Our Latino community of Haverhill
Last week I wrote a piece on the situation of Latinos in that city. Everything started with the construction of the new Dr. Albert B. Consentino School which happens to be in a neighborhood of Spanish-speaking residents. A group called the Yes, for Consentino Committee was formed to arrange for an increase in property taxes beyond the maximum of 2 ½%. Residents will have to show up for a vote on June 6 but before that happens they need to be educated about what that means and how they should vote.
From the beginning, they kept referring to the “Super Voters” (the people who always vote vs the Latino voters who rarely show up.) We later found out that the super voters don’t live in the Consentino School area and when they were to decide what flyers would be printed, it was suggested to do it bilingually with one language on each side of the page. That was quickly rejected. The end result was that 3,000 would be printed in English and only 1,000 in Spanish. Who could have suggested that? Why the separation? It brings back memories of the way things used to be in Lawrence 30 years ago.
The idea was that they don’t want to attract Latinos to the voting booths the committee wanted to make sure that the proposal to increase taxes would pass even though Mayor James Fiorentini said that the city has the $160 million to build the school. They insisted that there are other things they could do with that money.
Then, my article came out last week and I began hearing about arguments and changes that are taking place. I think the Yes for Consentino Committee members are realizing that they miscalculated the Latino community and are beginning to change their tune. WHAV.net has had a couple of articles on the issue showing that Mayor Fiorentini is in opposition to the increase and the controversy.
My ego tells me that it was my article that helped them see the light but it was probably the ending when I mentioned that Lawrence City Councilor Ana Levy is very willing to train the public on how to appeal to the Justice Department. It worked for us here thirty years ago and still today whenever she calls them. I think that thought scared them!
Our legislators at work
People may think that politicians love to pose for photos because they don’t do anything for their salaries. Their work takes place at the office, attending meetings, and procuring monies and benefits to bring to their respective cities. If they don’t take pictures to document their accomplishments or their attendance at community events to show their support, people won’t know that they are actually doing their job.
This week has been particularly busy for many of them and we tried covering as many as possible in this edition.
Taking our schools back
You may read the letter sent to the Lawrence Public Schools Community by Jeffrey C. Riley, Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education on page 6 of this edition.
According to Mayor Brian DePeña, some members of the Lawrence Alliance for Education (LAE) will be leaving the board, others will stay, and new ones will be added while we prepare the members of the School Committee to take over the responsibilities of running the school system. That was one thing that was to take place during the state takeover.
We thought that the news was going to be received with joy instead teachers do not support the changes stated in the letter by the union president.
“This is not a democracy. This is a transparent attempt by the Commissioner to quiet critics of the failed state receivership by appearing to return control of the schools to the people of Lawrence,” said Kimberly Barry, president of the Lawrence Teachers Union, on Tuesday afternoon.
After 11 years and three different superintendents it is clear that the time has come for the failed state takeover of the Lawrence Public Schools to end,” Barry said in a statement.
“State takeover has become an educational purgatory that robs Lawrence families of a democratic voice in their children’s education. For any superintendent search to truly attract the best possible candidates, receivership must end, and democracy must be restored,” said Barry at that time.
The Parents Bill of Rights
The Parents Bill of Rights Act was approved in Congress by the House of Representatives and seeks to put in place concrete legal protections that will ensure parents always have a seat at the table when it comes to their child’s education.
The legislation is built on five, common-sense principles.
- Parents have the right to know what their children are being taught.
- Parents have the right to be heard.
- Parents have the right to see the school budget and spending.
- Parents have the right to protect their child’s privacy.
- Parents have the right to keep their children safe.
These are common sense approaches that every parent would want to possess. Now it will go to the Senate and it is estimated that it will not pass.
The struggle must continue; children are being taught things secretly, and being told not to share with their parents. They are encouraged to follow the new fad of changing their gender to the point of going to doctors willing to give them hormones and exposing them to mutilations at Boston Children’s Hospital, all behind their parents’ backs.
Best of all, parents will have the right to be heard at public meetings. Remember when they were arrested for demonstrating in Virginia at a school committee meeting? The response from the Justice Department was that parents should be treated as terrorists and applies the USA Patriots Act.
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