MAYOR GIVES LIP SERVICE TO SCHOOL SAFETY

Ron Mendes shared Maura Healey's post.

23 hrs · 

Hmm... I didn't see Lynn's Mayor in that list... Could that be a typo? Surely our Mayor supports the Attorney General doing her job to get assault weapons off the street?

Maura Healey

August 12 at 8:04am · 

"The Commonwealth has had an assault weapons ban on the books for a long time. But for the law to work, it should be more than words on a page, it should actual...

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19 mayors back AG Healey crackdown on sale of assault weapons - The Boston Globe

The mayors say they are concerned about gun-related violence in their communities.

BOSTONGLOBE.COM

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6You, Gavin Mcauliffe, Pam Chambers and 3 others

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Jaime Figueroa Committee to Elect Michael Marks Essex County Sheriff he does. Take a look.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php...

Committee to Elect Michael Marks Essex County Sheriff

August 9 at 6:47pm · 

We must stop gun violence throughout the Commonwealth, and I support Attorney General Healey’s move to take ‘copycat’ weapons of war off of our streets—and keep...

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Gavin Mcauliffe AWOL as always

Unlike · Reply · 1 · 1 hr

UNWILLING TO LET GO

Lisa Ellen shared a memory.

15 mins · 

worthy of a re-share
Ford Community School: way ahead of its time...
1990 a failing school by every measure until a certain principal came along with some innovative ideas; involve and support the family, challenge kids with perfect attendance parties, create a culture where everyone is accepted and encouraged!

2 Years Ago

See Your Memories

Lisa Ellen added 2 new photos.

August 14, 2014 · 

TBT Robert L Ford School 1997

CANCELLED COOKOUT?

Here I was all set to go to a Cookout/Fundraiser/Meet-n-Greet for WILLIAM CASTRO, a Democratic Candidate for ESSEX COUNTY SHERIFF at LSC member MARIA CARRASCO'S house.

I was excited not only cause I was going to get another interview and a couple sweet pics but I've been to a couple of MARIA'S cookouts before. Good food, good times.

However as I walked by this evening her yard was empty. No doubt the party was canceled due to the threatening weather. So the evening wasn't a total loss, I swung by my office and picked up a coffee. I needed the steps anyway and no sense wasting them.

Seriously I was looking forward to meeting WILLIAM. I must say I was impressed with his variety of experiance from what I've read. But you know what thet say about a picture's worth, can you imagine the value of a video?

LIL BO PEEP, THE IMPOSTER

I'M NOT SAYIN NOTHIN BUT....

The wife of this postee used to be COORDINATOR OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS for LPS tasked with bringing in PRIVATE and FOUNDATION donors.

Corey Jackson

1 hr · 

BostonGlobe.com

 · 

Too many downtown Lynn families flee Lynn when their children turn 5. The schools Judy is talking about are not downtown. How do we rectify this if not charter?

Would the Equity Lab Charter School be a benefit to Lynn? - The Boston Globe

Read two views, then vote in our poll.

BOSTONGLOBE.COM

I guess it is used to be since they just recently posted her position again. Funny she was supposed to go after grants and other monies CHARTERS went after.

CHOOSE WISELY, MY FRIEND.

THINGS HAVE BEEN SAID

YOUR HELP DESPERATELY NEEDED

HOW DO YOU THINK THE NEW $3.7 MILLION IN CH. 70 MONEY THAT THE STATE SENT LYNN SHOULD BE SPENT?

MAYORAL HONESTY?

Okay, the sample size is small just like some people's hands  and totally unscientific (there seems to be a trend at LPS for homeade science anyway) but the direction has to be disturbing if not surprising. All I can say is you just got to get it up. The number of responses I mean.

Make your opinion count and take the survey!

MAYOR'S TRUSTWORTHINESSS

MY LOSS IS YOUR LOSS

Well would you look at that. Looks like I missed the opportunity to get on the LPS payroll. If only I would have been paying attention. Of course, I would have probably have had my hopes dashed, Some people don't like me.

Is there any doubt, all things being equal, I could have knocked this one out of the park? Speaking

of parks, I did help bring the parties together to get that ANNUAL SCHOOL DAY with theee NAVIGATORS going. Of course I never got an official THANK YOU from LPS for and I was so looking forward to seeing some of that good stationary from TOM. I believe that's been worth TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, an amount that will be added to every year, "God willing and the creek don't rise!".

Just as well, I would have to conform and play nice. That's something I'm not always good at.

FREE THINKING MAYOR

CHECKING OUT SOME SUMMER SCIENCE

www.lynntv.org/shows/communityconnector/

NO STANDING LEFT STANDING

The rumors are growing strong.
A princiPal's tenure may not be long.

Now that the school has been decimated
Must be time for the position to be vacated.

The community left to sing a sad song
About how cherished memories done wrong.

No past left to be excavated
While in chaos currently situated.

EXPANDING EDUCATION

Why We Desperately Need To Bring Back Vocational Training In Schools

Instructor helps a student participating in a woodworking manufacturing training program in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Photographer: Tim Boyle/Bloomberg Charlie…

FORBES.COM|BY NICHOLAS WYMAN

CROSSING THE FORD

If teacher turnover is the goal
Certan schools are on a roll.

In the urge to let them go
Stability is tossed out the window

Students get sacrificed in the name of control
While the value of experiance they fail to extol.

Once the job the principal did achieve
Now she is rumored to leave.

PLANNED LESSONS

I hear of a flight from Callahan
Asked to leave to please the man.

Can it be just a coincidence
That because of a teacher's experiance

They're not so easily maleable
Making it much more desirable

To push them out the classroom door
In the name of conformity for sure.

NEW PERSPECTIVES

GETTING A FRESH LOOK AT ENGLISH

DOING DRUGS AT LPS

It finally happened at the last LSC meeting. Yes the DRUG PREVENTION and OPIOD POLICY was officially adopted. It was actually required and all standard language but it seems like I've been writing about this forever.

I think its adoption has been put on hold a time or to while the triee to tweak the language of the law on just who could administer the life-saving antidote NARCAM. If I get this right only LPS nurses can technically legally administer it and be legally protected from LPPS. Since nurses aren't available at every situation where an LPS student or employee even might need this life saving treatment.

The way around this dilemma is to have coaches, trainers, or the like provide it from their private stash in their capacity as private citizens. A nifty little nuannce that allows them to be covered by the GOOD SAMARITAN law.

A TWEAK WORTH TALKING ABOUT!

ARE YOU READY?

LORI LET'S LOOSE

‎Lori D'Amico‎ to Lynn School Watch

1 min · 

While I do agree with most of what this obvious Latham fan said in this piece, the individual is mistaken on the school committee having a sole role and that the role is to hire a superintendent.

Picking up the pace on important city hires | Itemlive

FILE PHOTO Lynn Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy. It’s summertime and the living is easy. That said, Lynn’s City Council and School Committee have taken a dec...

ITEMLIVE.COM

A CLOSET OBAMA SUPPORTER?

IN THE INTEREST OF CONFLICT

PICKING UP THE PACE ON IMPORTANT CITY HIRES

The paper seems to be misinformed about the current status of the job search status at LPS. The hold-up on the posting for the year long vacant position was over the language for the position of ADMINISTRATOR OF SPECIAL EDUCATION. The entire personnel subcommittee had voted to require a doctorate. When the matter came up to the full committee it was met with equal and opposite vigor preferring doctorate preferred. Since a committee member was absent, the vote ended in a 3-3 tie so the matter became tabled.

This last meeting looked to be ending up with the same situation. With JUDY ABSENT it looked as if the votes might shape up the same way but surprisingly the personnel subcommittee succumbed. After tinkering with the language a little bit, "doctorate preferred" made it into the job description and it will be posted as such.

However before the other breaks into a victory dance, they need to remember this: "I believe this position is rare in that the LSC itself does the hiring because it has not ceded that responsibility to the superintendent". So the battle is not over just paused.

Let's look a little deeper into this OPINION piece.

Lynn parents would be better served if the committee followed Latham’s lead on important school decisions..

This was a thinly vieled swipe at the personnel subcommitte who were trying to set the bar a little higher for this important position and not be satisfied with mediocrity just because certain friends did not have the more stringent qualifications. Since DONNA COPPOLA is the chair of the personnel subcommittee this swipe was mostly directed at her.

Which made it kind of convient because she dared bring up a line item in the superintendent's budget that pays the same company that owns the ITEM $18,000 a year for public relations service and tens of thousand more for a biannual publication that could easily be produced cheaper with better focused if it was done in-house. Plus, we probably could have avoided the distribution mess  or should I say lack of distribution that ensued

SO MUCH FOR JOURNALISTIC INTEGRITY.

SPENDING PRIORITIES

STORIES THAT LIKE TO BE TOLD

MAYOR KENNEDY HOSTS STORY TIME AT CITY HALL

This made a nice photo op, much better than the one I took of her empty chair at the LAST LSC meeting  (actually it was her 2ND absence in a row) where the FY 17 budget was approved without any afterschool programs like other districts and the best that DONNA COPPOLA could achieve was a "promise" by DR. LATHAM to try and find money somewhere to get a PILOT programs going at one or two schools.

In the end LORRAINE GATELY was satisfied enough by her "promise" to sway her vote which gave the budget its final approval.

"Sure baby, I'll love you forever."

OVERRIDE THIS

LYNN POLICE, MAYOR AGREE TO WAGE INCREASE

 she will delay other spending, including the hiring of a $73,000 deputy election commissioner. F YOU CITY COUNCIL

I HOPE SHE'S NOT COUNTING ON ANY OF THAT CH. 70 MONEY

NEXT MEETING MOVED

Because of the upcoming election on Sept. 8th, the regularly scheduled LPS meeting after much calender negotiation has been moved to the day before on Sept, 7th. Even though a meeting is not usually held on an election day, the LSC felt it was much too important to just blow it off.

Let's get serious, they'll cancel both a Nov. and a December meeting plus they usually cancel one around ST, PADDY'S DAY. Some people need to get their drink on.

YOU CAN LOOK AND TOUCH

NEW APPOINTMENT

Congratulations go out to NICHOLAS CHAREAS for being named the new Vice-principal at BREED!

CASH IS THE BEST FORM OF GRATITUDE

WE DON'T WANT TO GO JAY-WALKING DO WE?

 

I HOPE YOU READ JAY'S LETTER [jibjab]

Check out '“Cake by the Ocean” by DNCE' on JibJab.com

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JIBJAB.COM|BY JIBJAB MEDIA, INC.

THANKS FOR THE WARNING

RE: Use of Ch. 70 funds
To: Sullivan, John J

Dear Mr. Sullivan,

Thank you so much for responding so quickly. My purpose in writing was to establish that these monies were not an unrestricted infusion of cash into the city coffers.

I believe your response established that fact.

Sincerely,

Stan

WOW, THAT WAS FAST

Use of Ch. 70 funds

'lynn.school.watch@gmail.com'

Mr Wotring,

The city is still required to meet the Net School Spending requirement in order to be in compliance with Education Reform Act of 1993. The additional funds the city received also increased the Net School Spending requirement.

As long as the city is meeting the spending requirement, they are in compliance with the law.

Respectfully,

Jay Sullivan

Executive Director

School Finance & District Support

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay, so you know what that means. The additional $3.7 million they got increased their net school spending requirement, so its not the same as "FREE" cash. So what that means if they want to stay compliant with the law which I might add has never been a priority with the KENNEDY administration, they better spend it in places that meet the NET SCHOOL SPENDING rewuirement not just any place JUDY wants. This could get interesting.

"IT'S MY MONEY AND I NEED IT NOW"

SECURITY MAIN CONCERN FOR OLD MARSHALL SCHOOL

Interesting debate last Thursday night. DONNA COPPOLA raised her concerns because of an earlier discussion with MICHEAL DONOVAN of ISD while strongly downplayed by DR. LATHAM who cited as an example a story about one time when they had went over to the schooland while there the ppolice came over noting a disturbance in the school. She did admit however that the fact that much of the copper ppipe has been removed. She stressed though that that is a commom problem with abandoned buildiings throughout the city and that the clocks on the walls are safe. I do wonder though how many of those other abandoned buildings have an abundance of security cameras and an elaborate alarm system?

The other question I have is about the $3.5 million the MSBA gave us to destroy it. Since there are no known immediate plans to demolish it what is happening right now with that money? Somebody is drawing interest and who? By the time demolition ever occurs, if it does, a tidy little sum could accrue. We already financed a BOND for $92 Million so. . .

JOE DID GO

Well it's official. JOE PICANO, Director of Fine Arts, is retiring. I saw it on the back page of the agenda for last Thursday's agenda.

I reported months ago that this was going to happen and of course I had to mention the RUMORS (not a statement of FACT-full disclosure so don't sue me) behind his departure. It really doesn't matter whether they were true or bot, it will be a tragic loss. Who is going to replace him or should I say try? I wonder.

CROWDED HOUSE

It turns out for some probably legitamate reaso the two portable classrooms purchased with the Net School Spending debt payment will not be ready for the opening of school. Somehow they got to try and make it work.

Now normally this sort of purchase does not count toward NSS but LPS did get a waiver for this. Saw the letter from Chester myself. Perhaps if he hadn't dragged his feet so much LPS could have been ready in time. Once again the kids suffer from grown-up politics.

ODE de MAYOR

The Mayor may miss meetings of great importance
Defying all bounderies of common sense.

But her salary she will not adjust
While city government goes bust.

Because of her own raise she has no clout
So pay increases she must give out.

So now it's time for all citizens to say.
Please Judy, just go away.

CARPET CALL

Missing meetings

 jcerulli@lynnma.gov; donnacoppola@mail.com; Maria Carrasco;  lorraine.gatelyschoolcommittee@gmail.com; patti7761@hotmail.com; Jared Nicholson; john.e.ford@state.ma.us Cc: DanielFCahill@gmail.com; lathamc@lynnschools.org; Thomas Iarrobino; tyoung@lynnma.gov

Dear Mayor Kennedy.

It is with great sadness that I feel I must write to complain about what I feel is a dereliction of your duties that you have ignored of the office you have sworn to uphold. As you know, the Mayor is by city charter mandated to chair the Lynn School Committee. The importance of this responsibility can not be underestimated since around half of the entire city budget is comprised of payments to the school department.

Yet despite that fact, you saw fit to miss the last two meetings of the Lynn School Committee and most tragically the last one was preceded by a required public hearing before the FY 17 budget was voted on and passed. How can you justify your abandonment to the fiscal responsibilities of your office? Can we expect a correspondingly proportional rebate from your recently drastically increased salary?

I don’t expect any answers to my letter because based on past history, communication with your constituents is just another one of your duties you have forsaken.

Sincerely,

Stan

KAMIKAZE KARIOKE - [jibjab]

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NO MORE TIMES [jibjab]

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COPY OF COMPLAINT TO AG

USE OF CH. 70 FUNDS (PLAY TIME IS OVER)

 cfofinance@doe.mass.edu; legal@doe.mass.edu; www@doe.mass.edu; lathamc@lynnschools.org; Lynn Teachers Union; Thomas Iarrobino; DanielFCahill@gmail.com Cc: jcerulli@lynnma.gov; Jared Nicholson; john.e.ford@state.ma.us; donnacoppola@mail.com; Maria Carrasco;  lorraine.gatelyschoolcommittee@gmail.com; patti7761@hotmail.com

Dear sirs,

On Thursday night at the Lynn School Committee meeting I was heartened to learn that some $3.7 million in Ch. 70 funding was being restored to help ease the burden caused by a change in the calculations of just who qualifies as economically disadvantaged. The joy was short-lived though as I learned that the Mayor ( who was absent from the critical meeting where the FY 17 budget was passed) plans to deposit those monies straight into the General Fund.

So instead of getting help transitioning through these rocky financial times, the Lynn Public School system has to bear the full brunt of these changes while the Mayor has found a new source of income to fund her reckless fiduciary decisions.

Sadly she may be well within the legal parameters of her authority to make such an irresponsible decision. It is my understanding that most members of the Lynn School Committee will try and make some overtures to get a least a small portion of that money to restore at least some programs. Do to the precarious financial state of the city, I am not hopeful.

I will be sending a copy of this letter to the Attorney General and the Treasurer in hopes that some sort of action can be done. Tragically I am not expecting any help.

Sincerely,

Stan

REFILL NOT REELECT

GIVING IT SOME THOUGHT

"THE BIRD IS THE WORD" AND IT'S AN ALBATROSS

A Facebook comment on BENNETTAPOLOOZA

Lori D'Amico The preliminary FY17 figures posted back in January state Lynn's NSS requirement is expected to be $193.7 million. I don't believe that figure includes any carryover amounts or the additional $2.2 million the city must pay according to the resolution agreement with the state for the over $8 million past due net school spending balance the city currently has. According to the preliminary figures, Lynn is expected to receive about $147.6 million in chapter 70 aid. Therefore, the city will be responsible for contributing over $48 million toward NSS in FY17. I don't believe the city has ever had to contribute that much in the past, yet still has been unable or unwilling to meet the requirement. It will be interesting to finally see the updated FY15 and FY16 figures to see if Lynn does have any carryover for FY17 and whether the city will actually meet 100% of the FY17 requirement (not including the additional $2.2 million). Based on the $138 million figure just approved by the school committee, it is doubtful! Perhaps those preliminary figures will change once the state finally figures out the financial mess Lynn has created and posts the updated figures, but my guess is that is unlikely.

The City is sinking fast!

LYNN YOUTH SOCCER GOES VIRTUAL

 Lynn Youth Soccer

2016 Fall Intramural Registration

 Registration for our Fall 2016 Intramural Season is now Open online at

                                                         www.lynnyouthsoccer.org

Registration Closes SundayAugust 21st 2016.

No Registrations will be accepted after this date

We will not be holding any walkin(in person) registrations this year.

You must register via our website

 NO EXCEPTIONS

SHOULD I RUN?

PEOPLE ARE PESTERING ME

There is all this talk, what should I do? I don't have a massive war chest and remember the tens of thousands, maybe hundred thousand Phelan spent only to lose badly. Well I do have experiance losing and I do know how to run a campaign on a budget (no budget). JUDY even said I was better than her on an old episode of "THE CITY'S VOICE" we appeared together on.

I don't know, I'll have to explore it with my campaign team when TRIPPY and ASIAH get back from their trip to their grandparents. This time TRIPPY could actually vote for me. I took him to register myself.

running for mayor.

SOME CRIMES TURN OUT TO BE LEGAL, JUST WRONG