Changes in the School Committee
Big changes coming our way and most people have not heard about them. When the Lawrence Public Schools were taken over by the Department of Education, everyone thought that the School Committee was disbanded, and they lost respect from the local government and the public.
According to Massachusetts General Laws, the School Committee shall continue to exist and represent the interests of the families in the city. The purpose was to allow them to learn how to manage the public schools and their budget, something that never happened.
Through the years, several members have come and gone, disappointed with the lack of support from every administration. They have been kept in the dark about what decisions were being made regarding the school system and the result was that at every election, some districts had no candidates to represent them.
One voice was always present asking questions, insisting on being taken seriously and as part of an elected body, and that is Jonathan Guzmán, Vice President of the School Committee. He’s a young man who has the pulse of this community and the intense desire to see their interests represented.
Jonathan must be quite frustrated with the current plans to expand the school committee without considering public opinion.
Some of the proposed changes are to take place when the city receivership ends in the public schools consist of six members elected from each district in the city and adding three members appointed by the mayor and one student member. The mayor will become the President of the School Committee, thus becoming a body of eleven members.
The City Charter calls for compensation for school committee members to be decided by the city council but it has never been done. To my surprise, this plan says, “The Lawrence City Council is responsible for setting an annual salary for Lawrence School Committee members,” making provisions for salaries and financial assistance for travel expenses, supplies, and even an administrative assistant dedicated to them.
The Home Rule Petition that has been drafted says, “The mayor shall appoint school committee members who represent the ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic diversity of Lawrence city and its public school students.”
As you can see, the plan is quite advanced. On Tuesday, April 23rd it will be going to the Ordinance Committee and will be going to the city council for approval, but I don’t see anything calling for a public audience to ascertain what we think about it.
There’s lots more that has been carefully planned and it must have been months in the making. Next week, I will bring more details.
Keep up building apartments
Anyone having to travel across the city between 3 – 7 PM knows that it will take three times longer due to traffic. Parking anywhere in downtown is nearly impossible and most likely you must go into a parking garage.
The city keeps building apartments looking for tax revenue ignoring the tribulations felt by drivers and will only get worse.
While reading an article published in the Boston Herald, I found out that in Beacon Hill people pay $500,000 for a parking space. Not a home with parking but just a parking space!
Can you imagine people with a nice lawn in Lawrence will turn them into parking spaces and rent them out to people living in those apartments? Of course! It’s a great business idea so start planning.
No one is talking about this year’s elections
Oh, I’m not talking about the presidential election; we’re sick of hearing about it by now. I’m talking about the U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, Governor’s Councilor, State Senator, State Representative, Register of Deeds, Clerk of Courts, and County Commissioner (certain counties only).
Candidates are requesting signatures for nominations and the primaries are on September 3, 2024. By this time, the public should be able to know who they are to make an intelligent decision, instead of having to accept the recommendations of others who may have something to gain by their election.
And speaking of elections…
What do you think if we go back to requiring proof of citizenship upon voter registration? Voting is a privilege earned only by those who swear allegiance to the United States, not legal residents.
Now, on the other side of the border in Matamoros, Mexico, they have been distributing flyers to people crossing into the USA saying that they should register to vote and make sure to vote for President Biden to give him four more years.
Whether you are a Democrat or Republican, you should be insulted that the future of this country is being waged south of the border.
We may not be able to ask for proof of citizenship but by asking for ID and keeping our eyes open, we can make sure of having an honest election.
Everything is wonderful at the police station
Everything is wonderful at the police station!
I’m still laughing after watching an interview by Ernesto Bautista and Santiago Matías! Ernesto is a friend and I have a great relationship with Marías and his wife Milagros, but that was my joke for the day.
The reason I am so amused is because Matías said that the Police Department is functioning at its best right now (I’m paraphrasing). I was looking forward to the projects the Provisional Chief William Castro had in mind and couldn’t get done. He wanted to do a full audit of the department with particular interest in the “evidence room.”
Since an audit report done in 1999 showed many deficiencies and another Audit conducted by Roy Vasque showed no deficiencies. Which one should we believe, after it has been known that the evidence room has been in disarray for years, with evidence missing and mishandled?
Don’t forget that Mayor DePeña ordered an investigation of the empty apartment on Elm St used by the drug unit, under Roy Vasque, which was found to contain drug evidence that had been kept there unattended for years. Chief Castro came along, and he must be heartbroken that he couldn’t get that audit done before he was put on leave.
So, Matías, the corruption has not been clarified. Don’t cover it up, please. We should ask the Inspector General and Attorney General’s office when their investigation will be complete.
Be the first to comment