Typical MVRCS -Avoidance and Intimidation Tactics!

 REQUESTS: We are seeking to make contact with an individual from the Malden school that the students in question attended (teacher, aid, staff, or parent) who can confirm that the students in question actually attended their school. We can assure you that your identity will NOT be revealed under any circumstances. While we have individuals and materials available from MVRCS to confirm that the students were enrolled, removed, and re-enrolled there, we would like someone from the Malden schools to confirm they were students there.
Should you (or someone you know) be able to provide any information regarding this situation, please contact us at UnOfficialMVRCS@gmail.com. Information and Contact Found - Thank you for the responses!

The following complaint was filed first with MVRCS Board of Trustees (filed March 14, 2011) and then, per DESE procedure, with Mitchell Chester (filed April 15, 2011), who is the Commissioner of Education at the DESE. Finally, on June 23, 2011 we heard back from Rick Veilleux (the Business Manager of MVRCS) regarding our complaint. As in the past when we have requested copies of the Board Meeting Minutes (both the open portion and Executive Session), the school resorted to intimidation and avoidance tactics by requiring us to either come into their office to review the material or provide a mailing address and funds to have it mailed to us. While the copies of the minutes were requested under the Freedom of Information Act and are therefore subject to such conditions, the formal complaint we filed is not. The complaint was filed electronically and as such, should be responded to in like form. Furthermore, as we're sure the complaint is already in electronic form, emailing a copy would be entirely appropriate and easily done. Of course we know that this is just MVRCS way of trying to determine our identity. In either case, any individual who is interested in obtaining a copy of the response from MVRCS's Board of Trustees may either drop into the office to view their response or request one be sent through the postal service (but the school will charge for photocopying and postage).
On June 23, 2011 we sent the following email was sent to Rick Veilleux and other various individuals who SHOULD be concerned and willing to further address this issue. Since then we have been working with a number of reporters and media outlets regarding the confirmation of our allegations. While we do want this issue addressed and the school to be held accountable, we are attempting to ensure that the identities of the students in question are not published as we feel this would not be in their or their immediate families best interest. In the meantime, we thought we would share with our readers our current efforts and this issue.




Subject: Complaint Response
To: rveilleux@mvrcs.org
Cc: JMcCleary@mvrcs.org, BBarnett@doe.mass.edu, JWulfson@doe.mass.edu, ago@state.ma.us, legal@eth.state.ma.us, KarenNober@eth.state.ma.us, cccompliance@doe.mass.edu, boe@doe.mass.edu, media@doe.mass.edu, CharterSchools@doe.mass.edu, www@doe.mass.edu, Gov.Webmail@state.ma.us
Date: Monday, July 11, 2011, 4:33 PM

Mr. Veilleux:

I am writing in response to your email dated June 23, 2011 regarding the formal complaint filed with Mystic Valley Regional Charter School (dated March 14, 2011) and the subsequent complaint filed with the Commissioner Mitchell Chester of the DESE (dated  April 15, 2011). I find your response to my complaint unacceptable and an attempt to circumvent addressing the issue at hand. Out of respect for Christopher Finn, a substantial amount of time to has been permitted to pass without further action being taken. As a direct result of your unwillingness to adequately respond in like form to the manner in which the complaint was filed,  I feel it is necessary to seek the assistance of the media and reporters. Therefore if an adequate and acceptable response is not received through electronic email by July 20, 2011, a copy of the complaint in full (along with contact information for all involved parties) will be forwarded to reporters and media outlets along with a request for assistance. I look forwarding to hearing from you.

March 14, 2011

To The Board of Trustees:

As required by Massachusetts Law 603 CMR 1.00, specifically section 1.10 regarding the Complaint Procedure please accept this letter as a formal complaint. It is our belief that MVRCS has violated section 1.06 ‘Charter School Enrollment and Recruitment’. Specifically section 5 of the law which states:

(5) …No student entering an enrollment process may be admitted ahead of other eligible students who were previously placed on a waiting list during a prior enrollment process, except in cases described in to 603 CMR 1.06(4)(e).

 It is our understanding that this law has been violated on numerous occasions but most recently in the re-admission of Chris Finn’s (Assistant Director) two xxxxxx, xxxxxx and xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx. It has come to our attention that during the 2007-2008 school year their mother transferred them out of the school. The following year these same two xxxxxxxx were re-admitted mid-year and are now currently enrolled in the school (xxxxxxx is in 3rd grade and xxxxx 5th). It is also our understanding that this is in direction violation of the above mentioned law as well as Massachusetts State Ethics laws pertaining to Conflicts of Interests and Codes of Conduct.

April 15, 2011

Commissioner Chester:
The following complaint was filed with the MVRCS Board of Trustees on March 14th, 2011 to which they have failed to respond to. In accordance with the law, I am now filing this complaint directly with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

To The Board of Trustees:

As required by Massachusetts Law 603 CMR 1.00, specifically section 1.10 regarding the Complaint Procedure please accept this letter as a formal complaint. It is our belief that MVRCS has violated section 1.06 ‘Charter School Enrollment and Recruitment’. Specifically section 5 of the law which states:

(5) …No student entering an enrollment process may be admitted ahead of other eligible students who were previously placed on a waiting list during a prior enrollment process, except in cases described in to 603 CMR 1.06(4)(e).

 It is our understanding that this law has been violated on numerous occasions but most recently in the re-admission of Chris Finn’s (Assistant Director) two xxxxxx, xxxxxx and xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxi. It has come to our attention that during the 2007-2008 school year their mother transferred them out of the school. The following year these same two xxxxxxxxxx were re-admitted mid-year and are now currently enrolled in the school (xxxxxxx is in 3rd grade and xxxxxx 5th). It is also our understanding that this is in direction violation of the above mentioned law as well as Massachusetts State Ethics laws pertaining to Conflicts of Interests and Codes of Conduct.

June 23, 2011

In regards to your complaint about the school’s enrollment policy, I have been asked by Mr. Brennan, our Board Secretary, to make arrangements with you to obtain or view his response.  As per our prior communications regarding various other matters, you may come into the Business Office located at 671 Salem Street to either view a copy of the response or pay for a copy of the response to take with you.  If you cannot come into the office, you can send me a check for the copy and cost of postage and the response will be mailed to you.  If you choose this option, please provide me with your mailing address and I will provide you with the cost and once a check is received, I will drop it in the mail.

Rick Veilleux

School Business Manager

Mystic Valley Regional Charter School