I was critical of the Standard Times’ practice of publishing letters that favor innovation schools and blocking the opposition. While I believe they have an obligation to show both sides of the debate evenly as they are the main source of news locally, I suppose they do have the right to publish whatever they please. That doesn’t mean we should keep subscribing.
But it’s telling that they published this just yesterday, a flawed missive by Warren Berube, former founder and executive director at the Global Learning Charter Public School. The piece lacked support for it’s claims (i.e.: “Charter schools are held to a high standard”) and featured a number of comical mistakes (a founder/director of a school doesn’t know how to spell superintendent, and the newspaper didn’t pick up on the mistake, either).
15 comments:
GAME CHANGER… by Whaling City Watch
http://whalingcitywatch.com/2013/02/23/game-changer/
Have you noticed that the Dying Daily only prints letters in support of Innovation Schools? They really outdid themselves yesterday by publishing TWO. Bob Unger really must have wet his pants.
Here’s one you won’t read in the “newspaper” anytime soon. Whaling City Watch has obtained an e-mail sent to Interim Superintendent Michael Shea from Lou St. John, President of the New Bedford Educators Association. It is a request for information about the two Innovation Schools proposals now under consideration here in New Bedford. Quite frankly, the letter raises issues and concerns that haven’t been addressed before.
Josh is right on target. The letter will be ignored by the press because they want these schools regardless of the negative impact they will have on the district's students and teachers.
Have you noticed that most of the people supporting these schools don't live in New Bedford? Why doesn't Irene Buck suggest that these schools be built in her town of Westport? Why haven't Craig Dutra and Tom Davis called for these schools to be built where they live?
I've noticed that the biggest proponents of these innovation schools are connected with the charter schools, the UIA, and the Education Round-table? Does one need say more?
These schools are all about destroying the NBEA and nothing else. The three Gomes teachers have been seduced by the anti-union zealots...they are nothing more them pawns doing the bidding of dan french and the uia. It's ironic that these 3 women are working to destroy the union that protects them?
When you've been promised leadership positions in these schools that's all you need to cut the throats of your colleagues. Jen Clune isn't even certified as a principal and she's been given the job without even having to apply for it. Good going Jen!
Picture Bunger running to the print section, screaming, "Stop The presses!" We have another Innovation op piece! No time for spellcheck."
The personal attacks keep working against us but some "members" are obsessed with making them. Give it up. Unless you seriously think that a committee decision is going to be:
" Well, I read that Jane Doe is a traitor on that Whaling blog so my vote is no."
Not likely guy. Stop harming the effort.
^ everyone is entitled to an opinion. If you consider an opinion, a personal attack, so be it , but you won't deter me from offering my opinion.
I don't see any personal attacks. What am I missing?
My opinion is that the personal stuff has set us back. YOu can refute that or retreat in to "....entitled to my opinion..." Anyway, no one can deny that WCW launches personal attacks
+An innovative “arts integrated” school is proposed to open in a working class Massachusetts city
+Top community and state political figures love it
+Issues of location and building occupancy are considered irrelevant.
+Critics are portrayed as anti child and the school is approved
That was 3 years ago in Gloucester, MA. The same school held the biggest sale of the year last Saturday, February 16, 2013. Here are some of the bargains you missed:
Classroom Desks & Chairs
Technology
Art Supplies
Musical Instruments
Science Lab Furniture
Science Lab Equipment
Last and certainly not least:
One empty, lavishly furnished school building lease at $1million for 24 months or $35,000 month.
This is the estate sale for the “bustling Gloucester Community Arts Charter School”(GCACS). GCACS closed its doors in January, dumping kids out with only days of notice.
GCASC should mean something to New Bedford since the GCACS was vehemently opposed by the community but was pushed for clear political purposes by Boston power brokers. This is not a disputed opinion, the political nature of the decision was made clear by investigations and information released by Gloucester and Boston media and the IG’s office.
According to a state judge, Commissioner Chester lied to push through GCASC for political purposes (http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110612/OPINION/106120308/-1/NEWS) . We are seeing how this works in New Bedford. Afterall, our newspaper has told us that since 40 people in our community think a small autonomous, arts centered model is fashionable, we must support it. Since a mix of 40 residents and non residents see fit to ignore the building impact of a dual language school sited in a busy middle school, we must gather round the innovators.
Just like the New Bedford media, the Gloucester Daily Times supported the GCACS project, continuing to praise the “growing Gloucester Community Arts Charter School” months before it collapsed , even now spinning the closure as a chance to use a wonderful new ( and very expensive) building. While the building may be used, there is no news yet on what Warren Berube calls this “new ideas for dissemination throughout the system” that GCASC offered to the city public school system.
Apparently urban dwellers need ideas from others and so, where the elite of Cape Ann Gloucester were the brain trust leading the innovation in that city, New Bedford is now benefiting from non profit executives from wealthy Westport, who treat us with daily opinion pieces in paper of record.
However, ideas are not cheap and the Cape Ann elite’s innovation cost GPS $2.4 million annually. And what did they get for the money? Not much, since by the end, the state intervened and would only fund the GCACS monthly based on enrollment, with kids and staff fleeing the innovation at every turn. Turns out that the removal of union protections and the appointment of inexperienced, unqualified innovators as principal, executive director, and CFO didn’t work very well.
The story gets worse, especially the consequences for New Bedford. Because the idea, the innovation, was stronger that the impact plans, the school actually didn’t open until October 2010. Apparently, extensive building modifications and preparation, and financial details had not been settled in time, leaving students in the lurch and the Commissioner very nervous about whether the project should even go forward ( in fact he questioned the schools "viability" and told parents to return their kids to their district schools). Within a year came the news that in this arts innovation school, IEPs were not being met ( GCAS didn’t have the right staff to cover special education needs, so arts was quickly dumped and an emergency plan put in place to cover special education). In school year 2011-2012, despite the Commissioner granting another year to GCACS to address its problems, the 2011 MCAS saw the Charter “WELL below Gloucester city elementary and middle school students.”
This school year, 2012-2013, the Board of Ed had enough and the charter was revoked. The school was given the right to continue to this June but the Trustees could not even close the school right, quitting last month, informing parents at the last minute, giving two conflicting closure days, with rumors of litigation and unpaid staff continuing to emerge. Fortunately for Gloucester, the state had an annual grip on these schools, whereas the New Bedford school committee is poised to award a 5 year license to its own innovation schools, worth tens of millions of local dollars.
There are few regrets in the powerful circles in Gloucester and the same spirit of innovation is used to justify the old college try at GCASC. There are great bargains available on the school’s supplies, Mayor Kirk is content that the district that figure out how to settle in the 150 lost students, and Trustee Art Beene congratulates the leadership on the dead school’s website. However, the owner of GCACS property is a little more direct. They “went belly up, and I’m stuck with the lease,” says landlord Mick Latafa. We don’t quite know how you feel Mick, but, we may soon
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