MARSHALL TO PONY UP!

Thurgood Marshall Middle School - Lynn, MA

20 hours ago

Hey Mustangs!
We are hosting a three day clothing drive for Cradles to Crayons, an organization that helps to provide clothing and other essentials to families in need. If you have any clothing that you have outgrown that is still in great condition, then please place it in a bag and bring it to the cafeteria after you check in to home room. The clothing drive is happening April 9, 10 and 11. All donated clothes should be in good condition (no tears or rips, stains, broken zippers, etc.) It should be good enough that you would give it to a family member or friend to wear. We are hoping to make a large donation to C2C on Saturday. This clothing drive is part of a sereleon, the Marshall Middle School Project 351 ambassador. Thanks for organizin1

MAYBE NO NET REGRETS

Well I just got around to WATCHing last night's LSC meeting and in DR. LATHAM'S report some GOOD news was disclosed. Looks like the city of LYNN won't have to go into bancruptcy after all. Way back n 1995 or so it appears that a formal request was made twice at least by the LPS BUSINESS MANAGERat the time STEVE UPTON to make the necessary changes to the NET SCHOOL SPENDING formula to ALLOW for the deduction of the teacher retiree health benefits which have been at the crux of this contraversy.

Un fortunately DR. LATHAM only has copies of the request and none of any response. Good ole KEVIN has been spending time in closets and basements rummaging through boxes of records. He is not done yet and hopes to eventually find a response. The MAYOR who sat on the LSC at the time claims to be a packrat of sorts ad thinks she might still have some records of that time period that may show some acknowledgement of the asked for change. Hopefully so because it appears that the DSES is not goning to be of uch help to LYNN.

I kind of gathered from what I heard from a letter that DR. LATHAM read that they appear to be getting a little more flexible in what they allow to treat their CHAP 70 money. This is definitely an ongoing story.


I DIDN'T NOTICE ANYONE FROM THE ITEM AT THE MEETING......

AND THIS IS POTENTIALLY BIG NEWS!

A NEW BOUNCE IN THE LADY BULLDOGS STEP

RACHEL BRADLEY was named the GIRLS VARSITY basketball coach at ENGLISH. Congratulations to her she will have some pretty big shoes to fill. We at the WATCH are confident of her future success.

LEARNING WORLD CULTURES

New Lynn Coalition Our Work Our Lynn!
Who: All of us coming together to change Lynn for the better. We want to hear your story!
Where: Operation Bootstrap (20 Wheeler Street, Lynn)
When: May 03, 2014 from 2-5pm
Cost: FREE!
Featuring: Food and music, dance lessons and art from many different countries
People of ALL ages welcome!
Please RSVP to newlynncoalition@gmail.com or
(781) 595-2538

What's Wrong With STEM Education?

Posted: 04/06/2014 7:48 pm EDT Updated: 04/06/2014 7:59 pm EDT

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Technology is changing our lives and is redefining the landscape of our economy. An increasing share of jobs will require a background in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM), and those with strong experience will find themselves at the center of our new economy. The U.S. government funnels $4.3 billion every year into STEM education-related initiatives, and while the Administration's efforts are laudable, we must keep in mind some of the shortcomings and challenges we have witnessed to date before we begin promoting the widespread adoption of any particular approach. Three of special interest to me are the demographic achievement gap, the teacher talent gap and accessibility, problems I have witnessed and really would like to see addressed.

One major shortcoming of tech education is the demographic achievement gap. STEM workers are predominantly male, from higher socio-economic backgrounds, and are commonly either Caucasian or Asian. Women and minorities are under-represented in the STEM world, and this has significant consequences as our economy demands that more tech trained individuals assume leadership roles. The fact that 12 percent of black students and 17 percent of Hispanic students completed Algebra 1before college while 28 percent of Asians did in 2009 underscores the problem. As does the fact that only 18 percent of all engineering bachelor degrees went to women in 2008. Women still have less than 25 percent of all US STEM jobs, and make up only ~20 percent of all AP Computer Science test-takers. Now the reasons women and minorities are underrepresented are various, but they should be considered seriously when thinking about how to invest in STEM education. For women, the issue is less discrimination and more stereotype, interest, lifestyle, and gendered expectation driven. For minorities, it is more teacher quality, exposure, discrimination, and access driven. The reasons overlap, but paying attention to the root causes of these shortcomings can help us address this social justice issue more effectively.

Another issue we face as a society is teacher quality and quantity in STEM fields like computer science. Many, myself included, argue for mandatory instruction of computer science in middle and high school, however there are many practical issues to consider before this can happen, one of which relates to teachers. In 2007-2008, about 17 percent of all high school teachers did not major in the subject they taught. For math, however, it was 28 percent, and this makes sense. People with technical backgrounds are in high demand and find high-paying jobs, leaving few to pursue teaching. Finding qualified computer science teachers who neither want to work at Google nor conduct cutting edge machine learning research at a University will be difficult. We need to either train current teachers in computer science, leverage online materials and instruction, increase incentives for computer science teachers, or design some other creative solution to the teacher talent gap we face.

Perhaps correlated with teacher shortage is accessibility. Only nine states or so allow computer science courses to count for math or science graduation credit, and 14 states do not even have an upper level standard for computer science instruction. If we hope to produce more students trained with the tools they need to contribute in a new technical economy, we have to adapt our curricula and standards as quickly as technology evolves. I understand this is not always possible, but hopefully the brainpower, money, and technology invested in the revamp of our education system will yield results and help prepare us for a more innovative and equal future.

Follow Vinay Trivedi on Twitter: www.twitter.com/trivinay

QUESTIONS FROM LIL'LORI

I sent the following email containing 4 questions to the DESE.  Their responses are in red.

After reviewing all the information I have seen and heard about the net school spending issue facing Lynn, I am left with these 4 simple questions that I am hoping you can answer.

On the EOY financial report, the restriction for including retired teachers health care costs states, "Insurance for Retired School Employees (5250) will count toward the net school spending requirement only if it was reported on the FY92 End of Year Report Schedule 19 for FY93"

However, on the DESE website and on the state budget report, the restriction states, "The department of elementary and secondary education shall not consider health care costs for retired teachers to be part of net school spending for any district in which such costs were not considered part of net school spending in fiscal year 1994."

My questions are this:

1)  Did local districts have to fulfill both of the requirements stated in the above restrictions (report insurance for retired school employees on the FY92 EOY report schedule 19 for FY93 AND have health care costs for retired teachers be considered part of net school spending in FY94 by the department) in order to have counted these costs toward net school spending over the past several years?

If the district did not include retirees’ health insurance on schedule 19 of the FY92 end of year report (which is the schedule showing budgeted amounts), then it was not included as part of the FY94 net school spending requirement.   The two circumstances are one and the same.

2)  Did Lynn report insurance for retired school employees on their FY92 EOY report schedule 19 for FY93?

No.

3)  Did the department consider health care costs for retired teachers to be part of Lynn's net school spending in FY94?  

No.

4)  Why did or didn't the department consider health care costs for retired teachers to be part of Lynn's net school spending in FY94?

Because Lynn did not include those costs on Schedule 19 of the FY92 end of year report.   Therefore, the FY93 spending, which became the base of the FY94 required net school spending calculation, did not include them either.

I then sent the following (again, their response is in red)

Since the department is telling Lynn they should not have been including these costs toward NSS, the department must know and have proof that Lynn did not meet the requirement of including these costs back in 94.  Is this correct? 

Yes, I have already sent what documentation we have to a school official who also asked. 

I also put in a public records request for the documentation, so I should have that soon.  None of this is anything new to what I and others already believed was the case.  Based on these responses, I think it's pretty clear that if Kevin McHugh, Dr. Latham, or anyone else who calculates, inputs and submits the figures and reports to DESE, had just taken the time to make one phone call or send one email to find out if Lynn met the requirements, this entire situation would have been prevented.  Every single person involved knew about the restriction for counting these costs.  Unfortunately, they chose to ignore it and simply continued doing what their predecessors had done.  The result of what I consider to be negligence, is the financial disaster now facing the city and schools.    

BOUGHT-U-ISM?

Sometimes it doesn't pay to have a nose for news. That time would be the old smell test. There is nothing more putrid than spoiled meat in a butcher shop. I mean face it, more than one person has accused me of doing a HACK job.

From what I've HEARD from a couple of sources  that one of the ALL-STAR (I think WEST LYNN) had jerseys with a certain sponsor's names printed on the back. Being a PURIST, one of my sources thought this whole sponsorship thing was kind of TACKY and soiled the pristine nature of elementary school sports. NOT ME,  heck I use to coach minor leaugue baseball for BJ'S PAWN SHOP. Back in my day in the sticks of WV we had sponsors for all of youth sports except POP WARNER.

Okay now remember I didn't see this so somebody please tell me if I am wrong. I was told that that sponsor was ELECT CHARLIE GALLO FOR 11TH DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE.  Surely CHUCK is smarter than that. C'mon now he is a lawyer. He would have to be AWARE of the ETHICAL if not legitamate LEGAL considerations involving CONFLICT OF INTEREST. He wouldn't want to serve up no BAD CHUCK. I mean come on now,  he is on the LYNN SCHOOL COMMITTEE, not the WEST-LYNN SCHOOL COMMITTEE.

WHAT BETTER DAY TO TACKLE MATH?

On April 15th Aborn is having a Family Math Night. Each teacher will have a different math activity in their room for their students and parents to try. Also, we will be having our annual book fair in the basement. The festivities will run from 6:30 to 8:00. We hope to see you there.

IT'S NOT JUST SNOW THAT'S MELTING AT PICKERING

The ice cream man is coming! Treadwell's ice cream sundaes will be available for purchase on Wednesday 4/9 during lunch for $3.50

TAKE IT TO THE HOUSE AND GET THE LEAD OUT

Tracy, Sewell-Anderson and Lincoln-Thomson Elementary Schools having their parent open houses tonight - love these events as they are always packed with parents wanting to stay informed of how their children are doing in school! Looking to meet parents with children under 6 years old who can take advantage of Lynn's grant to remove lead paint.

SECOND SUMMER SHUTDOWN

For the second summer in a row theFORD SCHOOL is scheduled to be closed oer the summer. Last year itwas new flooring and ASBESTOES remediation. Oops maye I wasn't supposed to tell you that part. Well I did hearit from a RELIABLE source (ME) that's what they were doing.

The new floor looks GREAT and it seals off the ASBESTOES. Completely removig the old tiles would be EXTREMELY expensie and DANGEROUSnand they tell us this is safe now. Of course that is the same thing they said originally.

WHO CAN YOU TRUST!

Certainly not me.Anyway it almost looks like a new school. I just wish they had done some interior painting to brighten it up! I hear they're working on the windows now along reflooring  with a few more places

Last year was a community disaster of sorts becasuse of the disruption of the summer lunch program. Maybe that is part of the reason they are getting a BUS for the summer. Maybe not, whateer. Don't look a gift horse  in the mouth,

CAPTAINS OF SINKING SHIPS

 That oversight rests solely with Dr. Latham and Mr. McHugh.

It wasn't my fault don't you see,
Whatever you do don't blame me.

Sure I should have known.
If I was Pinnochio my nose would have grown.

In the end what does it matter?
Our BOND rating will take a batter.

When the money for the new school we need to borrow
Wiill the actual cost cause us sorrow?

A MUSTANG AND A GATOR WENT TO A PARK AND.......

Thurgood Marshall Middle School - Lynn, MA

Hey Mustangs! Here's an exciting announcement! Mr. Bill Terlecky, General Manager of the North Shore Navigators, has just confirmed that he is inviting all of the Marshall students and staff (as well as their families) to the Navigators game on June 14 at 7 PM, FREE of charge! The Navigators play in a baseball league called the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL) and they have college players who are hoping to soon make it in the major leagues. Minor league baseball is a very fun experience, with games and laughs that go along with good baseball. It is sure to be a great night with lots of Mustangs there cheering on the Navs. Mark your calendar now to save the date! We'll have more info soon!

MUSTANG TABLE TALKED ABOUT

Thurgood Marshall Middle School - Lynn, MA

1 min · 

You may have caught this young man's photo in the Lynn Item last week! Aldo Zacarias was recognized at the John F Kennedy Library as a recipient of the JFK "Make a Difference" award. This award is presented to 8th graders around the Commonwealth who are making a positive difference in their community. Aldo was recognized for his volunteer work with his church at My Brother's Table, a soup kitchen in Lynn that feeds the hungry. Thanks Aldo for making a difference. We're proud of you!

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YOUR FIRST FEELING IS USUALLY THE RIGHT ONE

You know I was just thinking, seems like the MAYOR and her buddy CFO Caron are BLAMING the GOOD DOCTER for our current FISCAL mess. After all she provided the MAYOR with the numbers for the budget. Well the MAYOR did go on record at a meeting on the SUPERINTENDENT'S evaluation saying that she had reservations about her fiscal mananagement. Hmmmm, but she still voted not only to renew the SUPERINTENDENT'S contract but also to give her a $25,000 RAISE and not even consider looking elsewhere to make sure we had the best!

HOW YA FEELIN NOW?

Mr. Caron's Response:

 That oversight rests solely with Dr. Latham and Mr. McHugh. 

I WONDER IF THERE WILL BE A MOCK FISCAL DISASTER?

An Education Blog

23 mins · Edited · 

The next Lynn School Committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 8th at 7pm. This meeting was moved to Tuesday to coincide with Student Government Day. SC meetings are held at 100 Bennett Street.

Items on next week's agenda include:

-An Update on Summer Projects...

See More

http://www.lynnschools.org/documents/school_committee/2014_notices/school_committee_apr_8_214_615pm.

LYNNSCHOOLS.ORG

SUMMER SCHOOL SHORTENED SORTA

It seems SUMMER SCHOOL for ELEMENTARY will only be three weeks instead of four and will run M-F instead of M-TH and be in I think only four locations. There is going to be a whole lot of walking unless you are from FORD, who they are going to bus to COBBETT.

More details to follow, face it it'll probably change anyway.

GETTING BY WITH SOME HELP FROM FRIENDS

This Sunday as a member of the FORD SCHOOL SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT CONCIL I will  have the opportunity to attend FRIENDS OF HILLEL LIBRARY 27th ANNUAL EDUCATIONAL FORUM. DR. CRANE and BECKY SHEPARD, z"l and the CHAMPS Program are goning to be honored with the EDITH BLOCH AWARD.

The CHAMPS program short for Cohen Hillel Academy Mentor Program for Students pairs 7th and 8th grade students from HILLEL with 3rd and 4th grade students from FORD to work on their MCAS math. The program has been ongoing since 2005. My own daughter had a chance to benefit from this partnership.

The event will feature a speech by JOSH KRAFT (Yes there are PATRIOT bloodlines). SW3 who will be escorting me to the function is excited this time by something more than food. MR. KRAFT'S address will be on THE POWER OF MENTORING

It's great to see someone from LPS to be getting such positive accolades.

LATHAM SUSTAINS LIFE THREATENING INJURIES

In a recent lettter from LYNN'S CFO Peter Caron, both DR. LATHAM and LPS Business Manager KEVIN MCHUGH sustained grave injuries from the bus they were thrown under. Mr. Caron used their carcasses in an attempt to SLOW the financial juggernaut as the CITY of LYNN approaches fiscal armeggeddon.

"Statements made by Peter Caron, Lynn's CFO in an email response to me regarding the $16 million shortfall in net school spending, which will lead to a $7 million penalty in loss of aid for our schools. He is the first person I have heard actually speak up and hold someone responsible for the financial crisis the city and schools are facing: "It is with interest that I read your email today. I am glad to see that you are engaged in this issue, because it has the potential to be the most serious financial issue facing the City since the recession of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s that eventually led to levy ceiling budget cuts mandated by proposition 2-1/2." "The Mayor has ZERO input into that process. It is the School Department, specifically Kevin McHugh, the business manager, who puts together all the numbers for submission. The Mayor neither supplies information in the process, nor does she have any sign-off or influence on the numbers submitted to DOE. That oversight rests solely with Dr. Latham and Mr. McHugh. It is they, and not the Mayor, that have unknowingly included the teacher retiree health insurance as part of the submission during their tenures, and it was fully within their power not to include it if they were aware that it was not appropriate.""

NAVIGATORS ADD TO THEIR GENEROSITY TO THE SCHOOLS

I was at a SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL meeting at FORD SCHOOL today and I had some NAVIGATOR OPENING DAY tickets to give away. Those NAVIGATORS, they are a generous bunch.

The CHAIRPERSON , DEB HINES, of our council had a great idea, "Let's use them as some sort of reward/incentive for FIRST IN MATH".

Now I don't know exactly HOW THEY ARE GOING TO  SET IT UP BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA!

So if any other school wants to do something along this line, let me know. I'll see what I can do.

In the interest of FULL DISCLOSURE I must admit I do have a little SKIN IN THE GAME, even if it's ALLIGATOR SKIN.