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

Gotta Love It! So MVRCS -like!

We came across the following article on Boston.com regarding the current scandal over at MVRCS (http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/malden/2011/12/mystic_valley_teachers_contrac.html).

Had to love a few key points that we'll highlight here. We're sure most of you will know why these points stood out to us, but just in case:


Letter sheds some light on Mystic Valley teacher's contract

Posted by Matt Byrne  December 7, 2011 06:10 PM 

By Matt Byrne, Town Correspondent

...The three-page agreement, obtained by the Globe from Mystic Valley's attorney, John Hanify, after a public records request, lists conditions that could be cited as grounds to terminate Hogan: Noncompliance with school rules and personnel policies; dishonesty or misconduct that affects nearly anyone connected to or doing business with the charter, and a final clause that indicates a reason the school could use: "In the event that, in its reasonable judgment, your performance or conduct is incompatible with the educational principles or policies established by the Board or the Director."


Wonder how long it the Globe to obtain a copy of that contract?? Oh, it was probably easier than trying to get a copy of meeting minutes or responses to complaints because Kinnon and his shoe-shiners probably think that releasing a copy of the contract will justify any and all of their actions. We especially love the line "in its reasonable judgment" - nothing reasonable about any of Kinnons judgment, just justification and bullying to do what he wants. Then, what about "your performance or conduct is incompatible with the educational principles or policies..." - translation, you can be as sleazy, unethical, and immoral as we you want as long as we are sleazier, less ethical and more immoral than you OR it doesn't offend us. Lets not forget how many sleazy dealings Sir Little Man Kinnon has had over the years, or the despicable actions of his, ummmm, 'PR Director' Gatley. Let us not forget that by conduct, they are also referring to ones sexual orientation because Sir Little Man Kinnon is homophobic, we've heard stories of teachers being told they weren't 'a good fit' for MVRC due to their sexual orientation. Oh, how Sir Little Man yearns to rule the world! Oh to be King!

The article continues as follows:

"The contract also contains passages that seem to codify the school's reluctance to discuss the matter publicly, including language that prevents Hogan, except with express permission, from writing about the school in any way for five years after he leaves.
Hogan also agreed to strict rules against affiliating himself with, doing work for, or consulting Malden Public Schools and five surrounding public districts in Everett, Medford, Melrose, Stoneham, and Wakefield.
"If you choose to breach this agreement ... you may be liable for damages to the Board," the contract said."

We LOVE that the teachers contract now tries to restrict individuals from writing about the school for five years. We wonder if our lovely blog has anything to do with this restriction. In other words, unless you are going to write only good things about the school, you are not permitted to write anything. That usually (and as in their case) means that they have so much to be ashamed or fearful of being exposed that they feel the need to place this restriction on their employees. Funny, they do this frequently with parents who sue them also.

So scared their dirt will get out and they won't have control over it.

Isn't it also interesting that former employees are not permitted to work for the sending districts of the school. We're sure that is because they don't want the districts that  they pull their funding from to know exactly what is going on at good ol MVRCS. Scared all of their funding would dry up and they wouldn't be able to build athletic facilities, buy up real estate, and funnel money into hidden pockets instead of spending the money they receive on educating the kids. We have to even wonder if all of this is even legal and/or would hold up in a court of law...?

Oh, does anyone else find it humorous that with good ol sticky fingers Gately as their PR person that Eric Rubin has been acting as mouth piece for this and other issues lately? For those who think Eric is just 'another involved parent' - don't kid yourself, he is a long-time friend of Kinnon's and his wife 'works' at the school. Oh, and yes somehow, miracles of miracles, his son got in through the 'lottery'. Yet another staff member who had a child selected. So amazing!

Oh, good ol MVRCS, may you continue in your crooked, despicably, sleazy manner until Sir Kinnon Sleazy Pants manages to destroy his own empire!

Oh MVRCS, Those Nasty Double Standards!

Parents- Be Outraged, Demand Answers and Accountability - but not from FOX or the teacher~ from MVRCS regarding their hiring practices!

People on both sides are outraged regarding the recent firing (or administrative leave) of the HS teacher at MVRCS. Some think it was wrong for Fox to dig into the poor guys past, others are outraged that the guy who was teaching their children was either a gay or porn star (or both), and others are furious that he was hired in the first place.  The real issue isn't truly any of these, the real issue is much more concerning and complicated than any of these. The real issue is the hiring practices that have been going on over at MVRCS - both the double standards  and poor hiring practices and decisions that they are forced to make due to the ever-constant revolving door they have. The word is on the street here in Massachusetts, many teachers want nothing to do with the BS, poor working conditions, and corruption that MVRCS has become known for. This is why the school must constantly spend so much money each year (or claim to anyways) recruiting new, green teachers from out of state. Then, we would suggest you speak to any of the current teachers there, either they were hired as a result of who they knew OR they were interviewed and offered the position within a day or two of each other. Ask any of them if ANY of their references were ever contacted by anyone from the school? Yes, it may be a formality but its still worth at least ensuring that someone, somewhere is willing to vouch for someone who will be educating children.
We also find it interesting that the school takes issue with this fella's past yet is willing to have a disbarred attorney as their PR person (making more than most teachers make) who STOLE MONEY FROM AN ELDERLY COUPLE AND THEN ATTEMPTED TO BULLY THEM INTO NOT FILING CHARGES, and who, NEVER SERVED A DAY OF JAIL TIME FOR HIS CRIME. Hmmm, that double standard thing starts rearing its ugly head again! We kind of feel bad for the guy, Fox would have never had anything to with him or his past if Kinnon hadn't pissed off so many people.
Isn't it interesting that this guy was put on paid administrative leave (ask how many other un-Kinnected individuals have received THAT) when most are just terminated regardless of actual cause? Yeah, Kinnon must be shaking a bit right now - Civil Liberties, Discrimination, Wrongful Termination, and the whole LGBT Rights thing (Mr. Hogan would be well advised to possibly reach out to some other former teachers who may be card carrying members to that group - BIG case there).
Truthfully, what we find most up setting is that the school has knowingly had an individual willing to steal from elderly as their PR  person for 4 years (?) yet is now trying to claim ignorance and outrage over an employee who hasn't stolen from anyone, hurt anyone, his 'actions' were not common knowledge (as were Gateleys). Oh yes, its that 'different strokes for different folks' thing going on again - BUT THIS TIME, IT'S GETTING A WHOLE LOT OF PUBLICITY!!!!

PS - Mike B from Fox, we have a few people you could speak to regarding that rigged, campaign contribution funding, lottery over there at MVRCS - yet another great story.....for anther day!

How REAL School Boards Do It....Meeting Minutes

Even though the Attorney General under the Open Meeting Laws now requires school committees (including Board of Trustees of charter schools) to provide 48 hour notice (with an agenda)AND keep minutes of all meetings, it seems that of the sending districts, only the Board at Mystic Valley does not feel the need to make such minutes easily accessible to parents. Getting a copy of the minutes for Board Meetings at Mystic Valley is, at the very least, a challenging task. While most districts (and the sending districts of MVRCS) make their minutes easily accessible on their website, Sir Kinnon does not choose to do so. At MVRCS if a parent or individual would like to see the minutes a request must be made and a copying fee charged unless one chooses to go into the business office to review them there (if they do in fact exist - we've heard that the appointed secretary of the board is not generally taking notes). Additionally, while minutes of Executive Sessions are only legally allowed to be kept confidential until the issue(s) discussed within such sessions have been resolved, His Royal Arse has refused to release these minutes upon request (and let us not fail to mention that the Board is only LEGALLY permitted to enter into Executive Session under certain circumstances, not whenever they choose).
In any event, we feel that it is worth demonstrating how school boards/committees who are accountable to the parents of their school AND have NOTHING to hide, make obtaining copies of meeting minutes so incredibly easy to access. We feel it is also worth mentioning that at some of these meetings state representatives have attended. This of course would NEVER happen at MVRCS (except of course maybe Arse's side kick Howard who doesn't count) as if any public official (besides those from Malden who have become immune to Kinnon's rude, arrogant behavior toward those in attendance) EVER witnessed the Board Meetings at MVRCS, they would be truly horrified and disgusted. Never mind the fact that Kinnon has incorrectly informed parents that dared to speak out that he 'doesn't have to have public meetings' - yet another illegal bullying tactic from the Arse's mouth. Oh Kinnon, what a gem you are!

How great it is for the parents of these districts that parents are actually permitted to be kept abreast of what takes place at meetings involving their childs education. Simply Marvelous!

Stoneham School Committee Minutes:
http://www.stonehamschools.net/Pages/School%20Committee%20Minutes

Melrose School Committee Minutes:
http://www.melroseschools.com/msc/full_committee_meetings/index.cfm

Wakefield School Committee Minutes:
http://www.wakefield.k12.ma.us/pages/WakefieldPS_ComMinutes/

Medford School Committee Minutes:
http://www.medfordpublicschools.org/about/central-administration/school-committee/#agendas

Everett School Committee Minutes:
http://www.boarddocs.com/wa/waesd/Board.nsf/Public

Malden School Committee Minutes: (these were, by far, the most vague and lacking of all the sending districts)
http://www.cityofmalden.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=content.eventCalendar&view=text

Let the Teacher Turnover Begin!

As the Administration continues to make their rounds with contracts for those employees they hope to keep, the rumors will be flying about who they DON'T plan on keeping. In true MVRCS fashion those staff members who the school does not want to keep will have their contract discussions held off until the school is done with them (i.e. the last day of the school year). It causes us great concern that so many of the teachers who had been with the school for years have left within recent years. Of course none of the 'Friends and Family' members EVER leave (and of course, why would they, they all have very cushy positions that requires little). At the same time it is always disappointing when certain teachers DON'T leave and return year after year much to the dismay of students and parents alike.
We have heard a number of rumors regarding who is staying, who is going, and who is LOOKING to go.It seems that the lead teacher for the 4th grade is actively seeking positions elsewhere. As this particular teacher is a known snitch who frequently rats out her colleagues, we are left to believe that the decision to leave is her own and wonder if she has shared her intentions with the Administration. Sadly, many former staff members have left MVRCS as direct result of this particular teachers sense of superiority and habit of snitching on her colleagues. Even more teachers have requested to not work with her and approached the Administration as a result of her being so incredibly difficult to work with. Unfortunately, as a result of her willingness to rat out her fellow staff members and willingness to play the MVRCS game of systematic elimination (of both teachers and students), she was permitted to continue in her role. We are of the belief that with her departure the 4th grade teachers have a chance of becoming a more cohesive and effective team. If nothing else, morale in the building has a chance of improving.
 Interestingly enough the school does give 'staying bonuses' to those teachers who are both welcomed to return AND plan on returning. We've heard that over the years teachers who have signed contracts, and ultimately accepted a 'staying bonus', yet have a change in plans have been sued. Since it isn't the end of the year and this teacher is proactively and aggressively seeking a position elsewhere, we are left to the conclusion that it is her decision. The question is whether she has or will accept the 'staying bonus' if offered to her. Inquiring minds want to know...Adios Rat-Girl!

Um Neil, Your True Colors Are Showing.....

With the closing of the Maplewood Fire Station, Neil Kinnon and MVRCS has lost the 'hold' they've had over the City of Malden in 'negotiating' the backroom deals for field time. Kinnon showed his true colors at a City Meeting last night where he was blatantly disrespectful and condescending to not only the Fire Chief and Deputy Fire Chief, but to other council members and the residents who were in attendance. In typical Kinnon fashion he attempted to bully and intimidate those that opposed him, at one point threatening to have people removed. It was apparent from the other councilors who were in attendance, that they were not in agreement with not only his tone but with his challenging of the closing of the fire station itself. If Neil Kinnon thought that he would embarrass the chief by asking questions in a verbally abusive manner and to which he (Kinnon) already knew the answers to, he was surely mistaken as he is the one who showed his true self.


For a man who has shown a blatant disregard for the laws that should govern him (in any of his roles or positions), it was comical on a number of issues for him to state that the Chief  "failed to properly report and document deteriorating conditions at the station before the decision was made to close it; broke procedure by closing the station without notifying the council or citizens; and did not account for increases in response times to the eastern half of the city." (Rancor Erupts As Kinnon Grills Malden Fire Chief).
In regards to not documenting deteriorating conditions, it seems that the Firemen had been in negotiations with the City for some time. It would seem overly apparent that if the firehouse is over 100 years old and no major work has been done on it, then it would be in less than adequate condition. Additionally a report was done in 2006 regarding the conditions of the building. The issue wasn't that the Chief did not follow procedure but that the City of Malden and MVRCS were in disagreement as to who was responsible for the condition of the building.
In regards to the allegation that the station was closed "without notifying the council or citizens" seems even more absurd after the councilors, Health Inspector, and Inspectional Services individuals who toured the facility as a group were quoted as saying the building was of great concern. Of course Kinnon and Nestor tried to place the blame on the firemen who they accused of neglecting the facility yet of great concern were the structural issues that plagued the building. These issues would have little to do with the housekeeping skills of the firemen.
Even more comical was Kinnon's concern regarding response times to different parts of the city as a result of the move to the Overlook Station. Interesting how he is concerned about the citizens safety now but felt that it was ok to have less than the adequate number of firefighters when 10 firefighters were laid off last year. Furthermore, if he was truly concerned about the residents of his ward, he would addressed the issue of the buildings condition BEFORE it came to this. His actions are very reactionary when he should have been much more proactive in maintaining and ensuring that his backroom deal stayed viable. 

One could surmise that it must have come as a total surprise to Kinnon that not only did the Fire Chief close the station, but did so with backing from Mayor Howard as he has been quoted as saying “I believe the City Council members and the Fire Department administration officials made an appropriate decision to vacate the premises at 11 Laurel Street for available facilities at Overlook Ridge,” Howard wrote (Rancor Erupts as Kinnon Grills Malden Fire Chief).
Last nights performance made it clear that Kinnon is incredibly self-absorbed and egotistical. It is obvious that he is unwilling to admit that the fire house is in deplorable condition regardless of the opinion of those more qualified than he. Additionally, we would surmise that if the air quality is unfit for adult men, then it certainly is unfit for young children (yes, students are still receiving lessons within the building).He demonstrated much of the attitude and behavior that he demonstrates at Board Meetings. Unfortunately for MVRCS, unlike his position as City Councilor where he is elected, the parents of MVRCS have no such opportunity to 'vote' him out. And, once again Neil Kinnon has managed to drag MVRCS name into the mud. Well done Councilor, oops Chairman.

Read more at Rancor Erupts as Kinnon Grills Malden Fire Chief and be sure to check out the reader comments regarding Neil Kinnon's deplorable behavior.

DESE 'Common Criteria' - For All Schools EXCEPT MVRCS!

We came across the following information at (http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/guides/commoncriteria.pdf) and thought that it was interesting and worth sharing. The document that it was contained in was described as the ‘common school performance criteria’ from the DESE. Given our most recent blog regarding what we felt to be a less than adequate concern level on behalf of Jeff Wulfson at the DESE, it is interesting to see what MVRCS SHOULD be being evaluated on.  

Comments we found most interesting have been bolded while our comments are in red.

The Common School Performance Criteria (Criteria) have been developed using the three guiding areas of charter school accountability defined in the current regulations, 603 CMR 1.00 – faithfulness to charter, academic success, and organizational viability.

The purposes of the Criteria are:

to bring alignment to the criteria used across all aspects of charter school accountability, from the application process to the renewal process;

to provide charter schools with clear guidance about how the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department) defines charter school success and on what basis charter schools will be evaluated; and

to clarify the connections between charter school accountability and state and federal accountability standards.

There is a wide range of sources of evidence that will provide the data to help charter schools, the Charter School Office, and the Commissioner and Board of Elementary and Secondary Education know if a charter school has met performance expectations. A partial list of evidence sources is attached after the Criteria.

            Unfortunately, the wide range of sources that are listed at the end of this document DO NOT include concerned parents other than those chosen by the school to participate in an interview.

Mission, Vision, and Educational Philosophy
The school is faithful to the mission, vision and educational philosophy defined in the charter application and any subsequent approved amendment(s).

           We once again find ourselves drawn to the Mission Statement from the 2003-2004 Annual Report and wonder how true the Board is staying to their original mission statement. If, as is stated below, ‘that a first rate education is the birthright of every child’ then why is has the lottery and waitlist come under such scrutiny these past few years and why are only certain families permitted entry? We’re also not seeing anything in this mission statement (or even the most recent one) pertaining to creating a school that places athletic facilities above academic needs.

MISSION STATEMENT
To establish a school which provides the opportunity of a world-class education. The prime characteristics being a well mannered disciplined and structured academic environment. One which promotes and incorporates certain core virtues, as well as, our common American culture, both which are embodied in our Declaration of Independence and our United States Constitution.
The Mystic Valley Regional Charter School was founded on the following principal:

·          That a first-rate education is the birthright of every child,

·          That all children can learn,

·         That every child should be challenged to reach his or her full potential.

The overachieving goals of the school are to:
•
Demonstrate the heights of academic achievement that public schools can routinely attain when the advantages of charter school governance are coupled with new academic standard,
•
Offer area families new choices in public education,
•
Create new professional opportunities for teachers that permit them to succeed,
•
Graduate well educated, civic minded, principal adults capable of thoughtful, logical reasoning.

AYP
The school makes Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in the aggregate and for all statistically significant sub-groups.3
The school does not have a status for accountability purposes of Improvement, Corrective Action, or Restructuring.

          But the school does, and has had a status of Corrective Action and/or Restructuring yet nothing is done about it.

Diverse learners
The school provides services for all students, including English language learners and those with disabilities and/or special education needs, as required by law.
The school implements and follows a Department approved recruitment and retention plan.

            Yes, another big one in our book. The DESE has ruled in a hearing that MVRCS was not providing an adequate education for a student, parents and teachers have filed numerous complaints with the DESE, and we have been in contact on several occasions YET NOTHING HAS CHANGED.

As for the ‘approved recruitment and retention plan’, the DESE has ‘directed’ MVRCS to place recruitment ads in languages other than English yet to our knowledge, they have not.

Professional climate
Teachers are provided with feedback and guidance that leads to improved instructional practice and student achievement.

Teachers can’t approach any Administrator at the school for assistance without it being used against them. Teachers receive less than adequate training and guidance in issues pertaining to Special Education matters.
The school implements a professional development plan that effectively addresses the needs of teachers.

Little attention is given to ‘professional development’ other than the hearing more of the same from the Administration. At no time do they have outside speakers come in to speak on matters that would matter or make a difference to the teachers professionally.

Teachers are provided with structures for collaboration.
The school establishes a professional climate resulting in a purposeful learning environment and reasonable rates of retention for school administrators, teachers and staff.

The retention issue at MVRCS is as joke. With Neil Kinnon believing a monkey could do what teachers do, it is no wonder that they feel underappreciated and disrespected. Again, the only retention plan in place is to hire and retain as many friends and family members as possible – regardless of their abilities or qualifications.

Curriculum
The school’s curriculum is documented, articulates the skills and concepts that all students must know and be able to do to meet state standards, is aligned horizontally and vertically, and supports opportunities for all students to master these skills and concepts.

The part we find interesting here is ‘ALL STUDENTS’….yes, Kathy Kinnon that means those students that have IEP’s and require additional services. Unfortunately we’ve been noting how few of the Special Education students actually pass the MCAS tests.

Decision making and communication
The school has clear and well-understood systems for decision-making and communication. These systems result in a common sense of purpose for all school constituencies.
               

                A ‘clear and well-understood systems for decision-making’ ----yes, all decisions are made by Neil Kinnon and based on his many years of formal education and training within an educational setting. Oh yes, that’s right, he doesn’t have ANY formal education or training in School Administration OR teaching (in fact, he doesn’t have any respect for the profession of teaching!).

Roles and responsibilities
The school defines and delineates clear roles and responsibilities among board and staff.

In one of the annual reviews the reviewer made mention of his concern for the lack of delineation between the Board and the day to day operations of the school.

Board oversight
The board of trustees makes use of best practices to hire (an) effective school leader(s).

Yes, friends and family members who agree to follow the orders of Neil Kinnon
The board of trustees regularly and systematically assesses the performance of (the) school leader(s) against clearly defined goals and makes effective and timely use of the evaluations.

Yes, the Board assesses the performance of school leaders in a very unbiased, honest, and ethical manner……EXCEPT of course those members of the friends and family club. How  Neil Kinnon can assess his sister in law , brother, childhood friend, friends of friends, etc. in an unbiased, truthful, ethical manner is beyond us…..because it doesn’t happen!

The board of trustees operates with a clear set of goals for the school and has developed a set of tools for understanding progress toward meeting those goals.

The board of trustees manages the school in a manner that ensures academic success, organizational viability, and faithfulness to the terms of its charter.

Is a response even necessary for this one? As long as you leave out corruption, unethical behavior, conflicts of interest, putting sports before academics, and back room deals, no comments are required.

School leadership
School leaders administer the school in a manner that ensures academic success, organizational viability, and faithfulness to the terms of its charter.

Are we referring to Dr. McCleary who is given little say beyond the art that is placed on the walls or Chris Finn who has the job only as a result of his childhood friendship with Neil Kinnon (yes, a Business Manager would naturally progress into an Assistant Director position - - - right?). Oh, what about Kathy Kinnon who does little besides make sure she is at the Chinese Buffet on Chinese New Years? Note to Kathy Kinnon….faithfulness to the terms of the charter would mean that all the students receive an education, even those who are on your poorly written IEP’s.

Organizational planning
The school has realistic plans for program improvement, possible future expansion, and adequate facilities based on evaluation and analysis of data.

We like ‘adequate facilities’ on this one….yes, they’ll have adequate athletic facilities and really, who cares about adequate facilities at the lower campus. So they’re a little cramped in there, just think how great it will be to have a state of the art athletic facility for yet another friend or family member to manage!

Family engagement
The school involves parents/guardians as partners in the education of their children.
Families and students are satisfied with the school’s program.

Yes, parents are partners as long as they remember that Neil Kinnon has the final say and that he ‘doesn’t have to have open meetings’ for them.

Coordinated Program Review

The school receives minimal findings in the Coordinated Program Review (CPR) process and immediately addresses any areas of non-compliance.

Funny, some issues have been addressed and re-addressed in multiple year visits yet no corrective action has been taken. Board of Trustees issue for one.

Safety
The school establishes and maintains a physically safe environment for students and staff.
The school establishes an environment free from harassment and discrimination for students and staff, and effectively addresses the social, emotional, and health needs of its students.

No discrimination in this school but if a student does do well they use systematic elimination. That isn’t discrimination is it….? Really?

Employee qualifications
Employees of the school meet all applicable state and federal qualifications and standards.

Ok so only 55% of the teachers are truly qualified (i.e. certified to teach in Massachusetts), oh well.

The Much Awaited (Practically Demanded) 10th Grade Analysis

A reader has been posting repeatedly their insistence that our failure to include the 2010 MCAS scores for the 10^th grade is unfair and because it isn’t in alignment with our needs or ‘thesis’.  We didn’t initially provide the data as we felt that since the results were included in the Annual Report and we gave them credit for the student’s performance in English Language Arts and Math that it wasn’t alarming nor did they constitute as a parent concern.  Alternatively, the Science/Technology MCAS scores were less than impressive both independently and in comparison to the other sending districts. In response to their posting, we did do the analysis which we initially provided within the blog posting and in direct response to their posted comment.  Unfortunately the reader continues to feel as though we have slighted the accomplishments of the students and school. As a result of their ranting we have decided to do as they suggest and are providing an analysis not only of the 10^th grade 2010 MCAS results in comparison to the sending districts but to also provide the data for this same classes MCAS scores since 2003.

As you will see, the majority of the students did do well in the English Language Arts (84 of the 88 students) and Math (79 out of 88 students) 2010 MCAS’s. Unfortunately, 4 students did not do so well in English Language Arts (i.e. their scores indicate that their ELA levels ‘Need Improvement’ or that these students are performing below grade level) and 9 students did not do so well in Math (i.e. 8 of the students are performing below grade level and 1 student failed). Yes, lower numbers and percentages than the sending districts but we must make mention that by this time these students have attended school for nearly an entire year more than their counter-parts of sending districts.

The truly unfortunate part of this classes MCAS scores would be the Science and Technology portion. While the ELA and Math scores for MVRCS have fluctuated over the years, MVRCS has pretty consistently scored poorly within this subject matter.  Only 69 % (or 61 out of 88 students) achieved a score of Advanced or Proficient with Melrose (70%), Stoneham (78%), and Wakefield (86%) out-performing MVRCS. These other districts were able to do this with less school time and with more students. The question must then be asked if MVRCS students are excelling within some subject matters at the expense of others.

We then began an analysis of the MCAS scores for the 2010 grade 10 class since 3^rd grade (as our reader had suggested). We are including the data that we accumulated and used for our analysis as we found a number of interesting aspects. We must begin by saying that we obtained all of our information from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s website at (DESE MCAS Results). We must state that although the reader who prompted us to begin this analysis insists that the 2010 10^th grade class has a combined Advance Proficient and Proficient score of 97% (versus the 96% that we found), we were unable to locate the “new link to the State for the 10^th grade they just put up”. What we did find was that for the 2010 year, the 10^th grade class did increase the number of students who scored Advance Proficient and Proficient from 69% to 96% between the time this class took their 3^rd grade MCAS scores (in 2003 when they were in 3^rd grade) and their 10^th grade MCAS scores. What we also found interesting for this group was the total number of students who participated each year. Specifically the fact that in 2003, when the class that was in 10^th grade during the 2009-2010 school year was in 3^rd grade, they had 120 students. Of those students, 83 students (or 69%) scored Proficient in Reading (the DESE did not indicate an Advanced Proficient rating for MVRCS during that year). Interestingly enough the total number of students in that class group declined gradually over the years with only 88 of the original 120 students remaining. It would be our guess that the remaining 32 students of the original 120 were the students that were systematically eliminated or nudged towards the door as they were not performing. The question then remains if MVRCS truly improved their score or simply continued educating those 83 students and allowing the others to fall through the cracks.

Another interesting aspect of this analysis that we feel is worth sharing is that if one looks at the Science scores for this same group of students (the students that made up the 10^th grade class during the 2009-2010 school year), they are consistently deplorable. Yes, a rise in scores and students can be seen but we should expect more students to have better scores after having almost an entire extra year of schooling than their counterparts of sending districts. We're not sure we would consider all of these results as 'staying the course' as one has suggested.

The figures in Red represent the English Language Arts and are the % of students who scored Advanced/Advanced Proficient, the High % for the sending district, and the actual number of students. The format remains the same with math displayed in blue and science in green. The last column is the total number of students within that class during that school year.

 

An Old Mission Statement from the 2003-2004 Annual Report

Recently we published current MCAS scores and MVRCS approach at addressing prior years MCAS scores in comparison to current year scores. We find ourselves drawn back time and time again to the very unnecessarily complex manner in which they have adopted when discussing their scores in Annual Reports.
The term 'weighted composite average' seems like convoluted double speak. In an effort to unravel or make sense of their smoke screen, we began looking for a definition. We found the following definition for 'weighted average' at http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_weighted_average

A weighted average multiplies each data point by an arbitrary 'weight' and divides by the sum of the weights. Your everyday garden variety average, or arithmetic mean, is actually a special case of a weighted average, except all the weights are equal to 1.

Selection of weights are largely arbitrary but generally based on sound reasoning (e.g. relative population sizes). As another example, let's say you have 5 reviewers of a product giving their overall satisfaction rating. The scores are 9, 7, 6, 7, 3. However you have a very high regard for Reviewer 1 so you assign her a weight of 15 (and the others remain at weight=1).
The average score is (9+7+6+7+3)/5=6.4
The weighted average score is (15*9+7+6+7+3)/(15+4)=8.3
The weighted average is much closer to Review 1's opinion due to your weighting decision.

And we found the definition for composite at http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/composite
and thought the the 'combining the typical or essential characteristics of individuals making up a group' definition was the most fitting. 

Ok, so now that we have a better understanding of a 'weighted composite average', the question must be asked why it should matter which sending district a student is from when considering test scores. Even more interesting is that while poking through the 2003-2004 Annual Report we came across their Mission Statement. It was then that we realized how conflicting their Mission Statement from 2003-2004 and their current method for analyzing and presenting MCAS scores within their Annual Report. If, as their Mission Statement claims they provide a "world-class education" where "a first-rate education is the birthright of every child, that all children can learn, and that every child should be challenged to reach his or her full potential then why does it matter which sending district a child is from? AND, we must ask, was this before Kathy Kinnon took over as the Special Education Director (or Coordinator) and the schools diverse learners started failing miserably? Further, given the numbers that we presented in earlier posts, we found most interesting the comment "demonstrate the heights of academic achievement that public schools can routinely attain when the advantages of charter school governance are coupled with new academic standard." Hmmm, given their current standing on unweighted,  uncomposited, and unaveraged scores it is no wonder that this is no longer part of their Mission Statement. Too bad they couldn't find a way to revert back to their founding principles.

From the MVRCS 2003-2004 Annual Report

MISSION STATEMENT
To establish a school which provides the opportunity of a world-class education. The prime characteristics being a well mannered disciplined and structured academic environment. One which promotes and incorporates certain core virtues, as well as, our common American culture, both which are embodied in our Declaration of Independence and our United States Constitution.
The Mystic Valley Regional Charter School was founded on the following principal:

•  That a first-rate education is the birthright of every child,

•  That all children can learn,

• That every child should be challenged to reach his or her full potential.

The overachieving goals of the school are to:
•
Demonstrate the heights of academic achievement that public schools can routinely attain when the advantages of charter school governance are coupled with new academic standard,
•
Offer area families new choices in public education,
•
Create new professional opportunities for teachers that permit them to succeed,
•
Graduate well educated, civic minded, principal adults capable of thoughtful, logical reasoning.

The Mission Statement from the 2008-2009 Annual Report found at www.doe.mass.edu/charter/reports/2009/annual/0470.doc. What happened to the Mission Statement from 2003-2004?

Mission Statement

            The mission of the Mystic Valley Regional Charter School is to provide the opportunity of a world class education characterized by a well mannered, disciplined and structured academic climate. Central to Mystic Valley’s academic environment is the incorporation of selected core virtues and the fundamental ideals of our American Culture, which are embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution

MCAS Analysis Thoughts

After analyzing and re-analyzing the MCAS scores that we published over the past few days we have some thoughts and feedback.As part of our analysis and review we took a look at the 2009-2010 Annual Report to see how MVRCS felt they compared to sending districts for the prior years MCAS scores (we provided 2010 scores whereas the Annual Report deals specifically with 2009 MCAS scores). Beyond the difference in testing years, it is worth noting that MVRCS does its analysis by districts while we provided scores for individual schools within each sending district. In the 2009-2010 report, MVRCS claims to have met their goals of having test scores 19-32% higher than the test scores for the sending districts (although they come to this conclusion using 'weighted composite averages' rather than just district scores). We found the whole thing unnecessarily complex, confusing and a great smoke screen to make them appear superior to sending districts. One  goal we found particularly interesting was the one that spoke to MVRCS making adequate yearly progress every year....but ONLY in certain subgroups. Our reason for pointing this out is that numbers aside, MVRCS apparently doesn't consider Special Education students to be (statistically) significant as that group did not make AYP. Unlike MVRCS's analysis we didn't take into consideration the number of students that came from a sending district (weighted composite averages) nor did we look at the districts as a whole but rather at individual schools within each district.
Our main feeling towards the MCAS scores that we recently published was pure disappointment as MVRCS didn't do nearly as well as some of the other schools of its sending districts. In a few instances schools within Melrose, Stoneham, or Wakefield score lower than MVRCS but most of those instances the percentages were close. With the exception of Science, MVRCS did do comparatively well in the higher grades but we found the scores for the lower grades to be quite alarming. As for the upper grades, MVRCS students did not perform well on the Science but it should be noted that none of the districts fared any better (the high % was Wakefield and MVRCS with both scoring 45% of their students performing at or above grade level). We were incredibly disappointed and alarmed that only 50% of the 5th graders at MVRCS are reading at or above grade level. Additionally only 48% of these same students are at or above grade level in Math and 35% in Science. That means that more than 50% or more of the current 6th graders were below the state standards for 5th grade last year. In thinking back to the recruitment ad that MVRCS took out in Malden last October, we think they may have been too quick to put Malden down and toot their own horn. The 4th grade class last year did equally as poorly with 46% performing at or above grade level in English and 51% in Math. Again that leaves approximately 50% performing below state standards grade level. The 3rd graders last year did slightly better but were once again below most Stoneham, Wakefield and Melrose schools.
The scores from last year show an improvement over the 2008 and 2009 MCAS scores and in line with 2007 scores. We're not sure what this means besides the schools inability to maintain consistently acceptable MCAS scores.We'll also be interested in seeing how these scores are disguised and discussed within the next MVRCS Annual Report. The different test scores can be found on our website and/or at the DESE website using the links below.

3rd Grade Comparison
4th Grade Comparison
5th Grade Comparison

6th Grade Comparison

7th Grade Compassion

8th Grade Comparison

Sending District Data

DESE 2010 MVRCS MCAS Scores

Numbers, Numbers, and More Numbers....

A reader had requested information regarding the demographics of the districts that make up the 'region' of MVRCS. We were able to come up with that information rather easily but what we did have trouble finding (that we know we've seen) are the number of students that each district is currently sending (including those outside of the MVRCS region of Malden, Everett, Medford, Stoneham, Wakefield, and Melrose). We will locate it and add it to this posting and will include the figures originally requested at the bottom of this post.
While compiling the data requested we stumbled upon the MCAS scores for each district and started analyzing them. As we began looking at the different scores, we were reminded of the message and tone of the 'recruitment' ad that MVRCS recently took out regarding Malden Public schools. The demographics and diversity of the student body between the two schools is vastly different as are the number of English Language Learners and Special Education (or diverse learners) students between the two schools. Additionally, the argument could be made that the longer school year (200 days v. 185 days) and the longer school day (which I believe the two equal an additional year of learning if a child were to complete their education at MVRCS) also help increase the MCAS scores of students at MVRCS. Given this, we thought that it was interesting (and a bit disturbing) that while the students of MVRCS have a longer school year and longer school day, they don't fare so well on the MCAS when compared to some of the other sending districts such as Melrose and Wakefield (and probably Stoneham although we didn't do that comparison). We were disappointed to see that while MVRCS 10th grade students did well on the 2010 MCAS, not all grades did so well when compared to Wakefield and Melrose. Why do we mention this when we have tried to stay focused on the BIG issues you ask? Because this too is a BIG issue and is as a direct result of the mismanagement and nepeotism that is occurring at MVRCS. The high teacher turnover, the vast differences in expectations and pay among the teachers and staff, low moral, and poor guidance on the part of the administration all contribute greatly to the inconsistent and less than ideal test scores. Do we believe that MCAS scores are the end all, be all in assessment for schools? No, but we do believe they provide an overview and snapshot image of the effectiveness of the school.
As an example, for the 3rd grade Reading, Wakefield (as a district) had 22% of their students at 'Advanced/Above Proficient' and 56% of their students testing at 'Proficient'. Melrose had 25% 'Advanced/Above Proficient' and 49% 'Proficient'. Alternatively, MVRCS 3rd grade Reading scores were 16% were 'Advanced/Above Proficient' and 55% 'Proficient'. That would mean that6 78% of Wakefield's 3rd graders were reading at grade level or higher, 74% of Melrose and 71% of MVRCS. Although not a huge difference in percentages, given the fact that the 3rd graders at MVRCS have already had 61 more school days (15 for each year and 4 for each Feb. school vacation), the longer school day, more time than the other districts spent on academics in a direct instruction methodology, one would hope that more MVRCS 3rd graders would be reading at or above grade level. What about math for this same group? Similar story, Wakefield had 37% Advanced and 46% Proficient (equaling 83% at or above grade level), Melrose had 28% Advanced and 46% Proficient (equaling 74% at or above grade level) and MVRCS had 24% Advanced and 39% Proficient (equaling 63% at or above grade level). Yes, the Administration and Board of MVRCS were very happy with the 2010 MCAS results but that was probably because 2008 and 2009 were much worse. Again we bring this back to an issue of inconsistency and lack of stability among the staff as 2007 MCAS were superior for many grades and subjects. Was 2007 the year that Jen Mullen returned as PDC of the upper grades? Is she as focused on her position and the school as the previous PDC was? We're not sure but we do know that with the exception of 10th grade and a few random grade/subject matters, Melrose and/or Wakefield students scored higher on their MCAS tests than the students of MVRCS.

This information can all be found at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website if you would like to look at it further or to simply verify what we have stated.

As for the original reason for our visit to the DESE, the demographics for the sending communities are as follows (information obtained from the DESE website at http://profiles.doe.mass.edu or from the MVRCS Annual Report).

MVRCS

African American 15.4

Asian 12.2

Hispanic 4.1

Native American 0.4

White 65.6

Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander 0.1

Multi-Race, Non-Hispanic 2.1

Race/Ethnicity	# of students	% of entire student body
African-American	213	15.8 %
Asian	168	12.5 %
Hispanic	47	3.4 %
Native American	12	0.1 %
White	867	63.6 %
Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander	3	0.1 %
Multi-Race, Non-Hispanic	37	2.7 %
Special Education	116	8.6%
Limited English Proficient	0	0
Low Income	263	19.5

Malden

African American 19.7

Asian 21.3

Hispanic 19.1 

Native American 0.6

White 35.6

Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander 0.1

Multi-Race, Non-Hispanic 3.6

Medford

African American 15.2

Asian 7.3

Hispanic 10.3

Native American 0.1

White 64.6

Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander 0.1

Multi-Race, Non-Hispanic 2.4

Everett

African American 16.6

Asian 5.1

Hispanic 29.3

Native American 0.6

White 47.4

Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander 0.1

Multi-Race, Non-Hispanic 0.9

Melrose

African American 4.7

Asian 3.1

Hispanic 2.5

Native American 0.2

White 86.9

Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander 0.3

Multi-Race, Non-Hispanic 2.3

Stoneham

African American 1.7

Asian 3.1

Hispanic 3.4

Native American 0.1

White 89.4

Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander 0.6

Multi-Race, Non-Hispanic 1.7

  

Wakefield

African American 1.9

Asian 2.3

Hispanic 2.0

Native American 0.2

White 92.5

Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander 0.1

Multi-Race, Non-Hispanic 1.0