CROWDING CRISIS, ANOTHER THING MADE IN LYNN

Machon School, Swampscott, MA

Photo video of the Machon School (elementary), closed in 2007. 2012 C.W. Dodge, All Rights Reserved. Thanks to the Town of Swampscott for allowing me access ...

YOUTUBE.COM

An interesting comment was made:

Deb Hines This building is in really good shape and it's just sitting there! Why can't Lynn negotiate something with Swampscott, since we are in such desperate need of space. It's not that far over the Lynn line! I LOVE that building, it has such character! The library was my favorite place in that building.


It would seem to solve a lot of problems. I hear SWAMPSCOTT even elected a LPS to the CITY COUNCIL who might have a connection with someone on the school committee. Might make for easier negotiations!

KATERINA PUSHES ED REFORM

Katerina" Aikaterini for State Representative

3 hrs · Edited · 

Do you support Education Reform or the old-school system?

I had the opportunity to ask my opponents, Charlie Gallo and Brendan Crighton, 3 questions in a candidate debate forum hosted by Lynn Happens on Monday July 28, 2014 at Lynn Arts. One of the questions asked - if they are in support of education reform with Innovation Schools. The video clip highlights their answers on public education reform, theirs being strong on the old-school system.

With education reform, we can incorporate cultural and language course options needed in gateway city schools, among choices for art, music, philosophy, science, environmental, trade curriculums, et cetera.

In my summary here is a little about Innovation Schools:
In January 2010, Governor Patrick signed historic education reform legislation that gives all students and families greater access to high-quality schools. The Innovation Schools initiative, a key component of this legislation, provides educators and other stakeholders in all districts across the state with the powerful opportunity to create new "Innovation Schools," in-district and charter-like public schools that will operate with greater autonomy and flexibility with regard to curriculum, staffing, budget, schedule/calendar, professional development, and district policies. These public schools will be able to implement innovative strategies to improve student achievement while keeping school funding within districts. There are 47+ approved Innovation Schools across the commonwealth. ~ A statement from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education

www.Katerina.info

LynnHappens forum for 11th Essex District Candidates | Lynn Happens

lynnhappens.com

Read more →

LET ME HELP

Longtime Lynn educator retires — for real

Well now that DR. CRANE has made her RETIREMENT official, I too have an announcement I want to make OFFICIAL.

I WANT TO BE ON THE INTERVIEWING COMMITTEE FOR HER REPLACEMENT.

My qualifications are as follows:

--- Parent of TWO graduates of FORD
---Member of the School Improvement Council for four years
---Volunteer Librarian for one year
---Started the school newspaper
---Board member pf the HIGHLANDS COALITION (I even helped write the articles of            incorporation)
                                     AND

---Oh yeah I am the WATCH writer (Oops I probably shouldn't have told them that)

Now they may completely skip the INTERVIEW process and reassign a sitting PrinciPAL but then again not without me pointing it out.

SCHOOL NEWSPAPERS REBORN - DOLLAR DAZE III

I am sure quite a few of you out there will come up with stories of a longstanding tradition. Frankly I got to question that. When I first approached DR CRANE about starting a student newspaper at FORD both of my kids were there in the FIFTH GRADE there. They are entering the TENTH grade now. That was the year before I did my VOLUNTEER LIBRARIAN thing. The continued production of the paper there was spotty and carried on by others. It is a difficult task.

HOWEVER.....

over the years I have seen a couple schools actually restart papers and make presentations at an LSC meeting. FORD may have started the trend but never got LSC notice. Maybe because of me, "Just call me ROD,....LIGHTENING ROD". I did get a newspaper article in the ITEM at the time and my son even mugged for the camera when presenting the first edition to one of the MAYOR'S former aide.

Now I notice in this year's LPS budget, it looks like a few schools have line items for newspaper supplies that didn't exist last year. Now I am not taking credit for starting a TREND......well not COMPLETE credit.

What's next....POETRY SLAMS?

MUSTANGS GETTING READY TO SADDLE UP

Thurgood Marshall Middle School - Lynn, MA

14 mins · 

All students who were selected to be student leaders by the teachers at the end of last year should stop by school to get a permission slip. You will be meeting in the cafeteria on Thursday morning (9:00 AM) for a service project at school. You will be cutting up flash cards for our incoming 6th graders as part of the APTT program.

After the service project is done, you will be heading out to a field trip for the rest of the day for leadership training that will involve teamwork activities, games and swimming. You will need to bring along your bathing suit and towel. Lunch is included. You will be back to the school by 3:15.

Unfortunately, only students who were selected to be student leaders are invited to this activity.

I know, I know...there were a lot of good kids/students who weren't selected to be student leaders! You can become one, still, by convincing your new teachers that you are student leader material. You have to be a role model in following the DREAM and be someone with good attendance...not a lot of absences and not a lot of tardies.

So anyway...student leaders...you need a permission slip to attend. Stop by the office to get one today or tomorrow!

Meanwhile, hope everyone is enjoying your summer vacation!! We will be sending out home room assignments in a couple of weeks by the automated phone system.

WHY PASS US BY

My wife has been asking me to write about this for some time. Why does LPS have the STUDENT CHARLIE CARD pass that it does when some other cities get 7 day or monthly ones? With SATURDAY SCHOOL and various other SUMMER PROGRAMS, a better BUS PASS might increase participation!

LIL'LORI IS LOOKING AT SOME NUMBERS,BUT WHAT DOES SHE SEE

Lori D'Amico posted on Lynn School Watch's timeline"As of this month, there have been 1106 new out of country students enroll in LPS since September 2011. 

9/11-6/12: 200 new students
9/12-6/13: 302 new students
9/13-6/14: 525 new students
In the past month alone: 79 new students"

I hope she let's us know where the numbers came from. Although the main concern is classroom size - NO MATTER WHERE THEY CAME FROM. LPS'S job is to EDUCATE them anyway. Sorry if that BITES but that is the LAW. You know the SAME law that said we have to provide TRANSLATION SERVICES.

Rather than focusing on the unique problems this presents rather let's concentrate on solutions to the problems everyone agrees we have. Every problem is a new opportunity.

LET'S GET FEDERAL HELP TO BUILD NEW SCHOOLS!

IT IS THE ONLY WAY WE ARE GOING TO GET THE NEW SCHOOLS WE NEED FOR ALL OUR STUDENTS IN A TIMELY FASHION.

CALCULATED CHAOS

Left money on the table
From Title 3
Shows LPS'S money fable
Shown through the calculations of TIERNEY.

Now we must wonder
Just who we should trust.
A drunk, a Dominican, or a gambler
Whose career may soon go bust.

Since figures are known to lie
And ambitious politicians are known
Not to be camera shy
The seeds of discontent are sown.

As both sides become eager to fight
It's the children who will be lost
So that IDEOLOGUES can be right
No matter what the cost.

WORDS AND WAYS COME INTO PLAY

An Education Blog shared a link.

7 hours ago

The Massachusetts DESE received 8 charter school applications for the 2014-15 cycle; four are Commonwealth charters while the other four are Horace Mann Charters.

None of the new charters are in the Lynn area though Salem is applying to have one of their existing schools converted to a Horace Mann charter school.

8 Groups Seek to Open New Charter Schools- Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary...

www.doe.mass.edu

MALDEN - The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education this week received p

I don't believe ANYONE would mistake me for being a fan of CHARTER SCHOOLS. Although occasionally I am wrong (on very RARE occasions).

Since if LYNN is so desperate for classroom space why isn't a NEW one coming here?

NUMBERS SING THEIR OWN TUNE

So the LPS enrollment figures below indicate that the severity of our crowding crisis is dare I say "A little manufactured?".

School enrollment the past 14 years has gone from 1,000 more than current year to lowest enrollment in 2008. Enrollment as of October 1st of the given school year, LPS's enrollment is as follows. Some building use has changed but no new buildings built for over 15 years in Lynn.

00-01: 15,318
01-02: 15,247
02-03: 15,114
03-04: 14,621
04-05: 14,067
05-06: 13,955
06-07: 13,618
07-08: 13,481
08-09: 13,273
09-10: 13,373
10-11: 13,547
11-12: 13,731
12-13: 14,139
13-14: 14,378

All of you IMMIGRANTS and their NEIGHBORS I warned you WATCH out for false friends back on the BOND vote. It would seem that the current calamity has more to do with DECISONS made.Well you can't run from those decisions, you have to stand up and take responsibility for them. Believe me I am an expert on that, even with my disability, my poverty  is of my own making. The disaster that is my personal life has my fingerprints all over the scattered bomb fragments. The building closings have had consequences and what was once an easy decision has turned out to have been a hard choice.I am curious to know what was the class sizes back then and the student to teacher ratios.

So NEIGHBORS, now that your FAKE friends have forsaken you, what you gonna do? You can stage more protests but that is what they want. Instead ask questions and keep asking until you geta VIABLE answer.

In the future NEIGHBORS, I suggest you UNITE FOR A CHANGE to a friend you can

"LEAN ON."

WATCHED

4:29

Bill Withers - Lean On Me [with lyrics|
cause
"AIN'T NO SUNSHINE WHEN THERE THEY'RE GONE!
DID YOU KNOW BILL WITHERS IS FROM WV?

WHAT WAS COOKING TODAY

Lynn Cook Street Park Community Garden Kids Celebration hosted by Ford School & Highland Coalition Board/Active Community Supporters.

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NO NEED TO ACCOMPANY THIS ONE

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SUMMER READING HICO AT COOK STREET PARK

 

SUMMER STOCKING UP!

Fulfilled a lot of my HIGHLANDS COALITION obligations today but then again everything is part of the same BIG PICTURE. Luckily part-time WATCH photographer, TRIPPY was on hand to document the event at COOK STREET PARK today (i"'ll post them later after I download them). Probably about 100 people showed up to enjoy various activities.

The vast majority of the 100 were little kids, current or future FORD SCHOOL students. DR. CRANE, the principal at FORD stopped by to show her support for the community. OPERATION BOOTSTRAP'S "EARLY LITERACY:LYNN READS" program was there giving out free books to encourage the youngsters that life exists outside of video games. When one reads, they are taking responsibility for their own learning.

Some kids sang, some kids read aloud, there was even a little ZOOMBA dancing. I even saw CHOMPS from the NAVIGATORS  working on some new moves.

From there,we went up to HIGH ROCK PARK to help sell NAVIGATORS tickets for an upcoming HICO fundraiser that were packaged in a NEAT combo packet with a snazzy LIMITED EDITION FREDRICK DOUGLASS t-shirt, sure to be a collector's item, for an insane $15. 

The shirts are so special wearers have been assured they will be able to see fireworks!

HICO was there offering this deal to patrons of ARTS AFTER HOURS special production of HENRY V.

SHAKESPEARE and SUMMER go together like FLUUF-N-NUTTER.

REAL PROBLEMS, UNREAL REACTIONS

Lynn City Leaders: Conduct Unbecoming

Given the many challenges confronting the city of Lynn, from crime to homelessness, housing foreclosures and a drug epidemic, among others, it is difficult to understand the city leaders’...

ITEMLIVE.COM

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• 

  Mary Ellen Palermo I don't know if the WHOLE North Shore is! Maybe Lynn represents the House of Representatives and rest of the area different branches?

  2 mins · Unlike · 2
• 

  Gavin Mcauliffe Thank you for the clarification, the house, in DC. Sounds a lot a like!

There is no question we have space issues. Any addition regardless of where they come from is a problem. Hopefully we could parlay a willingness to accept this latest batch of incoming students into some new construction that would benefit ALL our students.

Whipping either side into a frenzy will only result in destructive actions cause guess what? They're coming anyway. No one wants to talk about the BIG picture. Both sides are just content to dig their heels in so it just festers.

RACE RESULTS FROM MARY

Race To The Top Implementation Update

The education-redesign initiative officially turns 5 years old at the end of July. Most states have secured a one-year, no-cost extension from the US Department of Education in order to finalize specific policy overhauls needed to implement proposed policy changes. Massachusetts currently has $41.8 million remaining, allocated as follows: $27 million to ongoing state initiatives, including teacher-preparation programs and professional-development systems; $7.8 million to districts for programs, including a school discipline data-tracking system; $7 million to the states executive office of education on technology-related initiatives.

SOME PLACES IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO ACCOMPANIES YOU

Peabody Essex Museum severs ties with Gordon College

SALEM ' The http://pem.org/" target="_blank">Peabody Essex...

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS

In an effort to resolve the on going crisis on incoming flow of UNACCOMPANIED MINORS some local elected officials have devised a plan for securing the border. Intermittent land mines will be placed along the banks of the Rio Grande and 50 caliber machine gun nests will be stationed every 500 yards to mow down any of those little buggers who make it through the mine field.

All that is let to do is or all those official screaming to take a stand is to sign up to take a WATCH.

HOW'S CROWDING AT KIPP?

They maitain they are a PUBLIC school. They take PUBLIC money. Well we have a PUBLIC problem (UNACCOMPANIED MINOR Swhich is being skillfully morphed into hatred against ALL immigrants) and it gets more so with every newscast.

SO, WHAT CAN KIPP DO TO HELP  WITH A PROBLEM WE ALL SHARE?

THE POWER OF POLARIZATION

http://www.wcvb.com/news/immigration-activists-try-to-enter-closeddoor-summit-at-statehouse/27136696#!blrh7X

Our Mayor is standing tall or well at least as tall as she can for Lynn. Fortunarely for her the IMMIGRATION ADVOCATE in this video made it easy for her to look good my acting like a crazed mad woman. UNFORTUNATELY for JUDY she must of been in a bad light and out of make up since. She looked red-faced as if she had just been awaken from sleeping one off.

Lynn mayor in shouting match at protest

No doubt this protestor wanted to engage in this verbal altercation but still one expects better behavior rom the person in charge of running the city. She she got elected MAYOR of the WHOLE city of Lynn not just of certain neighborhoods. By conducting herself in this way she only serves to drive a deeper wedge between the divisions. As a lawyer she know that such an outburst would have resulted in contempt charges for her as well as her opponent.

BAD BEHAVIOR DOES NOT JUSTIFY BAD BEHAVIOR!

But it will get you air time.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE?

I say send those kids back! What are they running from anyway> I heard just yesterday how the violence is going way down anyway.

WELL THEN THERE'S THIS....

• Mission group from Hamilton attacked in Guatemala, exclusive details on 7NewsMORE

FUNNY THING ABOUT FALLON - DOLLAR DAZE iii

Maybe at first this might seem a good thing. I couldn't believe it when I first saw it. If you remember pretty much the standard breakdown is 80/20 on salaries to non-salaries ratio. For LPS as a whole this year I think the breakdown even went a little heavier on the salary side....

EXCEPT.....

at FALLON where the ratio is 1000 to 5. I realize they have a special group of students. I guess these minors have plenty of company.

BIPARTISAN SUPPORT - TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE

We need to work together to find a solution1

Charlie Baker, Republican candidate Massachusetts Governor, is supporting the unaccompanied minors entering Massachusetts/US!

Why Charlie Baker Supports Deval Patrick on Border-Crossing Children

Charlie Baker came out quickly in support of Patrick's decision to let federal...

BOSTONMAGAZINE.COM

SUPRISE DISQUISE

No doubt there is a great deal of satisfaction
for the most welcome distraction

these immigrant children have presented
so no one looks how we spended.

Now they look away from the budget
and don't see how we fudge it.

The real losers stay the same
and the old winners remain.

In the end it's all kids who suffer
when reason and objectiviy doesn't provide the buffer.

TENDING THE LIVESTOCK

Stop demonizing children; full funding for Lynn schoolshttp://www.itemlive.com/opinion/stop-demonizing-children-full-funding-for-lynn-schools/article_fe603f2e-12d1-11e4-89b7-001a4bcf887a.html

These are separate issues and need to be treated as such. These few extra children did not cause the funding shortfall. The fact of the matter is they add to the revenue stream. The negative on that is there is a year lag time.

People don't be fools, this is our best opportunity to get new schools. We could leverage our willingness to accept these children as a way to arm-twist state and federal officials in to funding new building new schools.

As I stated in my appearance before the NORTH SHORE LATINO BUSINESS ASSOCIATION  with other school committee candidates concerning the upcoming BOND vote for a new MARSHALL, "We have a BILLION dollars in NEW construction on the short list for just replacement of schools. WE ARE NOT GOING TO BUILD OUR WAY OUT OF THIS PROBLEM. Do you want to pay taxes for that with a revolving series of BONDS? Not to mention the length of time it would take.".

Think of that little 12 year old Guatemalan that JEFF CROSBY talks about as a CASH COW.

What I think is hilarious in a HYPOCRITICAL sort of way is that some of those samepeople who were out front advocating for IMPROVED TRANSLATION services that COST LPS money have now jumped ship and our immigrant (who will BRING LPS money) bashing.

YES THEREIS AN OVERCROWDING PROBLEM IN LPS. But take away this last batch of kids, the problem remains.

Cut the rhetoric, get to work!

REAPING SUMMER REWARDS

Spent the morning visiting in the INTERNATIONAL GARDEN at the FORD SCHOOL Besides picking up some FREE lettuce. Also I picked some good information as well.

I was worried about the participation of the neighborhood kids in the LPS summer program since the FORD SCHOOL has been closed for TWO summers in a row for tile remediation (Yea I haven't forgot about that ASBESTOS thing). It turns out TWO busloads of kids are being taken to the COBBETT SCHOOL for the summer program.

Great News! I guess FEED THEM AND THEY WILL COME!

NOTHING BEATS LEMONADE ON A HOT DAY

NEWS FLASH!

We got more kids coming, Probably a lot of them. If we were SMART we would ask for more!

Before PEOPLE start hurling fiery cocktails through my window, hear me out. Also know I have already been called a moron today and you know how tender my feelings are. Even if we got NO MORE IMMIGRANTS we probably not be able to replace the top 4 schools already slated to enter into the MYTHICAL pipeline until after the NEXT century. By then there probably a DOZEN or so more that will be in DESPERATE STRAITS. How does anybody propose to remedy that. Local property tax owners can only finance so much.

Why not take a PROGRESSIVE and PROACTIVE stance on this issue and bargain for some BIG-TIME federal help in building NEW schools. These kids are going to grow up soon and at the current replacement rate, we will have these NEW schools or over a hundred years.

THE WORD FOR TODAY: "LEVERAGE!".

VINDICATION WITHOUT ELATION (MAYBE A LITTLE)

Charges of blatant bigotry
Have been hurled at the city's gentry.

To do so, some call absurd
Cause after all, racism is such a nasty word.

"It. just not our style
To engage in practices that profile"

Remember memories are slow to fade
Whenever you call A SPADE, A SPADE.

Hold on, I am not done with you yet.
How quicly we forget.

Where were you
When I was trying to show what was true.

In the election I finished DEAD LAST
And now some of what I warned of has come to pass.

ANOTHER SHOW FOR THE LYNN AUDITORIUM

Lynn rallies for immigrants

It was another song and dance
But your cause you did not enhance.

Change coming is very remote,
Simply you don't VOTE.

I do feel your pain
But little did you gain.

Things will stay the way they always be
If you haven't noticed "Ignorance is FREE"

WORD CRIMES

Judy is not a RACIST and
NIXON is not a CROOK,
if you thought otherwise
surely you were mistook.

Words can be misunderstood
never actually meaning
just what the average
person thinks they would.

Why do you listen
to the words that I say
when it's the truth
with which I play?

CAUGHT ON TAPE (I THINK THE CAMERA GOT ME WEARING A HAT)

Maria Carrasco - Lynn School Committee and Jesse Jaegershared a link.

City leaders concerned about placement of immigrant children in Mass.

In Lynn, activists rallied against what they perceive as an anti-immigrant...

MYFOXBOSTON.COM|BY SHARMAN SACCHETTI

MARY CAN'T MAKE IT OUT

Mary Ellen Palermo

7:41pm Jul 22

Shouldn't Lynn be getting a lot more money than Worcester and Boston according to the formula that greater percent in Lynn are poorer? Lynn is to get $5,530,334 from the federal Title 1

Title I funding per poor child, it provides more money per child as a district’s poverty rate increases, so that higher-poverty school districts get more money per poor child than lower ones do.

Background & Analysis febp.newamerica.net The Federal Education Budget Project’s background and analysis pages provide detailed information on...

WHO'S CRYING NOW? NOT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD

Yeah I went to the rally in front of city hall today all about anti-scapegoating of the immigrants.  I didn't hold no sign. It's not that I had no empathy or share their concern. I do but I refrained from any public display purely out of concerns for my SAFETY.

Now everybody knows I don't walk none too steady and I was afraid I would start laughing uncontrollably and I would fall down those stairs (I still got two litte laser surgeries on both my eyes-one each-to finally clear up my cataracts. I do have a problem with depth perception on marble).

You see those same groups they used to beat the bushes to get out the vote for the MARSHALL BOND were now claiming victim status.

We're through with you NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR. So long LYNN UNITED FOR CHANGE. Things have changed alright and we don't want you for neighbors.

What makes this priceless is the fact that the other side is going to be left paying the taxes to get that NEW school thats going to be woefully too small. See it's not REALLY a new school but rather an upgrade like on your cell phone. I mean there are a few more bells and whistles but your calling plan is the same.

STATUS OFFENDERS

You have to give them credit. By stirring up fears of an alleged sudden invasion of UNACCOMPANIED MINORS, the MAYOR and SUPERINTENDENT have successfully diverted attention from the chronic UNDERFUNDING and/or MISSPENDING of our school system.

The conversation has shifted such that now LPS is firmly entrenched in the VICTIM role. Have I not always maintained these are two extremely smart ladies? The fact is we have school buildings from TWO centuries that at the present rate are at least a CENTURY away from replacement and they want us to talk about a couple hundred kids?

The MAYOR was right to want a change in he way the STATE looks at ALLOWABLE education spending. Let's get back on that topic and stop using INNOCENT kids as POLITICAL whipping boys.

DIARY OF A DISASTER

Back in the South (surprise WV is NOT REALLY in the SOUTH. We were on the SAME side as MA in the CIVIL WAR but most people forget that) we don't have a REP as the most TOLERANT bunch. As REDNECKS we wear our prejudices on our rolled up sleeves. Heck we don't even like IMPORTED beer.

Funny though growing up I had to read a book about a little girl who didn't have any documents so she made her own. However these phony papers weren't good enough for the authorities so eventually she was put in temporary housing for processing.

It wasn't only me. They made EVERY high school student study these papers and this story the lack of tolerance for others. It turns out that little girl's voice was LOUDER and lasted LONGER than a WHOLE country.That girl's name was ANNE FRANK.

SOME OF YOU ALL MAY HAVE LOOKED OVER HER WORK.

MAYOR HAS PART IN ILLICIT AFFAIR WITH IMMIGRANTS

Lynn mayor putting ‘extra’ touch on Bulger movie

https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3853282492528197904#editor/target=post;postID=396119856340185124

I can't write poetry this good. Probably why I am so poor. Of course, I'm talking about the MAYOR having a part in a MOVIE about a "mobster" and his gang of immigrant buddies whose brother used to be what head of UMASS.

PLUS.....

Kennedy called being an extra one of the perks of being mayor with a movie shooting in the city

I am sure it is not QUID PRO QUO as HUSH MONEY for the MASS MURDER of young UNACCOMPANIED trees on MONROE STREET.

Besides with that LOW salary the MAYOR gets (Oops, I forgot she's now the highest paid around) she needs to pick up extra work to make ends meet. 

I just wonder to what ends!