By: DJ Deeb – April, 2017 There have been many noteworthy stories about the City of Methuen this past month. New contracts have been approved by city officials, the Marijuana dispensaries are on hold, a 40-B housing project is being discussed, preliminary budget planning is taking place, and the school committee voted against televising workshop […]
By: D.J. Deeb – Feb. 2017 There has been much discussion on social media regarding residency requirements for students attending Methuen schools. Unfortunately, most of the information appearing on these social media outlets is not true. Methuen Public Schools works on a regular basis to ensure that all of the students attending the schools are […]
By: DJ Deeb – February, 2017 Methuen Public Schools are continuing to move forward and we have much to be proud of, but I am also disappointed to report that I do not believe that all of our tax dollars are being spent wisely and I believe that some Methuen city officials are being negligent […]
By: DJ Deeb – January, 2017 Although Methuen Public Schools are doing many terrific and important things, this month I have to offer constructive criticism on a program known as the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, or PBIS. In my view, this is a scam and constitutes just another wasteful liberal scheme to engage in […]
By: DJ Deeb – Dec. 2016 The fall has been a busy time for students and staff in Methuen public schools. September, October, and November have been packed with numerous activities including test preparation, mock presidential elections, educator goal-setting, and maintenance repair work, among other things. As a career educator at both the high school […]
By: DJ Deeb – Oct. 2016 Methuen Schools are on the move and many great things are happening with the start of the 2016-2017 school year. At our September 12th meeting, I led the charge to have the Methuen School Committee go on record as opposing Question 2 in November, which if passed, would expand […]
By: DJ Deeb – July, 2016 June proved to be a volatile month for both the City of Methuen budget and the Methuen Public Schools budget. Even though Mayor Steve Zanni proposed increasing the city budget by 6.25%, he initially proposed level-funding the schools. Faced with nearly $3 Million in new Federal Special Education mandates, […]
By: D.J. Deeb – June, 2016 May has proven to be a very busy month for the Methuen School Committee as it almost always is. There have been several workshops on the budget (which is still a work in progress), awards ceremonies, teacher recognition, and pro-active planning for the year ahead. First off, Congratulations to […]
By: DJ Deeb – May, 2016 The debate over Common Core has been heating up over the past several months, especially with the Presidential and Congressional Elections looming. The purpose of this article is to explain the origins of Common Core, summarize the standards, and offer suggestions on how to stop Common Core from being […]
By: DJ Deeb – April, 2016 After several years of asking for an updated Capital Improvement Plan for Methuen Public Schools, Facilities Director Bruce Stella presented a comprehensive 5-year plan for Facilities and Maintenance to members of the School Committee to review at our March 28th Workshop Meeting. Currently, the Methuen School Committee is working […]
By: DJ Deeb – March. 2016 The Methuen High School Graduation will not be held at the Tsongas Arena after all. After much lobbying by members of the senior class and their parents, the Methuen High School Graduation ceremonies will be held at the new renovated Nicholson Stadium in Methuen. The month of February witnessed […]
By: DJ Deeb – Feb. 2016 There is currently a push being made by some members of the Methuen School District Administration to push members of the Methuen School Committee to adopt Common Core English Language Arts standards under the guise of implementing the new Massachusetts Statewide English Language Arts Framework. Parents and community members […]
By: D.J. Deeb – December, 2015 November and December are traditionally busy months for school districts. This year too is no exception and there are several things to report on this month in the paragraphs that follow: The City Elections, John & Abigail Adams Scholarship, MHS Band Disney Trip, and the PSATs in Methuen. First […]
By: DJ Deeb – Sept. 2015 We are off to yet another School Year. Teachers returned to Methuen Public Schools on August 31st and students returned on September 1st. The City Elections are also coming up November 3rd and one member of our School Committee will not be seeking re-election, Mary Jean Fawcett. Having served […]
By: DJ Deeb – July, 2015 June proved to be a busy and interesting month for Methuen Public Schools. The Federal Government is once again meddling in our schools through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) by requiring that school lunch prices be increased. First off, Congratulations to the Class of 2015 who had a […]