tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post6769011691345772250..comments2023-10-17T22:56:42.784-04:00Comments on Only in The Republic of Amherst: School DazeLarry Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02614645831526190536noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-29566890975493187462013-05-20T13:40:08.885-04:002013-05-20T13:40:08.885-04:00"the District welcomes the application of spe...<i>"the District welcomes the application of special education students with varied disabilities"</i><br /><br />I wonder if that had to be included, because it ought to go without saying.<br /><br /><i>Every individual child must have equal access to a quality education adapted to meet his or her needs.</i><br /><br />It's the American Way.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-67059527685328899432013-05-20T12:05:41.228-04:002013-05-20T12:05:41.228-04:00The Amherst regional school district is currently ...The Amherst regional school district is currently running an ad to invite school choice applications for the MS/HS and the elementary schools. For the MS, the ad says that there are 18 openings in Grades 7&8. For the HS, there are no openings currently, but a waiting list is being maintained. For the elementary schools, there are school choice openings as follows:<br />K: Crocker Farm; Grades 2&3: all elementary schools; Grades 4&6, Fort River School. The ad doesn't indicate how many elementary school openings there are, but states that "the District welcomes the application of special education students with varied disabilities" in the grades listed. Applications are due this week. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-78590070876803975152013-05-19T17:33:42.789-04:002013-05-19T17:33:42.789-04:00...preferred candidates have experience working in......preferred candidates have experience working in an affluent, rural and bucolic, racially and culturally homogeneous school setting...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-35176588224335966912013-05-19T15:27:38.619-04:002013-05-19T15:27:38.619-04:00You'll have to get that bit of info from those...You'll have to get that bit of info from those who attended the school committee meeting that voted her in. By the way, "doing your research" means going way deeper into references than what is given. Sometimes glowing reviews simply means the current employer can't stand someone and just wants them out, which won't happen without those glowing reviews. My take on Wickman's exit from Union 28 is that is exactly what happened. She's someone else's burden to bear now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-33478197709382475442013-05-19T12:50:04.323-04:002013-05-19T12:50:04.323-04:00Happy damn good research, then.
Who hired your la...Happy damn good research, then.<br /><br />Who hired your last superintendent, and why didn't they do any research?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-42609702974433856802013-05-19T09:21:32.158-04:002013-05-19T09:21:32.158-04:003:48 pm: It's not a matter of luck. It's...3:48 pm: It's not a matter of luck. It's a matter of doing damn good research into who you're hiring. You can be sure that if Union 28 continues to exist, the next superintendent will be quite different in nature from the one who's about to leave.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-69908136381273559012013-05-18T21:30:47.175-04:002013-05-18T21:30:47.175-04:00How has Leverett been able to meet the state's...How has Leverett been able to meet the state's time on learning requirements when they spend double the time on specials <i>and</i> stop teaching at 1:20pm every Wednesday? (Amherst will nix early release on Wednesdays next fall in order to conform to state requirements more easily.)<br /><br />Do you mean to say Leverett students spend between 2 and 3 more hours on specials per week than Amherst elementary students? What is their secret?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-25904439595460082082013-05-17T20:34:15.813-04:002013-05-17T20:34:15.813-04:00Sweet.
But how come no one wants to talk about ra...Sweet.<br /><br />But how come no one wants to talk about racism?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-25105563677491907862013-05-17T16:44:27.308-04:002013-05-17T16:44:27.308-04:00As the parent of Amherst elem. students, I am envi...As the parent of Amherst elem. students, I am envious of the extra time that Leverett gives students each week for PE (60 minutes for K, 80 min grades 1-6, compared to Amherst's 40 minutes K-6) to promote student health and fitness; and of Leverett's science lab (grades 1-6) and Adventure programs (grades 4-6). According to information in the education report for regionalization, Leverett students have more than double the specials time each week that Amherst and Pelham students do. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-19440176687056226752013-05-17T16:27:06.107-04:002013-05-17T16:27:06.107-04:00Leverett and Shutesbury elementary students have m...Leverett and Shutesbury elementary students have more time each week for "specials" than Amherst and Pelham students. If both/either of these schools regionalize with Amherst, would this extra special time be allowed to continue? ... and how would that be reconciled with the proposed curriculum alignment? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-40461537565732106222013-05-17T15:48:29.853-04:002013-05-17T15:48:29.853-04:00Well, good luck with your search.Well, good luck with your search.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-38057208497255256112013-05-17T10:38:46.480-04:002013-05-17T10:38:46.480-04:00Academic qualifications have nothing whatsoever to...Academic qualifications have nothing whatsoever to do with personality or management style. Let's just say she's a micro-manager to the nth degree, a despot of sorts. She's made a lot of people - school committee members, principals, staff - very unhappy over the years.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-3515425735717893192013-05-17T10:28:26.562-04:002013-05-17T10:28:26.562-04:00I don't understand... Wickman has an Ed.D., n...I don't understand... Wickman has an Ed.D., no? So what's the problem?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-78682955860480180282013-05-17T10:01:51.453-04:002013-05-17T10:01:51.453-04:009:35 am - There was an article in the Gazette in l...9:35 am - There was an article in the Gazette in late April.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-14269891861631197322013-05-17T09:35:45.977-04:002013-05-17T09:35:45.977-04:00To anon 6:37am: Where can I find out about Gatewa...To anon 6:37am: Where can I find out about Gateway's refusal to allow Worthington to leave the region? Was there a vote taken?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-62498015613868393502013-05-17T08:33:16.517-04:002013-05-17T08:33:16.517-04:008:01 a.m: That's great. It still doesn't...8:01 a.m: That's great. It still doesn't make sense for Leverett and Shutesbury to regionalize. We will lose control of our schools. The much-despised Joan Wickman is leaving. Let's just get someone new in.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-13249347827004134512013-05-17T08:24:34.561-04:002013-05-17T08:24:34.561-04:00As a Leverett resident who put two children throug...As a Leverett resident who put two children through the elementary school I would hate to see the school close down because the region might deem it necessary. Joining Amherst is kind of like throwing out the baby with the bathwater. We're getting rid of the bathwater, finally. Let's not dump the baby too. Our elementary school is too valuable to put it in the control of an often dysfunctional region, and you can be sure, we will lose control.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-17020173594476450062013-05-17T08:01:20.653-04:002013-05-17T08:01:20.653-04:00I hate to be the bearer of good news but the amoun...I hate to be the bearer of good news but the amount of time Amherst ES students spend in art, music; pe and library have NOT been cut.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-51800311228673469182013-05-17T07:44:34.444-04:002013-05-17T07:44:34.444-04:00If Amherst regionalizes with Leverett and Pelham, ...If Amherst regionalizes with Leverett and Pelham, it will cost Amherst more. It already has the same administrative team from K-12, so aligning the curriculum shouldn't be a problem. So why regionalize? What is the point?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-38682342395573809102013-05-17T06:37:35.626-04:002013-05-17T06:37:35.626-04:00anon 9:34 p.m.: It has been a very long, very bum...anon 9:34 p.m.: It has been a very long, very bumpy ride with the current (but soon to be gone) Union 28 superintendent. She was not a good fit for the particular schools that make up the union, and there have been a number of serious attempts over the years to not renew her contract but there just haven't been enough votes because of the particular makeup of the school committees. In my opinion, much of the regionalization efforts have to do with getting away from her and her management style. In other words, if she won't go, we will. I honestly don't think it has any connection with Union 28 itself. The four schools involved run exceptionally well(far better than Amherst these days), are rated very highly by the state, and, except for the negative feelings towards the superintendent, things run smoothly and efficiently. The schools have been able to retain all the various arts programs, librarians, etc., that seem to be under the gun in Amherst, and the budgets for the schools make sure that these necessary "perks" are part of the curriculum each and every year without exception. Now that the superintendent is leaving I can't help but think that the effort to regionalize is pure folly. Given the difficulties with other regionalizations (I'm thinking of Gateway and how Worthington chose to join that region and now wants out because their much beloved school was closed down, but the region won't allow them to exit so they are stuck), I believe that if Shutesbury and Leverett join up with Amherst they will come to regret it bitterly. Despite Maria's promises that nothing will change for Shutesbury & Leverett you can be sure that in the interest of "parity" there will be very unwelcome changes at some point in time. Besides, if nothing will change, why regionalize? Seems to me the Union 28 schools would be far better served by just getting a new superintendent who's a better fit for the Union. Simple, yes?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-17253575548530247072013-05-16T21:57:59.815-04:002013-05-16T21:57:59.815-04:00the regionalization of our schools makes some sens...the regionalization of our schools makes some sense to me theoretically & philosophically -- a regional system could be more efficient & have greater alignment across the schools, and more/better learning opportunities for all students... but I just don't think that it is the way it would work in real life. I am going to vote in favor of the K-6 regionalization unless I am convinced otherwise. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-39756960925123052992013-05-16T21:34:51.381-04:002013-05-16T21:34:51.381-04:00So what do you believe to be the real motive of th...So what do you believe to be the <i>real</i> motive of the Regional School Planning Committee, anon. 7:41pm?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-8539824810438213102013-05-16T19:41:15.178-04:002013-05-16T19:41:15.178-04:00Anon 6:38 p.m. - "convincing and explaining?&...Anon 6:38 p.m. - "convincing and explaining?" Just call it what it is: A snow job. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-53197000444335971172013-05-16T19:09:45.341-04:002013-05-16T19:09:45.341-04:00Amherst is not an easy place to work as a teacher....<i>Amherst is not an easy place to work as a teacher.</i><br /><br />And why is that?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5035949355013113578.post-43125204636709482542013-05-16T19:07:36.350-04:002013-05-16T19:07:36.350-04:00We were having such a nice conversation and now he...We were having such a nice conversation and now here we go with the "Team Maria" stuff again.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com