Critical Issues facing the schools

If you received our December newsletter, you know we want to hear from you about what issues are facing the public schools. Here are some replies we've gotten thus far to our survey:

From a parent and teacher:
1) Is NCLB (No Child Left Behind) helping the schools or is it just an unfunded mandate?
2) Increasing teacher pull-out from classroom for pointless meetings which accomplish little and disrupt kids a lot.
3) Challenging all students.

Also, from a parent/teacher:
1) More challenging curriculum to advance and accelerate the top students; more homogeneus grouping to achieve such. Differentiation is not cutting it and is not being done, although it is much talked of.
2) Discipline issues - so as not to slow down the rest of the class.
3) Why doesn't Lowell provide a 'gifted' program?

And an email response from a parent:

My opinion of the critical public education issues:

1. Ample time should be given in the day to properly eat lunch and have recess. This is not the case in my children's school. I would even add time to the school day in order to see them given the basic human right of eating properly and having a break. This would also diminish some disipline issues I believe.

2. I would like to see better commitment to F.A.P.E. (free and appropriate public education act). Currently my special needs child is not receiving some services needed as part of his I.E.P. (individual education plan), because of a vacancy in those positions. Alternatively, I have another child in the same school who is advanced and has no access to an advanced program.

3. Parental involvement is also key.

Thank you for these submissions. Let's keep this conversation going!

Kindergarten Readiness

It seems unbelievable that 17 kindergartners were suspended last year and 6 so far this year, yet something has to be done about children who are a danger to themselves and others and who continuously disrupt the class. And if the issue can be addressed in the early years, there is a better chance that the child will be successful in school. Fortunately, the school department has been able to fund the alternative elementary program at the Lincoln School which can handle up to sixteen children, K-3, who are in need of extra help with behavior. Is the program big enough? Currently, 13 of the seats are filled, but there is no set time that a child will remain in the alternate program, so conceivably there could be a waiting list. While on the radio last week, a caller asked why not go back to half-day kindergarten since some children obviously can't handle the full day. Certainly many, even most, children are ready for and benefit from full-day kindergarten, but perhaps the half-day might be warranted in some cases. On the other hand, perhap these children need more, not less, socializing; sending them back home may result in disruptive first-graders.

A follow-up article about the program at the Lincoln, indicated that their methods are successful: so far, three children have been returned to the regular classroom.

The Mary Bacigalupo Educational Endowment

The CPC is working on a project with the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Middlesex Community College, the Lowell School Department and others in the community called The Mary Bacigalupo Educational Endowment. Mary Bacigalupo was involved in many projects in the city and helped found the CPC many years ago. She died in 2001 and this project is in her honor.

In conjunction with a fundraising effort, The Mary Bacigalupo Educational Endowment will appoint a "Bacigalupo Fellow" who will coordinate a community project around an issue in education. The annual project will strengthen community interest, involvement and support for public education and will result in an action strategy. The CPC has agreed to help by getting input about issues regarding education and has framed the following question:

"What are the critical issues in sustaining the highest possible quality of public education for all children in Lowell?"

It is hoped that requests for proposals will be ready in January, thus we need to define the issues now! We hope that everyone (teachers, parents, students, community members, school department employees) will act in the spirit of Mary Bacigalupo by joining in this community discussion of education.

To respond, email lowellcpc@comcast.net or send your written response to the Citywide Parent Council, 155 Merrimack St., Lowell, MA 01852, or add a comment on the blog.