School fees, vacation daze, Peabody 100k Club and an interesting blog...

Peabody was actually in the Boston Globe's Globe North section for something besides murder, transgender bashing or being the lowest whatever for a change.

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First, the annual listing of salaries must have made its way to the 'slow week' section of the Globe news desk. Peabody: Pay list shows 40 top $100K We are yearly given a listing of the highest paid employees - not surprisingly which are managers, several light plant senior folks, high ranking school officials and police officers who do detail work.

This is usually followed by a litany of average folks being outraged at how much money is paid for so little work being done. This isn't really true, of course - it is just that EVERYONE thinks someone else's job is simple and overpaying.

I am of the opinion that almost everyone on this list is probably deserving of their pay. Where I take exception is to the public safety officers and the use of detail pay. I have discussed this issue MANY TIMES here and on the blogs and this isn't the intent of this post. We can, of course, discuss this in the comments if folks desire.

I was actually a little surprised to see this published in the Globe. It is usually a 'higher intellectual' newspaper and this is more of a Salem News article - as they have never met a government employee worth ANYTHING.

Of course, unlike the Salem News, the Globe goes into some detail giving some reasons for this high pay - most which made sense to me.

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The next article didn't really concern itself with Peabody... which was good considering the focus. Pressure to Pay looked at North Shore communities and the fees to participate on high school sports teams. It seems that while a few decreased fees, a few more increased fees. But Peabody was not one of these. Our sports fee structure stayed the same at $150 per sport with a $300 cap.

The list of communities with fees shows Peabody to be on the lower end of fees charged with only Dracut having lower fees (Gloucester also has a lower starting range, but goes up to $380 per sport.) I am the first to admit that I don't like fees for school activities. But when the schools are in such dire financial straits, I can not see spending precious academic funds on extra-curricular sports or activities. So I was glad to see that while still trying to recoup expenses, Peabody is trying to maintain a minimal impact on parents and student athletes.

It is only fair to also point out that 19 communities (or regional schools) in the area DO NOT have any fees for sports.

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Ah summer! The time when everyone deserves to spend a little quality time away from their jobs and spend it with family and friends! Unless you are school superintendent Milton Burnett. Seems that because of the budget cuts, staffing reductions and major turnovers of key people (think principals here) he has been playing catch-up all summer trying to get ready for the coming school year.

If you read the article in the Salem News, Superintendent's bid to carry over vacation is denied, and read the excepts from his letter to the school committee... it is hard to imagine them denying him a one-time exception to the rule concerning the number of days one can 'carry over' into the next year.

While I am not a fan or a foe of Mr. Burnett, I think he is totally correct on this one. It was the Mayor and the school committee who placed his department in the position where much more work than normal was required to be done (all without an assistant super) and this resulted in the necessity of missing one of the best perks of being employed - vacation time.

I wouldn't blame him if he simply didn't show up for the next 10 days and let the schools suffer... well actually I WOULD blame him and I wouldn't stand for it. BUT this is ultimately the "fault" of the Mayor and the school committee and they should have allowed this as being FAIR and not played the political game of denying it in the hopes of appearing to be on the side of fiscal responsibility after the Salem News has been trying to stir up trouble with the Annemarie DuBois pension "issue."

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I found this link to a blog run by the MAPC (Metropolitan Area Planning Council.) The Salem-Peabody Corridor Project is a new initiative that, I think, is focusing on the Rt. 128 - Main St. - Boston St. corridor and seeks to find improvements to facilitate improvements in traffic and community along the route. This was recently in the news when a group of planners, business people, city officials and citizens walked along the route (twice?) to get an 'on the ground' understanding of the project.

The link to the blog is Salem-Peabody Blog and the homepage of the project is Salem-Peabody Corridor Project.

Election Results (From Salem News)

MAYOR
7,468 - Bonfanti
2,712 - Donovan

AT-LARGE
7,363 - Bettencourt
5,952 - Gravel
5,729 - Manning
5,725 - Garabedian
5,315 - Liacos
---------------
4,376 - Moutsoulas
4,238 - Aylward

WARD 1
1,083 - Osborne
0,993 - Forti

WARD 4 - RECOUNT?
1,150 - Driscoll
1,149 - Grayson

WARD 6
1,366 - Sinewitz
0,993 - Sheehan

SCHOOL COMMITTEE
6,297 - Dunne
5,655 - Rossignoll
4,936 - Hochman
-------------------------
4,167 - Nizwantowski
4,088 - Olimpio

MUNICIPAL LIGHT COMM
7,183 - Paras
3,914 - Wheatley
----------------
3,387 - Bonfanti
2,153 - Chancey

LIBRARY... all will get in

Peabody Patriot reporting election results live tonight

The Peabody Patriot is reporting election results live.

http://peabodyelections.blogspot.com/

School Committee Predictions and Endorsements

School Committee

This is the one race where the people of Peabody, and not just the parents of Peabody, can really have an impact on the future of our City.

The current crop of committee members was all too ready to stand by and allow the Mayor to disassemble the school system to balance the budget... while not bring a single job cut to the rest of the City. However, he was not alone in this action and the members of the School Committee need to face their poor choices and actions.

I would actually like to see both the incumbents out of their positions on the school committee. I am usually NOT a "Vote Out All The Bums... And They're ALL BUMS" kind of person, but this year, after the actions and antics - of these two members especially - I am more than willing to see what these new faces can bring to the School Committee and our school system.

I endorse:

• Jarrod M. Hochman
• John C. Olimpio
• Thomas J. Rossignoll

SADLY.........

I predict:

• Beverley A. Griffin Dunne
• Edward M. Nizwantowski
• Jarrod M. Hochman

Please feel free to leave your own predictions and endorsements as well.

Election Forum: Wednesday, Oct. 21st. 7:00-9:00 at City Hall

The Salem News will be sponsoring a candidate forum at Peabody City Hall on Wednesday, October 21st from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

This forum will feature candidates for the following positions:

• Mayor
  
  
• Councilor-at-Large
  
  
• School Committee

I only saw this as a brief mention at the end of one of Nelson Benton's opinion pieces and haven't seen much about it since then.

Now, sadly, a long standing work commitment will force me to miss this event... and I am very unhappy about it. This is exactly the type of forum I have been saying is needed in the City. I hope other's will share their opinions and viewpoints on how the night goes.

Election Endorsements and Predictions????????? Good Idea...

A person posted here asking if I would be making any endorsements of candidates for office in the City of Peabody. They also wanted to know predictions about who I thought might actually win.

This is a good idea for a post. I will need to do some research into ALL the candidates first... at least those who are running in races against someone else.

Sadly, I (like Needham's Corner) have had few candidates visit my home. One was here (Grayson, Ward 4 challenger) in person and two others (Driscoll, Ward 4 incumbent and Hochman, School Committee challenger) left literature when no one was home.

I am very desirous of knowing what these candidates stand for and what they see as the future path for Peabody. I have read the local papers, gone to websites and facebook pages, I have even asked some directly for these answers... and received little, if anything, in return.

So while I do not feel that competent to discuss some of the other ward challengers, I certainly have an opinion on most of the existing ward councilors and the at-large folks. And the school committee as well... I know the incumbents, but VERY little about the challengers.

Then you have the two that are utterly meaningless... Library Trustee and Electric Light Commission... Frankly... who cares. Library trustee? As long as we don't get a book burner like Bev Dunne in that roll... I could care less. And light plant? I mean what DO they do anyway? That job seems like simply a Free Health Care Position to me.

So I will do some due diligence and start a post very soon on the endorsements and predictions... and I hope everyone will toss in their own two cents in the discussion as well.

I would also be happy to publish the websites of ANY candidates... so please feel free to pass them along in the comments.

More on this to come.

Election Posts - Updated

I have updated all the election blog topics (top left menus) to include the most current information on candidates running for these offices.

This is a place for talking, questioning and politic'ing... but likewise for people holding candidates to the task of explaining what they plan to do if we elect them.

Separate blog topics may be started for more news related items and as we get closer to the November election date.

Shame on the Peabody School Committee

Bravo to our good and brave School Committee members. The Peabody School Committee is trying to cover their own stupidity and arrogance by blaming the very people they have caused all the headaches for in the first place.

Salem News: Special ed pushed to cover rehiring

Let's take a look at this ever more sad chain of events and see if we, unlike School Committee member David McGeney, can see where the fault lies... and who is ultimately at fault here...

The School Committee is told by Mayor Bonfanti to slash the school budgets and prepare the school system for the obvious layoffs (remember... it was ONLY the Peabody Public Schools that needed to lay off ANYONE - every single other position in Peabody Government was considered NOT OVER BUDGET.)

Then the crack education folks on the School Committee told the school administrators to sharpen their budgets... and several meetings were held to hammer out a workable budget.

During one of these meetings a School Committee member (sorry, I forget who it was) asked if the school adjustment coordinator (SAC) positions might be cut instead of the elementary school guidance councilors... with the idea that other guidance councilors could do the work of the SACs.

To his partial credit, Superintendent Burnett told the SC that IT WAS NOT A GOOD IDEA.

And to show that they know more than the experts, they told the Superintendent to do it anyway... and to his chagrin, he fired the SACs.

Now, only a few months later... The truth about the SACs comes out. They are specialized positions requiring specialized certification... and without that certification the Peabody Schools will be OUT OF COMPLIANCE... which really means that they will be open to law suits from parents for failing to meet the educational requirements of students.

So.... guess what? Peabody now needs to REHIRE the two SACs that they sacked a few months back (sorry, couldn't resist).

Now the Superintendent looks like an ASS.
But even worse... the School Committee all look like ASSES.

How to fix this situation so that the School Committee members DON'T LOOK SO STUPID IN AN ELECTION YEAR???

I KNOW! They will put all the blame on the director of the Peabody Schools Special Education department, Patricia Bullard... BECAUSE SHE FOLLOWED THE ORDERS THEY TOLD HER TO FOLLOW IN THE FIRST PLACE.

And David McGeney even gets a little testy that she somehow simply can not wave her magic wand and restore the $140,000 that the School Committee took out of her budget when they removed these people in the first place.

I simply can not believe that after so many LOWS in the past few years that the Peabody Schools have yet again sunk to a new depth.

Shame on the Peabody School Committee.

What is wrong with the Peabody Public School System?

Is it just me or is this one of the saddest years ever for the beleaguered Peabody Public School System?

• First they have this horrendous budget cut that pretty much will undo most of the good progress made in the Peabody Schools in the past 10 years (and remember the ONLY PLACE IN THE ENTIRE CITY BUDGET THAT NEEDED CUTS was the Public Schools!)
  
  
• Then Superintendent Milton Burnett decided that a select few of his management team needed BIG RAISES... EVEN THOUGH HE HAS AXED 75+ employees and more than 25 teachers
  
  
• And now comes this gem... The cost savings plan to remove highly trained (and higher cost) school adjustment councilors and replace them with lesser trained (and cheaper) school guidance councilors - WHICH WAS APPROVED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT - is actually going to cost the City a bundle!

The Salem News: 'Cost-saving' layoff plan has backfired

Now I have admitted to not being a big fan of coach Niz and don't think he is an effective school committee member. However I can not fault him in this instance. He was simply making a suggestion for a potential cost savings move during the ridiculous sham of a budget that the school committee was working on.

The problem here was in what happened next... the highly paid educational administrative profession known as Superintendent Milton Burnett SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE IMPORTANT POSITIONS! Now... is the difference the number one thing he needs to deal with on a daily basis? Of course not. But THIS IS HIS JOB! He should have looked into this matter (if he didn't already know how it worked) and figured this out BEFORE making this STUPID MISTAKE.

How do we expect our students to learn how to think and act in intelligent and proactive ways when the very people in charge can't even do the basic tasks correctly (while getting a very nice paycheck for the honor as well)??????

School admins get raises - What is wrong with these people?

So the Peabody school department in its illustrious wisdom has decided that the appropriate way to deal with the economic troubles that have caused the elimination of 50+ positions and the lower quality of education that comes with it...

The very best way to move forward and to improve the sad state of the Peabody school system is to.... HAND OUT EXTRA LARGE RAISES TO THE PRINCIPALS AND ADMINISTRATORS.

All the while raising the fees parents and students must pay and going back to the union employees with the expectation that they should give up some of their recent contract changes.

The Salem News: School chief gave administrator raises as others' jobs were cut

Frankly... this is an imbecilic move that unbelievably might even top some of Mayor Bonfanti's recent public relations gaffes! I mean WHAT WAS SUPERINTENDENT MILTON BURNETT THINKING???

I mean was he thinking.... This sure seems like the right time to give some of my top people raises that are more than 50% higher than what the rest of the people are getting? That the time sure is right with all the public support for teachers and the free flowing tax money?

Frankly... this is an amateur move. It is such a bad move I would consider this actionable... meaning it might be time for him to go.

At one time (and a different economic reality) I would be arguing that these people are probably under paid compared to some other folks and that retaining people should be a priority since we seem to play musical chairs with our school administrator in this City... but that is NOT the reality of today. To NOT recognize these real issues is to be ill fit for the position of power and authority required as Superintendent of Schools.

And then the absolute WORST part of the article was when High School Principal Edward Sapienza opened his mouth and made sure we all knew just how DAMN LUCKY we are that he is willing to LOWER HIMSELF to work in a place like Peabody... That is my interpretation of his words which are here:

Sapienza said even with his $106,424 salary he still earns less than high school principals in Danvers, Lynn, Marblehead and Swampscott and oversees more students than his counterparts.

"If somebody wants to begrudge that, go ahead," he said.

The high school principal said he has 37 years of experience and two master's degrees he paid for himself.

"I've got a wealth of experience," he said. "I think I'm a very good bargain."

Administrators don't have unions to negotiate their contracts and must individually make the case for salaries, Sapienza said. They, like the unions, seek equity in pay and benefits.

Sapienza said he sympathized with people who were losing their jobs. He chose to be an educator while others opted to go into the private sector.

"It's still America," he said. "You can still choose to be whatever you want to be."

Well said Principal Sapienza, well said indeed. I however think that if you are really so darn smart... you should have known better than to have mouthed off like this making the Peabody school administration, and yourself, look foolish.

I can only guess that the real fool here would be the Principal who accepted a job that pays too little in the first place. I do not begrudge people raises, but I DO begrudge them to BITE the hand that feeds them.

AT THE VERY MOST... these administrators should have received the same raises as the unions did... which is exactly the way it works in City Hall (and elsewhere in the City I believe.) But to be FIRING TEACHERS while GENEROUSLY REWARDING the administrators (people who will rarely have a direct impact on a student's life) is simply terrible.

Peabody should join into the new North Shore Technical High School

Peabody needs to join into (and be a leader in) the new North Shore Technical and Agricultural High School (NSTAHS).

The State (finally) seems eager to move forward with the NSTAHS (the combination and expansion of Essex Aggie and the North Shore Tech HS) with at least $77 million dollars.

While the other cities and towns involved still need to finalize their involvement, they are all on the way to getting it done.

Except for Peabody which is dragging its heels and putting up false protests in order to delay the process... which will mean that Peabody will end up NOT participating in this most worthwhile endeavor.

Peabody Lynnfield Weekly: Peabody wants more info before joining voke merger

Remember, PLW stories are only online for 1 week

Salem News: New voke school will get $77.5 million from State

Peabody should stop the endless debating and commit to joining (and being the leader in) the new NS Tech HS. Peabody has the largest number of students in technical programs and people are turned away each year. The current facilities at the Higgins are woefully inadequate AND the State has denied funding for the Higgins in the past specifically because the Peabody Voke is located there! The current program is not currently meeting the needs of its students and the equipment and programs are quite far out of date. This program needs to be expanded and modernized and Peabody can not (and will never) do it alone. This is the perfect way to join forces with other cities and town to share the costs, as well as get the State to shoulder much of the responsibities for this good idea.

Now, I am not saying that the City is wrong to want good information about this project (and especially the costs the City will need to provide.) But the fact of the matter is there ARE no guarantees in this world and estimates are just that... subject to change without notice. The idea that in this one instance the City would need such a super fine level of detail in order to make a decision is NOT the usual way things work in this City.

Thus, the delayed decision making seems much more like a stalling tactic than good financial prudence. Basically... if the City waits long enough, the project will simply GO AWAY because the State will pull the funding and we can go back to underfunding the current crappy program we offer our students today.

And if you think this is simply my opinion... read Dave McGeney and Beverly Dunns comments (from the PLW):

School Committee veteran David McGeney, acknowledging that vocational instruction likely incurs higher costs, argued that Peabody’s current course offerings are poor, at best, and should have been addressed years ago.

“Under serving our kids to save money is not what we’re about,” he said, adding that vocational education is often viewed as a “stepchild” to traditional schooling, which he feels has been the case in Peabody as well.

“We’re doing a terrible, terrible disservice to that portion of our student population,” he said.

Dunne agreed, pointing out that vocational programs have been on a “shoestring” budget for decades. She said many of the teachers have to buy simple supplies for students, such as Band-aids and gloves, out of their own pockets.

Sadly these School Committee members can see the folly in underfunding programs when they occur OUTSIDE the School Committees budget - but they were only too happy to be part of the committee that has underfunded the Peabody School System for several years in a row, including this most recent kick in the teeth to the students of Peabody.

"I can do anything I want" --Mayor Bonfanti

There has been a sad streak of mis-steps here in Peabody lately. And most of them coming from the actions of our Mayor. Mayor Bonfanti has repeatedly acted like a high priced lawyer by skirting the letter of the law... while clearly violating the intent.

This most recent outburst of arrogance at the School Committee meeting (where Bonfanti halted Beverly Dunne from speaking - and in fact recessed the entire meeting - in order to discuss something in private with her before proceeding.

His one sentence answer SHOULD haunt his re-election bid (but sadly it will not)...

"I can do anything I want"

Well that pointedly sums it all up in a nice tidy package.

It is often said the most efficient and effective form of government is the Benevolent Dictatorship. And while that may be true... here in America (as Needham's Corner pointed out in a recent post) we are NOT under a dictatorship.... and, frankly, Mayor Bonfanti's actions too many times can not be seen as being benevolent.

I certainly and not the first to notice or comment on this. Here are some links to this issue...

The Salem News: Bonfanti stops meeting for private chat
Lynn Item: Peabody school board scoffs at library proposal

The Salem News Editorial: Our View: Mayor can't do anything he wants

The change in leadership so many on these blogs seem to crave is not looking good and certainly when it comes to our Mayor. However, with no challengers how can the Mayor think anything except that the people approve of his actions, tactics and style.

Even Nelson Benton seems surprised (Salem News: Nelson Benton: Half-year in review) that the man who takes credit for the 9-11 pay and slashing the school budget to shreds is facing no challenges in the fall.

I will go on record saying that I do not like this swaggering style of arrogance. I expect a higher level of purpose and intention from those who ask to lead. Please Mr. Mayor act like the leader the people need and expect.

Bonfanti budget a slap in the face to the future

Much can be said about this deep financial crisis that the world is facing... we are facing it here in Peabody as well. It is up to the wise people who we citizens have elected to make the difficult decisions that will impact each and every one of us.

What is terribly troubling to me is the very people we have entrusted to make these important choices: Will we fund THIS or THAT? Can this road go another season without repair or will we need to replace it completely later? Should we cancel 20 English classes or serve 27 students who wish to learn Greek? Do we buy a new fire truck or repair/rehab the 25 year old one? Should we dip into our savings safety net to pay for ongoing expenses or maintain our high bond rating which saves us money in the long term?

These are all difficult choices and we rely on these people we elect, and a bevy of professional experts to guide them, to come to the best possible answers for all the citizens of this City of Peabody.

So why does it feel like we just screwed all the children of Peabody in an effort to maintain the bragging rights of having the lowest taxes around?

We have decided to step-by-step dismantle the school system because it is the easiest target in the budget crunch game. And from where I have been sitting and watching it most certainly is a game.

The Mayor blames the economy. Patricia Schafer blames the State. The School Committee blames the Mayor. The City Council blames the School Committee. The Mayor threatens everyone. They all (with great regret and heavy hearts) vote to allow the Peabody Public Schools to become the Peabody Public Dump.

Now, like any good game there will be winners and losers.

The Winners:

The Mayor gets praised by everyone who doesn't have children in the school systems and who see lowest taxes as better than educated children. The Mayor wins re-election all the while claiming in his reelection speech that "...another of [his] priorities is education. He said that while new schools were built and MCAS scores are improving, the overall level of education can be lifted higher and the district needs to retool and deal with declining student enrollment." From: Peabody Lynnfield Weekly News

The City Council wins both ways...
~ If you voted FOR the budget you are seen as a proactive, fiscally prudent protector of the elderly and the middle class, blue collar folks here in Peabody... just like the Mayor (see above)
~ If you voted AGAINST the budget (either time) you are seen as a defender of the parents and children of the City of Peabody! Except... you really didn't do ANYTHING except grandstand about something you can't change in the first place. This was pandering and sticking it to the Mayor (or in some cases the School Committee) in order to look Pro Parent and Pro Student when you have done little if anything to help the situation.

Bottom line: Almost all City Councilors will be reelected no matter which way they voted on this matter because there aren't enough parents to change the voting numbers... and the children simply can't vote.

The School Committee wins as well.
Frankly, it doesn't matter if they all voted for the budget or not... the budget was given to them and they had no choice but to make cuts somewhere to meet the numbers. However they all approved the union wages which it turns out is the main reason that the school department was singled out as the only department that needed to make ANY LAYOFFS... everyone else who works for the City is INDISPENSABLE while 73 people in the school department (don't worry, they say it will be less) ARE COMPLETELY UNNEEDED AND UNNECESSARY.

But the School Committee did get to LOOK GOOD as they were destroying the schools... they saved THIS program and THAT position... usually to the cheers of some very vocal group of parents, teachers, admins, etc. So they too will look like the valiant fighters who went into a losing battle and were able to snatch a few key nuggets of education for our youths. They all get reelected.

Hmmm. Yeah if all these folks win... somebody has to lose, right? Sadly you all know who…

Our children are the losers.
And when they lose, we all lose.

Peabody, your taxes are too low and your priorities are misplaced. And sadly, your leaders are failing you while they leave the next generation of Peabody citizens to fend for themselves.

Mayor's Budget is in and it is 100% Anti Education

I was appalled when I read about the cuts the City of Peabody is planning for the 2010 budget.. 100% of the job cuts will be coming from the school department. 100%!!!

NO CUTS in the public services department. NO CUTS in the fire department. NO CUTS in the police department. NO CUTS in ANY OF THE OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES:

• Assessor's Office
  
• Auditor's Office
  
• Central Switchboard
  
• City Clerk's Office
  
• Collector's Office
  
• Community Development
  
• Custodian
  
• Emergency Management/ Civil Defense
  
• Finance and Administration
  
• Health Department
• Human Resources
• Inspectors' Office
• North Shore Home Consortium
• Office of Information Technology
• Purchasing Department
• Treasurer's Office
  
• Veterans Services Department
• Water Billing Office
• Workers Compensation Office
  
• Brooksby Farm
• Cemetery
  
• Legal Department
  
• Council on Aging
  
• George Peabody House Museum/ Civic Center
• Peabody Library
• McVann-O'keefe Skating Rink
  
• Parks, Recreation and Forestry or
  
• The Meadow of Peabody Golf Course.

That's right. The only place that had people fired because of budget reasons was THE PEABODY SCHOOL SYSTEM. NOT ONE OTHER DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY NEEDS TO MAKE A SINGLE CUT!

I think that this is the first time I will need to agree with the often repeated comment by visitors to these blogs...

MAYOR BONFANTI IS NOT THE EDUCATION MAYOR.

The Salem News: An Overview of the 2010 Budget
The Salem News: Bonfanti plans to weather another term

This is the systematic disassembling of the Peabody School System. I have no problem with the shrinking enrollments... in that case be SMART and close a school to consolidate students and continue to provide quality education. BUT NO. Instead we will hack away at the very people who provide the educational opportunities to our children that will lay the groundwork for the rest of their lives.

According to the article:

The school department has about 800 full-time employees compared to 457 for the remaining city departments. The school layoffs reflect the district's declining enrollment, Bonfanti said.

"You just can't keep hiring people," Bonfanti said. "There's got to be a point in time when you right-size."

City departments, he said, have done a better job keeping spending in check and leaving positions unfilled. "We've always run lean," Bonfanti said.

This is short sighted and will anger many in the community. However... it is politically saavy as Peabody's median population is over 40... meaning that the majority of voters in the City DO NOT HAVE CHILDREN IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ANY LONGER. Thus the Mayor is promising CUTS to the school system and making the seniors (and others) very happy with only a tiny tax increase.

Now to make matters worse... Bonfanti has now PROMISED to build a new ASSISTED LIVING CENTER on the property at the Torigian Life Center (senior center.) I have no problem with additional assisted living centers as I think it is good for our seniors to have choices for living arrangements. I do not think that the City needs to be the developer for such an enterprise - especially in a market with many opportunites readily available.

There are 8,398 citizens over 65 living in Peabody. And they have a realively new senior center for their use. YET... we have more than 8,800 children aged 5-19 living in the City (according to the 2000 US Census.) This administration (and others) have talked (and talked and talked) about a facility for these children - a teen center or a youth center - BUT NOTHING EVER HAPPENS. Yes, they do have a Skate Park (thank you Vera Kolias), but that is not enough.

Does this not serve as yet another indication that the children of Peabody are MUCH LESS IMPORTANT than everyone else in this City? You can NOT call yourself the EDUCATION MAYOR and do these kinds of things to the youth you pretend to serve.

Moutsoulas will not seek re-election

School Committee member Michael Moutsoulas has decided not to seek re-election to the school committee when his term expires in 2010.

Salem News: Incumbent decides against second term

The article notes that there are 3 members who have not yet pulled papers for re-election: Moutsoulas, Beverley Dunne and Edward Nizwantowski. So far the only new comers to the race are Jarrod Hochman, who ran in 2005, and Neil Papamechail.

This might lead to further speculation concerning Committee member Dunne who is rumored to be considering a run against Mayor Bonfanti.

Summer Reading: School Committee Knows Best!

The Peabody School Committee, for a second year in a row, has decided to throw their learned weight around and yet again blast the PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS who have selected an appropriate range of reading choices for the summer education and enjoyment of Peabody students.

The Lynn Item: Peabody school board questions suggested summer reading book

...and just for old times sake, the same controversy from LAST YEAR...

Salem News: Turf tangle over Peabody students' summer reading list
Salem News Editorial: Think before censoring school reading list
Salem News Editorial: Committee should keep hands off student reading list

First of all... my very favorite thing from this article is the fact that all these adults are yap-yap-yapping about a book that NONE OF THEM HAVE EVEN BOTHERED TO READ! NONE OF THEM. I mean, it's a KIDS BOOK! How long would it actually take to read it before casting it into the book burning pile?

So the book is called Sold by Patricia McCormick, and it centers about some pretty mature themes: prostitution, slavery, child abuse, etc. I do give Assistant Superintendent Joseph Mastrocola credit for defending the work of the school educators who selected this book. "I trust our staff and that's a selection they want to move forward with," he said. "Students do not have to read that book if they don't want to. It's suggested, not mandatory."

This is another wonderful example of what the School Committee does worst... trying to second guess those people who know better than them. Here is a little bit about this book (from the article) "...the rather racy book is both a 2006 National Book Award finalist and a 2007 ALA Best Books for Young Adults [selection]..."

But perhaps the best statement was by the original book banner herself... the person rumored to be mulling a run for mayor...
"...Committee member Beverley Dunne said because every child matures at a different age, it's appropriate for the schools to offer a wide range of books to meet their needs..."

Of course this was in contrast to these statements made about The Kite Runner and The Curious Case of the Dog who Barked in the Night, two books from previous years.
"If a book can't be read out loud at [school] committee's meetings, it doesn't belong on the list..." She said that the language in some books, especially Haddon's, couldn't be broadcast at the meeting and therefore shouldn't be imposed on students. "You're forcing them to read this book that, I'll be honest, if my children had brought it home from the library on their own, I would have considered it trash," Dunne said.

It is my opinion that the School Committee is NOT QUALIFIED to be choosing books for our students. Those are NOT the job of the committee and they do a poor enough job of doing what they are SUPPOSED TO BE DOING in the first place.

Peabody Schools: All News is Bad News?

Peabody Schools in Free Fall? What is it about Peabody and its attitude towards education?

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In a series of news stories this week the school system and particularly the ADULT PROFESSIONALS who claim to be running it, have shown themselves to be concerned much more about personal agendas and THE BOTTOM LINE rather than how to provide each and every child in the City of Peabody a first class education. I am not speaking of the teachers here... but rather the School Administration, the School Committee and City Hall.

Peabody and Lynnfield Weekly News:....Note: PLWN links expire in 7 days
Greek language course dominates board’s decision on high school cuts
and
Salem News: Principal, superintendent spar over Greek

How stupid is this? We are cutting basic services left and right because "the budget demands it" and yet we have special cases where 27 (yes that is correct, 27 out of 1900 students at the High School) students have enrolled in Greek Language (and culture) classes at PVMHS - and Superintendent Burnett... and a majority of the school committee, including the tie-breaker, Mayor Bonfanti, were willing to keep that program in place and cut teachers in other core curriculum areas.

This is laughable and reeks of special consideration. Yet another black day in Peabody Education.

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Of course... no one was willing to have a three hour verbal fight over the fate of the people most responsible for your children's educational success after their teachers...

Salem News: School Committee mulls plan to cut aides' hours
Lynn Item: Peabody school board continues to search for ways to trim budget

These are just more expendable fodder for the LOWEST TAXES IN THE REGION war that seems to be Peabody's only concern.

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And then this gem of an idea!

Salem News: Peabody schools give parents free passes to games

So we are going to make the parents pay extra money so that their children can participate in all extra curricular activities. We are doing this because the schools do not have enough money. One way they currently raise some money for these activities is by charging admission to these events.

Ready for the brilliance of our elected School Committee!??!

Since the parents are going to be paying a fee for their children to play... they no longer need to pay admission fees! The problem is... they were going to pay this already! Hello!? And then the geniuses figured that since the parents will be getting in for free now... they will bring (drag?) along OTHER PAYING PEOPLE to come and fund the events.

Clue: Most people who attend the majority of these events ARE PARENTS.

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Here is bad news masquerading as good:

Salem News: Grant will help students, teachers

It seems some industrious Higgins teachers found, wrote and won a $10,000 grant from Verizon to purchase a laptop computer and projector and to get 10 teachers trained to better prepare students for MCAS success. But this grant was undertaken because the very successful after-school MCAS Camp program was eliminated.

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= = = = = U P D A T E D = = = = =

Maybe you are tired of seeing your Peabody schools being run in ways you would rather not see? Well why not become involved and be a part of the official screening committee for a new Higgins Principal.

TOO LATE! It seems that while Superintendent Burnett invited people to join this group on May xx, 2009... it was really already selected... Just one more public mistake in the land of Peabody Public School Administration? I would like to think so but I wonder if this means the entire screening committee will return a predetermined outcome as well?

Salem News: 32 apply for Higgins School principal position
Salem News: Superintendent invites staff and public to focus groups

....Those interested in serving on the screening committee must send a letter to the attention of:
Human Resources Director Louise Genualdo
Kiley Administration Building
21 Johnson St.
Peabody, MA 01960

Election Discussions: Comment space is now ready for each of the major races

There are 10 separate comment posts that will have a direct link on the home page (see left).

I was asked to provide a place for commentary and discussion on the many races that are underway for the 2009 city elections.


I have provided a separate post for each race. If you have something to say or discuss about any of these races... that is one place for you to go.

This does NOT mean that we will not be discussing the important topics and concerns in the normal course of the blog... it simply offers readers an alternative place to make comments and engage their fellow citizens.

Teachers to give up raises? I doubt it.

School Committee member Dave McGeney has proposed the elimination of the $1.2 Million dollars in raises that the City and Union agreed to for FY 2010.

The Lynn Item: Peabody school board proposes waiving $1.2M in teachers' raises
The Salem News: Peabody unions asked to help cut expenses

Now one could be an optimist and say that in these hard economic times we all need to pull together and share the burdens for the common good...
or just as likely one might say that the City has dragged their heels and treated the teachers with utter contempt for three plus long years by not agreeing to a contract... to ask these people to give it up after this long hard fight is ridiculous...

So what will the outcome be? Well I see this as a lose-lose situation for the teachers AND the citizens. The teachers are constantly hammered because the public expects teachers to simply be happy to have the honor of teaching today's youths (and tomorrow's leaders) and believes that substandard pay for high credentials is completely warranted. And at the same time, the teachers are more than happy to screw over their own people (think younger, newer teachers) for the benefit of the older teachers.

It saddens me greatly to see the way the general public looks down at teachers who each and every day do a very difficult job - perhaps the most important job for the future of our City and Country... and yet at the same time the actions of the teachers union(s) does nothing but reinforce these attitudes by behaving greedily and NOT in the best interest of the long-term viability of the public school teaching profession.

This will probably not be happening in Peabody anytime soon. My bet is the unions would rather have many fewer teachers making more money instead of more teachers making less money. But time will tell.

School Committee

This is the area for people to post comments on the race for School Committee which has three seats open:

Incumbents:
Beverley A. Griffin Dunne
Edward M. Nizwantowski

Challengers:
Jarrod M. Hochman
John C. Olimpio
Thomas J. Rossignoll

Incumbent Mike Moutsoulas is not seeking re-election