Posted by Jeremy Shulkin
Brian O’Connell, Dianna Biancheria and Tracy O’Connell Novick have just released a statement asking for a “prompt, comprehensive, aggressive, impartial and meticulous investigation take place as to the circumstances at the school which led to the invalidation of the 2010 MCAS results.”
In their two page release the group praises the progress of Goddard School of Science and Technology, but warns that a year of invalidated test scores could hinder public confidence in the school and limit parents from receiving necessary information about the education of their children. They argue that further investigation is necessary not only to find out what went wrong, but to show what went right:
We are not raising our concerns to disturb the well-earned respect which Goddard has achieved, or to demonstrate a lack of confidence in the school’s leadership or in its personnel. In fact, we believe that a thorough investigation will isolate the source of the irregularity, thus reinforcing the caliber and quality of the many staff members and school leaders who were not involved, and setting a procedure and direction in place for correction of the test process in the future. This will, in effect, make public and visible whatever underlying issues need to be addressed, and, as Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis so accurately observed, “sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.”
This will be brought up for a vote at next Thursday’s school committee meeting. O’Connell, Novick and Biancheria will need to convince one other school committee member to vote with them in order for this further investigation to happen.
More information to come later.
More info in today’s paper.
Investigation – now that’s news!
Ms. Novick among them too. Now that’s really news!
But I sense whatever comes out of “the investigation” will do little or nothing to unmask the real culprit – the EAW and its archaic policies, but rather make the MCAS the scapegoat.
Good luck Ms. Novick and remember, the kids are counting on you to do the right thing.
PS Reconsider the EAW’s endorsement.
Children of tomorrow
I apologize to you
On behalf of those in my time
For the things we didn’t do
We didn’t stop the tyrants
So your fate could be prevented
We watched them steal our freedom
By our silence we consented
We didn’t choose to circumvent
The doom you’ve not escaped
While the Bill of Rights was murdered
And the Constitution raped
Some of us were lazy
Others too afraid
To think about our children
The ones we have betrayed
I guess we were too busy
To be concerned or care
To try to ease the burden
Of the chains we made you wear
We could have been good shepherds
When the wolf got in the fold
But we watched the flame of freedom die instead
And left you cold
I’m sorry we were timid
My selfish generation
We left you but a remnant
Of a free and prosperous nation
I’m sorry for our actions
Like cowards we behaved
We could have left you freedom
Instead you are enslaved
Children of tomorrow
Descendants of our land
I’m sorry we allowed this
The fate you now with stand
- Anonymous
O’Connell, Biancherria and Novick have stepped up to the plate to finally address the pervasive cloud of secrecy Mayor O’Brien has shrouded over the proceedings of the School Committee.
It remains to be seen who else will come forward to support complete openness and full transparency in our public government but you can be rest assured that the Mayor does not have the will nor proposes any support whatsoever in allowing open public debate of the serious issues facing our school system and the city as a whole.
Great job again Tracy Novick!
Novick and Biancherria have shown leadership and knowledge of the issues in moving our school system forward – now we need to replace the other dead weights on the committee so that we finally start moving in the right direction while also tackling the difficult tasks ahead so that our school children can succeed………after all it is supposed to be about the children
Stevie, as usual you’re full of poop.
The 3 Stooges are grandstanding – its an picture perfect opportunity to score a few points with the uniformed electorate – people like yourself, for example.
The fact is all 3 would steal the voters blind in order to pump millions more into the school budget. And why don’t ya find out if they’re endorsed by the EAW?
Dude, you sure are dummer than a bag of hammers.
Tracy,
Some people are in the “ignorance is bliss straosphere” and have absolutely nothing to offer to the discussion.
Keep doing the great work you are doing representing our children and seeking accountability of those that would rather sweep everything under the rug than allow the taxpaying public to be fully informed…….
Unlike the lying mayor o’brien who will say and do anything to get elected you are an example of an elected official that “says what they mean and mean what they say”…………mayor o’brien can certainly learn by the example you set each and every day…….