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The Classroom
Peter Larocque, Lawrence Scool Committee
(05/07/07)

I for one would like to see us as the adults who live in Lawrence keep the discussion concerning the future of the Lawrence public schools to what is really relevant to education, which is, what is actually going on in the classroom?

Already as the upcoming election gets closer, the question I continue to hear is, who do you support, the superintendent or the teachers? I believe this whole issue has surfaced as a result of pending union negotiations currently underway between the teachers’ union and the school district. It is my hope that at the conclusion of the negotiations all parties will leave the table with amicable resolutions and a spirit of unity that will be reflected in our continued pursuit of excellence in education.

Divisive questions such as this have no place in public education. I support children and teachers who support children. I support hard-working families that invest time and energy in the educational lives of their children and I support a school system that continues to show gains in education. The minute any of these items change, my support may change as well. I continue to be a strong voice for families and children, advancements in education, and stronger community involvement in the educational system. We as citizens, parents, taxpayers, and homeowners of Lawrence, need to raise the level of discussion to what is fundamentally important to us and, in that list of importance, where does our children’s education rank?

We cannot continue to waste precious time and energy on questions that only serve to divide and take away our focus on the bigger picture.

One of the important issues before us this year is the renewal and reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. Many of the major players are beginning to send their recommendations to Congress implementing a number of changes. What I can read so far is that many are asking for greater state and local control that calls for more flexibility and leeway but still maintaining the federal government’s position in holding states accountable for student learning. I don’t believe that this is as difficult as it may sound. Because I believe we can be accountable and also flexible without big government hovering over our shoulders. The America I know and the America my dad fought for in WW II was not designed for Washington to control how we educate our children in Lawrence. The one size fits all approach does not work!

One group advocates that the federal government’s role should be to supplement and support rather than to dictate states’ efforts in education.

Here in Lawrence, our student population is so diversified and transit that to have all evaluations of students, teachers and the entire school district based on one test (MCAS) is just not fair! Nor is it right!

If my memory serves me right, didn’t someone stand up sometime ago in Washington and say, “the era of big government is over?”

Well, then, can you please explain the apparent conflict? Special education students should be able to take modified tests. English language learners not born in this country should be allowed more time to learn English before they are required to be tested.

These are some of the recommendations that I can read and agree with that are being put forward. Let us all be clear. Any program or initiative or plan coming out of Washington that disallows any type of local control is not good government. So please, now is the time to let our representatives in Washington know what you believe should be recommended for change in the NCLB Act.   This is the level of conversation that will actually have more effect to what is going on in the classroom than who do you support. I continue to make myself available to all my constituents and welcome your input on the future of Lawrence’s educational system.

Peter Larocque is a member of the Lawrence School Committee, 255 Essex St. Lawrence, MA 01842. He was elected by the Lawrence City Council to fill the unexpired term of Amy McGovern. You can email him at plarocque@lawrence.k12.ma.us

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The MAY 2007 Edition of the Valley Patriot
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All Contents (C) 2007, Valley Patriot, Inc.
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