ANDOVER — Superintendent John Lavoie reports that the Greater Lawrence Technical School Committee has voted to modify the District’s school mask mandate. During its regular business meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 15, the Committee voted to revise the policy to make masking optional for all students beginning on Monday, March 7. On Feb. 9, Education Commissioner […]
Feb. 2022 Earlier this month, some genius in the Methuen Public Schools decided to cancel Valentine’s Day and replace it with “Spirit Day” where the teachers and administrators would indoctrinate children about “friendship and caring.” After being publicly humiliated on Facebook by Methuen Councilor D.J. Beauregard, however, school administrators changed their tune, sending home a […]
By: Dani Langevin – Jan. 2022 I will be presenting you with historical facts and data. You can glean from it what you will. The question is: does systemic racism exist in the US? Here is a timeline of some fun facts. Let’s start with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1871. Here’s the History Channel’s […]
By: Rep. Linda Dean Campbell Governor Baker has signed the $4 billion funding plan sent to him by the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate. The Legislature conducted extensive hearings before finalizing the legislation in order to hear the needs of communities across the state. The bill calls for $2.55 billion in federal ARPA (American […]
If you’re reading this, chances are you’re a parent, or have friends or neighbors who are. Baby Boomer, Gen X, or Millennial— the K-12 school scene has changed so much since we were kids. Understanding these changes can help moms and dads guide their children to greater learning, success, and happiness. So: here are the […]
By: State Rep. Linda Dean Campbell – Dec. 2021 After months of public input, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a major $3.82 billion funding bill to address the most pressing challenges of our COVID-19 recovery. This bill prioritizes individuals and businesses that were most impacted by the pandemic and invests in areas of immediate […]
By: Senator Diana DiZoglio – Nov. 2021 Hello Valley Patriot Readers, While we have made important strides in recent years to help Massachusetts veterans – such as exempting members of the military in active duty from the automobile excise tax and expanding services and opportunities for veterans and their families through the Valor Act – […]
By: State Rep. Linda Dean Campbell – Nov. 2021 It is time to get serious about mental health services for our students. Even for years before the pandemic, we saw a concerning rise in stress, anxiety, and depression among young people. COVID-19 only made things worse. Last year, many Massachusetts emergency rooms saw 4 times […]
In a spirited back and forth with Valley Patriot publisher, Tom Duggan, on the Paying Attention! Podcast, Methuen Mayor Neil Perry said, unequivocally, that Critical Race Theory is not being taught in the Methuen Schools. The topic came up after a Methuen third grade teacher was called out on social media for signing a […]
11/20/21 Educators in Lawrence were encouraged to attend a race-based, segregated “Auditing” session being conducted by a radical left-wing, racist group called BlackPrint. According to their website, BlackPrint teaches and encourages the teaching of “White Privilege” (that White people are inherently racist and enjoy privileges in society other races don’t enjoy). BlackPrint first conducts an “audit” […]
EMAIL TO ALL EDUCATORS From: Christopher Markuns <Christopher.Markuns@lawrence.k12.ma.us> Sent: Friday, October 22, 2021 3:50:19 PM Subject: LPS Equity Audit Town Hall Dear Lawrence Public Schools educators, In the spring of 2020, LPS committed to a process of creating an actively anti-racist school system. The country’s struggle to respond coherently to equity issues paired with the […]
Hero veteran Michael Downs has thrown his hat into the race for city council in Methuen’s West End. With both incumbents seeking reelection for a second term, Downs would have to unseat one of them on November 2nd to take a seat on the Methuen City Council. Downs is a former principal in the […]
By: Bill Cushing – Sept. 2021 Netflix’s new limited dramedy series ‘The Chair’ is the perfect sized binge. Six episodes, each about 30 minutes, loaded with plot and filled with humor. The show is interesting, engaging, and a really fun watch. ‘The Chair’ takes place over a few weeks at the fictional Pembrooke University […]
Babies illustrate for us what it means to be fundamentally human. Anthropologists tell us that the first word a baby speaks, ‘mama’, is based on the mother representing food. It’s the sound they make with their mouth when wanting milk. It’s related to the sound we still make as adults when we approve of something […]
Valley Patriot Mascot, Kane August, 2021 Kane knows Representative Colleen Garry. In fact, she is known by many as a strong supportive advocate of the medical front line workers, veterans, police officers, firefighters, EMS, and other first responders. What does she do that is so unique? Well, Kane says she does the most important thing […]