The Rats Are Back And They Are In Charge!

I learned today that my next door neighbor to the library was terminated. I am in shock. As soon as that wears off I am sure I will be outraged. I have been outraged before but this takes it to a new level.

This is a travesty, a direct blow to the most needy of our students. What could be the reason? I intend to find out. Could it have been because he was not on board with the proposed addition of additional non-neighborhood kids to a proposed expanded class?

I am sure that couldn't have been it. He is an experienced teacher who has often implemented policies that he felt was not in the best interest of the students. Any group of behavior kids are difficult to handle. I know this because I previously taught and worked with this population in a residential facility. But no one knows this better than Coach K. He has taught in Compton in California during the race riots so he was definitely up to the task.

Again from behind my desk in the library at Ford, I have witnessed first-hand the positive evolution of his class of displaced behavioral students. The school administration ought to be studying his class in hopes of emulating it not removing him thus stripping these students the opportunity to transforming into productive citizens.

Shame on you Dr. Latham. I urge everyone who reads this blog to call her, all the school committee members, and the mayor to ask how this latest blow to the Lynn School System could have happened. I am not done writing but I am done for now.

Normally I would be worried about being fired for taking such an outright stand but I don't work for anybody, I just work for what is right and just.

Are Only Our Boards Smart?

Siting from behind my library desk, I have observed yet another problem. Considering we tout the purchase of all these "smart boards" as the next great white hope (excuse me, the boards are white and I thought it kind of ironic to poke fun at the outdated, irrational thinking behind their use). Instead our teachers are enslaved, chained to an overzealous security filter that prevents them from going on the most of the educational websites designed to enliven the educational experience.

I fully understand the need for security when it comes to all of the confidential matter that our school system deals with. I am technologically inept but it seems to me this problem could be solved by using two separate accounts, one for all of the confidential data and one for use in the classroom, each having different security thresholds. Another possibility would be to develop a list of allowable,secure websites that the teachers could use.

Hopefully, I am complaining about nothing and the answers to my concerns have already been addressed. But you know what? The fact that I even have them tells me that at least, the teachers are under trained and some of the educational benefits from that vaunted stimulus money is undermined.

If the questions I am raising make anybody feel uncomfortable then maybe if the real librarians had been funded, I wouldn't have been there to observe these obvious problems. Where would we be? Somebody has to be held accountable.

Unreasonable Accomodations

Sitting behind my desk at the library, I am outraged by what appears to be unlawful placement of two disabled paraprofessionals in a behavior class since the beginning of the school year. As I have said before, I am not a lawyer but I have been disabled myself for 29+ years so I know a thing or two about some of the issues surrounding the disabled worker.

I don't believe the "union contract" will give the Lynn School Department cover when the Department of Justice comes calling. Again I don't believe the legal language says "reasonable accommodation as long as the union allows it". A person's civil rights can not  bargained away.

I don't know what the answer is, if I did they would pay me more. Wait, they don't pay me at all. Working for a few years with populations with behavior problems, I know the potential to get hurt is always there. Starting with disabilities already makes the occurrence of more injuries all the more likely for either the paraprofessional or the student in their charge.

If that happens, the injuries could be severe, attorney Mihos may need reinforcements, and the school department will learn what a real budget crisis looks like.

Coming Home

What is behind the increase in behavior students? Is there an increase? I only see what I can from my vantage point in the Ford library. There is all this commotion with this game of musical chairs(really classrooms) and it looks like the NASA program may not have a place to call home.That would be tragic. Science is our future.

For some reason. it seems that Ford has become the place where other schools are placing their behavior students. Most of the kids in Ford's behavior class are coming from other schools. While I believe Coach K is an exceptional teacher, I strongly believe students do much better in their neighborhood school. I base this opinion on my own personal experience as the parent of a special needs child.

My son was in a .4, behavior class at Shoemaker for about 5 years. His tenure there culminated with the fact that they could not take him safely on a field trip to the Science Museum. In his one year at Ford in a Honors class he was able to go on a 3 day field trip to Washington, DC. Of course, there were bumps at first to his initial placement there but I view those as kind of a decompression in the readjustment to his neighborhood school.

Keeping a student has the added benefits of not having the costs for transportation, a network of familiar friends(this is especially difficult for kids with spectrum disorders), and a known environment. A person's own community is just an extension of the family. Nobody takes care of family like family.

For Good Measure?

I just have a question, Why is it that education is getting increasingly more complicated in America and our ranking against other countries keeps falling? We seem to be bent on measuring everything and we are getting tangled up in statistics.

Numbers are like the trees blocking our view of the educational landscape. Learning is more than just collecting data. Creativity applied to knowledge yields an education that does not get tangled up in itself and one that evolves into a more progressive intelligence.

Your Move

Growing in the endangered NASA dedicated classroom is the hydroponics experiment being conducted jointly with the students from the Ford School and the Highlands Coalition, Inc. The unique setup is constructed with PVC pipe and fertilized with the waste products from a fish tank. I don't know all the particulars but I do know there is a patent attorney involved. No matter what, this is a  very positive thing for the community and the students.

The significance of the experiments location is this. When the next hookup with NSA through the DLN occurs, they will be able to see the results of this collaboration between the students and community. This experiment is highly relevant to the work being carried out at the International Space Station. If the DLN was successfully move to the library, my library, the experiment would have to find an alternate home once the NASA room is converted to  regular classroom.

I don't see them following the DLN hookup. Aside from the fact there would be some space issues there, books just don't have an affinity for water. So that would mean choosing between what could be an up and coming international"growth" (I love playing with words)  industry and the ability to place say "five" more behavior students from another neighborhood. Guess which one I would choose? I wonder what logic the school administration uses for their"s?

History Lessons

Went to the Lynn English-West Lynn game this morning. It was cold. English won 22-12. A Classical graduate from 1975 was wearing a jacket from the class of 1975 screaming "Put me in coach, I'm ready to play". Two old classmates renewed their friendship once again like they have every year since they graduated twenty years ago

This rivalry has been going on for 99 years.  It represents a tradition and proof that all learning doesn't occur in the classroom and can't be measured on any standardized test. We learn most about life from living it and experiencing the relationships that develop between people and things through history. They don't have a category for these things on the MCAS. It just proves there is a difference between education and learning.

It's A Numbers Game

It has been fun poking fun at Marshall's mistakes in claiming my son has been attending this past grading period but it does beg more serious questions. Data? What kind of arithmetical manipulations could have been performed to help shape their numbers? I mean he has decent MCAS scores, is biracial, and has an IEP. I am not accusing anyone of anything but I do wonder if his presence on their attendance rolls could have skewed whatever numbers.

Hopefully this is an isolated case but I am just wondering.

NASA May Be Grounded

With all that is going wrong with Lynn Public Schools, why are going to take a chance on something that is going right? The Ford School's relationship has earned it national attention, being only one of 49 schools across the nation to earn that affiliation.

However, the school department is willing to risk that in order to expand a behavior classroom for the possibility of adding additional behavior students from other schools to this class at Ford School. I am no saying it is but the fact is that this shuffling of students would help the overall MCAS scores of the schools these kids come from.

Can I Get A Refund On My Tickets?

Being from WV, tonight's proposed meting with the mayor had me remembering one of the anthems from the syndicated show "Hee Haw", "Where Oh Where Are You Tonight? Why Did You Leave Me Here All Alone?".

If you hadn't guessed, the mayor was a no show. I never got the memo or in this case e mail that she wasn't coming. I do live next door to Ford where the meeting was so it wasn't as inconvenient as it could have been.

The reason given was that Mayor Kennedy wanted to wait until Monday to  tour Ford to observe the behavior class that is he focus of the school administration's focus. On the face, this is a valid reason and may even reflect a deep sincerity and desire to do the right thing. Let us hope so, but the fact remains she wasn't there.

The Awards Just Keep On Coming!

My son just keeps racking up awards. I told you how he was acknowledged for having perfect attendance at Marshall  over the loudspeaker. Quite a feat since he attends Pickering and never has even wen through the doors at Marshall,

My daughter relayed that fact to Dr. Cowdell that same day. Today my daughter came home with my son's perfect attendance certificate from Marshall signed by that same Dr. Cowdell. I am so proud.

Education By The Numbers

Sitting from behind my desk in the library, I have seen a mini-parade of LSC committee members (Vinnie Spirito, Maria Carrasco, and the latest, Rick Starbard). It is hard for me to believe but they didn't come to see me.

You see next to me in the library is a behavior class. Not at first would seem an ideal placement for that particular class. However, it has worked. In fact, it has been a good place especially considering the cramped quarters of the classroom. The teacher, Coach K. has masterfully used the library as a reward for good behavior and for an occasional change of environment that is so effective when dealing with that population.

Now enter the infinite wisdom of the scholars in the ivory tower also known as the administration building, they want to play a little shell game so they can potentially stuff more behavior kids from other schools into Ford. The logic of this latest attempt at micromanagement blows my mind but does not surprise me.

Because Ford has relatively higher MCAS scores it is better able to absorb the typically lower  MCAS scores that come along with these behavior students. This also has the added benefit of removing those same scores from the roster of those lower scoring schools thus inflating their overall results. Sounds like a plan to me.

As in any battle there are unintended (or so they would have us believe) victims of friendly fire. The first of these victims would be the Ford School's NASA program. In order to make room for a class is being planned to occupy the room dedicated for NASA. In that room the DLN hookup is placed along with the tables needed for practical experiments. The DLN hookup would then be placed in the library, my library, thereby putting the whole NASA affiliation in jeopardy. This affiliation is a prestigious distinction and should be trumpeted not vandalized.

There is also some class size issues at work here too. Still there is truth to the old adage, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". I don't have all the details, I'm just a volunteer librarian. There is a meeting tonight with the mayor. Members of the LSC, Dr. Latham, and members of the Highlands Coalition. Let's see who shows up.

Take One For The Team

I know when I was going to school I would have been very upset if someone would have told me I had to wear a uniform. This is America, land f the free and the right to bare arms.

Now as an older wiser parent (my kids might not agree on both points) I can see the logic. Especially since it's a different world now. Of course, parents always say that. Uniforms take away a lot of the economic issues where kids don't have to compete with the latest fashions. They do represent a seriousness in your approach to your education.

LSC member Maria Carrasco brought up this issue to the full committee. She put forth numerous accounts of the success of uniforms in other cities. Vinnie Spirito,, both an LSC member and former principal, testified to past successes in his schools.

Uniforms have been tried before in Lynn. LSC member Rick Starbard told of old English polo shirts hanging in his daughter's closet. There was then and there is now the issue of whether or not  LPS can mandate uniforms. Attorney Mihos thought that the school system couldn't a few years ago but was going to look into it to see if the statues had changed.

Various suggestions were offered like"everyone in a certain activity" were offered as a way to circumvent any legal restrictions. Attorney Mihos held his position that he didn't think the school department had the authority to mandate the wearing of uniforms bu he would do further research to be sure of his opinion.

Bullies Beware

In response to the state's demand that our schools pay serious attention to bullying, every school system was mandated to develop a Bullying Intervention Plan. The plan will be featured on the Lynn Public School's website to allow for public comment from Nov. 19th to Dec. 7th.

A lot of the credit for developing Lynn's plan goes to Dennis Thompson. From what I have learned from attending these recent LSC meetings is that we are still feeling our way on this and we are kinda waiting to get direction from the courts.

In the meantime, document, document, document.

Park It Right Here

A casualty of the parking war was my sanity when I think how much time and effort ( = money) was put into debating this issue. The only real question was the answer to the question, "Who had the right to make the decision?".

In the recent past when Bennett St. was used as the Ford Annex. Crystal Foods leased a little portion of the parking lot which they had fenced off and used for parking. In return they paid the $1000 a year in taxes for the property taxes. Good deal for us and it saved them the hassle of finding the change to feed the meters.

Crystal Foods was bought out by Seacrest and they want to continue the arrangement. Seems like a no brainer.

No brains is the operative phrase. LSC member Donna Coppola raises her concern that since the LSC already paid $29,000 (that's right 29 with a K) for a study to determine if the Bennett St. location was a suitable place for the relocation of the school department offices and if that happened would there be adequate parking.

She was assured that there was going to be enough parking. Both Dr. Latham and Mayor Kennedy said that they had physically walked over the land. The lease was to be worded in such a way that if the LSC ever needed use of the land then the leased land would revert back to the committee. Just think, if we all could be lawyers life would be so simple.

What I want to know, "Who thought it was a good idea to spend that amount of money on such a study?" I know it is a serious move and does require some serious thought. But there are some pretty educated people running the school department who probably could have analyzed the situation and not had to rely on outside brain power to come up with what should have been a foregone conclusion.

The $29,000 could have been used to buy library books.

Do You Reap What You Sow?

With all the talk about rats and fences we have lost what is important about the gardens at Ingalls and Ford. I was looking over an Indian Proverb:

All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today.

Maybe if everyone reads that advice and reflects on the wisdom  inherent in it, then maybe there won't be so much animosity and hatred. I know it's probably wishful thinking but I want you to ask yourself what you are planting.

The Power Of Words

As I survey the books in the library at Ford I notice what seems to be a pretty nice selection of poetry books. Shel Silverstein has probably been most popular among the students this year. He is a great author.

I can't say that I was interested in poetry when I was in elementary school. I though that stuff was just too hard to understand or outright silly. Give me biographies of sports stars. After all I was sure I was going to be a professional baseball player.

Then life got in the way of my dreams and I discovered while I was good, I just wasn't that good. Especially when you add in all of the injuries I had along the way. Some minor, some not so minor.

Later in life I discovered the purpose and power of poetry.Poetry gives one a chance to exercise language, paint a picture with words, or create a song with words.  The art of persuasion owes its lifeblood to the syntax of the syllable.

I wish that I had experienced the beauty of the written word at such a young age. That is why I fought (unsuccessfully) for the funding of the libraries with real certified librarians. My commitment to serve as a volunteer librarian is an attempt hold a flashlight to illuminate the way for our kids until the school department flips on the overhead lights by restoring funding and I can go back to being a parent.

A Classic Strategy For The Rams

I want to take a break a minute from all the rat, garden, and parking chatter to talk about something else. Something that kind of slid under the radar at the LSC meeting. That something was about the continuing of the accreditation of Classical High School by the NEASC.

Am I missing something or is this a big deal? If I understand this problem correctly, a future graduating class may receive somewhat worthless diplomas. Dr. Latham declined to go into further specifics, preferring to wait to hear more about what they are going to demand we comply with. She said she hoped they would be understanding since things are tight fiscally.

Tight, whoa! What happened to all the grant money? I know that there are strings to all that "free" money but now we are all tied up with the bonds of ignorance. Anyway, it seems to me that the strategy is to do bad so we can get more grant money.

Someone please educate me on this.

Dismantling Our Future

I got notice through the Highlands Coalition that there is a movement by the school department to cripple (And I know a thing or two about being crippled - sorry that was a politically insensitive remark but it was kind of funny).

The plan as I understand would take the DLN hookup out of the special classroom and place it in the library so the NASA classes could happen in there. Wait a minute, the library is my turf. I've spent a half day in there every day so that these kids can have access to library books.

I volunteer and I am not a paid employee so I guess it's not really MY library but I do feel kind of territorial. It's not me they are trying to trespass on anyway, it is the rights of the students to have the best education available. There are only 49 NASA schools in the country and Ford is one of them. We all should be proud of this and no be putting further blemishes on our educational sanity.

Here's where the Highlands piece comes in. Also planned is some other rearrangement of' our aqua phonics lab. There are plenty of progressive and innovative things going on here. Our kid's, our planet's future is at stake here. Why should we sacrifice both for by some accounts is a personal vendetta against Ford School.

First the agreement for the Innovative School that ended up going to a former Ford school vice-principal in Revere,then the closing of the Annex and the killing of every K-8 proposal. I know I'm leaving something out but like I said I am not a school employee and I don't have the security clearance to view top secret documents.

So from the e mail I got I guess there is a meeting with the mayor and school committee people will be invited. On the invitation list were the superintendent and her deputy. I hope everybody shows this Tue. night at 6 pm. I know I'll be there with bells on. Since I am from WV, it'll probably be a cow bell.

And The Award Goes To....

I am so proud. My kids both got their report cards today, nothing less than a B+. More than that my daughter told me that both her and my son were recognized for perfect attendance at Marshall, no tardies, no absences.

My chest was about to explode when my daughter reminded me that her brother goes to Pickering and never had one hour of class at Marshall. Why does she have to be a details person?

Obviously somebody in the administration isn't. It doesn't make me to comfortable thinking these people are planning our education curriculum.

Our Waste Is Getting Better Management, There's Hope For Our Budget

Despite all the attention the rats and the garden got, there were other things discussed at the Nov. 17th meeting. Since I have been attending the meetings of the LSC I don't remember seeing a printed agenda for a (building & grounds) subcommittee meeting. I don't know whether to thank the garden people or the rat people.

In a related story, the LSC chose to go with another vendor for waste removal. Their lease with North Side was up (We had been paying month to month since it ended). If the lease had been renewed with them it would have been for a three year term.

In what seems like a no brainier, it was decided to go with Waste Management, the city's vendor. The Lynn School Department will be able to buy into the city's lease and get a $61,000 savings. I believe the credit goes to Kevin McHugh, the finance officer for this discovery.n

Hopefully with this added savings we can buy some textbooks for a certain special ed. class in a certain school.

Rats Are Still Raining Down!

Yesterday LSW got the most hits ever. Yea! I send the mayor, the superintendent, and the Secretary to the School Committee copies when I think that what I write rises to the level of what I think, as a concerned parent warrants their attention

Such was the case yesterday when my daughter discovered a dead rat on the lawn at Marshall. I got a little enjoyment poking fun at some of decisions about how to handle the rodent problem at Ingalls School's garden.  To my surprise my daughter saw the same dead rat in the same location this morning.

Am I wrong or should someone from the school should have went out in the yard and picked it up? Maybe this was another message from the anti-garden people.

A Path To Tomorrow

Taking a momentary breather from all of the depressing things that are happening in our schools, I would like to talk a little about one of the positives going on right now in the city of Lynn right now.

My kids aree ambassadors from Ford to the Public Policy Institute at North Shore Community College's Lynn Youth Leadership Initiative. Students from Marshall, English join other students from other middle and high schools as well as various community organizations like the YMCA and Girls Inc. to gain experience in civic and governance processes.

Besides gaining knowledge and experience, the participants also get a little stipend. How cool is that?

Maybe The Lights Will Keep The Rats Away

The letter to the editor in today's Item exposing the charter school funding  was very illuminating. I am glad some people are seeing the charter school financing for what it is.

A Scene From Out Of The "Godfather".

Beware the people of Lynn, we are in the middle of a mob war. Fresh off their victory at the LSC meeting last night in making the city of Lynn agree to spend money on ineffective detergents, the anti-garden gang sent a message by dumping a dead rat on Marshall's lawn..

My daughter was traumatized by this sighting. Maybe it wasn't gang related. It surely wasn't garden related. Still since the mayor has set a precedent by bowing to irrational bullies, I am going to demand that the city build a fence all around Marshall to prevent future invasions. While they are at it, they should build a fenced walkway all the way from my house to Marshall.

Sorry to waste any more time on this issue, but it is not about the rats. It's about the money. Where is it coming from and why it goes where it goes.

It's Raining Rodents!

Just a quick note this morning before I go to the library.  It seems that gardens aren't the only place rats frequent. My daughter as she was going to Marshall Middle School this morning she found a dead rat on the front lawn. I have pictures.

It seems that the garden is not the only place with a rodent problem. I'll talk later about the lease that was renewed again.

Show Me The Money Before The Turkey Or Anything Else Gets Stuffed

It's almost Thanksgiving. I really want to be grateful for all the grant money that flowed into the Lynn Public Schools, just after the budget was finished. We were so blessed.

Unfortunately I have not seen where any of that money has went. Our classrooms are overcrowded, our libraries mostly remain empty, and our mayor publicly trashes the education system she heads while singing the praises of a private school that drains public funds from that same system she heads. I have always had the utmost respect for Mayor Kennedy's pragmatic sense, maybe she is just keeping her options open if this mayor thing doesn't pan out.

The LSC meeting tonight will be hectic. The Food Project people will be there in force. The anti-garden people will be there to press their point. To be fair and balanced, the gangs need to show up to give their perspective.

I hope someone who sits in front of a microphone realizes the real reason we all should be there and demands some fiscal accountability for the education of our kids.

I'll be there if anyone wants to talk.

No One Loves Me, I Think I'll Eat The Worms From The Groundbreaking

Everyone is all fired up about rats and parking spaces for food trucks, KIPP just slid in there and broke ground under the smoke screen of less important issues.

You think that since I have been blogging since July pretty heavy on education issue in the city and I am Secretary of the Highlands Coalition, Inc. that I would have gotten an invitation to the ceremony, With my cane, I take quite a dashing photo. At least that's what my mom says.

Maybe I wasn't invited because no one had my phone number. Well Mayor Kennedy should have it but if she lost it, I'm sure she had my e mail address from the scores of emails I've sent her just like the copy of this blog posting I am sending her.

Okay, maybe it was because I have come out publicly against charter schools. Well like I said in an earlier post, I do have a history of changing my mind, reference the four marriages.

I would change my views if  my concerns were addressed and an open an honest debate could show me the error of my ways. My concerns are two-fold.Mainly I don't like the funding mechanism. The public coffers are raped for the benefit of the private backers or investors. We are given the illusion of random selection and equal opportunity. I just want to remind everyone of a quote from George Orwell's "Animal Farm" -"We all are created equal, just some are more equal than others".

Less of a concern is the length of individual class time. Kids just don't have that long of an attention span. No one does. That is why we have music videos and not music documentaries.

My feelings are hurt no one asked me to the dance, but some one could hum me a tune.

Why Do We Let The Rats Continue To Run Our Educational Agenda?

This issue just will not die. If you want to move the farm at Ingalls someone better tell the rats. Move the vegetables and the rats will stay there. No one wins but our children lose. Build the fence. Move on.

No Matter What, The Rats Win

Let's get back ro the business of education. That's where our focus should be. Because of yesterday's letter to the editor in the Item our vision has gotten blurry again. Compromise and move on.

Give Ingalls lights, fences and surveillance cameras and let Seacrest park their trucks but make them agree to do something with the kids at LVTI. Let's get back to work on education.

If You Can't Stand The Heat

Help me out here. Maybe I am not thinking too clear because I spent a couple hours in a sweat box that used  to be the Ford School library. Being a volunteer, I am not privy to the operations manual, but I do hear things in the hall in between gasps for breaths.

Coming to my rescue was a teacher who turned on a big fan,one of those big tall ones like they have in old hospitals. This was after the janitor opened up the windows. One of the things I heard was it was 110 degrees. I am sure it wasn't that hot but thee heat probably made them hallucinate too.

For some reason they are having trouble regulating the heat and don't seem to have ready access to the thermostat. Like I said, I don't have all the details but with the growing cost of heat and the shrinking budget, someone should.

The Price We Pay

Our superintendent wants to be thrifty with all that money we got or are getting from the state and the feds "Race To The Top" money. To be honest, it's really hard to discern anything from the outside.

All I know is that the class sizes are too large, indoors is at best questionable environmentally - ie., air quality from mold, and there are classes either without textbooks or outdated ones. All yeah I forgot the libraries.
If elementary schools are lucky enough to have them, they are closed except for thee two Level 4 schools and Ford where I volunteer.

I know all grant money comes with strings and that the "Race To The Top" money can't be used for salaries. Still where is this money going? The holidays are coming and when there over we are not far away from next year's budget battle. How can things get any better in the future if we are not doing anything now?

Oh, I'm sorry we are doing something, we are arguing about rats, gardens, and parking places. I'm sorry, what was I thinking? I don't about you but I am more interested in the education of our kids, not the least of which are my own.

I know the LSC meeting Wed. night will be chocked full of garden supporters and there will be debate about who's right it is to allow Seacrest to park their trucks at Bennett St. Admittedly I have had fun with these two relatively insignificant issues.

I say relatively insignificant because our future is at stake and we need some accountability going forward about where all of this money is going. It's all about our kids.

The Bus Does Not Stop Here Anymore

My son is now walking to school at Pickering. That should save the city between 2 and 20 thousand a year depending on who you ask. I tend to put more faith in the lower figure since it came from the transportation dept. and not some councilman looking for political gain. Either way I'm not getting a check.

Rat Reversal

I have heard that the rats have lost an ally. I have been told that Councilman Trahant has seen the light (or counted the votes) and no longer believes the garden at Ingalls is causing the rat problem. I really don't know, he didn't call me up to tell me. All I know is that the Food Project people are gearing up for Wed. night;s meeting and every time I mention rats I get mad hits on my blog.

So maybe if I say them three times fast the traffic will blow up the server. RATS,RATS,RATS.

An Age Old Problem

Last month at the LSC meeting there was talk of raising the maximum age for School Admission. At issue is the fact that we are getting more and more new students high school age who don't know English, There is just not enough time for them to become fluent enough in English before they graduate.

It is easy to take a conservative hard line. This is America, it's not our problem if they can't speak English. It's not our problem if they can't meet our standards. Love it or Leave It.

I don't know about you but I live in the real world. We have to live with the consequences of our decisions. Education does not have age limits. We need solutions not rhetoric. After all, there are only so many fast food jobs. Being uneducated makes one ripe for exploitation.

Working Vacations In The Middle Of The Year

The LSC was happy at the last meeting to get a chance to approve school field trips before they actually happened. This has been the exception and not the rule. The LSC turned into a travel agency for a night.

First on the itinerary was a Drill Competition for the English High MCJROTC in Union, NJ. This is coming up on Nov. 19-20. They should get a medal for going to Jersey. I just hope they don't come back fist pumping.

English High Drill Team invades a different place in Jersey Feb. 18-19. Their willingness to go to these places explains why they have been national qualifiers for eight years. We should have our own reality TV show.

The las field trip approved brought groans of envy from the LSC. It was a senior class field trip by the LVTI seniors at the Honors Haven Resort in Ellenville, NY on Feb. 21-23,2011. There are some seminars, focus groups and the like on the agenda but socialization is up there on the priority list. Do you remember your senior year? Hey, at least it's not in Jersey.

Comedy Night At The LSC

The next meeting of the LSC will showcase a ironic battle of the rats. In one corner we have tomato tossing, lettuce eating rodents of the Ingalls School garden trying to remain undefeated by having their lease renewed versus the Lynn City Council and the Seacrest boys at Bennett Street looking to sneak in a new place to park.

It should be quite the night. Really I can't make this stuff up!

http://itemlive.com/articles/2010/11/12/updates/doc4cdda6de466df871354813.txt

My Future So Bright, I Think I Need Shades, Not Books

You can start by throwing he book at them, the textbook. I hear there are  some classes without ELA texts. How do we expect teachers to do their jobs without all the necessary tools. More than that, what can you hope for the unfortunate students?

I know, the plan must be to intentionally lower the MCAS score so we can get more money from the state and the feds. That way we can justify more specialists and consultants. I mean the  kids will have to suffer a little bit but they have their whole lives to get over it. Look at the bright side,oh yeah, there is no bright side.

Before You Sign On The Dotted Line

Someone please educate me. I have made it clear I am not in favor of charter schools. I have a lot of reasons that I'll go into later  if anyone cares. But, I could be wrong. After ll, I'm in my fourth marriage so I have a track record of being wrong.

If charter schools are so great and they have the best interest of the students in mind, why doesn't KIPP jump at the chance to locate at the Bennett St. location? I mean they could be up and running in no time. Why didn't the city make a more attractive offer, any offer? Our elected officials are supposed to be looking out for us, right?

Are they looking out to profit our students or themselves? Like they say on TV - "You Be The Judge."

The Rats Are The First Ones To Flee The Ship!

With all the talk of rats and parking spaces, you can hardly see the state of education in Lynn through all the smoky haze of the back rooms. Not only is the vision of where we are going educationally, you have a hard time seeing the kids.

Currently there are 5 audits by the Dept. of Education going on at the schools around town. At the last LSC meeting it was assured these are just standard information collecting audits but with about as many civil lawsuits going on, can we be sure?

Are There Rats In City Hall?

Whenever a person is sick, they take medicine. That is what the doctor orders, so we do it. Education is the medicine for all our economy's ills. No one pays you for being dumb.


Consequently it boggles my mind why our local politicians can't see the forest for the trees. As evidence of their continuing vision problem I offer up this latest story:

http://www.itemlive.com/articles/2010/11/10/news/news03.txt

I personally have sat in on a meeting last spring where Mayor Kennedy shared her vision for he school department's  administration's offices to be under one roof. The Bennett St. location was to be that roof. Currently the special education department is across town, out from the direct supervision of Dr. Latham. I am not saying she is unaware of what the special ed, people are up to but they are not across the hall
either.

I have heard rumors that Dr. Latham is resistant to the relocation. Now they taught me in school not to put much store in rumors. The fact remains though, I've seen no U-haul trucks yet and Dr. Latham still gets her mail at the same place. Who is boss here?

This vision was the reason given why the Bennett St. location why the city was not a viable place for the placement of the KIPP School. Instead KIPP is allowed to build on possibly the most prime piece of real estate in the city. Maybe they wouldn't have wanted the Bennett St. site but an attractive package could have been put together.

Enter Lynn City Councilman Phelan and Seacrest, Foods. Now the rats in Lynn may have the opportunity to feast on gourmet foods. I guess that will solve the problems at the Ingalls garden. Why would rats want to eat vegetables when they can eat fancy food?

Aiming For The Wrong Target

Some of Lynn's  middle school students were fortunate enough to hear Louis Gossett, Jr.'s inspiring and educational lecture yesterday. It seems like there is nothing bad to say about this.

Mr. Gossett's sincerity is beyond reproach. The problem that I have is that we didn't get the maximum benefit out of this event. The target audience of middle school kids makes for good copy and better photo ops but unfortunately according to most research the majority of a kids personality and values are set by age 12.

Does that mean yesterday's program was a waste of time? Of course not. I am just saying that it should have been set up to have the kids it could have helped the most in the audience.

Elementary kids probably wouldn't have been much more ignorant about Mr. Gossett's incredible achievements than middle school children. I still remember his line from "An Officer And A Gentlemen", "Texas, The Only thing they raise in Texas is steers and ...".

I am sure he would remind us all that is an example of how not to act.

Can I Have Your Autograph?

My son is joining some TV news program at Pickering. I don't know much about it YET but I promise you I will, Anyway he is excited about it.

This sounds like a great thing. It will give the kids a chance to be a mini-celebrity. It Something should be in every middle school.

Drewiez Students Learn To Build A Better Mouse Trap

Volunteer engineers from GE help to make science more interesting by helping
 the kids gain some hands on experience. It's always better when you can see with your hands.

http://www.itemlive.com/articles/2010/11/05/news/news03.txt

The Last Rat Story - For A While

At the Buildings and Grounds subcommittee meeting that took place before the regular LSC meeting, there was so much testimony bout the rats that time constraints forced the normal open-mike period scheduled before the beginning of the meeting had to be cancelled.

Each side was given opportunity to have representatives appear before the committee to try and convince the committee to follow their line of reasoning. The magic of the Internet gives everyone the confidence to advocate as a self-proclaimed expert.

The anti-garden crowd trotted out heavy hitters, Councilmen Trahant and Cyr who expressed deep regret at now having reached the conclusion that even though they had initially supported the garden now they felt it had to go. I wonder since they were now so convinced it was the main source of the rat problem why did they ever support it in the first place. Didn't they do any research on rats and gardens before? I am sure their change of heart had more to do with phone calls than science.

Another neighbor gave a long winded soliloquy about the destructive activity of the local rat population. While it was short on actual scientific substance it did have a disturbing visual, a description of little pink rat babies - nasty.

The Food Project had their people testify too, but in the interest of wrapping the meeting up, one of the alumni who had actually worked in the garden didn't get to testify. Of course this led to claims from some of The Food Project crowd that they weren't given equal time. I don't know of any official count but I would say that they had the largest crowd.

Once the Buildings and Grounds subcommittee meeting was over most of the crowd went out in the hall to wait for the regular meeting. Being the politician that she is, Mayor Kennedy plunged into the crowd and came out with a compromise. The alumnus would be allowed to have his say before
the regular meeting

So, he did

Keeping A Head Of The Game

A big discussion on concussions as it relates to sports last Thur. night in the Athletic subcommittee held before the regular LSC meeting. The MIAA regs were read as they pertain to concussions. Basically if you lose consciousness you are banned from any activity until you have a doctor's clearance to play.

Every year the football helmets are sent back to the manufacturer for reconditioning. Usually about ten helmets are not returned because they are not able to meet the specs.

Speaking from personal experience, you can never be too cautious with a head injury. Small injuries can have big consequences. Your life can be altered in so many ways.

Rental Fees - Need To RegulateThe Irregularities

The rats in Lynn get to use the school facilities for free but everybody else has to rent the facilities. LSC member Donna Coppola was concerned because she had reports of some out of town groups getting a cheaper rate than our own local groups.

As it turned out this was only a one time mistake blamed on the overwhelming task of managing the administration of the rental schedule. In the past the job had a regular full time position to handle the job. Because of budget cuts the task has been shifted to a part time position to a person already with other duties.

To make matters worse there is no set standards to help insure that everything always remains the same. According to LSC Secretary Tom Iaribbino, in the past groups had just been charged enough to cover the janitors salary. Lately, a charge to cover the gas and electricity have been added.

Because we live in a litigious society, LSC member John Ford asked if there was some assurance that groups had adequate liability coverage. He was assured that the present online scheduling system prompts the user to provide proof of liability coverage.

Rick Starbard echoed the rest of the LSC's call for a set standard for all rental fees. It was agreed that one would be produced. We await further developments.

If Rats Could Read

The rats have been very, very good to me. LSW has been getting a lot of hits lately and the traffic can't all be from my mother.

One commenter to my blog has even given me undeserved credit for having contributed for Highlights magazine. I just wish he wouldn't lavish so much praise on me and instead put forth some of his accomplishments.

If the rats could read some of the garbage he and some of the misinformed readers of the Item spew out they would do a little rat dance and celebrate. Closing down the garden would guarantee  a new open place to serve as a depository for all kinds of new trash, providing an excellent dining atmosphere. The rats will have to wait in line to get a seat.

Maybe Councilmen Trahant and Cyr can get new jobs as waiters.

A Garden of Verses Or Was That Curses

Now a story about Lynn Public Schools' other garden, the rat-free one at Ford. David Gass, co-chair of The Highlands Coalition, Inc., was asked to appear before the LSC.

Gass was about to testify about the plan for the construction of a greenhouse at the garden. It seemed to me Gass was about to describe a major project with plastic everywhere. After hearing this LSC member Donna Coppola motioned that the matter be tabled until Dr. Crane was present.

I am sure David was disappointed about the delay in the decision but to be honest he overcomplicated the production. In fact the greenhouse appears to me that this proposed greenhouse is not much more than a series of umbrellas.

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors Or They Want Us To Believe

One of the proposals put forth by Mayor Kennedy to help alleviate the rat problem is the construction of a fence. After all, they don't have a rat problem at Ford and they have a fence. The fence they have at Ford is a wrought iron fence with spaces in between bars that would prevent only the fattest, most overweight rats.

Besides wasting the taxpayer's money, the fence not only would provide Mayor Kennedy some political cover it would allow Councilmen Cyr and Trahant to play both sides of  it, appeasing a wider range of their constituents.

Both councilmen are on record as having supported it in the past but now reluctantly, coming to the conclusion that it must be closed down. People should be allowed to change their opinions, even elected officials.

However are we to believe that these councilmen who portrayed themselves as champions of these poor homeowners who are victims of this vermin onslaught did not know that even if they could have forced a vote to end the lease that night he garden would have continued to exist for 90 more days. In 90 days there will probably be two feet of snow on the ground and the rat problem solved.

By then, a "new fence to nowhere" might have been constructed and Councilmen Trahant and Cyr could stand on both sides of it.

Athletics To Adopt Six Day Schedule

Well it's time to take a break from the rat story. It's not from lack of bait, it's just there was so much other important info that was covered at the LSC meeting.

One of those items was that there will no longer be any athletic activities scheduled on Sunday. It was the unanimous belief that we adhere to a six day schedule. LSC member Rick Starbard pointed out the body needs a day of rest to recover. John Ford agreed but pointed out the need to grandfather in previously scheduled events.

The final policy also allowed for the exception of when weather makes it necessary to add the day to schedule he event. This seems to be a rare exception and not the rule.

It was good to write about something other than rats. I admit, it was creeping me out.

Rats Can Be Model Citizens

We all could learn something from the supposed rats at Ingalls. According to self-proclaimed "gang-expert" and neighbor, Marguerite Pueleo these rats are willing to share their turf with "Bloods", "Crips", and other rival gangs.

I don't profess to have Ms. Pueleo's expertise on identifying patterns of gang behavior, after all I am just a poor old country boy from WV but I didn't know such rivals could peacefully co-exist with such harmony in one place. These rats sure are giving us an education. Thanks to Ms. Pueleo for pointing this out for us.

But I've Got The Papers To Prove It!

One of the arguments brought against the garden at Ingalls brought against the farm was that disreputable people were working in the fields and other illegalities were occurring. To prove this  papers were being waved around to try and convince  members of the LSC that their complaints were legitimate.

Unfortunately this proves nothing. I have learned you can say anything you want but it doesn't make it true. A lot of papers get produced in court but they don't really mean much unless a judge's signature is on the bottom of the page.

After all Kleenex tissues are somebody's paperwork.

Another Rat Story?

If you are reading this you took the bait. Actually I want to take a break from that disgustingg story to talk about "Innovative Schools". In the northeast here we are supposed to be on the cutting edge of education. Here is a story from my old hometown, Clarksburg, WV, population around 17,000.

http://www.cpubco.com/articles/2010/10/29/news/02.txt



For all the talk about the back woods culture, my old county is looking at two new Innovation School proposals.

Who's backward now?

Let's Solve Our Own Problems

Considering the fact that we had a log and contentious LSC meeting Thursday night with real concerns about rats, gangs, and gangs of rats at Ingalls School why is the Item choosing to run a story about another city and  whether or not certain relationships between teachers and students are appropriate? Is this a diversionary tactic? Is someone feeling heat

Halloween Comes Early!

I spent the morning scaring the kids at Ford School as the mad, zombie, “volunteer” librarian. But they were not as scare as I was at the LSC meeting last night.

The real scary thing was  Lynn City Councilmen Trahant and Cyr believe that the primary reason for the rat infestation in their neighborhoods was the garden at Ingalls School.

The thought that these men help run our city’s government is truly frightening. Refusing to use reasonable thought and scientific data in reaching their conclusions calls into question their judgment.

Luckily LSC member John Ford beat back hordes of vermin keeping them away from the garden at Ingalls, Armed with photographs and a report from Boston Inspectional Services showing the true cause of the rodent explosion, uncovered trash cans, litter, and just plain garbage.

Fortunately for the kids and all of the social benefits provided through The Food Project, the LSC
was not fooled by the faulty, inflammatory logic of the some of the adjoining neighbors.

In order to give these homeowners some degree of respect, LSC member Maria Carrasco did ask that more investigation be done. I hope this works but I will let you know something I have learned from my numerous appearances in probate court, “You can’t reason with unreasonable people”.

Christmas Comes Early

The Food Project will be out in force at tonight's LSC meeting. Actually the fireworks are scheduled to start before the regular meeting at the subcommittee meeting before the meeting. The FP wants to get their lease renewed for their garden at Ingalls School (Don't you just love that name, it makes me think of Santa Claus).

I Smell A Rat!

Rumor has it  that there is concern that part of the "rat" problem at Ingalls School is due to the location of a garden on the land leased to the Food Project. Since my daughter walks by Ingalls everyday on her way to Marshall, I called the school Monday to investigate. I asked for the principal who wasn't immediately available cause she as off doing principal stuff. I mentioned to the secretary the nature of the call was that I understood they had a rat problem. She vigorously denied it and demanded to know who told me. Not willing to answer her inquiries, I figured I'd let it die and address it if it came up in tomorrow night's LSC meeting.

I did try and warn David Gass, co-chair of the Highlands Coalition, Inc., since we have the International Garden at Ford School. David adamantly stressed that the problem was no rats at all but vandalism from the local youth. Then he proceeded to try and school me on how rats are not attracted to vegetables. I thanked him for the education but I reminded him that I grew up in WV. I had a little experience with gardens. I've even helped make haystacks but that's another story.

I was at a MBTA committee meeting in Boston this afternoon when I started getting a flood of e mails confirming my suspiscions. So I thought I would address this now instead of waiting for the LSC meeting.

In reality, David is right vegetables don't attract rats. Maybe if they had a bunny infestation at Ingalls they would have an argument We don't have his problem at Ford's garden. Part of the credit goes to the Highland Coalition's efforts to place white trash buckets affixed to the telephone poles all along Rockaway St. All of this confusion could have been avoided if Ingalls had a fully stocked and staff library. Then the kids could read E. B.White's classic, "Charlotte's Web" and see the the rat goes to the trash and not the garden.

Anyway I'll be at the meeting tomorrow.

Standing Room Only, Almost

Right next door to the library where I volunteer as Ford School's librarian sits a class of Special Ed kids  of 5 or 6 crammed into a room that in better days probably served as a storage room. Given the nature of any kid, let alone an individual who needs more individualized instruction, this is a recipe for disaster.

I feel guilty I have not wrote about it before but there is just so much. Luckily I got to see Jessica McLaughlin,the Supervisor of Special Ed., dropped by the class to observe.

We didn't talk about her plans for the class because I'm just a volunteer librarian, we talked about how well my son is doing at Pickering. Anyway I have to give credit to Jessica for being out in front o this issue. Let's just hope she and the rest of the professionals come up with a plan to help.

Dance The Night Away!

My daughter just had her first dance at Marshall. How dare she grow up! Next thing you know I  will going to graduations and signing up for shuffleboard tournaments. Where does the time go?

But I digress, please excuse me. Actually the dance is a good idea. It gives are kids something fun to do and it builds good memories revolving around our schools. I mean we own the buildings 24 hours a day so why not maximize our utilization.

Now I am not naive enough to think some bad things never happen at these events but we are more likely to promote positive behavior in these supervised settings than if we leave the recreation planning to whomever is hanging out on the street corner.

We need more scheduled activities for our kids and the schools should be at the center of it. After all, isn't there a federal mandate insisting that our schools have a greater responsibility in our kid's lives.

Marshall deserves props for this.

Pride In Your School Begins With Pride In Yourself

Pride In Your School Begins With Pride In Yourself


I was coming back from the mall this afternoon and my daughter voiced a concern that really started me thinking.Her complaint was that her school, Marshall Middle School, has no chorus, drama club, or other creative outlet.

Perhaps she is wrong. I doubt it because she doesn't miss a chance to be the center of attention. Guess what? EVERY kid needs to have a chance to be the center of attention. The creative arts provide the opportunity for every one involved to build on their self esteem. Feelings of self-worth insulate our children from maladaptive behaviors.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow You'll Find Gold

I was in the cafeteria at Lynn English last night at my daughter's cheerleading practice looking up and what did I see? Hanging from the beams in the ceilings were flags from country's all over the world.

My heart was warmed by this overt attempt to instill pride in the student's identity.  At the same time, having a wide variety helps reinforce the idea that we can all peacefully coexist. A rainbow is a beautiful thing and a sign that there is a pot of gold waiting if we just follow it to the end.

That just makes it all the more confusing to me that I have received no response to my suggestion of having the students at Ford School paint wooden plaques or signs or whatever, then have the students in the carpentry class at Lynn Tech place them under the windows facing the International Garden at Ford. It would be a great art project for the students, the Tech kids would get to contribute to a positive project, and a sense of pride would be built with very little construction costs.

It would be a small price to pay for all that self worth. There is your gold..

Now Serving Your Increasing Waist Size

Unfortunately the numbers add up. With close to 90% of our students on free or reduced lunch and over a third of them considered obese, the Lynn School system has a large degree of responsibility for this problem.

Since usually both breakfast and lunch are provided this accounts for a major portion of the food ingested. The prepackaged fare that is provided contributes significantly to this problem. Doesn't anybody cook anymore. All of the chemicals and additives are just preserving our problems.

We need to start cooking and also serve up some tasty education. The Healthy Harvest Festival at the Ford School last week was a good start.

We Need "Terrific Kids"!

As I have stated before, self esteem is a very imortat trait to build character trait to build in our students. It gives them the strength necessary to defend themselves against peer pressure and external influences. Failure to have self esteem for the RIGHT reasons can lead to a further deterioration of our society.

When I was in West Virginia about seventeen years ago and working at the Elkins Mountain School and a member of Kiwanas, I implemented their "Terrific Kids" program at that school. It had never been implemented in a similar setting before. EMS was a behavioral treatment center for adolescent boys, ages 13-17. Because of the age and setting, it required a little tweaking but it was a success.

I don't know if the program still exists but it would be worth exploring. Not only would it involve getting community leaders cooperating with our school system, the cost would be minimal. The returns - PRICELESS!

Total Recall

Thursday night my daughter's East Lynn Pop Warner Cheerleading squad performed with squads at a pep rally. It was held in the gym of East Lynn High School. There was lots of cheering, music, and lots of excitement. People should be able to have schools at the center of their fondest memories.

Luckily Thursday night's LSC meeting was cancelled so I didn't have to miss either.

Come To The Early Show

Got to watch a Museum of Science presentation at the Ford School today. It was a great thing to see the kids get so excited about science. The presenter did an excellent job of getting the kids interested in electromagnetism. I think he had another session with other kids but I could only sit through one. I had library things to do you know. Most of tomorrow's jobs will be in the sciences, so it's good to start early exposing to the concepts.

Heathy Bodies Mean Healthy Minds!

Last night at the Ford School there was a cornucopia of excitement with the symbiotic pairing of a parent-teacher night with the Highlands Coalition, Inc.'s Healthy Harvest. Close to 700 people attended this Open House where they got to learn both what is going on with their child academically and socially what is going on in their community.

The Highlands Coalition, Inc. put a strong focus on a healthy lifestyle beginning with a healthy dose of vegetables from their award winning International Garden (They captured seven ribbons at this year's Topsfield Fair) and ranging to flu shots provided by Lynn Health Dept. The importance of this healthy lifestyle was underscored by Sen. Tom McGee who was in attendance.

Tours were given of the garden to all interested parents, dignitaries, and other guests in attendance. I was fortunate enough to be able to take my tour with LSC member Rick Starbard who was in attendance. We got to see how all of this growth blends seamlessly into the curriculum. Also present was LSC member John Ford. Unfortunately Dr. Latham, although invited, was not present to witness this outpouring of community interest.

Lynn City Councilman Paul Crowley present David Gass of the Highlands Coaliion, Inc. with an award on behalf of the city to the Highlands Coalition. The award was a token of appreciation for all the benefit the garden and the Highlands Coalition has been to the community. City Councilmen  Collucci and Crighton were also in attendance.

 Mayor Kennedy where were you? Since you chair the LSC your presence at such an important community and school festivity was sorely missed.

THIS IS WHAT A COMMUNITY SCHOOL IS ALL ABOUT!

When A Plan Comes Together

Had a meeting at Pickering today. It was a review of my son's IEP. What was planned back in June as a scheduled tweak session turned out to be a love fest. My son's plan is working wonderfully and I give plenty of props to the staff at Pickering.

Inclusion works but the troubling thing is that most people don't have the time to advocate like me. Hopefully the powers that be will learn from his success.

Teacher Talks Trash And Wins Award!

It is nice to see our students benefiting from some creative teaching and it is great to see our teachers taking a leadership role in providing quality education. This is particularly exciting to see it happening in the sciences where tomorrow's jobs will be.  Check out this article.

http://www.itemlive.com/articles/2010/10/11/news/news03.txt

Proud To Be Partial!

Time for me to be a proud parent. I know it's not good objective journalism but that's okay, I'm not a journalist.

Progress reports came out Friday and my daughter got all "A's" except for 1 "B+" at Marshall, while my son got  3 "A's and the rest "B+'s" at Pickering. I have the opportunity to move now but I am so happy with the educational progress my kids are making I will probably stay put

Can We Breathe Easier Yet?

Is somebody listening? The last two days I have come home from volunteering at the Ford School library and I have noticed a North Shore Builders van parked outside

On Top Of Our Game!

I was impressed last night by Dr. Porrcaro's presentation about "inclusion" at Pickering last night. It was an update on the inclusion strategies at Lynn Schools. A new strategy is beginning to be implemented at the middle school level after having success at the elementary and high school levels. I is nice to see Lynn out in front of at least some part of our kid's education.

I have more to say but I have some business to take care of first, so until later.

Lost And Found?

HELP! The Parent Advisory Council (or Committee, whatever) is missing. I mean I'm a pretty active and vocal parent and they aren't reaching out to me to solicit my input, Mayor Kennedy had David Ellis contact me when I was advocating for services for my autistic son.

My two contacts with him were full of enthusiasm and promises that have remained unfulfilled. Confidential Special Ed records of my daughter were given to him after it seem to me that he wanted them to champion her cause to have her unique needs met. There was loots of talk about Special Ed. law, rights, and legal strategy. The need to keep moves secret was essential. This was months ago and I haven't heard from him. More on this later, I have to go to a meeting at Pickering now.

I'm Waiting But I Can't Read The Prayer!

I picked up my son after chorus practice on Monday at Pickering Middle School and I asked the principal, Mr. Murphy about the library since it is a pet peeve of mine. He was clearly nice but couched his response a football fan could appreciate.

I think his words were something like "we're building (or rebuilding) it up". I know he can only work with the resources he is given. But guess what? My son and his classmates aren't going to be around to get to use the finished product. They are in school now and are judged by the MCAS on their current knowledge, I know money is tight, but "Priorities People!". It all starts with reading.

The Loss Of The Libraries Costs More Than We Save!

Normally I wouldn't write a poem for this blog, that's my other one, "The Poetry Beneath", but this is an issue I feel strongly about and after all this IS my blog. I was so moved watching kids check out books today at Ford where I volunteer.

Library Fines

The library is no
laughing matter.
Without librarians our
education only gets sadder.

Books are written
necessarily to be read.
Without reading, learning
surely must be dead.

Bring back the librarians
to give our kids a chance.
Without them how can
our MCAS scores advance?

After All, There Is Mold On Cheese, Right?

Trust me, it's safe. All we have to have is complete confidence in the Lynn Department of Health's impartiality in overseeing the heath and welfare of all the city's residents equally. The state environmental agency just refers everything to them. Independent testing is discouraged and expensive.

Maybe we don't really have to fear backroom politics. After all, not all mold is created equal unlike the citizens of Lynn. At the very least we deserve better communication and direction.

Can We Afford Not To?

At the recent LSC meeting, member Rick Starbard pushed forward the effort to examine the feasibility of providing driver's education in the high schools. This seems to me to be a win-win type of program. Many students would have the opportunity to actually "learn" about driving from professionals that otherwise not be able to afford private lessons and with better educated drivers the roads would be safer and our auto insurance rates would go down. Call me a dreamer.

What's In Your Harvest?

On Wed. October 6th, the Highlands Coalition will be putting on a Healthy Harvest Festival at Ford School. It will be a celebration of the International Garden's bountiful growth of vegetables and and initiatives for making the Highlands community more responsible for their own health. There will also be music and other entertainment (I can proudly say that both of my kids will be singing). David Gass should be congratulated on his efforts for being a leader on this project.

While outside the building everyone will reap the benefits of nature's glory, inside mold festers in the classrooms and in other dark corners of the building. My freshman Biology taught me that mold and other microorganisms reproduce much faster than cabbage and carrots.  The only thing we will reap from this indoor explosion of growth is a cornucopia of respiratory illnesses.

A Call To Action At Tonight's LSC Meeting

I have cataract surgery today so I won't make tonight's meeting of the LSC so Hopefully someone else will raise the urgent problem about mold in the Ford School. After all the Lynn Department of Inspectional Services and the school department have been sitting on  the moldy classroom for a couplee of weeks.

I have heard stories of moldy flakes of ceiling tile falling in a teacher's bowl of soup and witnessed these same  moldy dandruff covering lunch tables. The problem of mold contamination leads to higher rates of asthma and tons of other health problems.

• This is a critical problem that deserves everyone's full attention and immediate action.  No one's children are expendable,

Bioterrorism In The Schools!

Stay tuned, I am on to something that appears to be happening or not happening at the Ford Elementary School. Mold has been discovered at Ford and one classoom has been closed down and the kids redistributed in an already overcrowded school.

The Inspectional Services Department closed off this room earlier this month and no plan has been put forth yet to remedy the situation. The afeeted classroom is directly above a room that was closed down last year but was reopened this year supposedly because it was better. There has been no comprehensive test done for the entire building.

I am of course not an expert but I learned in high school you can't stop mold by simply waiting it out, Some positive action needs to be taken. It must be taken.Three other rooms tested positive for mold by someone using a mold testing kit from Home Depot. I talked to some people today at the Massachussetts Coalition for Health and Safety and they said there is no acceptable level of mold.

What gives Lynn Schools?

Checking Out Our Future!

As I have mentioned earlier on this blog, I am serving as a volunteer librarian at the Ford Elementary School. In various LSC meetings including the public hearing on the budget I strongly advocated for the funding of all the elementary school librarians. I lost that battle with the powers that be.

Funny though the librarians were not only restored at the two Level 4 elementary schools, the libraries seem to be at the core of their respective Turnaround Plans. Is that an admission of the crucial importance and value of the libraries?

So far we have only got to run through about half a dozen classes through between everybody settling in, my medical issues, and the fact my kids are at Marshall and Pickering. Watching the excitement of the first graders bubble over as they clutch their book like a holy relic or a lost treasure chest. Their book, a golden key they will use to unlock the future.

Witnessing this joy is a great reward to me but it makes me wonder who could see this and still say they can't find money for librarians?

The Best Answer Is The Cheapest!

Self esteem. That is the answer to a lot of the behavior problems in the school system. We spend so much money, time, and effort on tying to prevent bad things from happening we neglect the good. Our whole system is driven by failing to achieve. Think about it. What is "Race to the Top" but a pool of reward money for doing bad.

Before we can ever make substantial gains in education we have to change the focus of our measurement. The threshold for success can not be lack of failure. We need to look at what we are doing good and add to it not throw money at problems

A positive outlook doesn't cost anything, but half-empty glasses do.

Like They Say, Size Matters!

Classroom overcrowding. Everybody agrees it is a problem but no substantial effort has been taken to remedy it, It's funny because the answer is really quite simple: HIRE MORE TEACHERS. I know from the last LSC meeting they have hired a new Reading teacher at Pickering. I know my son's homeroom has been changed three times already in a shell game to try and come up with some kind of solution.

I am no math wiz but the numbers and ratios are fixed. When you have X number of students then you need Y number of teachers. No amount of shuffling is going to solve the problem. Put the stimulus money and those other grants into direct services to to our kids.

Too much money is wasted on support and supervision and consequently our teachers are put in an impossible situation in a where the environment is confusing and dangerous. I really don't want to single out Marshall but that is the school I have the most contact with. I am sure it is not the only school with these problems. Whenever you put too many kids, even "good" kids in a "good" school, in a close place arguments and fighting are a sure bet.

It's Psychology 101, people thrive on attention, any attention. If the class size prohibits teachers from being able to give positive constructive attention then our students are going to insure they get "bad" attention. No one likes the behavior that precedes "bad" attention.

"In This Corner, We Have Weighing In At ......"

I don't know how accurate this is, so I welcome somebody correcting me. This could just be an exaggeration from my daughter. I sincerely hope it is. According to her there have been six fights already this year at Marshall Middle School. This is an unacceptable amount of violence. Who is in charge. Sounds like nobody The students must be confused when the bell rings. They don't know if it's the end of class or the end of the round.

Challenge To Change

The Rachael's Challenge program at Lynn English yesterday was a good way to initiate the school department's heightened attention to bullying. It's sad but true, we live in a different world. Hopefully we can turn a negative into a positive.

A GAIN IS A GAIN IS A GAIN

Higher MCAS scores in Science seems like a good thing. I haven't really studied the data yet to see just how "good" it actually is. Still a gain is a gain and any gain is a good thing. I just hope the numbers weren't distorted to give a false picture. Giving the benefit of the doubt "kudos" to all involved in making it happen.

Tech On Top

Along with a couple of people I did an unofficial inspection of the eight polling places in Lynn to determine their compliance with the ADA Standards for Polling Places. I have very little training and even less authority. Nonetheless I am disabled and a concerned  for polling citizen. For a checklist I downloaded a guide from a Department of Justice website.

Happily I can say that the polling place that appeared to me to be most in compliance was Lynn Vocational Tech. It was the only place where I actually saw the voting machine used for people with low visibility actually turned completely on. In fact they seemed to be the only place that was familiar with it.
To be completely fair, I admit I did not go inside the Community Hall on Church Street. I have to assume that were.

It just makes me glad to see one of our schools leading the way.

Traffic Jams Are A Weighty Issue

Two recent news articles highlight the need for more exercise. If more of our children walked to school there would not be so much traffic around our schools and we would be far less likely to have a repeat of the crossing guards at Callihan being struck by cars. Also, if more students walked we would not have ranked so high in the fattest students.

Going Green Takes Away Some Of The Red

Some good new for being bad, just not too bad. It was unanimously approved by the LSC to apply for a grant from the Green Repair Program through the Massachusetts Building Authority. This grant provides funds that are helpful but bot too substantial.

Two schools, Lynn Vocational and Breed Middle School qualify for the funds by not needing wholesale repairs since repairs are limited to the roof, windows, and boilers. We need to be grateful for any help we get. Our need throughout the system is large.

New Doc in Town!

Dr. Mark Levine was appointed School Physician for the Lynn Public Schools at the Sept. 9th LSC. It  feels good to shift attention back to the more mundane matters.

Time To Resign

How can Patricia Capano remain on the LSC after making the racial caricature she made at the close of Thursday night's meeting? She should immediately offer her resignation. It is the only honorable thing to do. Even if her comments were not malicious and made in jest, the fact remains they were uttered.

If Ms. Capano feels that she does not need to go then Mayor Kennedy needs to take the steps necessary for her removal. To allow this incident to not be addressed, calls into question her judgement. Especially in light of the fact that the mayor had placed Capano in the important position of vice-chair,

With all of the focus on fixing our under performing schools, we can not afford to divert any of our energy on other issues.

A Rose By Any Other Name!

Last night just before the closing of the LSC meeting I observed and was offended by the shallow and degrading remarks made by LSC member Patricia Capano to fellow LSC board member Maria Carrasco. While asking about the rumored dismantling of the "machine shop" program at one of the schools, Ms. Carrasco expressed her concern because of the valuable opportunities this program has provided. Dr. Latham  tried to assure her that the program and its machinery were intact

After Dr. Latham's assurance, Ms. Capano laughed, saving she loved Ms. Carrasco's pronunciation of "machine" and asked if she would repeat it for her further amusement. Ms. Carrasco exhibited a great deal of class by refusing to acknowledge what amounted to a racial slur.

I am by no means a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV. I don't even like Judge Judy. However over the years after Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's nomination, I have been subjected to numerous trainings on what constitutes sexual harassment. From what I have been taught you do not have to receive direct harassment for a violation to occur, You just have to observe and be offended, that constitutes a violation.

A reasonable man would think that ethnic and cultural discrimination would rise to the same threshold. As I said earlier, I am not a lawyer but I was offended.

Light Coverage For a Light Meeting

Last night's meeting of the LSC was a light one, both in attendance. LSC member Vinnie Spirito was absent due to the Jewish New Year. Rick Starrbard, LSC member, was over in Germany and refused to make the commute. On a more somber note, School attorney Mihos was absent due to the passing of his father on the previous night. A moment of silence was observed after the ledge of allegiance in order to show respect and offer the thoughts and prayers of everyone in attendance.

Unfortunately there were only about five in attendance, including yours truly who came sporting a new cane, a custom bandage and designer make-up applied  to my face by a friendly sidewalk. The Lynn Item reporter showed up late but in plenty of time to get a press release. Who needs objective reporting anyway? I have definitely missed Laura Payne's objective reporting. Does anyone know where she is? Luckily the reporter didn't have to miss the athletics Subcommittee meeting scheduled prior to the regular LSC meeting because it was cancelled earlier in the day. I guess she got that memo.

Teacher Teach How To Handle A Crisis

I have to compliment my daughter's third grade teacher. According to Asiah that is who drilled the lesson into her psyche. Life lesson's are the most important piece of the education puzzle.

It all started in the parking lot of Essex Laundry. I was walking behind her, stubbed my foot on the little parking barrier and fell face first into the sidewalk. Maybe my bloody face contributed to her panic. Still in a crowded laundromat, she was the only one with the prescence of mine to call 911. he asked someone behind the counter to do it for her and their response was to hand her the phone. Through her tears she followed the proper course of action. Thank you teachers at Ford School.

After a CAT scan, a MRI,  some time on a back board, and 18 hours in a neck brace, everything turned fined out fine. My head is too hard to crack.

SOMETIMES IT'S GOOD TO HAVE A VICE!

Some more good news came out of the Aug. 31st LSC meeting. This time the credit goes to Dr. Latham. With all the monies heading our way, she was able to restore a vice-principal at English High School. STILL, WHERE ARE THE LIBRARIANS?

Rick Wants Stundents To Get Behind The Wheel!

At the meeting on August 31st LSC member Rick Starrbard proposed the idea that was unaminously approved that the committee explore the possibility of adding driiver's ed. to the curriculumn. Good going Rick

Looking For Fotward Progress At Pickering

Went yesterday to Pickering Middle School to take my son on a tour so he gets familiar with  the school a little before the start of the new school year on Wed. Entering the sixth grade will be  a big change for him.

The principal, Mr. Murphy was the tour guide. It was a very enjoyable experience. I am sure I will have some juicy insights and comments about the school later but for now I am just going to be optimistic about his progress for the new year. The school may be old and i a little disrepair but for now I have a good impression. For now, I repeat.

Letter To Dr. Latham About My Offer To Help With The Library's Losses

Dear Dr. Latham,Due to these pressing economic times, I understand you not able to fund the librarians at any but the Level 4 elementary schools. I share with you the heartfelt loss that goes along with seeing the thirsty young minds deprived of life enriching knowledge.

As you know, I expressed my views on this loss at  the public hearing on the upcoming years school budget. Metaphorically speaking, it now is time for me to "Put up or shut up". Because of my worsening arthritis, I am retiring from my job with DDS (formerly DMR). This will allow me the time to serve as Ford School's volunteer librarian.

My own kids have moved on to middle school but I can not in good conscience ignore such a vital need and feel compelled to assist in this capacity. While I am by no means an expert in library science, I have had some experience in this area. Not only did I work in the library as my work study in college, I ran the library for a time probably twenty years ago when I worked at the Elkins Mountain School, a residential behavioral treatment center.

I have discussed my offer with Dr. Crane and while she seems to concur that restored school librarians would be ideal but since that appears unlikely, then in their absence my help would be welcome.

I look forward to joining you in the fight to provide quality education to eager young minds.

Sincerely,
Stanley H. Wotring, Jr.

RACE TO THE BOTTOM

Who made the decision to have last night's public hearing on the budget at Breed Middle School? Granted the physical plant was fine and compared to the other schools it may well have been the most able to handle a vast mob for discussion on such important matters.

That being said, we had a public hearing at a place where public transportation does not go. What is wrong with this picture? On top of that, a woefully inadequate sound system made it impossible for the LSC  to hear each other, let alone the few people who were in attendance.

Were theses problems just accidents? I am not going to voice my opinion because I don't want to state the obvious. Thank heavens lynnhappens.com was there to record he meeting. Now members of the LSC, some members of the school department, and Mayor Kennedy have their respective positions recorded for all to examine and hold them accountable. I intend to remind them of their stated positions and make them take responsibility for those statements. No where will get my attention more than the libraries.

If you feel the need to put in libraries in the two Level 4 Schools at Connery and Harrington and expand their functions at that, how do you feel that they are not necessary in the other elementary schools?

IT WAS HARD TO SEE WITH ALL OF THE SMOKE IN THE ROOM!

WHERE WAS Everybody? Last night's budget meeting was very sparsely attended with more school officials than citizens.
 budget.

Before the meeting public citizens were allowed to offer their opinions for or against the proposed budget. No one spoke  in favor of next year's budget and only two spoke against it, Harry Harly and yours truly. Harry complained about the top heavyiness of all education budgets and the dire need for after school programs. Me, I questioned how anyone  could vote for a budget that did not provide for librarians. Also I made my pitch for expanding the Ford School by keeping the soon, very soon to be sixth graders there. This would be possible by transferring teachers already assigned at the Middle Schools that are allotted for these students and a combination of savings to the transportation budget from not having the expense of busing my son to Pickering and saving the cost of a one on one already budgeted for and provided by his IEP. Of course, Mr. Harly's and my injections were either ignored or never directly addressed.

All of this new foud monies that were recently left in our mailbox turned out to be little help at all. I have to go write now but I guarantee I will be writing more very soon.