Think about this as you drive back and forth to work in the next couple of days….From the Lowell Suns’ breaking news

Snow scares away legislators
The Lowell Sun
Updated: 01/31/2011 02:25:41 PM EST

For more on this story read Tuesday’s Sun

@ 6PM: Personnel Subcommittee Meeting
Agenda: To continue discussion on the Superintendent’s Search Process
*snow dates of Friday, February 4, 2011 or Tuesday, February 8, 2011 @6PM
Location: Room 144, Central Office

SALUTE TO FLAG:
ROLL CALL:
SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS:

MINUTES:
1. Regular School Committee Meeting Minutes of January 5, 2011
2. Regular School Committee Meeting Minutes of January 19, 2011

PERMISSION TO ENTER:
MEMORIALS: (Committee as a Whole)
1. Dan Crowther, Lowell High School Senior.
2. Nathaniel Holscher, recent Lowell High School student.
3. George D. Kouloheras, Lowell School Committee member in which he served many terms from 1964 to 1997.
4. Francis Ventura, father of Maria Hannus, Lincoln School Special Education Teacher.
5. Margery B. Angst, mother of Nancy Weber, Math Resource Teacher at Moody, Washington and Pawtucketville Schools.
6. Charles H. “Chick” Loucraft Sr, member of a prominent family.
7. Linda O’Neil, Sullivan Middle School English Teacher.
8. Robert S. Warnick, father of Steve Warnick, Music teacher at the Stoklosa Middle School.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION:
MOTIONS:
 
1. [by Alison Laraba]: To ask the Superintendent to provide a report to the committee regarding the current usage and state of textbooks in Lowell Public Schools. In general how many textbooks over 5, 10, 15 and 20 years old are being circulated in the district-how are we monitoring the condition of these textbooks, what is a reasonable lifespan of a textbook and, given the extreme budget constraints we have faced and continue to face, how are we approaching the replacement of these textbooks when they exceed their “lifespan” or are damaged beyond practical use?

2. [by Alison Laraba]: To have the Superintendent direct the recording secretary of regular, executive and subcommittee meetings to transcribe and electronically distribute rough draft version of minutes to all School Committee members within Five Business Days. This is to ensure that minutes are completed and distributed on a timely basis and to allow School Committee members time to review same for errors and/or omissions before the next scheduled meeting.

3. [by Jackie Doherty]: Request the Superintendent direct appropriate staff to provide information to the City’s Immigration Commission regarding the process for residents and their children to access educational services in the Lowell Public Schools.

SUBCOMMITTEES:
1. Lowell High School Subcommittee: Approval of the Minutes of the Meeting of Wednesday, January 19, 2011 [Jackie Doherty, Chair]

2. Curriculum Subcommittee: Report and Approval of the Minutes of the Meeting of Tuesday, January 25, 2011 [Connie Martin, Chair]

3. Safety & Discipline Subcommittee: Report and Approval of the Minutes of the Meeting of Wednesday, January 26, 2011 [David Conway, Chairman]

4. Special Education/Student Support Services Subcommittee: Report and Approval of the Minutes of the Meeting of Wednesday, January 26, 2011 [Jackie Doherty, Chair]

REPORTS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT:
NEW BUSINESS:

CONVENTION/CONFERENCE REQUESTS:
1. Lowell High Staff Stephen Gervais to travel with twenty-four students and four chaperones to Beijing and Shanghai, China during the 2013 April Vacation. There will be no cost to the school department budget. No school days will be missed and no substitute teachers are needed.

2. Overnight Field Trip Request: Colleen Winn and 40 Middlesex Community College’s TRIO Talent Search, Upward Bound and GEAR UP program LHS students, along with chaperones, to attend TRIO Day 2011 in Warwick, Rhode Island on Thursday, February 24th and Friday, February 25th, 2011. There is no cost to the School Department Budget. All expenses paid by TRIO funds.

3. Field Trip Request/Date Change Request Approved at the 9/1/10 School Committee Meeting: A date change is requested for a previously approved Lowell High School European field trip. The request is to change the dates from the February vacation to the April vacation [Friday, April 15, 2011 to Saturday, April 23, 2011]. There is no cost to the School Department budget. No school will be missed and no substitute teachers are needed.
Time Change: This time change will result in ½ students and ½ chaperones to leave school early on Friday, April 15, 2011. There will be no cost to the School Department budget and no substitute teachers are needed.

COMMUNICATIONS:
1. Letter dated January 27, 2011 to the Members of the Committee from Cathy Keane, Coordinator of the Molloy/LHS Alternative School and the Cardinal O’Connell McHugh Alternative School regarding the Molloy/LHS Alternative Program.

2. Lowell Telecommunication [Channel 10] Broadcast of School Committee Meetings: Live on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the Month; Thursdays @ 6PM; Saturday and Sundays @ 2PM; Tuesdays @ 10AM.

PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL:
1. Lowell School Administrators Association respectfully request that the members donate twenty-two [22] sick days to Sherrie Vlahakis, Lowell High School Guidance Counselor.

2. The members of the United Teachers of Lowell hereby request to donate sick leave days to the following paraprofessional: Laura Lafleur, Sullivan School, 7 [seven] days.

CIVIL SERVICE:
ADJOURNMENT:

GN Comment: If the School Committee REALLY wants to get their side of the contract Issue out, why are they NOT YET releasing the minutes of the Executive Sessions relating to the Supt. Contract??

OpportunitiesProvidedbyLocalJobs-FINAL

According to their website: Move Lowell Forward PAC is a non-partisan citizen’s group of Lowell residents who support professional and equitable city management. We aim to provide information and awareness to increase voter turnout, and to endorse candidates for local office through a process of evaluation on relevant issues.

The definition of a PAC is : PAC or Political Action Committee is an organization that enables people to participate in the political process at the local, state and federal levels by supporting issues and candidates for public office and by lobbying elected officials. Political action committees were first formed in the 1940′s. In Massachusetts there are about 200 registered PACs. In our state there is a $500 limit on an organization or individual’s campaign contribution.

PAC membership allows supporters and advocates of a particular organization or association and their “cause”, through relatively small contributions and organized election activities, to have a powerful voice in the political process. PACs make campaign contributions and promote candidates, thus making candidates accountable to supporters and assuring that their full-fledged allegiance to the organization or association is on the record.

Most importantly, PACs endorse candidates based on the candidate’s commitment to an issue, in order to build power. They help give the candidate political will to take a public position and initiate a discussion on important issues. Once the candidates recognize the power of the PAC they often become spokespeople and champions for the organization or association and their “cause”.

Now I know some of the members of Move Lowell Forward and they are sincere people who want to help the City progress but I think they put Councilor Broderick in an akward position asking him to present their white paper to the council. If I were a Council candidate or Bud, Rita or Rodney I would object to this weeks motion to bring forth a “WHITE PAPER” ( see attached pdf) on Opportunities Provided by Local Jobs, for discussion.

It gives the appearance that the Council is playing a little quid pro quo with this PAC by carrying forth their agenda and their message to be discussed on the Council floor after a majority of this Council including Kevin Broderick, Bill Martin, Jim Milinazzo Franky Descoteaux, Joe Mendonça and Patrick Murphy all were endorsed by this group in the last election. I’m sure LMF don’t mean to appear to be swapping their endorsement for the Councilors in exchange for the council moving on their agenda but that is how it looks to me.

If Sean Burke who has a business interest in what he wanted to speak on joins a PAC like Assoc Builders & Contractors Pol Action Comm and writes a White Paper then can he speak? The next time plan design comes do you think the Manager wants to hear from the Retired Public Employees PAC? During the budget debates that will come up can Rodney or Bud bring in the Voice of Teachers for Education (VOTE) Pol Action Comm with their White Paper on why the City needs to fund the school dept? Will Rita be allowed to present the MA Police Assoc. Pol Action Comm White Paper to discus why the Lowell Police are so underfunded?

Where will the line be drawn if we open it up to Move Lowell Forward? Can Jack and the Charter Changers form a PAC that endorses candidates and write a paper so they can be heard?

It is a bad precedent to set.

Happy 10th Birthday to my daughter Hannah, a 4th grader at the McAuliffe School in Lowell.

The Suns Political Column and the “BIG Conspiracy ” theory?? YAWN…I will give Lowell Sun Editor Jim Campanini credit, his tease on Saturday morning live got me and Mimi to blog about it and maybe a few more copies of the paper sold this morning but it was nothing notable and makes Campanini again look less credible than many already say that he is. He offers NOTHING to back up his conspiracy theory and the column is BORING!

Basically the headline is “EX-Senator won’t lead school chief hunt” and states that Mayor Milinazzo
queried former State Senator / School Committee member Steve Panagiotakos about leading the search but he declined, stating he is to busy with his new job and law practise. It then goes on to mention that fellow blogger, former City Wide Parent Council President and current Register of Deeds Dick Howes’ name has been mentioned but that may cause a conflict if his wife an administrator at Lowell High School applies for the position. The column uses a few more colorful words like Steve being “the big cheese” and the Supt’s position being “The big enchilada” but does not mention the school committee being puppets as Mr. Campanini suggested yesterday and gives no foundation or evidence of any conspiracy.

Now it is widely known that there is no love between the Sun and Dick Howe Jr. Dick like a lot of us bloggers has taken exception with the Sun on many things and takes his shots at them when he thinks they deserve it. A few examples: But the leadership of today’s Lowell Sun does not think or act strategically. Echoing its slanted coverage during the Congressional race, the Sun’s apologia completely ignored the fact that none of the Congressional candidates it endorsed won anywhere. on Jan. 23rd he wrote <em>” Perhaps I should wait until tomorrow for this post, because I have something positive to say about the Lowell Sun and a day when the temperature might not rise above 0 degrees would be somehow appropriate for that.”</em> (Translation, I usually would wait till hell freezes over to say something nice about the Sun)

So is Campy trying to float the idea somehow that Dick is “conspiring” to get his wife the job? It should be noted that Dick had posted the first story when the Sun broke it that Supt. Scott was leaving but BECAUSE his wife works for the system did not want to seem to be in conflict or pushing any agenda removed it and directed people to this blog and Left in Lowell to comment on it. He has tried NOT to get involved out of respect for his wife and should be applauded for that.

I challenge the Sun Editor to put some FACTS where is mouth is. Yesterday on Warrens show you stated that this committee was being used and manipulated by certain people, that they were basically not smart enough to oust the Supt. on their own and that YOU knew who was behind it yet in your paper offered NO FACTS to back up your statements. So Mr. C do you retract your words or can you prove what you claim you know? Is your rant yesterday no more fact based than Jack Mitchell’s that the SC being upset about consultants is why they aren’t bringing her back?

Were your comments those of the SUN and the publisher or your own personal view and did you open yourself up for a slander suit? Alleging that an elected committee committed or participated in a conspiracy is an awful big risk that you may need to prove if they get upset enough to file a lawsuit for slander which you may have opened the Sun up for. If I am on that committee I would be looking at either a suit or at the very least demanding a front page Editorial Apology and a suspension for you. Your words unless you can produce the facts to back up the claims are now on tape and can be used as evidence to prove you slandered them by accusing them of conspiracy to violate a contract and not negotiate in good faith which you accused them of on WCAP and people heard that and some may belive it. Can you prove it?

The rest of the column mentions she might be going to Leominster and that Asst. Supt. Franco has no interest in being named interim Supt. It talks about the friendly relationship that seems to be developing between the City Manager and U Lowell Chancellor and mentions the ULowell position of State Govt Affairs Officer that garnered 50 applicants for a job many feel is already lined up.

Another item it touches on is a motion that last week missed the agenda but is on it this week. C. Caulfield-Req. Council Package be made available for Public/Media. Last week Bill Martin asked” Can’t we just send the packet to John McDonough?…City Life host John McDonough is not happy with the Packet being available in hard copy on Friday and wants it electronic on Friday. The Manager wants the council to have the weekend to review and thought this was a fair compromise but we will see what the entire council thinks Tuesday night.

a few other matters..

Why is it overlooked that Dr. Scott and Mike Gallagher are the ones who ended tha talks (no matter how disrespected they felt) and in the two weeks since she said she was leaving has never publicly changed that position? The SC gets blamed with her leaving but in reality she is the one who ended things.

Could the situation with the Supt. be the deciding factor whether a committee member runs for re-election or not? At least one of the six is rumored to be thinking that enough is enough and no matter what you do, how much time you spend and how much you try to do what is right for the schools you are always going to be on the short end and the aggravation far outweighs the rewards. The time spent away from business and family isn’t worth the grief and innuendo. I may think they blew the SUPT. contract but I think they all try to do what is best for the students and the system.

Mimi on Left in Lowell is 1000% correct pointing out that Committee member Alison Laraba is the same person who launched her candidacy in 2009 partly based on the action of School Committee members who had left the chamber; Friday night Laraba played to the 75 people in attendance and stormed out like a child who was just scolded by their parents. She is an embarrassment to the Committee and if she had any manners or class at all would apologize to her fellow members this week for her childish behavior.

I had the pleasure of meeting Asst. Supt. Ann Murphy at the School Committee meeting the other night and had a very nice conversation with her. She is a charming women and it was the most enjoyable part of the night getting to meet her and speak with her.

Ironic that former Building Inspector David St. Hilaire has former State Rep. / City Manager John Cox as his Atty, while the late Erika Magill’s Atty was Eileen Donoghue former City Councilor current State Senator. Think either side wants to lose this one for a whole host of reasons?

Here’s a couple of scary statement by St. Hilaire ” it was “the most legitimate deal I’ve ever done in my life.” and “I treated Erika like I would treat my mother,” …thinks those over.

Burlington State Rep. Charlie Murphy who lost the chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee wife is a Principal here in Lowell and does and outstanding job at the McAuliffe school. Rep.Murphy is an outstanding Sate Rep. a who has shown he wants to rise in leadership and DeLeo instead wants a puppet he doesn’t have to worry about. Hold on Rep. Murphy, your time will come. Based on the last three speakers the indictment of Deleo can’t be to far off. Re-districting got Finneran so hope springs eternal.

Congratulations to Lowell State Rep. Tom Golden and Dracut State Rep. Colleen Garry who were both named as members of the Ways and Means Committee. That is good news for Lowell/Dracut to have members on that committee.

Up to this week I haven’t heard a lot about Move Lowell Forward the PAC that was started in 2010 but on the Council Agenda this week is a motion by Councilor Kevin Broderick that states ” Req. Council accept the Move Lowell Forward white paper on Opportunities Provided by Local Jobs, for discussion.” It is interesting because if you go to their Website there is no white paper for the public to view nor has the website been updated recently. How old is this White Paper, what does it entail? I have not seen it in the SUN or on any other Blog and why is the council discussing a paper from a political Action committee when they don’t allow a resident like Sean Burke to speak?. Why doesn’t the PAC share the information with the public not just the council??

The Dracut High School plan will need to be sold to the taxpayers and is a good thing for the town. I expect both Selectman running for re-election Bob Cox and John Ziminni to come out in the next week or so in favor of this project and join Chairman George Malliaros and Selectman Joseph DiRocco in support of this. I’m not sure where Cathy Richards stands just yet.

Finally for those of here in Centraville and all Lowellians who travel Route 38 daily a traffic advisory on the Hunts Fall Bridge courtesy of CNAG President Ann Marie Page who sent this to me:

HUNTS FALLS BRIDGE NIGHTTIME DETOURS JANUARY 31ST THROUGH FEBRUARY 4th

Northbound traffic travelling over the Route 38/110 (Hunts Falls) bridge over the Merrimack River in Lowell will be detoured nightly between 8:00 PM and 5:00 AM beginning on Monday evening, January 31st and continuing until Friday morning, February 4th, to allow construction crews to install several new water mains. The work is weather dependant and is subject to modification or cancellation.

Northbound drivers should follow the posted detour route from Route 38/110 (Nesmith Street), left at East Merrimack Street, right at Bridge Street, over the Central Bridge and onto the VFW Highway (Route 38), and continue to their destinations as indicated below.

To Route 110 Eastbound: Turn right on Route 38 and continue along the VFW Highway as it becomes Route 110. To Route 38 Northbound: Turn left on Route 38.

Appropriate signs, channelizing devices and traffic control measures will be used to guide drivers through the work zone and the detour routes. MassDOT encourages drivers to reduce speed and use caution when travelling through the work zone and along the associated detour route.

If you missed Saturday Morning live at 9:40 this morning boy did you miss a lot. The Lowell Sun Editor Jim Campanini called in and made a few interesting and entertaining comments, including:

There is no Leadership on this School Committee

Schools in Lowell have improved during Dr. Scotts time, teachers feel empowered and test scores have improved this committee should be taking bows instead of replacing the person responsible.

The Executive Session minutes can de ‘doctored” to show only what the Committee wants it to show and should be viewed as such.

Like him or not, think he is a “toady” for Supt. Scott or not, you cannot argue with some of his statements.

Under Dr. Scotts leadership the school system has improved and she and the Committee should be taking bows for what they have been able to accomplish, especially in these fiscal times. Test scores have greatly improved and a large number of parents, teachers and administrators support her.

All indications are that the Sun will not let this one go unanswered and I agree with them. Please spare me the post and spins that say “She and Jim Campanini are best buddies” or that Campanini is out to get the school committee or if the Sun is for her she is bad. It is a lame and stupid argument.

Based on the facts as they are now known, Supt. Chris Scott was sent a message designed or not that this committee could or would not have anything to offer her after publicly stating in November they wanted to negotiate and bring her back.

Whether she was correct in informing her staff and the public before calling every school committee member can be debated but the fact is test scores have improved, the system has been recognized state-wide and on a national level and this school committee is reasonable for letting a very good Supt. leave.

The School Committee needs to release the minutes of ALL Executive Sessions this week. There is no reason not to. Suspend the rules, make a motion on Wednesday and release them immediately. It will not change anyones mind but it will show how members voted.

If you have followed the committee as I have you can pretty much define Connie Martin and Jackie Doherty being two members who don’t 100% support Supt. Scott. Alison Laraba we know is in the Supts. corner but where are Jim Leary, John Leahy, Dave Conway and the Mayor? Release the minutes and let the public see.

I have repeatedly stated that this committee screwed up by leaving Dr. Scott hanging but I also believe once she stated to her staff and sent the email to the principals, then went to the Sun and made the public aware she was leaving then the School Committee had no choice but to move on.

You can’t go back after that no matter where you work. If anyone believes it was a public relations move, I believe they are incorrect. I believe that Supt. Scott was slighted by the board and felt that she was not going to receive an offer and felt she had to move on and wanted people to know why.

So Where’s the Beef? and What really happened? The Consultant issue is total BS as is the Regina issue (although that is what probably cost Dr. Scott Connie Martins support). What is the real issue and what caused the lack of communication. Is this committee that inept when it comes to negotiations?

I attended the Special meeting of the Lowell School Committee tonight. It was billed by the paper as a “rally” by the Teachers Union to support Supt. Scott. There were about 75 people in attendance, considering Lowell has over 1,400 teachers I’d say the “rally” fell short of expectations.

I may be in the minority but I agree with what the Committee did tonight!