Teacher Speaks Out on Poor Treatment in Lawrence Schools

Teacher Speaks Out on Poor Treatment  in Lawrence Schools

By: Amy Berard – August, 2015 I am one of the 59 Lawrence teachers whose contract was not renewed this year. Recently, on June 11, you reported on this. I would like to share with you and possibly your readers my experience teaching within the Lawrence Public School District. I have taught in Lawrence at […]

Interview with Superintendent-Receiver, Jeff Riley, PT I

Interview with Superintendent-Receiver, Jeff Riley, PT I

Last Year, Valley Patriot publisher Tom Duggan sat down with Jeff Riley, the man tapped by the Massachusetts Department of Education to run the Lawrence Schools after putting the city schools into receivership. This year we did a follow up interview to see what has changed for the good and bad. Here is Part I […]

More Legislators Call For Takeover of Lawrence, Removal of Lantigua

More Legislators Call For Takeover of Lawrence, Removal of Lantigua

Legislators Blame Deval Patrick Administration for Not Addressing the Lawrence Crisis By: Tom Duggan – October, 18, 2012 More Legislators on Beacon Hill are stepping forward this week to say they are tired of the state tax payers footing the bill for what Andover State Rep. Jim Lyons has called “an ongoing criminal enterprise” in […]

Rep. Lyons Calls for State Takeover of Lawrence, Removal of Lantigua

   By: Tom Duggan – September 17, 2012 In the wake of two more members of the Lantigua administration being indicted last week, State Representative Jim Lyons, (R) Andover, is calling Lawrence Mayor Willie Lantigua’s administration a “corrupt criminal enterprise” that should no longer be enabled by the state taxpayers.  Lyons says that the corruption […]

Receiver Riley’s Millions

Receiver Riley’s Millions

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 […]

Lawrence’s Public Schools Takeover Unconstitutional?

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 […]

Lawrence finances take center stage in state senate race

  By: Tom Duggan – August, 2010 The race to replace State Senator Sue Tucker in the Second Essex District of Massachusetts has found the failed finances and financial mismanagement of the City of Lawrence at the center of this contentious campaign among both Democrat and Republican candidates. The Second Essex district is comprised of […]