“The help we give to Lawrence will not be an infusion of capital it will be getting at some management changes.” Deval Patrick January, 2010 “My goal is to decentralize” Jeff Riley 2011 By: Tom Duggan – April 16, 2013 When State Receiver Jeff Riley took over the failing Lawrence Public Schools more than two years ago, he promised to decrease the […]
Today Tom Duggan interviewed Jen Cooper of the Lawrence School Committee who resigned this week and moved out of Lawrence saying that the Lawrence Public Schools because of the shenanigans of the State Department of Education and Receiver Riley. Tom also played debate clips from the State Senate debate this week sponsored by the Valley […]
After a year of demanding public documents and information about how Deval Patrick and his Department of Education is planning to turn around the Lawrence Public Schools with zero results, one member of the Lawrence School Committee has chosen to take her children out of the Lawrence School System and has resigned from the school […]
By; Peter Larocque – August, 2o12 That’s right, folks! I said orphanages. Lawrence, the nation’s first planned industrial city; which was once known for its massive mills lining the Merrimack River producing textiles for American and European markets, is now a mere shadow of its former self. Only time will tell whether or not […]
By: Tom Duggan – July, 2012 Lawrence Teachers Union President Frank McLaughin says that Receiver Jeff Riley has mandated a new contract for teachers in the now state run Lawrence School System. In a confidential letter obtained by the Valley Patriot that McLaughlin sent to members of the now powerless union, McLaughin told teachers: “We […]
By: Peter Larocque – July, 2012 In case you didn’t know, In God We Trust is the motto of the United States of America and it has been on our coins beginning as far back as 1864. At first it was just printed on the new two cent coin, but by 1909 it was […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL June, 2012 Receiver Jeffrey Riley’s plan to improve the educational opportunities for the children of Lawrence contains a few ideas that, if fully exploited, may improve performance. That being said, the parents of Lawrence’s school children and the taxpayers that fund this educational debacle, were both left out of the process of creating this […]
Free Dental for all LPS Students and their Families By: Tom Duggan, July, 2012 LAWRENCE – With the Lawrence Public School under the complete control of the State Department of Education there are a lot of changes coming to the school system, and a lot more money being spent.Where we are – State Commissioner […]
THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX SIMPLE MATH Only 25 percent of Lawrence’s eighth grade students, based on MCAS test results, are proficient in mathematics. The percentage of proficient students increases to only 27 percent in tenth grade (winter 2011), but this can hardly be considered progress since there are roughly 12 percent fewer students remaining to […]
By: Peter Larocque – March, 2012 The way the Massachusetts Law that allowed Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester to Takeover Lawrence’s Public Schools is being implemented could be Unconstitutional! According to this law, the Commissioner shall appoint a Receiver to a School District that has been declared chronically underperforming by the State Board of Elementary and […]
By: Peter Larocque – January, 2012 As of the time this article went to print, The Massachusetts Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, Mr. Mitchell Chester held meetings with the Lawrence Teacher’s Union, Lawrence Parents and Community members, and finally with the Lawrence Public School Personnel. His message to all is that he is […]
By: Peter Larocque – May, 2011 When words in our English Language are used without any adherence to their meaning or definition, the result is meaningless! Please allow me to explain. To put things in perspective, here’s a little timeline without re-hashing all the details. Former Lawrence School Superintendent Dr. Laboy went on sick […]
By: Jamison Tomasek – April, 2011 While everyone wants to feel good and say nice things, it is hard to feel good or say nice things about what is going on in the Lawrence Schools. Yes, there are successful students there. Yes, there are great teachers, and yes there are good programs and happy […]
By: Peter Larocque -January, 2011 As we begin 2011, should we even dare ask this question? It would seem to me that before we place a list of complaints at the feet of our Public Schools we should at least let them know what our expectations are! It is totally unfair to our public […]
By: Tom Duggan – July, 2009 An investigation by the Massachusetts office of Campaign and Political Finance may not have issued their report yet on which elected officials benefited from campaign material printed in the Lawrence Public Schools I’m gong to tell you who they right now. At least three members of the Lawrence School Committee (Morris, Larocque and Mejia) benefited from literature printed […]