Food for Thought on the MVRCS Fiasco!

Honestly, while I have my own opinions and thoughts regarding the Hogan/MVRCS fiasco, they are irrelevant as the story is just a symptom of a much bigger issue (in my opinion).


After reading through all the comments, just some thoughts:

1. Was this story leaked to the media out of concern for the students of MVRCS and their contact with the individual or was it leaked out of vengeance to the school administration? Few would argue with the fact that the school administration and board (specifically Kinnon and his clan) have made many enemies and have operated by their own standards for many years. It should not be ignored that the school DID hire Gately, who at the time was a publically disgraced, disbarred attorney and political figure, knowing full well of his (lack of) moral integrity. Whether the school knew or not (and I'm not sure they didn't), how can they justify hiring Gately and not this individual, after all, one actually committed crimes and the other didn't. At the same time, those who are familiar with the happenings of the school know that they have very double standards and expectations for their staff. Hogan may possibly be a victim of the past acts of Kinnon and/or the Board/Administration.

2. Is Kevin Hogan related in any way to Kinnon’s campaign manager and childhood friend Ron Hogan (whose children attend the school BTW)? If so, this would make one question if in fact the school did know about his past when they hired him and were hoping that the fact wouldn’t be discovered.

3. Regardless of Hogans sexual orientation and actions, one has to wonder why an individual who has limited teaching experience was hired as an English Department Chair to begin with. One would expect an individual in this position to have extensive teaching experience within the subject matter. If I remember the information correctly, Hogan had only a few years of sporadic teaching experience which would make his hiring for that position questionable at best. Given the current economy and the number of unemployed individuals located here in Massachusetts (some of whom must have more teaching experience than Hogan), why did the school hire an individual from out of state? Maybe a more appropriate issue for discussion would be the hiring practices of the school.

4. Does anyone else familiar with the ways of MVRCS find it interesting that so many individuals are willing to put their name out there in support of this individual? Those in the know would tend to agree that parents and students typically do not dare speak out publically (or even challenge them) against the school without fear of retribution. Would that indicate that the school has encouraged this and therefore, is in support of Hogan? This would again make us question if, in fact, Hogan is somehow related to Ron Hogan?

5. It is interesting that the school has chosen to put this teacher on paid administrative leave rather than just terminate them (as they are so famous for doing with those who go against them or who do not ‘fit’)? Is it due to the fact that this teacher has gained national attention and the school is finally forced to handle it in an appropriate and legal manner (as opposed to the sleazy and often illegal manner that they have become known for)?

6. While I don’t typically pass judgment on student’s individual abilities, does anyone else find the comment regarding the poor grammar and spelling of their students ironic given that they are supposedly providing a superior education? It should be noted that the ‘awards’ that they have received from ‘Newsweek’ are not based on the academic ability or successes of their students but is based simply on the percentage of their students who sat for the IB tests. It does not take into account their performance on such tests, just how many sat for it. It should also be noted that the school requires all of their students to sit for these exams regardless of their desire, ability, or interest. Additionally, the school paid to be included in the analysis. Sort of takes the air out of the balloon, doesn’t it?
7. MVRCS has been accused of breaking or bending many of the laws that govern them as has the Chairman of the Board, Neil Kinnon. They have repeatedly refused to follow directives that they have received from the DESE (re: transportation issues, changing of the board members, questionable lottery practices and re-entry of certain individuals, SPED dealings, open meeting/executive session requirements of publishing minutes, etc) and have done as they please for far too long. While their actions have been overlooked or ignored in the past, could this possibly be the incident that begins to process of holding them accountable?

Links to some interesting discussions:
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/malden/2011/12/mystic_valley_teachers_contrac.html

http://malden.patch.com/articles/students-parents-fox-comment-on-hogan-suspension

http://bostonherald.com/news/columnists/view/2011_1201naked_truth_porn_teachers_dont_mix

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/01/kevin-hogan-high-school-e_n_1123398.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/30/kevin-hogan-high-school-t_n_1121376.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/30/kevin-hogan-english-teacher-gay-porn-_n_1121554.html

Bylaw Criteria for Charter Schools - Interesting....

We came across the criteria for the creation of bylaws for Massachusetts Charter Schools. This information is located at http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/governance/bylaws.pdf. We would be very interested in seeing MVRCS's Bylaws but we're pretty sure access to those are prohibited!

As usual, our comments are in red.

CHARTER SCHOOL NAME: ______________________________________________

Please use the following checklist to guide the creation of your charter school bylaws. Please record in the left column the section or page number of each of the required elements within your draft bylaws document.

	1.      State the name and purpose of the school and that the school is a public school.	M.G.L. Chapter 71,  Section 89(c)
	2.      State that the name of the school must include the words 'charter school' as part of its name.	M.G.L. Chapter 71,  Section 89(k)(1)
	3.      Cite M.G.L. Chapter 71, Section 89. This can be found in its entirety at http://www.doe.mass.edu/boe/docs/0510/item6a_ch71s89.pdf MGL Chapter 71, Section 89
	4.      State that the board of trustees holds the charter granted by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.	M.G.L. Chapter 71,  Section 89(c)
	5.      State that the board of trustees of a charter school is a public entity, which operates independently of a school committee.	M.G.L. Chapter 71,  Section 89(c)
	6.      Remember that the bylaws should not refer to the school as a non-profit corporation, a charitable organization, a 501(c) (3), or use descriptions indicating that the school is anything other than a public entity.
	7.      State that the individual board members are considered special state employees.	M.G.L. Chapter 71,  Section 89(c)
	8.      State that the board is a public employer for the purposes of tort liability (M.G.L. Chapter 258) and for collective bargaining purposes (M.G.L. Chapter 150E).  'Collective Bargaining' - unionizing? Even though Neil Kinnon would PERSONALLY close the school if the teachers sought out the union? He probably has NOTHING to worry about as the teachers leave faster than a union could get in there!	M.G.L. Chapter 71,  Section 89(y)
	9.      In Horace Mann charter schools, state that the school committee is the public employer for collective bargaining purposes under M.G.L. Chapter 150E.	M.G.L. Chapter 71,  Section 89(y)
	10.  State that the board of trustees may not discriminate against potential members on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, ancestry, ethnicity, age, gender identity, religion, martial status, sexual orientation, or non-disqualifying handicap or mental condition. What new members exactly? Oh, that's right at other charter schools the board members come and go (and the school survives) but NOT at MVRCS!	M.G.L. Chapter 71, Section 89(f)
	11.  Specify that public notice be given of the date, time and location of all meetings in accordance with the law pertaining to the open meetings of governmental bodies.	M.G.L. Chapter 30A, Sections 18-25
	12.  Specify that detailed, accurate records of every meeting be adopted and kept in accordance with the law pertaining to the open meetings of governmental bodies.  Has anyone ever seen any of these 'detailed, accurate records of every meeting'? Do they include Kinnon's threats and berating of parents? What about those 'Executive Session' minutes?	M.G.L. Chapter 30A, Sections 18-25
	13.  Stipulate the situations under which an executive session may take place.  Oh, that's right, they can't just go into Executive Session whenever they want - ONLY UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. Plus, although these minutes are limited to release, they are only limited so long as what was being discussed is still in the works. So that would probably mean that the minutes from 2003, 2004, 2005, etc should be open for review.....Yeah, not likely.	M.G.L. Chapter 30A, Section 21(a)
	14.  State that trustee participation occurs in person for the purpose of a quorum or vote.
	15.  Specify the minimum and maximum number of trustees required on the board.
	16.  Specify that action by the board requires a majority vote of a quorum of seated trustees and, to the degree required, specify the situations for which approval may require a special majority.
	17.  Define the number of years that shall constitute a board member’s term.  You mean a term is not lifelong?
	18.  Set a specific, reasonable, limit on successive or total terms that a member may serve.  Hmmm, a 'specific, reasonable, limit on successive or total terms that a member may serve'......I would be very interested in seeing MVRCS response to THIS ONE!
	19.  State that a formal vote of the board of trustees is required to accept all new members.
	20.  Expressly require a voting employee representative in the board’s composition if the school intends to have any paid employee member(s) serve on the board.  Allow one of the 'monkey' teachers on the Board? Only if they are a Kinnon Friends & Family Club Member!
	21.  Specify the number and titles of officers (e.g., chair, vice-chair, secretary, and treasurer).
	22.  Describe the responsibilities of each officer.  Chairman is the Dictator and everyone must follow his demands. Does that explain it?
	23.  Describe a process for electing officers.  'Electing' - aren't they just appointed by the Dictator himself? Others have a say? Not likely!
	24.  State that the board complies with the state conflict of interest law, M.G.L. Chapter 268A.  This is our favorite....how in the world can this board state they they are in compliance with state conflict of interest laws??? We want to see this one!	M.G.L. Chapter 71, Section 89(u)
	25.  State that board members must disclose any financial interest or business transactions that they (or any immediate family member) have in any charter school in Massachusetts or elsewhere with the state ethics commission, the Department and the city or town clerk within 30 days of joining the board and by September 1 annually, including the year after service is completed (unless service is less than 30 days in that year). 'Financial Interest or Business Transactions' - love the 'or any immediate family members'.....priceless!	M.G.L. Chapter 71,  Section 89(u)
	26.  State that the board of trustees shall request the appointment of a trustee to the board only where the board has no reason to know that the trustee has a financial interest under M.G.L. c. 268A which may preclude a majority of the board from participating in deliberations or voting on certain matters that are expected to come before the board. The board must exercise due diligence prior to determining that a proposed trustee does not have such a financial interest.  City Councilor? Renting property to the city? Using connections and backroom deals to gain privileges for the school? The City Councilor position is paid correct?
	27.  Specify that the school’s fiscal year begins on July 1 (and ends on June 30 of the following calendar year).
	28.  Specify a process for making amendments to the bylaws, subject to the approval of the board of trustees and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (additionally, school committee and teacher's union if a Horace Mann charter school).	603 CMR 1.11(2)
	29.  Describe the procedure for responding to any complaints filed with the board of trustees.  Complaints filed with the Board? Nope, not at MVRCS because they don't respond (nicely) to complaints. Never mind the repercussions to the kids! Don't they just ignore any complaints filed? Didn't Neil Kinnon state that he didn't have to hold Open Meetings or allow discussions/Q&A's? Yeah, that would be the schools fearless leader!	M.G.L. Chapter 71, Section 89(ll) 603 CMR 1.10 M.G.L. Chapter 30A, Section 23
	30.  Prohibit the board of trustees from exercising managerial powers over the day-to-day operations of the school. Not allow the Board (or specifically Kinnon) to determine what happens in the school every day? We all know that Dr. McCleary has no say in much of anything and the others follow the barking orders of the Dictator!
	31.  State the ability of the board of trustees to select, appoint, evaluate, and/or remove only the school director(s).
	32.  Specify the process through which a trustee may resign and/or be removed from the board.  Only as a result of Kinnon - he has all the say and power regarding the board!!
	33.  Require that the board of trustees meet at least quarterly.
	34.  Require an annual meeting of the board of trustees.
	35.  Describe the process for the formation of committees and/or task forces.

Put This One Here, That One There, Oh, This One Could....Maybe?

Let the fun begin! We have heard from a number of former teachers that yet another massive turnover of staff at MVRCS is in the works. Once again teachers under the "leadership" (if that is what you want to call it) of Jen Mullen are jumping ship (and we hear some are leaving without having secured employment elsewhere). Of course the 7th & 8th grade teachers and HS teachers are also leaving in droves. Of course this comes as no surprise as rumors had been running rampant for some time. We came across the following postings for job positions and imagine that since the majority of 4th, 5th, & 6th grade teachers are leaving, they have moved a Kindergarten and 3rd grade teacher into one of these slots as a lead teacher. What we found discouraging is that although the school (as are all public schools) is required to hire certified teachers, the job requirements only make reference of it being preferred (or attainable within one year but most colleges require graduates to pass the MTEL before graduation and many who graduate without it are typically having problems passing the test). Further, the posting for the 'Substitutes' make reference for the potential of moving into a teaching position yet does not require certification. Both positions state 'Bachelors  Preferred' - yet another questionable statement and practice. Boy does this school have high expectations for their new hires....NOT! Most districts require copy of certification, college transcripts, and 3 recommendations to even get an interview. Apparently they do not feel these things are important or are so desperate for bodies, they'll take ANYONE. And we all wonder why so many teachers leave mid-year each year!                                                                                                                                                                                       Another ironic and totally fabricated piece of bs on the part of the school is their 'Equal Opportunity Employer' statement....no discrimination or retaliation? Really? Must be confusing themselves with a different school! We pity those poor, uninformed individuals who seek a position within this school as long as Kinnon is in charge.                                                                                                                  Equal Opportunity Employer Mystic Valley Regional Charter School is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital/civil union status, ancestry, place of birth, age, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation, genetic information or disability, as defined and required by state and federal laws. Additionally, we prohibit retaliation against individuals who oppose such discrimination and harassment or who participate in an equal opportunity investigation. This last line is our favorite because we all know how Kinnon would react to ANYONE standing up against him and his bully-team! Why don't we ask the individuals who have filed claims against the school in the past how they were treated once the school heard of the allegations. Funny, it doesn't say that preferential treatment (and higher pay, lower expectations) is given to those individuals who have connections to Neil Kinnon. Oh yeah, they can't, that would be an ethical issue (you know, conflict of interests).                                                     We are looking for candidates to be Permanent Substitutes for our Lower School campus. Candidates will also be promotable into classroom settings for all K - 8 positions, i.e. K - 6 classroom teachers and/or subject teachers at the middle school levels.   Position Type: Full-time Positions Available: 3 Job Requirements Massachusetts certification preferred or certification attainable within one year of hire. At least 1 year of relevant experience preferred Bachelors degree preferred Citizenship, residency or work VISA in United States required Application Questions There are no application questions required for this job posting.Of course not, that might limit the application pool and show ones theory of teaching. Why would we want to know that of any incoming teachers??? We have current openings in Kindergarten and 3rd grade.Wonder which poor K and 3rd grade teachers have been forced into changing grades? Levine? Flynn? Kozlowski? Penhaligone?   Position Type: Full-time Positions Available: 3
Job Requirements
Massachusetts certification preferred or certification attainable within one year of hire. Experience with Direct Instruction and COre Knowledge a definite plus. At least 1 year of relevant experience preferred Bachelors degree preferred Citizenship, residency or work VISA in United States required
	Special Education Teacher - Opening for 2011 - 12 school year, starting in early-mid August. Resouce room setting with pull out services along with some in class services. Qualified candidates will pull out students for tests to read for the students, plus MCAS and other standardized testing assistance, based on IEP plans. Position Type: Full-time Positions Available: 1 Job Requirements IEP writing experience required. 1 - 3 years of Special Education experience along with MA Special Education certification preferred. Bachelors degree preferred Citizenship, residency or work VISA in United States required

Charter Schools in the News….

         This month charter schools in general and Mystic Valley Regional Charter School have been in the news. In the beginning of March the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) approved 16 applications for new charter schools (Boston Globe - 16 New Charter Schools Approved). While many may question our position on charter schools, we must state that we are generally proponents of the concept of charter schools. What we oppose is the opening of educational facilities that are either not required to follow the laws that govern them or the DESE doesn’t have the ability or willingness to ensure compliance. Although charter schools have always been required to accommodate both Special Education students and English Language Learners, a new law now requires applicants to meet the academic needs of these student populations and must demonstrate past success in doing so. Many Special Education and English Language Learner advocates believe that this requirement is largely ignored within charter schools. Additionally, while we have had our own experiences (and heard from many other individuals) with the DESE and their inability or unwillingness to enforce their own laws, it seems that the future outlook is not promising:

 “Jerry Mogul, Executive Director of Massachusetts Advocates for Children, who testified on behalf of children with disabilities yesterday, said the state board shared some of the advocates’ concerns, but “they only offered vague promises of monitoring. We were disappointed that they didn’t really offer any kind of concrete remedy.’’

 

       If the DESE is referring to the manner in which they currently handle MVRCS blatant disregard for the laws that govern charter schools, then one can only imagine what their ‘promises of monitoring’ will include. We are left to believe that the ‘monitoring’ will be less than adequate and that the problems will continue.

        More recently the Boston Globe (Boston Globe Anti-Bullying) and the Melrose Free Press (Melrose Free Press Anti-Bullying) reported on the efforts of schools to meet the new anti-bullying legislation that went into effect last May. All public schools (including charter schools, collaboratives, and special education support groups) were required to submit a plan by the end of 2010, giving them 8 months to complete an adequate plan. The DESE provided each school with a model plan and checklist of what was to be included. According to the DESE, Mystic Valley’s plan was rejected as it was missing at least 25% of the requirements. According to the Boston Globe article, the plan was to include “procedures for reporting and investigating cases of bullying; a range of disciplinary actions against perpetrators; the establishment of support services to provide counseling to victims and aggressors; and staff training to create strategies to prevent and stop bullying.”

We find this interesting and noteworthy as we’ve made it no secret that we feel the school, (specifically Neil Kinnon) use bullying techniques with their teachers and staff. Additionally, we’ve mentioned before (as did a former teacher) how unwilling or incapable the school is in dealing with students emotional issues. Too many times the school has brushed under the carpet issues with students that require attention and/or reporting. If the school is not willing to follow the other laws that govern them, why would the DESE expect them to actually put into place (never mind implement) an anti-bullying prevention plan. We would also be interested in knowing what the required ‘staff training to create strategies to prevent and stop bullying’ included.  We suspect that if it was done (which we doubt) that it was Kathy Kinnon (another bully in our opinion) reading off of a hand out. As a side note, check out how seriously Melrose took this new law in the Melrose FreePress. Unfortunately, we feel that this will be just another law that MVRCS is not held accountable to.

$91,304.00 for Recruiting and Advertising…..REALLY?

Yes, that is what MVRCS reportedly spent for recruiting and advertising during the 2008 fiscal year. We mention this as the school continues with their reviews of teachers. Apparently, due to the expense of the Athletic Complex the powers that be are being less than generous to the teachers and staff. Considering that they spend such an exorbitant amount of money to recruit and advertise for new staff one would think they’d try to limit their future recruitment needs. Pay now or pay later. Interestingly enough we haven’t seen this expense on any of the public school budgets and while we have seen other charter schools spending funds on recruitment, we weren’t able to find any that spent anywhere near what MVRCS does each year. Unfortunately, this isn’t just a one time expense but rather approximately what the school spends each year. It is also worth mentioning that the school also employs a HR Director who is making over $80,000.00 per year AND pays a vendor to handle additional HR matters. Certainly makes one stop and wonder if the school is using their funds appropriately and reasonably.


To add insult to injury, we came across the following charter school law (located at http://www.doe.mass.edu/lawsregs/603cmr1.html?section=07):

1.07: Charter School Staff

Charter school teachers hired after August 10, 2000 must either:

(1) take and pass, within their first year of employment at a charter school, the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure; or

(2) be already certified to teach in Massachusetts.

Regulatory Authority:

603 CMR 1.00: M.G.L. c. 69, § 1B; c. 71, § 89.

One may conclude that the schools recruitment and advertising fees are so exorbitant as a result of having to hire certified teachers and that they are working towards that end with the high turnover rate. Unfortunately we found that that is not the case. It seems that the school has chosen not to follow this law as they go about hiring, firing and losing the many teachers that pass through the schools doors. In reviewing the data of the past few years, the school typically employs between 88-95 teachers yet only 55-60% of them are actually certified. One would think that with the incredibly high number of new teachers they are forced to hire each year that they would be at least moderately increasing the number of certified teachers they employ. While not only is that NOT the case but to further exasperate the issue, they show a decline in the percent of certified teachers they employ since 2008. It seems that they do not feel the need to follow this law any more than they feel the need to follow many of the other laws and regulations that govern them. But then again, why should they, they are Mystic Valley – the school held to very different expectations and standards than other charter schools.