tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post5897460961273915016..comments2023-10-17T22:56:42.784-04:00Comments on Only in The Republic of Amherst: "...here for our kids"Larry Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02614645831526190536noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-409477505531030142013-02-24T15:52:49.751-05:002013-02-24T15:52:49.751-05:00All things in good time.All things in good time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-74481794363152736762013-02-23T12:28:14.107-05:002013-02-23T12:28:14.107-05:00Let's see it.Let's see it.Larry Kelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02614645831526190536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-87681463477804999872013-02-23T12:07:21.945-05:002013-02-23T12:07:21.945-05:0011:25 pm: Wrong.
The then Director of Pupil Pers...11:25 pm: Wrong.<br /><br />The then Director of Pupil Personnel (Maria Geryk) was advancing the issue for two years before Sanderson stepped on board, at which time she adopted the issue at Geryk's request. And I can produce documentation to prove it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-20582704771053242902013-02-22T19:26:59.840-05:002013-02-22T19:26:59.840-05:00Funny thing is School Committee members Andy Churc...Funny thing is School Committee members Andy Churchill and Elaine Brighty really wanted twice as many of the portables. Double yikes!Larry Kelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02614645831526190536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-90958046703935353742013-02-22T19:10:21.635-05:002013-02-22T19:10:21.635-05:00~Beg to differ with you Larry~the portable classro...~Beg to differ with you Larry~the portable classrooms for Mark's Meadow were indeed used for classrooms in which classes (Sped) were actually taught daily. Check your statements before you publish them here. $200,000 for these~Wowie! They were purchased fairly recently, before the closing~How does a system allow this sort of wasteful spending? And please~what proof do you actually have that $600,000 was actually saved by closing this high-performing elementary school? In the book "Only Connect", by Rudy Crew~he states that no school should ever face the threat of closure~no school in America~It is an outrage when you look at how well children performed there, to have taken this away from them! And I strongly disagree @Walter~One can actively advocate for their child(ren) and remain anonymous. There are many reasons a person may not want to come forth, especially in this system~how they chop you to no pieces left!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-76989613137561196202013-02-21T23:25:12.174-05:002013-02-21T23:25:12.174-05:00Anon 3:05 pm.
Congratulations. You are a finalist...Anon 3:05 pm.<br /><br />Congratulations. You are a finalist for the title of Most Historically Inaccurate Comment of All Time on Larry's blog. (You are still way down the list for Dumbest Comment of All Time. We know who the multiple nominee for that title is. Larry, you're not eligible, so don't worry about it.)<br /><br />The idea of closing Mark's Meadow was first posed years earlier by Nancy Gordon in Town Meeting to a chorus of gasps and tut-tuts from the audience.<br /><br />And then the idea had no traction for years, until Professor Sanderson committed political suicide by pushing it. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-80207565495563420572013-02-21T15:12:40.308-05:002013-02-21T15:12:40.308-05:00Well if that isn't the most uninformed, dead w...Well if that isn't the most uninformed, dead wrong statement I've seen over the past few years from a Cowardly Anon Nitwit, I don't know what is. Yikes!<br /><br />Next you will be telling me the SC (immediately prior to Ms. Sanderson's tenure) $200,000 purchase of portable classrooms for Mark's Meadow was a wise investment. <br /><br />You know, the ones that were never actually used as classrooms and now still sit there on UMass soil, rotting.Larry Kelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02614645831526190536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-81508891088609021302013-02-21T15:05:40.128-05:002013-02-21T15:05:40.128-05:00Even though she called it "My School Committe...Even though she called it "My School Committee", it wasn't Catherine's watch, there are seven SC members, and Sanderson had almost zero to do with the closing of MM...that plan was in the works before she even slithered on board. It happened in spite of her sc tenure.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-70521030067636517642013-02-21T11:08:44.084-05:002013-02-21T11:08:44.084-05:00Oh I don't know ... maybe you were not paying ...Oh I don't know ... maybe you were not paying attention over the past few years. Head stuck in the sand no doubt.<br /><br />I believe the closing of Mark's Meadow Elementary School, thus saving $600,000 annually, happened under Catherine Sanderson's watch.Larry Kelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02614645831526190536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-4480372296921510272013-02-21T10:31:18.190-05:002013-02-21T10:31:18.190-05:00Whether or not the people who Shabazz represents f...Whether or not the people who Shabazz represents find him to be arrogant in his conduct on the sc is important. Perhaps you weren't around when past sc member's attitudes and behaviors did not allow them to work productively and appropriately with other sc members and school administration--a painful three years where nothing got accomplished. Perhaps arrogance ought not be an important characteristic when judging our candidates and representatives, but it is and it's an important fact to consider if you are thinking of running or running again in Amherst, particularly in light of our recent history. Just like in the real world.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-60604553170634522922013-02-20T23:50:09.940-05:002013-02-20T23:50:09.940-05:00As a parent of an Amherst public school student, I...As a parent of an Amherst public school student, I am dumbfounded by the vicious tone of some of these comments and particularly outraged that no one sees the racism of personally attacking an accomplished and gentle scholar and dad giving freely of his time to help our schools. It's also disgusting to use Nazi terms to insult the Superintendent, no matter how much one may disagree with her. I guess cutting off constructive dialogue has some pretty nefarious results!<br />We have some great administrators and some great teachers, and like most places, some not-so-great ones. What is unique here is the unspoken code that cuts off dialogue and ignores perfectly reasonable questions about the District's budget, the academic outcomes of the students, and the involvement of parents and the community in the Amherst Schools. If Dr. Shabazz appears frustrated might it have something to do with the fact that information is so hard to come by even for SC members?<br />Even though standardized exams only tell one part of the story, they do tell us something about basic proficiency. See for yourselves: http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/mcas/subgroups2.aspx?linkid=25&orgcode=00080000&fycode=2012&orgtypecode=5& <br /><br />Where do we go from here? <br />Qualified people who are committed to improving the education of ALL of our children will not be willing to run for office after witnessing how dissent is silenced with personal attacks. The children continue to pay the price.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-72488247531316658412013-02-20T11:36:09.875-05:002013-02-20T11:36:09.875-05:00Cutting positions doesn't necessarily mean som...Cutting positions doesn't necessarily mean someone gets fired.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-44858026676816302982013-02-19T21:16:10.888-05:002013-02-19T21:16:10.888-05:00What arts are being eliminated?What arts are being eliminated?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-57803368160275566172013-02-19T20:32:00.061-05:002013-02-19T20:32:00.061-05:00The Amherst Schools have more administrators admin...The Amherst Schools have more administrators administrating to the administrators under them, and they all have secretaries who all have assistants. It is a zoo~the keeper holding the highest salary of them all. So while 'cuts' are being made by firing teachers, & paraprofessionals, & eliminating the arts, & closing a high performing school, the pockets of allll those administrators continue to get fatter & fatter ~ all at your expense~the Amherst taxpayer~the King(s) who gave the tailors/administrators aaaalll that money to make him new clothes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-56313930568981355512013-02-18T07:24:45.846-05:002013-02-18T07:24:45.846-05:00I'm beginning to think that the first refuge o...I'm beginning to think that the first refuge of a political scoundrel in Amherst is to criticize the other guy's manners.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-76195535798402404792013-02-17T23:29:07.712-05:002013-02-17T23:29:07.712-05:00Let me put that another way...
A guy like you--sm...Let me put that another way...<br /><br />A guy like you--smart, sober, knows about writing and physical fitness, trustworthy around kids, energetic and with time on his hands, willing to work now and get paid later--why don't you come over to the light side, and volunteer your services with the kids, interact with me in a respectful, non-anonymous manner, and leave the idiots behind?<br /><br />whaddya say?<br /><br />I know the administration would be receptive to a Larry Kelly run Karate Club...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-1897615395014981712013-02-17T23:18:43.549-05:002013-02-17T23:18:43.549-05:00But Larry, you're all about being a tough guy,...But Larry, you're all about being a tough guy, with "balls". I don't wanna be a tough guy. What if it's not strategic to be a ballsy tough guy? You do your thing, dude.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-35023674376783787642013-02-17T23:14:17.610-05:002013-02-17T23:14:17.610-05:00That's what is so funny, that you are more imp...That's what is so funny, that you are more impressed by, and have more respect for, people like Ed and Walter and the guy who did the "Spiral Jetty" ripoff than you are by someone like me. But this is the way you set things up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-25317615634571006122013-02-17T22:25:07.725-05:002013-02-17T22:25:07.725-05:00I am the publisher (and reporter, photographer, he...I am the publisher (and reporter, photographer, headline editor, ad rep, etc).<br /><br />And I'm a lot more impressed when somebody has the balls (or ovaries as the case may be) to stand up publicly for their beliefs. <br /><br />"Prudent," eh? Sounds like you teach French. Larry Kelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02614645831526190536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-62237006243657239902013-02-17T22:17:52.385-05:002013-02-17T22:17:52.385-05:00You're right about that, Larry, there are time...You're right about that, Larry, there are times when it's most prudent not to identify yourself if you are given that option (by your publisher, for example.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-78640080439784701072013-02-17T22:15:54.899-05:002013-02-17T22:15:54.899-05:00I also find Shabazz arrogant and self-focused. It...I also find Shabazz arrogant and self-focused. It is reflected in his arrogant manner and words, and in the way he adorns himself.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-89282037087564853702013-02-17T22:12:15.025-05:002013-02-17T22:12:15.025-05:00But you would have been an Anon kid, so no worrie...But you would have been an Anon kid, so no worries. Larry Kelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02614645831526190536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-12121921395754698692013-02-17T22:08:43.922-05:002013-02-17T22:08:43.922-05:00It's OK to criticize arrogance. It doesn'...It's OK to criticize arrogance. It doesn't mean there are not other issues that are also of concern.<br /><br />And what I meant when I said I was surprised by Walter going online saying his unsupported opinions... it's his tone and language. I would have been ambarrassed if I was a kid trying to have a normal life at my school and my dad was doing shit like he is doing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-20464324101163714642013-02-17T20:30:13.646-05:002013-02-17T20:30:13.646-05:00It's so much easier to focus on School Committ...It's so much easier to focus on School Committee members' manners than it is to examine how well or poorly our schools are doing.<br /><br />After all, when it comes to courtesy, we have our standards. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-54322813556886184692013-02-17T19:36:08.646-05:002013-02-17T19:36:08.646-05:00I would think he was rude even if he was the schoo...I would think he was rude even if he was the school's most vocal supporter. Rude is rude. People should have the curtesy to look at you when talking to you. I have actually been very surprised at the way he acts. I was not expecting such behavior.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com