Everett's Pride?

We’ve all seen the ever-present bumper stickers through out the city, proclaiming “Everett’s Schools are Everett’s Pride.” It’s been a wonderful public relations tool for Superintendent Foresteire for a number of reasons, the most important being that because people have tended to believe it, Mr. Foresteire has been somewhat insulated from criticism. Consider this -- last year a disturbing state audit of the Everett Public School System revealed wide spread mismanagement including unlicensed school teachers, bid-rigging, hundreds of thousands of dollars of misspent state and federal grant money, special education dollars spent on football parades and advertising, and misleading budgeting practices. Ordinarily, this alone would have gotten any other school superintendent fired, but the school committee via its “spokesman,” Robert Alconada, gave Mr. Foresteire an “A” as an educator, as reported in the Boston Herald.

Alas, that “A” is no more real than “Puff, the Magic Dragon.” The Boston Globe ranks Everett 10th graders 227 out of 280 in English, with 41% needing improvement or failing; in Math, Everett 10 graders rank 255 out of 280, with 52% needing improvement or failing. In English, Everett's ranking was beaten by Malden, Quincy and (gulp) Brockton. In Math - Everett's rank was beaten by Brockton, Lowell and Somerville. The "best blue collar school system?" Sadly, that's just an empty slogan.

2006 MCAS Results

The news was even more dismal on September 17, when the Boston Globe published an article indentifying two of Everett's schools, Parlin and Lafayette, as needing "corrective action" for failing to make progress in Math, English or both. Missing from the list needing corrective action was Revere. Do you still think we have the best blue collar school system? Even the Everett Independent, long a cheerleader for the superintendent, acknowledged these issues in last week's edition. Lowering the standards, however, is not the answer to the problem. Everett's school children need to have the skills to compete, whether in college or on the job, and lowering the standards won't help them achieve the skills to compete successfully.

Perhaps if the school committee stopped lowering standards for the Superintendent, we might actually get somewhere?

From the Boston Globe, 9/17/06:

State calls for action
The state Department of Education on Tuesday told 27 schools in the northern suburbs that they must take ``corrective action" to improve student performance. The schools on the list below were told that some students are failing to make adequate yearly progress in math, English l anguage a rts, or both.
District School
Amesbury Amesbury Middle School
Chelsea Chelsea High
Chelsea Clark Avenue School (5-8)
Chelsea Eugene Wright School (5-8)
Chelsea Joseph A. Browne School (5-8)
Danvers Holten Richmond Middle School
Everett Lafayette School prekindergarten-8)
Everett Parlin School (prekindergarten-8)
Gloucester Gloucester High
Gloucester Milton L. Fuller (elementary)
Gloucester Ralph B. O'Maley (middle)
Haverhill Consentino (middle)
Haverhill Haverhill High
Haverhill Silver Hill (elementary)
Ipswich Ipswich Middle School
Lynn Breed Middle School
Lynn Julia F. Callahan (elementary)
Lynn Lynn Voc Tech Institute (8-12)
Lynn Robert L. Ford (prekindergarten-8)
Lynn Thurgood Marshall (middle)
Malden Ferryway (K-8)
Malden Forestdale (K-8)
Malden Salemwood (K-8)
Masconomet Masconomet (middle)
Peabody J. Henry Higgins (middle)
Salem Collins (middle)
Saugus Belmonte Saugus (6-8)
Source: State Department of Education website
Compiled by Brenda J. Buote
© Copyright 2006 Globe Newspaper Company.

Decision 2006

Primary Day is just around the corner, and while Everett’s turnout for Primaries is notoriously light – we hope you will consider getting out there to vote. This is your chance to make a difference!

Here are the races:

Senate: (Republican Ballot)
Kenneth Chase
Kevin Scott

Governor: (Democrat Ballot)
Christopher Gabrielli
Deval Patrick
Thomas Reilly, Attorney General

Lt. Governor: (Democrat Ballot)
Deborah Goldberg
Tim Murray
Andrea Silbert

Secretary of State: (Democrat Ballot)
William Galvin (I)
John Bonifaz

State Representative: (Democrat Ballot)
Frank Nuzzo
Stephen “Stat” Smith
Write in: Rosemary Miller

Clerk of Courts (Democrat Ballot)
Bruce Desmond
Michael Sullivan

A Little Etiquette Reminder

To Our Readers:

Please be mindful of language when you are posting comments. We understand that debate will get heated from time to time, but we must emphasize that the use of profanity cannot be tolerated. This seems to have become more of an issue lately than it has in the past, and we are asking that you please choose your words more carefully when posting your comments.

Thank you for your consideration.

The Staff of The Everett Mirror

5 Years Later-Remembering September 11th

As we approach the 5th anniversary of 9/11, we found the words to this song by Alan Jackson particularly reflective of what we all felt on that day. Do you remember where you were?



Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?
Were you in the yard with your wife and children
Or working on some stage in L.A.?
Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke
Risin' against that blue sky?
Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry?
Did you weep for the children who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don't know?
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below?
Did you burst out in pride for the red, white and blue
And the heroes who died just doin' what they do?
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself and what really matters?

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you the difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?
Were you teaching a class full of innocent children
Or driving down some cold interstate?
Did you feel guilty 'cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone?
Did you call up your mother and tell her you loved her?
Did you dust off that Bible at home?
Did you open your eyes, hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep?
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Or speak to some stranger on the street?
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Or go out and buy you a gun?
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watchin'
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns?
Did you go to a church and hold hands with some strangers
Did you stand in line and give your own blood?
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love?

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day?