH IN THE IVY

Congratulations!

English Valedictorian Jake Meagher Admitted to Harvard College

ELECTION DIRECTION

I would like to thank my opponent LSC member CHARLIE GALLO for acknowledging my impending election to the LYNN SCHOOL COMMITTEE this fall. By pointing out that the makeup of the committee may be different after the election and therefore and forthwith that is a reason to avoid MASC training at the present time.

I wonder where my seat will be at the table? I have this idea, let's run a fifty-fifty pool where we split the pot between the winning guess and a fund for a new movie screen at INGALLS.


BEST OF LUCK, CHUCK!!

WHINE SERVED HERE

Could someone help me figure this out, I'm not as smart as some of these school people. I don't know how somebody who teaches at a COLLEGE, mind you, feels that he don't have no time to learn nothing from somebody who knows something.

I guess he needs a costume change because it looks like he got to BIG FIR HIS BRITCHES.

LIL' LORI LAUGHING AT LUDICROUS LITANY

I don't think I have ever witnessed a person try so hard to break a commitment and get out of doing training as I did last night. Charlie Gallo was so adamant about not finishing the remaining MASC workshops the school committee committed to doing and he used every excuse he could think of. He even went as far as to say the school committee members do not work for the MASC and they should not be in the drivers seat, which I thought was pretty unprofessional, not to mention disrespectful. Rick quickly reminded Charlie and the rest of the committee, that while they do not work for the MASC, it is an association and a very valuable one. Donna also pointed out that the MASC merely offered their services. The SC members were the ones who made the choice as a committee to accept their offer. They all agreed to make the commitment to do the 10 or 12 hours of workshops and they should honor that commitment. Plus let's face it, if any school committee needs training, it's ours!! Maybe not all members, but the majority certainly do, especially Charlie since he is a new member.

DIFFERENCES ON DISPLAY

Lynn schools celebrate cultural diversity

It's good to see a celebration of differences. We sure have enough differences, like the differrences between the pay raises given people that deal with our kids directly and the ones who sit in air conditioned office or testified a certain way at a certain public hearing.

OR....

the people that have no kids in the LPS but then are charged with making decisions that guide those same schools.

PREPARING FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS WHO GET THE BOOT FOR GIVING IT

Setting up the expansion of the LEEP night school program to include 7th and 8th grade students who happen to get a felony. You know this BIG BOOTING business just happened to have this same age group playing this game you see. And I do believe there is something about a SHOD foot being a FELONY.

Since kids from all three middle schools were involved there should be NO PROBLEM filling up the eight or so kids to be served by this expansion. Looks like the price tag for this expansion is about 100 K, because DOC LATHAM will need to hire 4 teachers and actually she said she would be maybe needing to do it by Monday if approved..

DONNA COPPOLA and fellow LSC member `CHARLIE GALLO both voted against the measure since unlike HIGH SCHOOL kids have to have a JOB. The fact that kids in the seventh and eighth grades can;t legally work she raised the ugly specter of  a MIDDLE SCHOOL  HAREM OF HOOLIGANS marauding around the streets of LYNN. during the day end the middle if the night

SCRUTINIZING MY SCRUPLES

Announcing the Hip-Hop mogul and future MAYOR of LYNN - SW3 as my campaign manager. SW3 is a student representative on boards of both the HIGHLANDS COALITION and the NEW LYNN COALITION.. Also  he is a political junkie who not only watches THIS WEEK WITH GEORGE STEPHANOPOLUS  every week but the only way to get him to shut up about politics is to shove food in his mouth.

Admittedly, like most politicians I am guilty of NESPOTISM. You see SW3 is my son. I had to do this, I was running out of food. I wonder since its a few years before he can vote if he would qualify for absentee ballot?

I TOLD YOU SO

 New Pickering in city's sights even as Marshall project proceeds

I told you about this approval of the STATEMENT OF INTEREST during Tuesday's city council meeting. I do however call into question the statement of "NO DANGER".Realistically it is a matter of degree, Maybe there isn't big chunks of plaster falling necessitating the wearing of hard hats.

HOWEVER.....

let's not overlook the ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS present. Don't forget the LEAD that has been found at almost all the schools in the city or at least that is what I heard at a LSC meeting last year. I am sure all those floor tiles are at least one place there is ASBESTOS.

What I am about to say is TOTALLY my uninvited, uneducated, and possibly unsubstantiated opinion. Even though older, PICKERING was not the priority over MARSHALL because of the flooding problem that brings together all the ingredient for an ASBESTOS coup that seeps into the groundwater every time it rains,

TELL ME I AM WRONG!

THERE IS AN ART TO LEAINONG

Students' mosaic depicts hopeful future for cityBy Chris Stevens / The Daily Item

This is a really good example of creativity in education, Honestly I am more into the art of poetry than the visual or musical ones but the importance of building something new. That's the essence of learning. Artist YETTY FRENKEL has work previously on a mural at FORD SCHOOL which both of my kids helped paint.

Remember Lynn has that ART AND CULTURAL DISTRICT distinction/

THE SOUND OF MY SACRIFICE

I had plans of going to DEBBIE PLUNKETT'S MEET AND GREET tonight. However I decided to go to the ALL-CITY LPS concert tonight at INGALLS SCHOOL, sacrificing signatures on my NOMINATION papers. After all my daughter ASIAH was performing along with other kids from MARSHALL, BREED, PICKERING and both ENGLISH & CLASSICAL.

I was welcomed into the auditorium by INGALLS principal IRENE COWDELL. Have I ever mentioned my grandmother who ironed my hankies, not to mention fed me while I stayed with her all through college was named IRENE? LPS FINE ARTS DIRECTOR JOE PICANO  was there MCing and DOC LATHAM was in the house.

PICKERING POISED TO ENTER PIPELINE

At last bight's LYNN CITY COUNCIL meeting a letter DR. LATHAM wrote requesting consideration of the PICKERING PROJECT. The letter was npn=bonding just a little begging, WE BEED NEW SCHOOLS!

WELL PLAYED!

SCIENCE TRANSLATION NEEDED

Latham: Lynn stellar in science

What is this story telling us. We are still THE BEST OF THE WORST in science but we are no longer tops of the bottom in English Language. What those math moguls have done is take all those low scoring districts, pack them all together in an cluster of URBAN districts so we get an artificial inflation of the real reality. You see, the last thing I knew high school diplomas don't come with no asterisks,

FOCUS ON DIET

I was out campaigning and getting signatures  this morning and the first question I got was "What are you passionate about?" I admit I wasn't really prepared for the question.Oh, I responded alright. I said Uh, READING, yeah I'd like to see, uh the libraries back."

Yeah, easy answer but what did this lady expect, I just wanted her signature to get on the ballot. Stil it was a really great question because it caused me to focus, crystallize my position. I reflected on why reading is important/ Good reading leads to good writing, at least that's what my teachers used to say.

A lot of people underestimate the power of the written word. We do so at our own peril and that's why our educational ranking has slipped on the world's stage. The brain can not live on a vegetarian diet of STEM alone. With plenty of readin we learn to say and write what we want, what we need.

WOTRING WASHED UP

LYNN SCHOOL COMMITTEE candidate STAN WOTRING is the subject of various reports linking him to the LAUNDROMAT LOBBY. He was found to have DIRTY LAUNDRY.  WOTRING was overheard to whisper,

"I made a tactical mistake in my campaign strategy. Instead of announcing my candidacy on APRIL FOOL'S DAY, I should have announced on HALLOWEEN because having had FOUR wives, you can be sure I got me some skeletons in my closet!"

GIVING IT THE OLD COLLEGE TRY

I thought I better share this letter in case the Mayor forgets to check her email or some other electronic snafu. Darn machines.

April 7, 2013

Dear Most Honorable Mayor Kennedy,

Because my e mails are blocked from the Lynn Public Schools, I am writing to you in hopes that you in your role as Chairman of the Lynn School Committee you could convey to the superintendent or any other appropriate person my offer to speak on the matter of brain damage to the students that could result from blows to the head. Schools should be about education, not prosecution.

In the past you have graciously appointed me to the Lynn Disability Commission which I was elected chairman of for a year before I resigned. I was also a board member of the West Virginia Head Injury Foundation, Inc. and also served as chairman of my districts Consumer Advisory Committee of West Virginia Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

For fifteen years I was a direct care worker for the Massachusetts Division of Developmental Disabilities before retiring due to arthritis, While in college, I suffered a brain injury that left me comatose for eleven days with multiple residual disabilities.  Overcoming the many challenges I faced is something I would be happy to share with the students who engaged or witnessed these dangerous games.

Hopefully you join me in my worry about the serious nature of this apparent foolishness and child’s play that flirts with tragedy. Please feel free to contact me about any way I can help. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Stanley H. Wotring, Jr.

"TRUST ME" TOUR TAKES ME TO TECH ALL DAY

After doing to a LITTLE LEAGUE parade in SAUGUS this morning to support LPS'S new best friend the NORTHSHORE NAVIGATORS. I spent until about 4:30 at TECH forth the NORTHSHORE LABOR COUNCIL'S 11TH ANNUAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE learned a lot of labor history ans of course there were some campaign connections.

Then I was back at 4:30 for:

Annual Lynn teens conference set for today at Tech

Pretty tough on an old man, thank goodness I had TRIPPY to TAKE ALONG. it is a great thing to see our SCHOOL FACILITIES being used for community events!

PICKERING PUTS OUT

Come on people, I'm talking about dates. GEEZ!

End of year dates:
Monday, June 17, 2013: 8th grade graduation dance will be at the Knights of Columbus hall on Lynnfield Street. (Time/price to be announced)
Monday, June 24, 2013: 8th grade graduation rehearsal at LEHS - 1:00p pm
Tuesday, June 25, 2013: 8th grade graduation at 10:00 am in the LEHS auditorium
If you have any questions, please contact the school at 781-477-7440

HEAD INJURY EDUCATION OFFER IGNORED?

A response from one of my readers on the BOOTING BROUHAHA reminded me of the serious danger of brain injury that could occur as a result of such foolish behavior. The residual damage could be life-altering and not in a good way. Having endured the continuing effects of brain damage, I offer my personal experiences to highlight and emphasis the dangerous consequences of such child's play.

As a former board member of the WEST VIRGINIA HEAD INJURY FOUNDATION and author of a few tracts on the subject, I humbly offer my services on the matter. It's just a shame that no one from LPS reads my blog and I can't even send them a e mail to let them know of said offer since my communications are BLOCKED!

I almost forgot to mention, former CHAIRMAN of the LYNN DISABILITY COMMISSION!

THIS JUST IN - NEW SCHOOL COMMITTEE CANDIDATE GETS CONCUSSION

New candidate for LYNN SCHOOL COMMITTEE went to have coffee at his BOSTON STREET office after purchasing a clipboard for collecting signature. Halfway through his first cup he had collected nearly a dozen of the 350 signatures need to get his name on the ballot.

His head became severely bruised after falling off log. Before losing consciousness Wotring was overheard to gasp,":This is going to be easier than I thought!"Further details will be released as they become available.

MARSHALL STUDENT GETS THE BOOT FOR GIVING THE BOOT

'Big booting' game lands Lynn students in trouble - Boston News, New England News, WHDH-TV 7NEWS WHD

www1.whdh.com

Yeah it's not good to get bad publicity. The worst thing for me is not what happened but apparently how long it was happening BEFORE action was taken that stopped it. Stuff is going to happen, kids will be kids. They make mistakes but it is our job to teach them.

Though I wonder just what we are teaching them, It took apparently several serious instances of this belligerent behavior before it was successfully, hopefully stopped.  We need to take a more assertive position in classroom control.

WE NEED TO BE PROACTIVE NOT REACTIVE.

FRAME THE MEDIA TO CONTROL THE MEDIA.

BREAKING THE SILENCE

 North Shore Christian School to hold annual silent auction

Probably the biggest fund raiser here, won;t show up and doesn't need to eat. The only table needed is an actuarial table. This is not just about FOLLOW THE MONEY, the money follows. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against private schools, I went to a private college a METHODIST affiliated one. Both of my kids go to LPS and I can see a well defined role for each institution.

HOWEVER.......

in order to make informed decisions we have to be informed. That;s what I want to try and noI am talking about TITLE 1 dollars. I am not saying this is wrong but I am saying this is how it is.

I don't know a lot of things. I do have lots of questions like how CHAPTER 70 money is awarded or if it is. Then there are other questions I have. You see there not all about some little CHRISTIAN school, we have  a sizable catholic contingency (before I get deluged with dogmatic details, I know Catholics are christian, I mean my kids are baptized Catholic for goodness sake) and there is a growing chapter of charter kids.

Now I have been studying the LPS budget for around three years now and its not clear yo me just who gets what and how much. I know line items are not required to rhyme but they do have to maintain balance.

THE ABILITY OF PERSPECTIVE

Let me state unequivocally I will not use my disability as an advantage unless it gives me one, of course. I will not point out that it has given me uncanny superpowers to leap over large obstacles placed before me. This would be unethical to my opponents and give me an unfair edge.

After all I served as chairman of the LYNN DISABILITY COMMISSION  which was actually was rumored to be a front for a little known chapter of the LYNN version of the AVENGERS (no autographs please, I ask that you respect our privacy). Great things were accomplished during the initial year of our coming together but I had to resign to protect the integrity of my secret identity.

I couldn't let it be known that my superpower was to recant rhymes of reason for the perpetration of education throughout the land called Lynn less I be left out of the lessons of leadership. Now I can no longer leave lie my mission of navigation through the milieu of education.

WHEN I START MY STARTLING TOUR D'JOUR

With a TAP of my campaign card I plan to travel all over LYNN on my campaign charter for the "Trust me" tour. I plan on visiting all the schools, if I am allowed in, in order that I might "listen and learn". Imagine that, learning in a school.

Perhaps I must prep on POLICIES and PROCEDURE since I don't own a blonde wig.

FLYING NAKED - NO ATTEMPT TO COVER MY ATTEMPTS

Here I was a concerned parent writing to the LPS administration to commend COWDELL'S handling of the MARSHALL MESS. Originally some perturbed paranoia was present but post-haste. DR. COWDELL put that away. He not only rectified the situation but was cognizant of the potential practicalities of other parents that may become perplexed by a similar pitfall. I was about to write in giving my recomendation for a commendation....

BUT....

imagine my surprise when my e mail GOT THE BOOT....

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--Forwarded Message Attachment--
From: stanleywotring@msn.com
To: lathamc@lynnschools.org
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Date: Thu, 4 Apr 2013 11:15:30 -0400

Imean I thought BOOTING was what the MARSHALL MESS had been about. Silly me, I am so gullable. I guess that's why I've been married 4 times.

OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD!

9

MARSHALL MANEUVERS MAKE MY MELTDOWN MEANINGLESS

So.....I call MARSHALL too complain about the SILENT TREATMENT since my phone didn't ring yesterday. The secretary tells me she didn't think a call went out to anyone yesterday. I informed her it was in the paper(and you know me I believe everything in the ITEM)

BUT...

she put me on hold and I thought now we are getting some where. HOWEVER, when she came back the story was repeated with the added comment, "I don't know why they printed that!".

My reply, "So that's your story".

I was preparing to put out my account of what happened and while I was rebooting my computer, I get this call from DR. COWDELL. Now me and the DOC, we go way back, well almost three years. He tells me that a call went out to parents and not staff so the secretary did not know. Okay so he proceeds to tell me what happened, not who specifically was happening - GOOD ENOUGH.!

BECAUSE....

of this ordeal DR.COWDELL noticed a potential problem with the CONNECT ED system. He found out yhat the system only allows for one phone number. This does not account for the possibility of separate parents who do not share the same phone, That hasn't happened for me in a while.....

ANYWAY....

DR. COWDELL manually added my number to the system and since the boat in which I ride has many passengers and effort will be made to reach out to those in similar circumstances.

MY PARANOIA HAS BEEN SOOTHED.

TRACKS OF MY TEARS

State board approves Marshall site

Can you imagine the games that could be played and posted by invincible middle schoolers by TRAIN TRACKS, very troubling.

CONSPIRACY OF COVER-UP CONTINUES?

Marshall suspends students accused of kicking classmates in head


While these students play felony games, LPS is continuing what appears to be a blanket policy of targeted discrimination against me a concerned parent. Not only have I been prohibited from contacting ANY LPS employee, I was NOT contacted as a PARENT who has a student at MARSHALL. This despite claims:

 Parents were informed of the incident via a Connect Ed call Wednesday morning.

Well not all parents. I have a history with MARSHALL -  some good, some bad. In the past I missed all calls. However, I have conversations and have given my new phone number and have even gotten an occasional phone call from school officials.

BUT even after multiple assaults were suffered by students on students - MUMS THE WORD - to me anyway.

MY CANDIDACY TOUR TAKES OFF

Support for my candidacy for school committee is coming in fast. Already a network of campaign buses are are spreading out across the north shore and I am sure they are all on my behalf. You can travel all across Lynn with the tap of a special CAMPAIGN CARD.

And all of the drivers are emblazoned with my campaign crusade logo, "T", which is emblematic of my slogan, "TRUST ME!".

POETRY AND POLICY

Blame it on the brain
that's been banged around
for any mistakes that might be found.
Some say I'm insane

but that just isn't true,
have not any fear
I'm just a transplanted MOUNTAINEER.
I'll be a candidate of change for you!

MY CANDIDACY IN A PERFECYLY PRIME POSITION TO CROSS COLOR BARRIERS

There have been more than a few complaints that the LYNN SCHOOL COMMITTEE is not representative of the diversity of the student population. This has come as the latest census data indicate that only roughly 3000 of the 14,000 plus students are of the WHITE non-minority status. Our diversity has led to a majority of minorities but I do question the actuality of the term minority when it is so clear that there is no majority, The plethora of  populations has led to perhaps perjury persistently when accounting for the counting of the consumers of our educational consumption.

Growing up in WEST "BY GOD" VIRGINIA many people refer to us in public records as REDnecks. My father, who I am named after, retired as a TEAMSTER , a truck driver, considered by many to be a BLUE collar job. Since I am Caucasian, when you put it all together I guess, I am the ALL-AMERICAN candidate

REGISTER TO VOTE FOR "STAN for SCHOOL COMMITTEE!".

MY QUALIFICATIONS QUESTIONED

Being an immigrant from WEST VIRGINIA I am uniquely qualified to deal with the UNACCOMPANIED MINERS problem, In HIGH SCHOOL I was selected to attend a NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION COAL CHEMISTRY camp with other students from ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

Oops! Sorry it's minors, not miners. 

Blame it on the cataracts!

IT'S OFFICIAL, I MEAN IT'S IN THE PAPERS

Kennedy to make 'major announcement' April 24


I'm running. I had to start early, I'm slow. Have you seen me walk?

CAMPAIGN ON THE CHEAP

I have heard all the war stories about the expense of a political campaign. Heck, even the FINANCIAL REPORTING REGS, book they gave me when I signed up says they expect you to spend $5000. For me to spend that much, I would have to take shelter in a shelter.....

SO....

I come up with a few corners I might cut. I mean it's hard to run a grass roots campaign when you can't afford the seed. So I thought I'd toss out a few ideas and see what kind of response I get.

1). HOMEMADE SIGNS - Saves me the expense of having to pay to have ones printed up that are boring because they all look the same and you'll probably leave out too long after the election anyway.Get creative - We can post example on a FACEBOOK page. GET CREATIVE! We can expand this concept by making placards for you car, that way you can just throw them out after it's all over. Who wants to have old sticker residue on the bumper of a $40,000 car?

2). FAST FOOD FUNDRAISERS -  To keep cost contained we'll go DUTCH and being considerate of you, I'll make sure the DOLLAR menu is available. I got to love those FREE REFILLS and there's always plenty of parking available.

3). HOUSE PARTY - You can host an intimate meal that you prepare and I will not only enjoy it but I will even complement you on its preparation. Not only will I entertain and educate you on lessons learned about education but I will allow you to witness and marvel at my son's ability to eat you out of house and home. My opponents will try and deface this devouring by trying to claim that I am only  trying to get a FREE meal, Well that may be a valid assumption, I mean I do got to stretch those food stamps, I mean, a guy can only eat so much RAMEN NOODLES and generic MAC and CHEESE.

Well it's going to be a LONG campaign and I'm sure that I;ll be abke to come up with many more measures over the course of this coarse political discourse,

PROGRAM AT PICKERING TO PUSH PREPARATION

Attn 8th Grade Parents
MCAS Science Prep
Mondays 2:30-3:30
Begins April 8th
3 years of Science review.
Questions, please contact the school. Thank you.

COBBETT AND MY CANDIDCY

I tried, I really did. I figured if I put a blond wig on maybe, just maybe my e mail to LPS would SLIP through. Hey it worked in the recent COBBETT SCHOOL CAPER.

BUT ALAS,NO!

Look at what happened

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Denied again. You know this continued indefensible defense is not only OFFENSIVE, against me a defenseless POET....

WHO.....

is also now an OFFICIAL candidate for the LYNN SCHOOL COMMITTEE....

so....

this violation takes on a whole new dimension. So now that this practice has become impractical I expect to have this bogus ban banished otherwise I will instruct my team of lawyers to pull out their briefs and file in a single file a variety of motions that will put in motion a litany of litigation that you will find unbearable.

(Don't tell them I am bluffing a little bit, being a poor poet from WV, I can't even afford a TEAM of HORSES.)

Anyway, maybe someone out there that they find favor with could ascertain something that will surely entertain me.

With all of the remodeling and renovation scheduled for the summer will COBBETT see the construction of a new

GLOCK TOWER?

Surely they will go to any length (at least 9 mm) to insure the safety of the students and teachers and student-teachers from wig-wearing credit card divas who might be packing pistols in purses from another mother.

IT DOESN'T ADD UP

Classical to launch financial literacy program

This is nice but you got to wonder who should be taking and who should be teaching. We are at the precise of a summer of renovation because of an injection of FREE CASH that when we come to find out wasn't really FREE in the first place because of an oversight that led yo the underestimate of our financial obligations.

This financial miscue came after our MAYOR publicly questioned the superintendent's fiscal acuity in a public performance evaluation,  Months after her report card, our superintendent handed out double digit raises to SELECT principals, saving the biggest, a $25,000 one, for herself. All the while those at the front lines of our classroom battles saw a less than 3% raise. I guess this is how we support our troops.


STAN'S THE MAN
              for
SCHOOL COMMITTEE

WATCH what happens!

LET UP ON LOCK DOWN - COBBETT COVER-UP CONTINUED

How come other schools weren't notified of this breech of security immediately so that proper precautions could have been immediately taken. I've talked to TEACHERS who were wigged out about this lapse. Instead of credit cards being carried away what if it would have been contraband carried in.

Instead of purses being rifled through,  hand bags could have been hand guns and a catastrophe would have been automatic.

Our town could have easily been New Town.

SUMMER LOVIN

Since FORD will be closed over the summer foe a little touch-up on the COVER-UP fo the AS-, I mean tile, it seems now the plan is to temporarily for the entire summer relocate the summer school to INGALLS. It is a bit of a walk for little legs but exercise is good for the body and soul. I overheard one parent express concern about the safety of her children crossing CHESTNUT STREET but the idea of a group walk was tossed about/

There is time to develop safety strategies before summer school starts. The FORD families should feel right at home since INGALLS has a garden too.

RATS RUN AMUCK

I was at a SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL meeting at FORD SCHOOL today and I learned of a recent rodent invasion. Our council was assured the city plans to rectify the situation and we must take them at their word.

BUT.....

although I don;t believe the little vermin are outfitted with GPS devices, it would seem to me based on photographs I have seen that the same people responsible for ticketing tax paying home owners are responsible themselves for promulgation of this particular problem. In an effort to save a few bucks, $70,000 of them if I remember properly, LPS was permitted to piggyback on the city's garbage collection contract.

WHILE....

this seemed like a savings on the surface, a sacrifice of a collection time of trash removal was required. The resulting infestation was a residual. So savings at what price? This is just one more example of the incestuous relationship between ISD and LPS.

SO IT STARTS.....

Today is APRIL 1ST, a symbolic day for the start of my campaign fir LYNN SCHOOL COMMITTEE that's because no longer can I stand by and let PARENTS, no all people of LYNN be played for fools, We need to learn to be "open" about all of the issues around educating our youth.

No matter what school our child goes to or even if we have no children in our education system, we are all PARENTS of the problems that persist. We need to face facts if we are ever going to move forward. The facts aren't all bad. We do a lot of things right, but we can do better. We must do better.

I plan to run a campaign that accentuates the positive but exposes, not accepts the negatives. Until a couple of weeks ago, I was sincerely adamant about not running. I felt that I could effect more change in the background. One of the people around my Boston Street office convinced me otherwise. 

Although I do have a history of adapting to change, not all of it marital, the key in that ability is to be OPEN to all possibilities. We must objectively face the facts that we have so we can strive for the ones we want/

Right now, I'm going to need your signatures. 

Let the campaign begin!

PICKERING PEOPLE SHEDDING CLOTHES FOR A CAUSE

Pickering Voices is sponsoring a clothing drive with Project 351! Students, please bring any new or gently used clothes: infant to adult. Drop off centers will be in room 109 and room 115. The drive will run from 4/1-4/10. !! Clean out your closets !!