DESE Meeting On Southbridge Underperforming Schools - January 26, 2016

DESE Board Votes Receivership For Southbridge Schools

Mitchell Chester

At its meeting this morning the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education voted with only one abstention to classify the Southbridge school system as Level 5.

This designation as a chronically underperforming district will result in the appointment of a receiver by Commissioner Mitchell Chester. In the meantime Chester will serve as interim receiver until a permanent choice is made, effective immediately.

The receiver will assume the responsibilities of the superintendent as well as the school committee.

Why The Delay?

Mitchell Chester

The DESE will hold a public hearing on whether or not the public school district in Southbridge will be taken over by the state. It will hold that meeting next Monday starting at 4:30 in the auditorium at the old high school.

The following day the Board of Directors of the DESE will hold its regularly scheduled monthly meeting at Roxbury Community College. On the agenda is a discussion  of the Southbridge case. However, Commissioner Chester has indicated that he does not expect a vote to be held until the Board’s next regularly scheduled meeting on February 23^rd. 

Council Kills Casella Contract Amendment

Ken O’Brien

By a vote of 7 to 2 the Southbridge Town Council voted down a proposed amendment to the contract with Casella.

I have listened with interest to the debate regarding this amendment.

After listening to tonight’s discussion I have come to the conclusion that the Council has made a serious mistake. 

Southbridge School Committee Vote On Restructure Plan

Breaking News: School Committee Defeats Restructure Proposal

By a vote of four to two the School Committee defeated Acting Superintendent Stanton's plan to restructure the Middle/High School.

Voting against the proposal were Chairman McLoughlin, and members Raymond Page, Christopher Olivo and Jill Congdon. Voting for it were members Brent Abrahamson and Erin Quinney. Committee Vice-Chair Kara Donovan abstained.

Okay, We Listened – Now Go Away

Ken O’Brien

Two weeks after dropping matching stink bombs on the town, the School Committee got a sample of public opinion last night.

First, of course, they put the lie to their charade of holding a search for a new Superintendent. Having carried out the process with all the speed and devotion we might expect from the Chair’s pursuit of relection, the four member majority extended the contract of the Acting Superintendent for another year.

Not to be outdone as a symbol of mendacity and reprisal, the newly ensconced Acting Superintendent unveiled her deeply researched and thoroughly vetted plan to restructure the Middle/High School. 

Breaking News: Southbridge Town Council Votes "No Confidence" In School Committee

By a vote of eight to one the Southbridge Town Council voted no confidence in the Southbridge School Committee this evening.
Councilor Amelia Peloquin was the sole member to vote against the motion.    

More to come.

Gardner Appointment As Southbridge Schools Superintendent – Video

Gardner Appointed Superintendent Of Southbridge Schools

Ken O’Brien

Patricia Gardner

At an unusual Wednesday night meeting of the Southbridge School Committee Patricia E. Gardner was appointed Superintendent of the Southbridge School District. She will succeed Basan Nembirkow who had previously announced that he would leave the position at the end of June. He cited health and age as reasons for his departure. Gardner’s appointment is for a one year term, from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015.

Ms. Gardner has served as the District’s Director of Teaching and Learning since August of 2013. Prior to that she had served as principal of Turners Falls High School in the Gill-Montague Regional School District. 

27 GOP Senators Vote To Disapprove Of Themselves

From AlterNet

About time these clowns disapproved of themselves for their heartless policies and shameless tactics. But, no, no. No such attack of conscience has hit the Republicans in Congress. What took place last week in the Senate may have set a new low on the moron scale—and these days, that is really saying something. All 27 Republican senators who voted recently to raise the debt ceiling, pay the nation’s bills, and reopen the government (and arguably do their jobs), voted in favor of a symbolic “resolution to disapprove” of that vote. All of them.

How Do You Feel?

Ken O’Brien

For the last week we’ve had a raging debate about the initiative petition being circulated to return Southbridge to a Selectman/Town Meeting form of government.

Now The O’Zone is going to give you an opportunity to weigh in on the issue.

On the right you will see a poll which will give you the opportunity to vote yes or no on whether this proposal should be adopted (assuming it gets on the June ballot).

We will leave the voting open for a week.

As in the past we request that only Southbridge residents who are of legal voting age participate in the poll.