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

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

Who Ya Gonna Call....?

We have made it no secret that we've been in touch with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Attorney General's Office, Ethics Committee, Governor Patrick, IRS, and the Office of the Inspector General. In one of the nastier messages we received on this blog (which we posted) by someone at MVRCS, they made reference to having contact with individuals who should be concerned with the wrong-doings and/or issues at MVRCS who were not concerned with what we were saying. At the time we didn't pay much attention to their statements as we felt that SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE WOULD pay attention and be as outraged as we are. We didn't believe that the agencies and government officials could turn their back on students who required special educational services, misappropriation of funds, or blatant disregard for laws. We must say that we have since been repeatedly disappointed at the lack of actions the agencies responsible for ensuring the folks at MVRCS are following the laws and educating our children. Some insight and background on who we contacted, what was reported, and what (if anything was done).
We have made it no secret that that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE or also known as the DOE) is willing to do very little in the way of ensuring Neil Kinnon and the Administration/Board follow the laws that govern them. Jeff Wulfson while offering to be our 'go-to' person at the DESE, has shown little interest and made little effort to address the issues we have brought to his attention. He was well aware of the open meeting violations yet did nothing to enforce the law other than pass the buck to the Attorney General's office. Mr. Wulfson actually ignored a number of our emails until we reached out to Governor Patrick for assistance. Unfortunately, Mr. Wulfson's attention and responses are limited and appear to only happen at the urging of Governor Patrick. Given that the DESE (aka DOE) is the agency mainly responsible for the oversight of our education system here in Massachusetts, not to mention their responsibility for charter school oversight, we can not stress enough how disappointed we are by his lack of concern and inaction. We feel we must also make mention of the fact that before reaching out to Mr. Wulfson, we had heard of several parents and a number of teachers reaching out the PQA (Program Quality Assurance) department of the DESE, again with no success. Our other issue and concern that the DESE would ultimately be responsible for addressing is that of the handling of the lottery and waitlist. We can not even begin to describe the amount of information that has been sent to us regarding violations of the laws that govern  entrance into charter schools. We've heard of students being re-admitted, unethical handling of the waitlist, and the newest, being able to buy a students entry into the school. It appears as though the DESE is not concerned with any of this and is therefore allowing it to continue. So, in answer to the question 'who ya gonna call' if you have an issue with MVRCS, we DON'T suggest bothering with the DESE.
We must say that of all of the agencies we made contact with, the Attorney General's office was one of the most helpful, responsive, and seems to have made a difference. While the option exists to contact them regarding a number of different issues, we chose to focus on the Open Meeting Law violations at MVRCS. We must say that since speaking to them and sharing with them our communications with MVRCS, we have seen an improvement in the handling of the Open Meetings. We still have issues pertaining to obtaining the minutes of past meetings (specifically Executive Sessions) but those are due to more of a logistical issue. Although we do believe that an issue still exists (are the meeting minutes available as required by law for both the open and executive session meetings?), we have not figured out a way of obtaining copies without revealing our identities. We are still working on this issue, do not fear. In general, we would suggest that the Attorney General is someone one might want to call for assistance and guidance. Too bad they weren't responsible for education!
An agency that we have mixed emotions on and are holding off on forming an opinion at this time is the State Ethics Committee. We have filed NUMEROUS complaints with them regarding conflict of interest issues on behalf of not only Neil Kinnon but with the City of Malden, Chris Finn, and in the hiring of family and friends by Neil Kinnon. Unfortunately while a number of these have been filed on behalf of various individuals, a fair amount have also been filed anonymously which means we have no way of knowing what action (if any) has or will be taken. We do know that no action has been taken on at least one complaint at this point but are still waiting to hear on the outcome of others.We hope that the State Ethics Committee is at the very least taking our complaints seriously and not being misled, misinformed, or misguided by the folks at MVRCS. On the up side, we have heard rumors of certain individuals lawyer shopping for firms that handle ethical complaint allegations. We shall wait and see before we decide if this agency is one that one should call.
As for Governor Patrick, we must say that our letter to him did result in a response (at the very least) from Jeff Wulfson. We would have liked for more to have come from our contacting his office but at the very least, we know that he heard us! Another one we'll be contacting in the future.
The IRS and Inspector General - these too were anonymous complaints so unfortunately we have no way of knowing if our efforts resulted in any action being taken. It also may be too soon to tell.We'll keep you posted on this agency.
In closing, we've come to the conclusion that we are not the type of group to give up easily as we will continue to bring the many issues and concerns we have regarding MVRCS to those who SHOULD be able to help correct them.

Kinnon - Mudding the MVRCS Name....?

It is a well known fact that we have numerous issues with Neil Kinnon and the dictatorship he has created for himself. At the same time we do appreciate that MVRCS would not be in existence today if it weren't for the efforts of him and the other founding members. We have been very vocal in pointing out issues we find troubling such as the numerous conflicts of interest surrounding many of his actions and decisions, the hiring and retaining of individuals solely based on their association with him (regardless of their qualifications and/or performance), his disregard and demeaning manner in which parents of the school are treated, and the treatment of the teachers and staff of the school (who are NOT part of his inner circle). We have worked (and continue to do so) towards bringing the bigger issues to the attention of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, State Ethics Committee, Attorney General, Inspector General, and Governor Deval Patrick. While our efforts have been solely on issues pertaining to the school, it seems as though others within the community have concerns of their own and are acting on those concerns. It is our understanding that a number of state agencies have begun investigating allegations of corruption and wrong-doing amongst Malden politicians. Included within the issues being investigated are the many back room deals that are common between Neil Kinnon and the City of Malden (such as the park deal from last spring) that are conducted outside of the laws that govern their actions. We can't be sure what the end result will be or how this will implicate or impact our school but the issue remains that if Neil Kinnon followed not only the letter of the laws but the spirit of the laws as well, MVRCS would not be in a position to be found guilty by association. We will wait with baited breath as the investigation continues and will keep everyone updated as to the status of the numerous investigations currently being conducted by various state agencies.

Back to the BIG Issues at Hand

Our past few posts have taken us a bit off track and we feel that it is once again time to reiterate not only our dedication to MVRCS but to also restate the major issues and concerns that led to the creation of this blog. Many have accused us of being 'haters' of the school but nothing could be further from the truth. In September the Robert Hughes Academy Charter School in Springfield, MA was scheduled to close as a result of "mismanagement and misgovernance issues" (Hughes Charter School Must Close) after the Board of Education voted 11-0 to revoke their charter. That is exactly what we are trying to prevent through the use of this blog as a communication  vehicle> Our intent is to keep parents informed about issues and concerns that could potentially result in MVRCS facing the same type of voting situation. Yes, we could remain silent as the Board and Administration hopes that ALL parents will (and their attempts to encourage the same by limiting the information and involvement of parents) but we believe that their bad acts will eventually catch up to them and the children will ultimately suffer.Please let us know if you believe we overlooked additional issues or concerns.

A quick overview of the potentially damaging examples include:

Violation of Waitlist and Lottery Regulations

1. Relatives being re-admitted/receiving preferential treatment:
1. Finn's relatives being re-admitted;
2. Gennetti's relatives being re-admitted;
3. Questions regarding residency requirements;
4. Questions regarding children of staff circumventing the lottery and waitlist process.
2. The DESE requesting a copy of the lottery results and waitlist from last year.
3. The demographics of the school that include a high percentage of non-minorities and lack of non-english speaking students.

        Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct Violations

1. Hiring of relatives, friends and associates:
1. Difference in treatment, expectations, and pay;
2. Question of qualifications of some;
2. Duty of Care and Loyalty
1. Neill Kinnon serving on the Board and as City Councilor with the two 'agencies' doing business together;
2. prohibits them from doing anything that would allow them to profit personally or indirectly because of their position.
1. A trustee who seeks special privileges in school admission or other educational benefits for a member of his or her family violates the duty of loyalty to the charter school board;
2. conflict of interest law generally prohibits Board members from taking advantage of their position to gain improper benefits for themselves, their relatives, their associates, or their friends;
3. This restriction also applies to current Board members who have a contract with an agency separate from the school and who wish to enter into a contract with the school through that agency. (? Would the City of Malden be considered an ‘Agency’ and ‘City Councilor’ have a contract with them?);
4. Must avoid conduct that creates a reasonable impression that they are likely to act, or fail to act, because of undue influence by any person.

          Special Education Issues:

1. Kathy Kinnon’s qualifications, relationship to Neil Kinnon, and questions of work hours and responsibilities;
1. Concern regarding parents who wish to appeal IEP's and/or decisions made by Kathy Kinnon being decided by a relative.
2. Question of lacking IEP’s that fail to identify students current abilities and goal (as per 2007 DESE report);
3. Concern regarding support and communication between classroom teachers/IA's and Special Ed teachers;
1. Do all staff who work with children on IEP's receive a copy of their IEP before begin to work with student.

          Questions regarding school finances:

1. Question of whether the school is following laws governing contractors and bidding requirements;
2. Question of differences in financial records of Annual Reports v. financial records found on DESE website.

          Violations of Charter School Laws and Regulations:

1. Open Meeting/ Executive Session Violations;
2. Obtaining Meeting Minutes for Executive Sessions.

Absolute Power Corrupts - Absolutely!

Is there any truth to the old adage is true: Absolute power corrupts - absolutely.

We think so especially since reading (and re-reading) the statements made by Neil Kinnon in the recent Boston Globe article, we have been both incensed and humored by his self-serving interest in defending the Boards refusal to set term limits out of necessity. Neil Kinnon stated that only ‘through a long-serving board that has full understanding of the charter’ can a Board of Trustees’ ‘remain true to the charter’. We take issue with his position and question if the Board has in fact stayed ‘true to the charter’. Further we believe that just as the President of our country is limited to term limits, so too should Board members.

As a side note on this matter, Neil Kinnon has stated that ‘the state Department of Education has repeatedly questioned the trustees’ long tenure’, yet he fails to mention that they have not simply questioned the Board but have issued directives regarding the setting of term limits. Also, as we have mentioned in earlier posts, other charter schools have had their charter renewal contingent upon the adoption and incorporation of term limits into their by-laws. It still befuddles and exasperates us as to why the same has not been required of MVRCS (up to this point we have not heard back from Associate Commissioner Wulfson who we have been communicating with).

The 22 Amendment to the US Constitution addresses the number of terms an individual may serve as President of the US. While Mr. Kinnon believes that continuity is the only manner in which the Board can stay true to the charter, we question how the knowledge, insight, experience required of the Board of Trustees’ of MVRCS can so severely outweigh that of the individuals elected as our President? We think not and just as with the restrictions placed upon our President, we believe they should be adopted for good reason and purpose. Neil Kinnon himself has proven this by his self-created dictatorship that has removed the components found within a democracy. Unfortunately just as the Founding Fathers of our country did not believe it necessary to incorporate term limits into the Constitution (it was an unspoken but agreed upon rule), neither did the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education when drafting the original laws and regulations that govern charter schools. It wasn’t until Roosevelt’s disregard for the unspoken and his attempts to ensure judicial support for his programs did it become required to incorporate term limits into the Constitution. The same situation has arisen in the current standoff between the Board of Trustees and the DESE, as we are sure that the individuals who drafted the laws and regulations at no time intended for a Board to become a monarchy corrupt with cronyism. 

Open Meeting Report Complaints - Feel Like Filing One?

We recently requested copies of the Board Meeting minutes for September and the prior 6 meetings from Rick Veilleux. Mr. Veilleux denied a portion of our request, specifically related to Executive Session minutes. We take issue with this and question the legality of his denial and the purpose behind many of the Executive Sessions themselves. We believe that in an effort to gain the attention necessary to initiate positive change within our school, the more parents that send this letter, the more likely this issue is to gain their attention. We are asking that any parent feeling comfortable doing so, file complaints. After speaking with our contact at the Attorney General’s Office, the complaint procedure includes two options which we have completed the dialogue portion of (bolded text)

The first involves filing a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office using the complaint form located here (Attorney General's Complaint Form - Open Meeting. While some information will require your personal information, we have completed the dialogue portion of the complaint if you prefer not to compose your own.

The second option involves contacting the Supervisor of Records within William Galvins Office, Secretary of the Commonwealth. For this complaint we have included pre-written letters that require little more than the inserting of personal information.

~~~~~~~Should you decide to send your own request for minutes ~~~~~~~

October 26, 2010

Mr. Rick Veilleux

Mystic Valley Regional Charter School
671 Salem Street

Malden, MA, 02148

Re: Massachusetts Public Records Request

Dear Mr. Veilleux:

This is a request under the Massachusetts Public Records Law (M. G. L. Chapter 66, Section 10).

I am requesting that I be provided a copy of the following records:

            A copy of Board of Trustees Open & Executive Meeting Minutes Jan 2010 – Sep 2010

I recognize that you do charge reasonable costs for copies, as well as for personnel time needed to comply with this request.  If you expect costs to exceed $10.00, please provide a detailed fee estimate.

As you may be aware, the Public Records Law requires you to provide me with a written response within 10 calendar days.  If you cannot comply with my request, you are statutorily required to provide an explanation in writing.

Sincerely,

Your Name
Your Address
City, State, Zip Code
Telephone Number [Optional]

~~~~~~~~~~The Complaint Process -- Attorney General's Office ~~~~~~~~~~

The complaint form for the Attorney General’s office can be found at Attorney General's Complaint Form - Open Meeting law and requests your personal information along with the following:

OPEN MEETING LAW COMPLAINT FORM

Office of the Attorney General One Ashburton Place Boston, MA 02108

Is the DESE Holding MVRCS to the Same Standards?

This letter was emailed to Jeff Wulfson at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on October 22, 2010.

Dear Mr. Wulfson;

In following up on my emails to Mr. Rick Veilleux (that you have been copied on), please note that Mr. Veilleux appears to be hesitant in replying to my requests for clarification on the transportation issue. It is my understanding that MVRCS is currently using the 770 Salem Street facility as its ‘hub’ and therefore denying transportation to that facility for families that are within 2 driven miles. It is also my understanding that these students must be transported to the ‘hub’ and are then permitted to take a bus to the High School. Further, if I understand the current policy correctly, High School students are charged the $200.00 transportation fee if they reside outside of 2 driven miles from the ‘hub’ and then an additional $100.00 for transportation from the 770 Salem Street facility to the High School. I would just like you to confirm that this is the current policy and, more importantly, that this is within the laws, regulations, and guidelines established by your agency.

In reviewing materials I have come across the following note which was copied from the DESE website regarding term limits:

“In brief, the term limits debate derives from the bylaws that the School proposed with its original charter application that the original members of the Board of Trustees would serve until they resigned. Exh. 1, page 44. See also Exh. 1, pages 8-9, 20 (identifying founding members). Changing this provision was a condition of the State Board’s 2004 charter renewal, and an agreement on three consecutive 3-year terms (9 years total) was slowly reached. Exh. 9 (Department’s approval letter dated 3/23/07). See also Exh. 192 (former Commissioner Driscoll’s September 2006 update to State Board).”

Our Thoughts and Answers to Reader Comments

1. In response to the posts regarding our censoring comments not as a result of foul language or mean spirited posts but rather posts that differ in opinion from our own. We find it unfortunate that you believe that to be the case as we have not attempted to censor anything other than posts that contain foul language or serve no other purpose than to attack a fellow poster. We have purposefully left up differing opinions and thoughts as we  feel that the concerns and issues of all parents deserve to be heard and  we want to hear what others are thinking. We find such comments and insight valuable in not only allowing us to see others perspectives but also as a way to ensure that we focus our efforts on the 'big' issues of our fellow parents. We apologize if you have posted something that you believe was removed without justification yet we can't recall doing so.

2.The change from 'non issue' to 'like this' wasn't (again) an attempt to censor anyone but found that some posts didn't fit into any of the previous selections. We will attempt to replace 'non issue' out of fairness to all. We also welcome ideas and suggestions for more appropriate tags and/or polling questions. We also feel it is important to point out that we have had over 2600 unique visitor yet  less than 100 have participated in the polling. That being said, we put it there more to provide those who do not wish to comment a chance to give feedback.

Thoughts on Questions for Tonights Meeting

As we prepare and look forward to the meeting at MVRCS this evening, we have compiled a list of questions we feel are in alignment with our major issues and concerns regarding our school.  We are sharing this list of questions in the hopes that the majority of them will be addressed during the meeting. Please feel free to add additional questions or thoughts in the comment section below in an effort to organize our efforts in our quest for information.

1.       Questions regarding Conflict of Issue Laws:

a.       Isn’t it legally a conflict of interest for Neil Kinnon (City Councilor) & Tom Brennan (if he is an Assistant Councilor for Malden) to also serve on the Board of Trustees considering the interactions between MVRCS & the City of Malden?

b.      Where can we find past Meeting Agenda’s and Minutes?  Per the Open Meeting Laws, the minutes of Executive Sessions (which are only permitted under the most limited of circumstances) are only permitted to remain unpublished as long as publishing them would defeat the lawful purposes of the executive session.

c.       Under both State Conflict of Issues/Code of Conduct laws and Charter school laws governing nepotism, isn’t it illegal for Mr. Kinnons family members and friends to be employed at MVRCS? (Preferential Treatment to Friends & Family Members)

d.      As a Public Official (per State Ethics Committee) and according to Charter School laws prohibiting special privileges being given to Board Members or Administration, isn’t it illegal for Chris Finn’s nieces to have been readmitted to the school after leaving the school? Is this the only time that this has occurred or has this happed on numerous occasions?

2.       Charter School Specific Regulations & Laws

a.       Duty of Care Issues:

                                                               i.      Do all Board Members feel they have acted solely in the best interest of the school regarding the acquisition of the lot that will be used for the Athletic Facility and in negotiations regarding Roosevelt Park?

                                                              ii.      Does the Board as a whole feel that the school is in compliance with the law and that they addressed fully all relevant questions regarding the acquisition of land and in negotiations regarding Roosevelt Park?

b.       Duty of Loyalty

                                                               i.      Can all Board Members assure the parents that they have acted in accordance with the laws that prevent them from acting in any manner that has allowed them to profit personally or indirectly as a result of their position? This would include:

1.        not voting on any matter that they or a family member has a personal interest in;

2.        the hiring and retaining of friends or family members  that are not held to the same standards or expectations as others;

3.       prohibiting the use of their position in obtaining improper benefits for themselves, family members, or friends;

3. Knowledge of Public Record Laws & the Freedom of Information Act
1. Are all board members aware that charter schools must provide any record, including data files, letters, memoranda or other documentary materials made or received by an officer or employee of the school, to any member of the public who requests it? 
4. Admission into the School:
1. The Lottery & Waitlist

                                                              i.      According to the laws that govern Charter schools and must conduct their lotteries in public, with a disinterested party drawing the names. A “disinterested” person is someone who is not affiliated with the school. That being said, what is the name of the CPA Firm and individual that has and/or will be conducting the lottery?

                                                            ii.      The Charter school laws state that it is unacceptable to give preference to children of staff members or Board members or use statements that are meant to discourage diverse, ELL, or any other protected group from attending the school. What steps are all Board Members taking to ensure that these practices will no longer be practiced nor tolerated?

5.      When undertaking the building or construction of a facility, federal and state laws require compliance with public bidding laws. Has MVRCS put the contract for the new facility out to bid? When?

6.      In the article published in the Observer and advertisement taken out in the Malden paper, along with salaries the educational credentials were also provided. Would it be possible to obtain a more detailed summary that included not only the individuals listed but also information regarding the credentials and qualifications of all faculty and staff of MVRCS. According to Charter School laws, all teachers must be certified, could that be included in the summary.

7.      In one report it was noted that the Board chose not to accept Title I funds. Given these tough economic times and the reduction in funding that the school is facing, why has Board made this decision yet choosing to charge parents a transportation fee?

8.      In regards to Transportation, as MVRCS is a ‘regional’ school and entitled to be reimbursed for varying percentages of transportation expenses. What is the current percentage?

9.      The DESE is requiring all Charter schools to produce a report that identifies the steps and efforts each school will take to improve teacher retention. Has MVRCS completed this report and if so, where can parents find a copy of it?

10.  According the Inspector General and Massachusetts State Building Authority the purchasing official must complete a MCPPO (Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official program, especially in light of the construction of the new facility. Does an Administrator have the appropriate certificate and is it up to date (it is only good for 3 years and recertification requires additional course work). If not, must this be complete prior to beginning construction?