March 25, 2009
To the editor:
I am writing on the topic of the charter school in Gloucester.
I admire the supporters of this initiative and their sincere wish for an excellent education for children of Gloucester admitted to the new school. However, I ask that they reconsider the approach they are taking. I have read their materials, heard their leaders speak, and am aware that they feel sure they are doing a good thing for Gloucester by creating an alternative school.
In my mind, the call for a charter school has provided a valuable public service by adding to the discussion on how to improve Gloucester's schools. A number of the charter school programs, such as "responsive classrooms" and the addition of more art into the curriculum, are good ones. In many instances, these programs and other initiatives in the charter school proposal exist in one form or another in Gloucester's public schools. But there is no question that these successful programs should be expanded and made available to all the students in the District.
The major shortcoming I see in the charter school is that the zealous belief in the benefits of a charter school prevented many of its supporters from seeing the alternative school's benefits will be dwarfed by the damage it will do to the larger school community. I also believe that the growing awareness of this fact is the reason for the loss of a number of the charter school's original individual and organizational supporters.
From the beginning, the charter school's leadership has claimed that there will be no or minimal negative financial impact on the existing system of public education in Gloucester. This is false. The truth remains that after an initial transition period, more than $2 million per year will be taken from Gloucester's public schools serving more than 3,300 students to fund a school serving 240.
At the February hearing before the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, the president of the charter school asked for approval for its proposal stating that there was "widespread grassroots support for the charter school." He gave evidence of this by saying the Gloucester Daily Times had written several editorials in favor of the charter school, and that "just the day before, the editor of the Times called and encouraged me to go before State Board and speak." Putting aside the impropriety of the editor's phone call, the Gloucester Daily Times editorial page is not evidence of widespread community support. Not on this issue. Letters and phone calls to the governor from those in Gloucester opposing the charter school ran nearly 10 to 1.
To finish reading Ed's letter click here.
ED SHOUCAIR
Washington Street, Gloucester
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Frieda Grotjahn's visit to O'Maley
March 20, 2009
Because my oldest son, a fifth-grader, had been talking with his friends about O’Maley School, I made an appointment with Principal Michael Tracy to visit. I, along with two other parents from my son’s school, met with Dr. Tracy on a windy, cold Monday morning last December. I saw some trash around the rink, but with the wind I was not worried and did not pay particular attention to it as I was more concerned about what I would find inside of the institution looming grey and cold in front of us on this dark winter morning.
Dr. Tracy welcomed us into his office and we had a chance to ask a lot of questions about the curriculum, the contents and the appearance of the school, which he answered in a competent and friendly way. He spoke about the after-school program, which is funded by the Gloucester Education Foundation. Languages, robotics, flight simulator, CAD, video-film and more will be offered. He spoke about the new science lab, which will be funded through the collaboration on curriculum development with the MIT-Edgerton center and about the chance for middle school students to go to MIT for two weeks in summer. He explained that this collaboration was again made possible by the GEF and will provide sustainable improvements to science and technology education.
To finish reading Frieda's letter click here.
Frieda Grotjahn
Blake Court
Because my oldest son, a fifth-grader, had been talking with his friends about O’Maley School, I made an appointment with Principal Michael Tracy to visit. I, along with two other parents from my son’s school, met with Dr. Tracy on a windy, cold Monday morning last December. I saw some trash around the rink, but with the wind I was not worried and did not pay particular attention to it as I was more concerned about what I would find inside of the institution looming grey and cold in front of us on this dark winter morning.
Dr. Tracy welcomed us into his office and we had a chance to ask a lot of questions about the curriculum, the contents and the appearance of the school, which he answered in a competent and friendly way. He spoke about the after-school program, which is funded by the Gloucester Education Foundation. Languages, robotics, flight simulator, CAD, video-film and more will be offered. He spoke about the new science lab, which will be funded through the collaboration on curriculum development with the MIT-Edgerton center and about the chance for middle school students to go to MIT for two weeks in summer. He explained that this collaboration was again made possible by the GEF and will provide sustainable improvements to science and technology education.
To finish reading Frieda's letter click here.
Frieda Grotjahn
Blake Court
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Pamela Campbell: When the story hits a nerve
GLOUCESTER - It’s always a balancing act, trying to be objective in community journalism when the community you’re covering is the family heirloom. Gloucester is my home, my roots, my heritage, my point of view: in five years of living outside Chicago, it was my steadfast identity. That first winter out there, my 4-year-old son made snow angels while singing Daisy Nell songs at the top of his lungs, into the Illinois sky.
So I was thrilled to be able to reconnect with my hometown by contributing pieces to the Beacon. Slowly finishing a long-overdue degree in English, hoping to teach locally when I’m done, I figured, why not? And it has been such a wonderful way to delve into the community, learn new things, meet new people, and write.
When asked if I’d cover the Gloucester schools for the Beacon, I said, sure. I am a product of the Gloucester schools: Beeman for six years, Central Grammar for two. I also worked as a classroom aide in Debbie Goodwin’s first kindergarten class at Fuller in 2002-03, and was one of the last-hired staff to be cut when the ax fell that fateful “No Child”/federal funding year. It’s what sent me back to school for the ever-elusive degree.
But the charter school story has struck a very deep nerve, and it hurts.
To continue reading Pamela's column click here.
So I was thrilled to be able to reconnect with my hometown by contributing pieces to the Beacon. Slowly finishing a long-overdue degree in English, hoping to teach locally when I’m done, I figured, why not? And it has been such a wonderful way to delve into the community, learn new things, meet new people, and write.
When asked if I’d cover the Gloucester schools for the Beacon, I said, sure. I am a product of the Gloucester schools: Beeman for six years, Central Grammar for two. I also worked as a classroom aide in Debbie Goodwin’s first kindergarten class at Fuller in 2002-03, and was one of the last-hired staff to be cut when the ax fell that fateful “No Child”/federal funding year. It’s what sent me back to school for the ever-elusive degree.
But the charter school story has struck a very deep nerve, and it hurts.
To continue reading Pamela's column click here.
Ongoing letters to the editor of the Gloucester Daily Times
Peter Van Ness' insistence that he and his group (the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School) have enjoyed a broad coalition of support in their efforts to bring their charter school to fruition is puzzling.
The public record paints a contrary picture of his inflated "re-vision" of public enthusiasm. According to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 16 letters of support were received — of which seARTs, Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, Lesley University in Boston and Councilor Jackie Hardy all subsequently withdrew their endorsement. At the only public hearing, where members of the community were able to voice their concerns, the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School group could muster only 17 supporters (of which seven were founding board members) to speak in favor.
Conversely, 151 letters in opposition were received by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and, of the 94 people signed up to speak in opposition, half were denied the opportunity because of time constraints. Many people who intended to speak against the application did not bother to sign up because the opposition list was already so long.
To read the rest of Jason's letter click here.
JASON GROW
City Councilor, Ward 1
Gloucester
When people care enough to become involved in their community, we assume that they do so to improve the quality of life for all. We have many intelligent and informed community members and elected city officials who try hard to make decisions based on this assumption.
For me, the most disturbing aspect of the charter school situation is the involvement of members of our own community who do not seem to share this assumption. These community members apparently gave up trying to work within the confines of the local process and were willing to further diminish the core educational opportunities that the majority of children in Gloucester receive in order to satisfy their dissatisfaction with the status quo.
To read the rest of Simon's letter click here.
SIMON PADDOCK
Mount Pleasant Avenue, Gloucester
The public record paints a contrary picture of his inflated "re-vision" of public enthusiasm. According to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 16 letters of support were received — of which seARTs, Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, Lesley University in Boston and Councilor Jackie Hardy all subsequently withdrew their endorsement. At the only public hearing, where members of the community were able to voice their concerns, the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School group could muster only 17 supporters (of which seven were founding board members) to speak in favor.
Conversely, 151 letters in opposition were received by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and, of the 94 people signed up to speak in opposition, half were denied the opportunity because of time constraints. Many people who intended to speak against the application did not bother to sign up because the opposition list was already so long.
To read the rest of Jason's letter click here.
JASON GROW
City Councilor, Ward 1
Gloucester
When people care enough to become involved in their community, we assume that they do so to improve the quality of life for all. We have many intelligent and informed community members and elected city officials who try hard to make decisions based on this assumption.
For me, the most disturbing aspect of the charter school situation is the involvement of members of our own community who do not seem to share this assumption. These community members apparently gave up trying to work within the confines of the local process and were willing to further diminish the core educational opportunities that the majority of children in Gloucester receive in order to satisfy their dissatisfaction with the status quo.
To read the rest of Simon's letter click here.
SIMON PADDOCK
Mount Pleasant Avenue, Gloucester
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