Updates & We're Seeking Information.....

We have confirmed with Jeff Wulfson, Associate Commissioner at the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education, that when calculating the distance between a students home and school, the school can not use a 'hub' location of 770 Salem Street but must use the facility address of where the student attends school. Per an email received by Mr. Wulfson he stated that 'transportation distances are measured from the student’s home to the school that the student is attending'. Therefore, if you have a HS student who lives within 2 miles of the 770 Salem Street facility but more than 2 miles from the HS, they are now eligible for transportation from a bus stop within 1 mile of your home. We did not confirm that the charge should only be 200.00 and that these families should NOT be charged an additional 100.00 for transportation between facilities but if anyone encounters that situation, please let us know and we will confirm whether it is permissible. We find it so unfortunate that the Administration at MVRCS can not be trusted to simply follow the laws and the spirit of the laws without attempting to wiggle out of their responsibility. This lends itself to the purpose, and need of this blog as the Administration has shown repeatedly just how sleazy they can be. We have heard one parent compare them to snakes.

As the lottery is quickly approaching (it will be held on Tuesday, November 23) we are working feverishly to ensure that it is conducted according to the laws this year and that the rigging that has allegedly occurred in the past, does not happen.

According to Rick Veilleux, the firm that has handled the lottery in the past is Rucci, Bardaro and Barrett out of Malden. At the time, he was unable to confirm with certainty that they would be conducting it this year but felt that they would be. We will attempt to confirm the name, and if possible, the individual who will be conducting the actual drawing. Out of curiosity, does anyone know if any of the individuals of this firm have any dealings with the Board Members, Administration, or other Malden politicians? Do any of their children attend MVRCS? We would like to ensure that there is not a conflict of interest in the choosing of this firm. Additionally, we have been compiling a list of students who were admitted through the lottery who are directly related or connected to the Kinnons, Board Members, Administration, and/or other Malden Politicians. Interestingly enough, in doing a very quick list, Chris Finn has 12 nieces and nephews currently enrolled at the school and at least 9 Kinnons are enrolled (or have attended if they have since graduated). We think these families have the odds in their favor and are amazed that they haven't won PowerBall or some other big financial windfall.
Please know that our reason for doing this is not to cause harm or issue with the students or their families but rather to demonstrate to the DESE, Attorney General, and State Ethics Committee (along with the media) the high incidence of these individuals students gaining entry into the school. At no time will we publish or post ANY child's (and we ask that you do the same) but we'd like to show a comparison to how many of these children are selected versus the low (= 0) English Language Students that are selected. We are also hoping to have the school submit a formal wait-list to some other entity besides themselves to ensure that the wait list is handled properly.
At this time we are asking that if you know of an employee, Administrator, Politician, Kinnon Friend or Family member, or other family who are attending the school, that you email us their last name. If you are uncomfortable using your own email address or revealing yourself, we suggest using an anonymous email service such as http://send-email.org to send us any information you may have. Regardless of how you choose to contact us, we assure you that your identity will not be revealed. Again, we do not wish for anything to happen to these individuals but rather want to be able to demonstrate our position. We also welcome any other information or experiences you feel may be beneficial. We would also again like to thank everyone who has already provided us with information and supported us. We hope that we are able to make a difference within our school for the students and the parents..

PS - As a side note, we have removed the requirement that comments were approved before published. We felt as though it reduced not only the negative banter but also the communication and discussion that we are striving for. Should the past problems persist, we will be forced to re-enable it. Discuss away!