Middle School

it all sounds a bit off... (0.00 / 0)

i think your sister has a point, at least until you and she have done what homework you can on the question. what are the laws about needs coverage, notice required before changes, notice required, and all that? good luck on the whole thing.

...to worship the god who laughs.

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by: suzanne @ Mon Feb 09, 2009 at 22:17:46 PM CST

keep digging (0.00 / 0)

We have to stand up and correct these things as they come along. Good for you!

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by: brightonborn @ Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 06:16:59 AM CST

it's wonderful (0.00 / 0)

I think more parents in the community need to get involved at all levels to feel a part of our school system and our community.  You're doing the right thing by reaching out, researching, reporting back, and taking initiative.  I'm interested to hear about the outcome, keep up posted!

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by: Katlo9 @ Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 12:39:00 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Apparently there have even been teachers who were summarily dismissed (0.00 / 0)

Please provide an example of one teacher who has been summarily dismissed after voicing concerns in the district.

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by: hereindedham @ Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 13:12:08 PM CST

Remember there's a child (0.00 / 0)

There is nothing wrong with getting the relevant facts out in the open, sunshine being the best disinfectant and all that.  However, let's keep in mind that there is a child involved here who has done nothing wrong.  I wouldn't want to see anything to breach the confidentiality that he or she should expect.  

I've spoken twice today with June Doe's office and I'm waiting for a call back.  I hope and expect there is a perfectly rational explanation for this.  If there is, I'll let you all know here.  If not, I'll dig until I find the bottom and will likely write a story about it on myDedhamNews.  In the meantime, feel free to post a comment and offer your thoughts on the subject, but I would ask everyone not to say anything that could potentially embarrass or harm the student until all the facts are known.

myDedham.org - a community since 1636 and online since 2007!

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by: Brian @ Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 13:48:36 PM CST

Update (0.00 / 0)

I spoke with June Doe a little while ago.  She's asked me to remove this post because she believes it's a violation of the student's privacy.  Obviously I have declined, for several reasons.  I've spoken to GreenLodge75, and feel I should give you the reasons as well, as some of you may be asking the same question.

First of all, I disagree that it was a violation of privacy.  No specific student or family, or even the particular board was mentioned.  There are dozens of elected officials, hundreds if you include Town Meeting members, and scores of people beyond that who serve on appointed boards and committees.  Many of them have children.  The original post was vague enough that unless you have specific knowledge of a particular family, in which case you would probably already know this was going on, there's nothing to identify them.

Secondly, the post raises a legitimate issue.  Without more information I can't say for sure, but my first reaction is that there is probably a reasonable explanation for why this is happening, if it fact it is.  I asked June on the record in general terms if there were any teachers being sent home to students' homes, and she declined to answer.  I'll pursue further, but for now I think this is a topic worthy of debate, particularly on the same week the School Department's budget is being formally presented.  

Finally, in the nearly two years this blog has been around, I've only deleted one post and one comment.  The former is when I was duped and wrote something that was not true and could reflect very poorly on a town employee.  Upon learning the truth I immediately took it down and apologized.  The latter is when someone was accused of committing a crime without any evidence.  I think we as an online community have done a pretty good job of policing ourselves about what is said here.  

There is the occasional comment that may push the envelope, but that is usually met with a rebuke from one of you.  I don't want to be a censor, and thanks to all of you I don't have to.  Anonymity on the internet is both a virtue and a vice.  It allows for things like this to come to light without fear (or at least a little less of it) of retribution.  At the same time, it can lead to people saying nasty things that they would never sign their names to publicly.  Fortunately, that hasn't been our experience here.  I hope it won't be in the future, and don't believe it will.

I'm going to look into the matter further just to make sure there is the rational explanation I assume there is.  Until I find out for sure, I'll repeat again what I said above: feel free to comment on this, but please respect the privacy of this student and every student.  

myDedham.org - a community since 1636 and online since 2007!

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by: Brian @ Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 16:28:38 PM CST

[ Parent ]

four things (0.00 / 0)

1) June Doe leads with her zeal

2) There are over 300 elected town officials:
5 Selectmen
5 Planning Board members
3 Board of Health
5 Parks and Rec
7 School Committee
1 Town Clerk
plus Library Board, Trustees of Funds, Assessors, Town Moderator, and probably others . . . and 273 Town Meeting members

3) since public schools are required by law to provide an education for virtually all students, it's common for EVERY school district to have a number of different arrangements to provide state-required education outside of the classroom

4) Ideally Ms Doe would provide district-wide information about these types of situations, similar to the numbers of out-of-district SPED arrangements that the Schools routinely provide every year at Town Meeting

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by: kei-o-lei @ Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 17:18:36 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Services (0.00 / 0)

For the record, there are many of us who have children attending Dedham Public Schools who require services.  Not all of our children are receiving the services they are entitled.  Many of us would like to outplace our children in what we consider "appropriate settings" in lieu of fighting to have services implemented.  It never crossed my mind that our children could be educated in our homes at the cost of the town.  This is something I will certainly look into for my child.  If the town agrees to do this for one child they must agree to do it for all.  The law states "meet the unique needs of each child in the least restrictive enviornment".  Well my home is a least restrictive enviornment isn't yours?  I too will be in touch with the superintendent's office.

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by: redskins @ Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 17:33:38 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Further clarification (0.00 / 0)

Yesterday was the 3rd busiest day in myDedham history.  There were more than 2.5 times as many hits as we usually get on a typical day, and 3 times as many unique visitors.  Already today we have gotten as many hits as we usually do on a full weekday.  Clearly, this is an issue that has caught a lot of people's attention.  I've also gotten a bunch of phone calls about it, and I want to make one thing clear for everyone, particularly those who are not regular bloggers.  

I have some administrative controls on the site, and I can remove things if they cross the line.  Eric does as well, but as busy as he is with his family and business we don't see him on here as often as I'd like to.  We don't pre-screen anything before it gets posted, though.  You don't have to e-mail it to us and ask us to put it online, and it doesn't need to be approved by us before it goes up.  Anyone is welcome to write whatever they like, so long as it remains civil.  At the bottom of this comment you will see "by Brian @ [date] at [time]."  Click on my name, or anyone else's, and you can see everything I've ever written on here.

Eric and I are the only two who can post directly to the front page.  We can also promote anyone else's post to the front page as well.  My general policy has been since the begining that if a post is more than a line or two long, and if it is likely to generate some discussion, I'll front page it.  It's subjective, but it's worked so far.  Most everything written here ends up on there.  

I had both a school department official and an "elected official" tell me that they thought I had control of what went up here before it did.  I don't, but I figured that many of you might have been under the same impression.  I hope this clears it up.


myDedham.org - a community since 1636 and online since 2007!

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by: Brian @ Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 11:38:09 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Good call Brian (0.00 / 0)

I appreciate your efforts to keep the blog uncensored but civil at the same time.

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by: liz @ Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 15:43:33 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Services (0.00 / 0)

THe question Ms. Doe should answer is whether or not the school system provides at home tutoring services to students as part of special education or their individual education plan.  
If the answer is "yes", then it does not matter who the parent of the child is or their position in the town.  If the schools are required to provide special services to certain students, the administrators must manage the resources available to try to meet all of the students needs.
Unfortunately, the schools have limited resources and parents must be vigilant and fight to make sure their child receives the education they deserve.  From my own experience, you must do extensive research and speak to people both within and outside the school system to find out what services your student is entitled to.  It could be that elected officials have an easier time navigating through the process, but that is not relevant.  
It is not acceptable to cast allegations at the parent(s) of a student that is receiving services that are offered.
The question is : Are in home tutoring services offered??

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by: curveguy @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 09:47:05 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Not Surprised (0.00 / 0)

I spoke with June Doe a little while ago. She's asked me to remove this post because she believes it's a violation of the student's privacy.

About the above comment...That Ms. Doe would like a highly debatable topic removed from the public spotlight, especially because she is portrayed in an unfavorable light, doesn't surprise me. That said, blog readers might find it interesting that I've heard that sometime on Wednesday, February 11, this site was blocked (and continues to be blocked) from school computers--at least at the middle school.  

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by: Concerned_in_Dedham @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 16:05:47 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Push here, buldge there (0.00 / 0)

If the School Department was trying to prevent staff and students (I know there are some who do) from reading what is being written here, they failed. Miserably.  I think blocking the site has had the exact opposite effect they were going for.  In short, school staff have been tempted by the forbidden fruit.

Thursday was, by far, the busiest day this website has ever seen.  Actually, each of the last three days have been in the top five.  For the first time we crossed the 3,000 hits in a single day mark.  

Most of the time the vast majority of those hits come from two places: Dedham and Boston (quick, make sure your boss doesn't see you reading this!).  The past few days have seen literally hundreds of more computers than normal logging on from all over the Greater Boston area.  I can't say for sure that they are all teachers, but seeing as nothing else has been discussed here the past few days I'm willing to bet a good portion on them are.

Hello, teachers!  Thanks for educating our students, and welcome aboard the blog.

myDedham.org - a community since 1636 and online since 2007!

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by: Brian @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 23:27:28 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Not from June's office (0.00 / 0)

I just spoke with Don Langenhorst, the technology director for the schools.  He tells me that the site was always blocked, and about a week ago someone asked that it be unblocked.  This doesn't reconcile with the fact that I know for a fact teachers have been reading the blog at school well before this.  He can't explain it either, but tells me as far as he knows it was blocked.

The other day he went back and looked at it again.  Somehow (and I don't understand the technology behind it) this site is related to thousands of other sites, many of them pornographic.  Apparently to open up this site would open up access to all of them as well.  When he discovered the connection, he blocked the site again.  He says, and I believe him, that it was not at June Doe's direction or anyone else's.  I would imagine there is a way to open this up and keep out the porn, but I'm not that concerned about it.  As long as it isn't a censorship issue I don't care.

myDedham.org - a community since 1636 and online since 2007!

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by: Brian @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 14:49:45 PM CST

[ Parent ]

What's worse than a cover up? A bad cover up. (0.00 / 0)

I just spoke with Don Langenhorst, the technology director for the schools. He tells me that the site was always blocked, and about a week ago someone asked that it be unblocked. This doesn't reconcile with the fact that I know for a fact teachers have been reading the blog at school well before this. He can't explain it either, but tells me as far as he knows it was blocked.

Does anyone else find the above ridiculous?   The director of technology can't explain how a site suddenly became unblocked?  Really?  Maybe he can't explain it because it never was blocked in the first place.  

...this site is related to thousands of other sites, many of them pornographic. Apparently to open up this site would open up access to all of them as well.

Interesting.  I just put the following into a Google search: "Dedham Blog," "My Dedham," and "Dedham News."  I looked through three pages of results for each and found no inappropriate sites.   While that is not an exhaustive search, I doubt many people search many more pages if they can't find what they are looking for.  And, of course, I'm sure that a number of other search possibilities could be put into a search, but not a whole lot more if you are looking for Dedham news sites.  

As long as it isn't a censorship issue I don't care.

You don't think blocking a site is a censorship issue?  I certainly do, especially knowing that people could view the site before Wednesday, but not after.  That is censorship.   Personally, I also don't believe for one second that Mr. Langenhorst decided to block this site on his own.  I know this cannot be proven, but look at the facts.  What are the chances that it was all a mere coincidence?  I'm just not buying it.  

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by: Concerned_in_Dedham @ Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 11:36:21 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Tagged by the web site trolls.... (0.00 / 0)

Web sites that have nothing whatsoever in them pornographic or 'vulgar' or gambling related can be deemed so by the little programs that trolls through web sites to keep th content appropriate for work/school/libraries.

These lovely little trolls search a web site for 'inappropriate' content. Since this is a blog and most of the content is text, it can read everything...inclucing the articles about the Adult overlay district and the Amazing.com store windows and the f-bombs occassionally tossed during more our heated discussions.

I do not know the specifics of when this site was blocked or what is going on in the Dedham schools but it is entirely possible for it to be tagged as a porn gateway by an uber-sensitive troll program - exactly like one that might be employed at a school.

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by: dj @ Mon Feb 16, 2009 at 05:12:49 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Sadly, no (0.00 / 0)

If the town agrees to do this for one child they must agree to do it for all.

Well, that's simply not a logical conclusion. They must agree to do it for all children for whom in-home instruction is the appropriate intervention. And that opinion is reinforced by your next statement:

The law states "meet the unique needs of each child in the least restrictive environment".

In terms of public education, the least restrictive environment is always considered to be the regular education classroom (where the child not only receives curricular instruction but social interaction opportunities).  Here's the three-pronged test from IDEA on how to determin the LRE:

To the maximum extent appropriate, students with disabilities are educated with students who are nondisabled;

Special classes, separate schooling or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular classroom occurs only when the nature or severity of the educational disability is such that education in the regular class cannot be achieved satisfactorily with the use of supplementary aids and services; and

To the maximum extent appropriate, each child with a disability participates with nondisabled children in nonacademic and extracurricular services and activities.

http://www.state.nj.us/educati...

Your observation that your home home is a least restrictive environment may make for an amusing non-sequitur, but it has no merit whatsoever.

I would suggest that unless your child has a disability that absolutely necessitates in-home instruction, don't waste the superintendent's time.  

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by: stebivule @ Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 18:57:14 PM CST

Follow Up (0.00 / 0)

What a response!! It sounds like I am not the only person concerned about what is happening in the schools.  I want to highlight a couple of points - this is not about denying services to a child.  If a child has a need for special education they should get it and it should be high quality!  This is about the way in which business is conducted - transparency vs. secrecy.

In response to "Hereindedham".  I have heard that only a couple years ago there were 7 Special Ed teachers and a Special Education Coordinator that voiced concerns over the number of classes they were being forced to teach.  Of those teachers and coordinator, only 2 remain in Dedham today, coincidentally the only two that were tenured at the time of the concerns.   Some might argue that they were let go for any number of reasons, but the Coordinator ended up at Acton, 2 teachers ended up at Needham and 1 is at Newton - all prestigious systems.  It's no surprise that Special Education teachers are hard to come by, so why are we losing them to neighboring towns??

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by: GreenLodge75 @ Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 20:15:46 PM CST

Privacy vs. Secrecy (0.00 / 0)

This is about the way in which business is conducted - transparency vs. secrecy.

I would suggest that this is a case where it is difficult (and potentially impossible) for school officials to discuss any of the relevant details of the case without violating the student's privacy. I would hope that our school officials would not "play the privacy card" to avoid transparency ... given the sensitive and unique nature of a student's situation that would necessitate in-home services, my instinct is that Ms. Doe is to be trusted on this one.

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by: stebivule @ Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 20:29:28 PM CST

[ Parent ]

To Stebivule (0.00 / 0)

Great point Stebivule... I guess my response is simply then why is the teacher not in the classroom?  Certainly if a student needs "at home services" then they should receive them, just not at the expense of the students in the classroom who need the services.  It's not a question of secrecy over what student gets what service, that is obviously privileged; it is a question about making sure that decisions are based on the best interest of all the students.  The transparency of that reality should be abundant!

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by: GreenLodge75 @ Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 21:06:00 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Teacher Allocation (0.00 / 0)

I guess my response is simply then why is the teacher not in the classroom?

Great question!

Certainly if a student needs "at home services" then they should receive them, just not at the expense of the students in the classroom who need the services.

It all depends on what resources are available to the DPS, and if they decided that reallocating staff was the best available option, that is understandable ... and they should demonstrate accountability for that decision by explaining the logic behind it (while still respecting student privacy).

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by: stebivule @ Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 21:39:36 PM CST

[ Parent ]

in other words . . . (0.00 / 0)

 . . the Schools can discuss the programmatic aspects of this situation.

Unless I've "blinked" incorrectly, this is a part of DPS'  SPED program . . . I knew about the "out of district" component and the "keep them in the class" component, but didn't know there was a "teach at their home" component.

And if DPS can talk about the "out of district" component  withtout violating students' privacy, they can also talk about the "teach at their home" component  . . unless, of course, there is no such component or program, just a unique circumstance.

But it that's true, it's also a new initiative by the schools, the development of a different way of meeting students' educational needs, and the School Committee needs to look at whether it wants to start such a new program or not.

My guess is we'll find out that "teach at their home" has been going on on an ad hoc basis for years, under the radar . . . and probably with the School Committee's knowledge and implicit consent. In other words, a normal part of the SPED program.

And if THAT's true, DPS should be able to talk about it as a matter of routine.

Simple, aint; it :-)

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by: kei-o-lei @ Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 08:48:50 AM CST

[ Parent ]

having worked in public education..... (0.00 / 0)

....I know there are times when a student is not able to be in school (medical and mental health issues mostly) and if they are out of school for more than 14 consecutive days the school system is required to provide tutoring support and this often has to happen at home.  In my experience it is usually meant to be short term until the student is able to be back at school.  This policy is for both regular and special education students.  I know nothing about the situation presented so I am not sure if this applies.  I do think it is used in very unique circumstances and when all attempts to have the student attend school have not worked.

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by: kenolsor @ Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 10:07:09 AM CST

[ Parent ]

A new thread (0.00 / 0)

Good morning! I added a new diary to keep from scrolling down so much.  I'm so glad there are so many concerned school people left in Dedham.  Here's the link if anyone is interested!  http://mydedham.org/showDiary....

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by: GreenLodge75 @ Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 08:04:30 AM CST

Related (0.00 / 0)

I just posted a story at myDedhamNews about Middle School principal Tim Ruggere.  He wouldn't talk to me, but he is a finalist for positions in Arlington and Littleton.  Littleton will announce if he got it or not tomorrow night.

myDedham.org - a community since 1636 and online since 2007!

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by: Brian @ Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 13:07:30 PM CST

A loss for the town of Dedham. (0.00 / 0)

I for one will be sorry to see Mr. Ruggere leave if he accepts one of the other positions.  I think he has done a good job at Dedham Middle School.

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by: Pink Princess @ Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 14:16:41 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Superintendent (0.00 / 0)

Yes, it's sad that he may leave... but people should be wondering about the circumstances surrounding a possible departure by Mr. Ruggere.  The fish rots from the head and contaminates the entire body.

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by: anathema @ Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 20:56:48 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Harsh words (0.00 / 0)

Whoa, anathema, those are some harsh words although i agree that it would be a big loss for Dedham to lose Mr. Ruggere.  Any interactions I have had with him have been very positive.  

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by: frankie02125 @ Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 21:17:57 PM CST

[ Parent ]

He didn't get it (0.00 / 0)

Ruggere didn't get the Littleton job.  Arlington is still an option, though.

myDedham.org - a community since 1636 and online since 2007!

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by: Brian @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 00:43:00 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Why the turnover? (0.00 / 0)

 Are other towns experiencing the turnover in  principals that Dedham is, it seems like they come and go rather quickly as of late?

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by: brightonborn @ Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 18:08:28 PM CST

Turnover (0.00 / 0)

There's turnover everywhere. The positions Mr. Ruggere is seeking are hotly contested with professionals from great districts all around the state (and beyond) applying.  I spoke with Tim and I will not reveal what he told me about his situation, except to say that he is not dissatisfied in Dedham and that he would still be very happy if he ends up staying here. He's done a fantastic job at the Middle School and would be a great loss.

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by: stebivule @ Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 21:52:51 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Update (0.00 / 0)

Mr. Ruggere has come out and said it himself, so I'll repeat it here: he loves Dedham, but wants to be closer to his home in Andover. A commute between Andover-Dedham would exhaust me as well, and he has two young kids at home. I would hate to lose him, but I wish him well.

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by: stebivule @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 07:24:17 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Final Thoughts (0.00 / 0)

Hi everyone!!  I truly appreciate all the response I've been getting to my initial submission; however, I think this will be my last post - at least for a while.  I originally posted about a situation regarding my nephew and I'd like to sort of come back to that issue because I feel really strongly about its importance.  While teacher turnover and salaries of administrators are interesting, and perhaps warranting more investigation, I think what we have here is different as it is directly affecting our children.  Over the past few days I've spoken with my sister and my nephew about the situation in their special education classroom.  (Recall that teachers were being pulled to offer tutoring services at an elected official's house.)  From what I can tell at least on four days when this happened, there was no substitute teacher provided - only a teacher's aide who may not be certified.  This, and someone can correct me if I'm wrong, is illegal.  Some days there was a substitute teacher who apparently tried very hard to do a good job, but again I do not believe that this substitute had Special Education credentials.  As I said, this is very troubling.  

Tomorrow, my sister and a parent of a 7th grade student (who's class apparently was also involved in the reshuffle) will be meeting with an attorney who specialize in education law.  My sister also spoke with the Massachusetts Department of Education today.  They reported that if the situation, as I've recalled it here, is true, then it represents a violation of both State and Federal Law.  They advised my sister to speak with an attorney and explained the process of filing a complaint with the MA DOE and the Office of Civil Rights of the Federal Department of Education.  They also suggested alerting the local SEPAC - Special Education Parent Advisory Council.

I believe my sister will be pursuing these avenues and after discussing the situation with the State and Federal officials we have decided that this blog is no longer the best forum to debate these issues - they are just too sensitive and profound.  I want to thank Brian for providing an open forum to discuss these issues and encourage him to continue to investigate them and to report his findings on My Dedham News.  Every child deserves an appropriate education.  Sometimes choices must be made but they should be made in the best interest of all children - regardless of who their parents are or who they know.  When we stray from these truths we jeopardize the future of our children and to me that is simply unacceptable.  Thanks and best wishes to all of you!  

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by: GreenLodge75 @ Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 20:13:35 PM CST

Superintendent (0.00 / 0)

Do not underestimate the duplicity of the Dedham superintendent.  She is up to her neck in dirty schemes.  Her administrative style rivals Hitler and Mussolini combined.  The best improvement plan for Dedham would be to get rid of June Doe.  She is a curse on public education.

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by: anathema @ Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 20:43:23 PM CST

More harsh words (0.00 / 0)

As I said above these are some pretty harsh words for the superintendant.  I've heard similar but not so harsh things.  I wonder if thats why some teachers are leaving too?  One of my kid's favorite teachers ever left last year and it was a real loss to the district.  If things are as bad as anathema says, I wonder why anyone would stay?

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by: frankie02125 @ Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 21:21:46 PM CST

[ Parent ]

well named (0.00 / 0)

anathema, you are either a profoundly disturbed person (who in their right mind would compare another human to Hitler) or you are an agent provocateur trying to make trouble for this site

either way . . . please leave this community alone  

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by: kei-o-lei @ Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 21:34:27 PM CST

[ Parent ]

June Doe (0.00 / 0)

Anathema, I hope June finds you and kicks your ass.

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by: stebivule @ Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 21:48:09 PM CST

[ Parent ]

LOL (0.00 / 0)

Wow.  That's really immature.

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by: anathema @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 21:06:10 PM CST

[ Parent ]

You Already Responded To This Comment (0.00 / 0)

You wrote about this twice, so I'll reply twice. I wasn't going for maturity. You deserve an ass-kicking for calling someone Hitler/Mussolini (and you can parse your phraseology all you want, that's what you did).  Some things in life are ass-kicking worthy, and that's one of them.

I'll also go out on a limb and say that I'm not prepared to value someone's opinion on maturity when they spew garbage about Nazis, giggle about it, and then rationalize it. Go knock over a few graves while you're at it - that would be hilarious to you I'm sure.

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by: stebivule @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 21:11:41 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Civility (0.00 / 0)

I just said a couple hours ago that this blog has almost always been pretty civil.  Please don't make a liar out of me already.  At the end of the day we all have to live together in one town, and we all have the town's best interests at heart.

Questioning her administrative style is perfectly acceptable.  Ad hominem attacks are not.  I don't think anyone will deny that she's tough, but comparisons to history's most brutal fascists cross the line.  Question, probe, scratch the surface, keep them honest.  All those things are welcome here, but personal attacks are anathema, anathema.

myDedham.org - a community since 1636 and online since 2007!

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by: Brian @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 00:08:04 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Reply (0.00 / 0)

If you read my post more carefully, you will see that I have not made a personal attack on the superintendent.  I have disparaged her administrative style and have described it as fascist.  If you really want to "probe, question, scratch the surface," then you have to be able to stomach some of the negative commentary that is going to be made about the superintendent's LEADERSHIP STYLE.  As a Jewish person and someone who was once inside the system, I think I have every right to sustain the Hitler comparison.  I don't know the woman personally; I am only commenting on her deficit seeking, short-sighted, controlling approach to management in public education.

For the record, some of the replies to my posts were ad hominem attacks (one of the more well-articulated ones being "I hope June Doe finds you and kicks your ass."). I myself have tried to be as frank as possible.  If my metaphors are too strong, I apologize.

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by: anathema @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 20:45:01 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Ad Hominem (0.00 / 0)

For the record, some of the replies to my posts were ad hominem attacks (one of the more well-articulated ones being "I hope June Doe finds you and kicks your ass.").

"Ad hominem" means "appealing to personal considerations rather than to fact or reason."  Comparing an earnest public official to Hitler because you disagree with her policies or style = ad hominem.  On the other hand, hoping that a person who has to put up with a slanderous attack on their character gets 10 minutes alone with her anonymous attacker ... that's a logical, albeit emotional, response.

As a Jewish person and someone who was once inside the system, I think I have every right to sustain the Hitler comparison.

You have the "right" to say whatever you like. Being a Jew (or a Pole, or a Frenchman, or a homosexual, or having any other relationship to a group oppressed by the Nazis) does not in and of itself justify the Hitler comparison. Not even close. You owe her an apology.

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by: stebivule @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 21:04:13 PM CST

[ Parent ]

LOL (0.00 / 0)

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by: anathema @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 21:14:13 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Just So You Know (0.00 / 0)

I've blogged for years, and have run into plenty of folks like yourself whose primary motivation is to get people pissed off.  It's obvious to me your purpose here, and I'm sure it is to others as well.  Have a nice day.

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by: stebivule @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 21:17:44 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Clarifying "ad hominem" (0.00 / 0)

Attacking the man instead of the issue.  

ad hominem [(ad hom-uh-nem, ad hom-uh-nuhm)]

A Latin expression meaning "to the man." An ad hominem argument is one that relies on personal attacks rather than reason or substance.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

ad hominem
1599, from L., lit. "to a man," from ad "to" + hominem, acc. of homo "man."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper

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by: hammy @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 21:41:06 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Same thing, essentially (0.00 / 0)

My definition, from an online dictionary, was:

"appealing to personal considerations rather than to fact or reason."

Your definition, from an online dictionary, was:

relies on personal attacks rather than reason or substance.

I think both definitions say the same thing.

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by: stebivule @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 21:47:01 PM CST

[ Parent ]

???? (0.00 / 0)

What does a "beat-down" have to do with anything logical or reasonable?  Clearly, it is distasteful for you to entertain the idea that the superintendent uses fear tactics and intimidation to manage her employees and run the schools of Dedham.  And it must be easier to attack me for my admittedly poor use of metaphors instead of considering any legitimacy to the assertions being made.  I only respond with laughter because your responses are ridiculously arrogant and volatile.  You attempt to dazzle with your fancy vocabulary and extensive use of online dictionary definitions, but your basic m.o. is to bully.  And everyone can see that too.

That being stated, I am off this blog.  I will not post again.  I'm sorry if I've offended anyone.  I do speak from experience, and I haven't lied about anything.  Now I am finished.  Feel free to kick over my gravestone.  Or send June Doe to do it.

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by: anathema @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 22:30:21 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Sigh (0.00 / 0)

Whatever. So sorry to see you go. Glad you left on a positive note though, wishing for someone's death. Classy.

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by: stebivule @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 22:36:10 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Finsh reading stubby before you get smart and respond (0.00 / 0)

I don't think anyone was wishing death...

After I posted I thoght I should give you some hin'ts about where to look for the "bodys" dedham lost because JD drove them out.

Dina S incredible sped teacher lost to Needham

Kristina M incredible sped teacher lost to Needham

Matt K great sped coordinator lost to Acton Boxborough

Susan L dedicated/amazing reading teacher lost to Newton

each one comes with a story

Heck ask an average jr/sr in the High school if they ever witnessed JD verbally beat down a kid in front of his pears I watched it daily at lunch

ask someone in the DEA what June did to D Ross the science guy from the High school it was in humane

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by: razed while we watch @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 23:10:26 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I Deserved That (0.00 / 0)

Finsh reading stubby before you get smart and respond
I don't think anyone was wishing death...

Yup, my bad.  

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by: stebivule @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 23:37:47 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Losses (0.00 / 0)

Wow.  If any of what you say is true, razed, that's 4 good teachers lost.  What do you mean by "drove them out"?  Were they specifically targeted, or did their style just not work with hers?  

The Susan L you refer to...if I can read between the lines that was the teacher that my kid had who she absolutely loved.  My kid never liked reading until 8th grade.  I wouldn't blame the teacher for going to Newton, as it is a great place to work, but I really want to know (and so does my kid) how her leaving came about.

Listen, I've been around schools for 25 years.  It's really hard to maintain passion for your work in any public school setting, regardless of what people think.  It's the toughest job around.  So the thought of anyone making this job harder than it already is gives me great concern.  Whther that's by "driving them out", or treating them as you said inhumanely, or asking teachers to leave their post at school to travel to a home to tutor during the school day...none of that is ok.  

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by: frankie02125 @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 18:47:46 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Ouch (0.00 / 0)

I think that anathema guy was trying to apologize.  You sound kinda mean,the guy did apologize.

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by: namaste @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 21:21:03 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Apology? (0.00 / 0)

I re-read his comments, and he doesn't come close to apologizing. "I'm sorry if you're too obtuse to understand my meaning" is not an apology.

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by: stebivule @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 22:23:45 PM CST

[ Parent ]

And... (0.00 / 0)

... it's not me or anyone else he needs to apologize to. "Ms. Doe, regardless of my personal feelings for you, I apologize unreservedly for implying any comparison between yourself and genocidal maniacs" would be a nice start.

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by: stebivule @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 22:25:20 PM CST

[ Parent ]

'kay (0.00 / 0)

Sorry to get you riled.  It's not the first time I've heard that comment being made about a certain admin around these parts.  Not right, I'll give you that.  If you have a good relatinship with the supt then maybe you can help us get to the bottom of all these random accusations.  Is admin cutting corners and playing favorites?  Are special ed laws and union regulations being ignored?  You seem to see a lot of this as business as usual that is not a good attitude if you ask me.  "Evil" exists when good people refuse to take actions against it, or some such.  We should all help to uncover bad decision making and change it for the kids' sakes.

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by: namaste @ Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 09:48:57 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Well... (0.00 / 0)

You seem to see a lot of this as business as usual that is not a good attitude if you ask me.

Good thing I didn't ask you, then,  ;)

It's not that it's fine because it's business as usual, and it's not that it's necessarily fine at all. It's that there are probably some damn good reasons why it happened that have nothing to do with "evil" or any of the motivations being bandied about here.  

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by: stebivule @ Mon Feb 16, 2009 at 21:12:21 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Really sad but true (0.00 / 0)

I'm a long time year employee and I have seen for myself the ruthless nature of our Supt.  I'm 16 months aways from closing the door on my employment in DPS...  But I got grankids coming up.  I thought she would be less danjerous when she was promoted but if have of what the teachers say about Jane Doe is true, God help Dedham

I don't know about hitler but it aint to far if you have ever seen JD verbally assault a student/teacher...  She's bright she usually never goes after the strong ones.

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by: razed while we watch @ Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 22:11:08 PM CST

Please Leave Now (0.00 / 0)

We need fewer character assassins on the town payroll. Thanks for your service, don't let the door hit you...

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by: stebivule @ Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 22:27:36 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Sad (0.00 / 0)

I'm sorry to hear about the bad environment you explained.  Does the supt. know about education, or is she underqualified and just pushing people around cause she doesn't really know how else to do her job?  A lot of people think she is a hard worker but that she's not smart enough to know how to help the schools really improve.  Not that it's an easy job, I wouldn't want it for a million bucks.

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by: namaste @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 21:40:22 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Federal Investigation (0.00 / 0)

Green Lodge - thanks for all your family's persistence on this.  We need more people like you.  I'm saddened to hear that the Feds will be investigating Dedham but maybe thats what we need to get our schools straightened out.  As I mentioned in my earlier post, http://mydedham.org/showDiary.... some of the things that happen in Dedham are absurd and the way Special Education students are treated is lamentable.  Special Ed kids are children just like everyone else - just because they learn differently or have different needs doesn't mean they should be treated any differently than mainstream kids - they deserve an education.  By creating a system in which we discriminate against them - we all suffer.    

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by: quincy71 @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 07:04:53 AM CST

Special Education (0.00 / 0)

Having served as a behavioral consultant to a large, urban school district, I can tell you that no matter where you go, special education is the single largest cost-increase driver in public education.  If schools simply agreed to provide families with every accommodation requested, the system would be bankrupted.  This places the school and families in a naturally adversarial position - where the parents want the most and best for their children, and the schools look to provide "appropriate" services that are cost-effective.  

I don't know a single school system that doesn't have a staff person who is responsible for ensuring that sped costs don't go out of control. A friend of mine has made a very good living serving as a consultant to schools, showing them how they can save money by bringing kids back from outplacements and integrating them into regular ed classrooms in creative ways.

Bottom line: it's not just a Dedham thing, it's everywhere. This stuff goes on all the time.

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by: stebivule @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 07:22:51 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Policy (0.00 / 0)

I'm still waiting to hear back from the School Department, but I've been doing some digging on my own.  I found this policy on their website:

File: IHBF
HOMEBOUND INSTRUCTION

The schools may furnish homebound instruction to those students who are unable to attend classes for at least four consecutive weeks due to a physical injury, medical situation, or a severe emotional problem. The instruction is designed to provide maintenance in the basic academic courses so that when a student returns to school he/she will not be at a disadvantage because of the illness or the hospitalization.

To qualify for the program the student needs a written statement from a medical doctor requesting the homebound instruction, stating the reasons why, and estimating the time the student will be out of school. This statement needs to be sent to the Director of Pupil Services.

Homebound instruction is offered in basic elementary subjects and in secondary subjects which do not require laboratories and special equipment, subject in all cases to the availability of qualified teachers. Certified teachers are assigned to homebound instruction by the Director of Pupil Services with the approval of the Superintendent.

myDedham.org - a community since 1636 and online since 2007!

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by: Brian @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 11:40:40 AM CST

Thank you (0.00 / 0)

Thank you for researching this.   It's too bad that Mrs. Doe didn't just refer all inquiries to this school department website in the first place.  It seems it would have eliminated much speculation/discord.  

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by: Craig @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 16:15:45 PM CST

[ Parent ]

another comment (0.00 / 0)

We can all cut and paste the reg's for special education.  The bottom line is that from my personal and professional experience, the fact that other families and children can not receive the same attention as this family has had.  I have worked professionally with families from this town, that have not been serviced or educated in this fashion, even when providing the Physicians Statement form. In one situation the child went 3 mo.'s without tutoring.  Then the administration could not find one that would work work after school hours or even evenings! (An adult needs to be present, of course) But people DO work.    It is not unusual to only receive 1 or 2 hours a week for tutoring.  

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by: newjourney @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 17:17:07 PM CST

June (0.00 / 0)

Having had the pleasure of working with her recently, watch out if you cross her, as far as tutoring goes, in the majority of districts any tutoring done by school employees is done after school hours, I have never heard of it done during the school day.  Why is Dedham the only local town that doesn't require a doctorate?  Was the qualifications for the job written with her in mind?

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by: greenlodge78 @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 17:32:22 PM CST

Um... (0.00 / 0)

I have never heard of it done during the school day.

Well, you should look harder. Happens in every district.

Why is Dedham the only local town that doesn't require a doctorate?

It isn't.

Was the qualifications for the job written with her in mind?

No.

That was easy.

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by: stebivule @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 20:36:00 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Answers (0.00 / 0)

Your answers while flip, are not necessarily true, I have worked in many districts and have never seen a Spt. who lacks a doctoral degree, could you give examples or are you just going to defend June blindly,could you give examples of districts that remove classroom teachers to do in home tutoring or should we just take your word for it?

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by: greenlodge78 @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 09:21:04 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Answers (0.00 / 0)

I served as a behavioral consultant in Fall River, and worked directly with two students whose situations necessitated home care from teachers who had skills specific to their diagnoses.  The administration didn't want to pull them out of the classroom for in-home hours, but needed to.

Speaking of Fall River, here is a posting for the position of Superintendent in Greater Fall River:

Superintendent Director Greater Fall River Vocational School District Fall River, Massachusetts The Greater Fall River Vocational School District, consisting of a one-building, 9-12, vocational-technical high school located in Southeastern Massachusetts serving the City of Fall River and the Towns of Somerset, Swansea, and Westport, is seeking an experienced educator who will champion the districts vision of vocational and academic excellence, promote creative approaches in dealing with challenges, and a leader who will collaborate and communicate with all stakeholders as its next Superintendent-Director. QUALIFICATIONS: Possess a Massachusetts Chapter 74 License as a Vocational Technical Superintendent or eligible A minimum of Masters Degree required A minimum of ten years in education,.

This is from the posting for the Nauset Regional superintendent's position:

Applicants must be licensed or eligible for licensure as a Massachusetts Superintendent Master's Degree required / advanced degree preferred. Combination of teaching and administrative leadership experience at the Central Office and/or building level.

Here's Seekonk:

Qualifications: Licensed or eligible for licensure as a superintendent of schools in MA. Master's degree is required, advanced degree preferred. Must have a minimum of ten years of experience in education, including three years of administrative and/or central office experience and three
years of teaching experience

It's pretty standard that a Master's is required and a PhD./CAGS/Ed.D. is preferred.  Here's an article describing what superintendent searches are like these days ... if you have a good in-house candidate, you can save a lot of money and headaches:

http://www.metrowestdailynews....

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by: stebivule @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 10:20:30 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Doctorate (0.00 / 0)

Most supts around these parts have EdDs:  Natick, Newton, Brookline, Belmont, Boston, I'm not sure about Westwood or Norwood.  Even if they aren't a requirement for the position, doesn't it say something when the candidate has a high level of education?  Doesn't that show that he/she is a role model for the rest of the "students" in the district?  Isn't it supposed to be about learning your whole life and being the best you can be?  If admin doesn't have the higher degree, the message goes out that "I know everything, I don't have to stretch myself to do this job well."

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by: namaste @ Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 09:57:01 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Doctorate (0.00 / 0)

For me, a school system should hire a candidate because they believe they have found the right person for the job; that they will produce the desired outcomes. If that person does not have a doctorate, so be it.  That does not de-value a doctorate per se, it just means that the best candidate was the best candidate because when you add up all of their positive attributes, they summed up to a greater total than those of the other candidates who had doctorates.

As for all of the stuff about setting an example and being a role model, superintendents do that by creating systems where students learn more and have greater opportunities in their lives.  If they do that without the benefit of a PhD., I can live with that.

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by: stebivule @ Mon Feb 16, 2009 at 21:17:21 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Mischaracterization (0.00 / 0)

are you just going to defend June blindly

I'll defend just about anyone from unsubstantiated attacks (like the Hitler stuff that was posted here).  And I have no bias for or against June, I just saw a lot of postings that considered only one possible viewpoint and tried to offer alternatives.

Frankly, a post that starts off with "watch out if you cross her" wears its bias on its sleeve.  When I see something like that, I tend to feel that any questions that follow are posed out of malice, and not curiosity.

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by: stebivule @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 10:25:09 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Class Action Complaint (0.00 / 0)

I was inspired by GreenLodge and although my children are no longer in the Dedham Public Schools, I still feel guilty for not acting more proactively a few years ago (http://mydedham.org/showDiary.do?diaryId=911) I spoke this afternoon to Neal Green who is one of the special investigators at the Boston division of the Office of Civil Rights.  He said that both the situation that Green Lodge described as well as the situation a few years ago with Special Ed kids boxed up in windowless rooms were both likely violations of Federal Law. Mr. Green recommended that if these allegations are true it would be helpful to file a class action complaint so that our concerns are organized and expedited for investigation.  Therefore, I suggest that we come together as a community and pool our resources, share our stories, and fight these injustices hand in hand.  I am offering to coordinate these activities - if anyone has a situation, past or present, which seems worthy of further investigation, no matter how small it might be, - please email me quincy.71@hotmail.com  You can provide your contact information or choose to remain anonymous but I will compile the information in the reports and then, if it seems warranted, we can collectively file a complaint against the Dedham Public Schools, saying in one voice, that discrimination against our children will no longer be tolerated.  

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by: quincy71 @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 17:40:24 PM CST

Civility and Civil Rights (0.00 / 0)

Thank you, quincy 71, for bringing an air of civility back to the discussion.  Looks like we have two separate issues here that need to be dealt with one at a time.  I believe the most pressing issue is making sure that our children get the services to which they are entitled.  With that in mind, I encourage any parent of a special education student who believes that their child's education was compromised as a result of the teachers pulled from the middle school to tutor during the school day to visit the Board of Ed website.  Here's a link:
http://www.doe.mass.edu/pqa/prs/
That should lead you to the Board of Ed. Problem Resolution System.  
The page itself suggests that the first place to inquire about compliance would be the school district itself.  Either the principal, the director, or the superintendent.  If that doesn't work, or "doesn't seem possible under the circumstances", they suggest you go ahead and file an Intake Information Form.  If what people are saying about addressing the supt. is true, then it seems the issue needs to be brought to the board of ed.  Alternately, could this be an issue to bring up at School Committee or PTA meetings?

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by: hammy @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 20:40:58 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Blocked! (0.00 / 0)

I spoke with June Doe a little while ago. She's asked me to remove this post because she believes it's a violation of the student's privacy.

About the above comment...That Ms. Doe would like a highly debatable topic removed from the public spotlight, especially because she is portrayed in an unfavorable light, doesn't surprise me. That said, blog readers might find it interesting that I've heard that sometime on Wednesday, February 11, this site was blocked (and continues to be blocked) from school computers--at least at the middle school.  

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by: Concerned_in_Dedham @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 17:55:34 PM CST

Rumor and Innuendo (0.00 / 0)

The number of unsubstantiated allegations on this diary ... staggering.

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by: stebivule @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 20:36:50 PM CST

RE: Rumor and Innuendo (0.00 / 0)

The ability to communicate openly about a school district stifled by fear and intimidation...priceless.

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by: hammy @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 20:44:07 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Oh Please (0.00 / 0)

To use a phrase I've used before, what am I gonna do - type at you?

I ask for people to stop engaging in character assassination and to provide some substantiation to their claims, and that's fomenting "fear and intimidation"? If you really believe that, you're dumb. Plain and simple. That's not an allegation, that's fact.

If I were to post on this blog that someone told me that you were at a meeting spewing racial slurs, you'd expect that person to have evidence or STFU, wouldn't you? There are people here comparing June Doe to Hitler, and spreading rumors about what may or may not have happened at the school. They need to step up and substantiate what they have to say. If that's "intimidating" then so be it.

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by: stebivule @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 20:57:28 PM CST

[ Parent ]

We have substantiation galore... .but we also need our jobs right now. (0.00 / 0)

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by: anathema @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 21:07:41 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Oh Please (0.00 / 0)

So you're a teacher in the system? We have a schoolteacher who makes Hitler comparisons in a public forum? Oh yeah, June is the problem...

(for the record, I don't believe for a second that you are a teacher, and many of the others here who are making the allegations aren't teachers either)

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by: stebivule @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 21:13:53 PM CST

[ Parent ]

stop engaging (0.00 / 0)

I suggest you stop engaging "anathema", who is obviously here just to stir up emotions and anger.  If you stop engaging, perhaps he/she will stop posting his/her nonsense.  You seem to be the only one replying to anything said by him/her.

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by: interest @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 05:22:24 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Thanks (0.00 / 0)

Thanks for the advice, but my experience is that if you expose a troll effectively they stay away forever. If you let them post their garbage unchallenged, they keep coming back for more.

And for the record, there are several other posters who responded to anathema, I just happened to be more strident and persistent.

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by: stebivule @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 06:24:33 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Clarification (0.00 / 0)

Stebivule,

1.  I was not engaging in character assassination.  And for the record, I didn't call anyone dumb.  You did.  That, my friend, is arguing the man instead of the issue.

2.  I don't know what STFU means.

3.  To clarify, the fear and intimidation I was referring to was the very real and very easily substantiated claims against the leadership of the Dedham schools.  Ask any parent who has advocated for their child without the "right background" or many of the DPS staff on all levels.  Then again, don't.  Because the whole theory behind bullying is the ability to use fear and intimidation to keep people quiet.

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by: hammy @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 21:15:44 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Clarification (0.00 / 0)

I'm glad you clarified your statement, because when you reply directly to a comment in a threaded discussion, the implication is that your comments refer directly to the one you're replying to.  I now more fully understand what you mean and feel like I can respond in kind with greater accuracy. My apologies on the tone of my response, they were made in the belief that you were stating that I was engaging in fear and intimidation.

As the parent of two children in the Dedham schools, I have had a radically different experience than you when advocating for my kids.  That is not to say that you have not experienced fear, intimidation, or bullying, and I'm sorry you feel that way.

And I do disagree with your interpretation of the "dumb" comment. Believing that a concept is dumb, and then by extension believing that anyone who believes in that concept is likely dumb is simply logical - perhaps not correct, but certainly not ad hominem.

---

by: stebivule @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 21:24:30 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Thank you, but... (0.00 / 0)

I appreciate your thoughtful response.  But you didn't say my comment was dumb, you said I was dumb.  "You're dumb", I believe, was the quote.  Isn't that arguing the man?

My whole intention was to move this discussion away from "I'm gonna kick your ass" and as I result, I got the response, "You're dumb" .  I hope that these clarifications can move us back toward civility, and I hope you can continue the conversation with me and others in a more respectful manner.

I speak from experience and having heard the experiences of many others who have felt bullied in dealing with the DPS.  You must be one of the lucky ones with the money, social standing, and/or cultural capital that put you in good stead with the administration.

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by: hammy @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 21:35:41 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Clarification (0.00 / 0)

I appreciate your thoughtful response.  But you didn't say my comment was dumb, you said I was dumb.  "You're dumb", I believe, was the quote.  Isn't that arguing the man?

I said that if you believed "X" then you're dumb ... you don't believe X, so you're not (or at least I don't have evidence to suggest that you are).  

If you did believe X, I would remain firm in my belief that it could be a sign of a lack of mental acuity.

To answer your question, the argument eventually landed on "the man" but had to go through the concept to get there.  

I apologize for utilizing what you would consider a poor choice of tone and words. I would also suggest that civility isn't everything ... and sometimes one needs to fight fire with fire. For example, if you look at my responses to the "Hitler" stuff above, you can see that I do not think it appropriate to respond to someone who plays the Hitler card by saying "now, now, let's all play nice."  

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by: stebivule @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 21:43:27 PM CST

[ Parent ]

re:clarification (0.00 / 0)

Thanks.  Glad we're getting away from unnecessary nastiness.  Now, could you tell me what STFU means?

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by: hammy @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 21:49:10 PM CST

[ Parent ]

It's Naughty (0.00 / 0)

It means "Shut The __ Up."

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by: stebivule @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 21:53:50 PM CST

[ Parent ]

The two sides of our Bully (0.00 / 0)

Stuberville I learned how to go back and and read your blogs I have more respect for you now that I know you are a parent of an eighth grader in the dps...  I thought you were part of her over paid yes crownd.(her beaten down adm team).  

I think you are a well educated guy with a great kids and June always treats you like you should be treated.  She always knows who's who and who's bread to butter.

The way it works in the DPS is simple don't share ideas, don't dissagree with june, don't be creative in the classroom,  and always stay out of the way when she's on the war path.  

After you make fun of me and my poor punctuation do a little diging!

I'm going walk away from this job knowing I did the best I could and served the kids and staff well  

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by: razed while we watch @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 22:52:25 PM CST

No Making Fun (0.00 / 0)

Sorry you had a bad experience. I have no specific reason to love, like, dislike, or loathe Ms. Doe. June has never done anything to specifically benefit or harm my kids. There's quite a bit of animosity directed toward her here, which is fine ... if that's what people feel, that's what they should express. I also think it's entirely appropriate to push back against some comments of questionable veracity or motivation - a few of which are to be found here.

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by: stebivule @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 23:35:31 PM CST

oh well... (0.00 / 0)

i'm a regular participant on a number of blogs, and until this thread, mydedham was the only one that was critical, well argued, and always civil in tone. this thread dismays me. a writer with a real question leading to an important issue was met by as many spiteful comments and unwarrented insults, not the original poster, naturally, but through the coarse of the the thread, as real suggestions. is this the way to welcome a new poster? is this the way for regular members to address one another? negative critiques are essential, but they carry the most weight when they are leveled in measured tones and supported with facts.

...to worship the god who laughs.

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by: suzanne @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 23:36:22 PM CST

Amen to that, suzanne (0.00 / 0)

Wow. I haven't looked at this blog in a while and now I remember why. Seventy odd posts and what happened? - If memory serves though, it's not unusual. I guess the few regulars here see it as good, clean, civil discussion, but to a casual observer, most of it is rude, and more than a little self-aggrandizing. Thankfully Greenlodge75 had the good manners and good sense to take her serious issue to a more serious venue. I guess having made it this far just makes me a glutton for punishment. I think a good rule of thumb for any other casual readers of this blog is that if you see that a post has gotten more than 6-7 responses, then don't bother because it's surely about to run off point and veer head on into self indulgent blah. See? Right there - I'm now a case in my own point. - I should have gone to bed - Oh well. Until another month or two... And just as a style point for Brian, FWIW, the several interjections of self-promotion bits, are really transparent, kind of tiresome, and not even so much necessary.  

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by: Dave25 @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 02:41:21 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Thanks (0.00 / 0)

Apparently, The Judge has weighed in.  

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by: stebivule @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 06:25:57 AM CST

[ Parent ]

I'm sorry (0.00 / 0)

I apologize if anything I've said has come across as self-aggrandizing; that wasn't the intent at all.  I'm not even exactly sure to what you are referring.  At the risk of promoting myself again, you wouldn't believe the number of phone calls and e-mails I've gotten on this with a lot of misconceptions.  I was just trying to clear things up and let people know what my thought process was.  

If you were referring to the comments about the record number of visitors myDedham's gotten even after having been blocked, I add that only because I thought it was kind of amusing in that it backfired.  I don't even really care that it has been blocked, except that I think an educational institution should be particularly careful before they censor anything.  Do I think anything on here is inappropriate or a distraction from the educational mission of the schools? No, but we pay several people who are a lot more qualified than I to make that determination.

myDedham.org - a community since 1636 and online since 2007!

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by: Brian @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 09:01:13 AM CST

[ Parent ]

one last chime (0.00 / 0)

Stubivule, you don't disappoint.

Brian, no need to apologize. I didn't mean you as self-aggrandizing. And it's perfectly reasonable for you to be excited by the successes and milestones you have here. Chalk that part of my comment up to lack of sleep.

That said, I've found this site to be sometimes useful, as when you recently brought up the skating rink at Mem Field, and sometimes puzzling, as when you lamented the embarrassment of those who has bee foreclosed upon and then mapped them.

I guess it's all good, but what I'd appreciate is if you would kindly terminate my account from the site so that I'm not tempted to chime in, in the future. It's tempting, but it's just not my thing.

Thanks,
David

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by: Dave25 @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 13:15:16 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Coalition Forming (0.00 / 0)

Since last night I've had 7 parents email me about situations with their children in the Dedham Public Schools that seem equally egregious (one actually seems far worse!).  We're building a coalition and someone even proposed holding a meeting - perhaps as a way that we can discuss these issues together so noone feels alone in their fight.  I'll keep you posted but keep the emails coming - quincy.71@hotmail.com (As an aside, I've noticed a lot of passionate exchanges on here.  I can't help but wonder if some of the hostility is being directed at each other because we're struggling to find a way to be constructive in our concerns for our community!)  

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by: quincy71 @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 08:41:04 AM CST

Some of that... (0.00 / 0)

I can't help but wonder if some of the hostility is being directed at each other because we're struggling to find a way to be constructive in our concerns for our community!

I think there's some of that. I know that I responded harshly to one person who advanced a brutal personal attack that had nothing to do with finding solutions to anything.

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by: stebivule @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 11:10:56 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Feds??? (0.00 / 0)

Good god people... we got the feds coming into investigate the schools and we're debating latin?  What the heck is goin on in this town... i'm a single parent trying to stay above water and now i hear that some special prosecutor is going to be investigating my kids superintendent?? Whats next - the Starr report?  Who the heck is this elected official - is it a school committee member or a town clerk... doesn't that make a difference?  Someone who knows what's going on let me know... do I need to get my kids out of this school system or what?

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by: dedham76 @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 09:15:39 AM CST

Not the Clerks kid (0.00 / 0)

I can see someone is trying to start some trouble and trying to get the rumor mill going without having any facts.  So I will give dedham76 one very important fact,  The child being talked about in this blog is One hundred percent not the TOWN CLERKS KID. His Kids are both in school everyday which you can check for yourself but feel free to pull your kids out of school if this has you that upset.  This is the reason I stopped Blogging because people like to make accusations to keeep the story alive.

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by: goodvoter @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 21:11:38 PM CST

[ Parent ]

thank u (0.00 / 0)

Thank you for making sure that the conversation stays away from children!  We want to protect them, not put them in the spotlight.  It's really about education policy, not individuals.

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by: namaste @ Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 10:00:54 AM CST

[ Parent ]

panic? what panic? (0.00 / 0)

silly overreactions are not indicated in this situation

there are people who have some complaints about how education is delivered in Dedham; not unique to Dedham

there are people who believe that the School Administration is favoring an elected officials family; not unique to Dedham

there are people who believe that the School Supt is autocratic; not unique to Dedham

there are people organizing to assert their rights in Dedham; that is democracy at its best

this whole event is a healthy thing for us and an indication that Dedham is a GOOD place to be

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by: kei-o-lei @ Sun Feb 15, 2009 at 06:10:49 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Middle School (0.00 / 0)

Dear Dedham Citizens:

How do we define ourselves?  How do we want our Town to be viewed by any of the public who might read our newspapers, the accounts of our public meetings, or even an informal blog such as this?

The issue that is being bandied about here is essentially the violation of the confidentiality of a child. This discussion also strays into the territory of a violation of a family's privacy and, potentially, the violation of the confidentiality and protection due to school employees who provide our services.  All of those constituents have rights to privacy, and to legitimate channels of management and fairness. Who is to say that YOU might not be the next family, or to have the next child, or be the next employee discussed openly and anonymously on the e-pages of a blog? Remember the Golden Rule.  

Many of us have legitimate issues or questions about how Town and School services are delivered.  Likewise, any of us could be in the position to need privacy, to deserve confidentiality, and to legitimately pursue standard channels to correct a perceived injustice.  Processes exist to examine and resolve these issues. Some of the posts are heading in that direction. Good! But hiding behind the cloak of anonymity will not resolve these issues.  It only serves to satisfy a certain base, petulant personality and to provide cover for attacks against leadership.

I challenge all of you to stand behind your opinions with the honor of your name.  If you feel compelled to discuss certain issues, then respect privacy and bring facts, not innuendo or "what you have heard." Some of the posts have made reasoned arguments for fairness and caution; these strengthen our Town. Other posts, with a display of rumor-based, gossip-mongering, weaken it. Do not take the low road and drag a child's educational needs into the glaring light of public opinion. If you are a town or school employee, do not risk your professional reputation by anonymous accusations.  

Elected officials have made special efforts in the last years to raise the level of public discourse.  Numerous civic groups have worked tirelessly to give people reasons to come together and improve our community.  Many new names and faces have stepped forward to run for leadership positions and provide fresh thinking, ideas and direction for our Town.  All of this work and progress is at risk if we choose the low road of anonymous mudslinging.  

All legitimate concerns have legitimate channels to be used.   If you do not know the channels, please call me or one of your elected officials. Often, talking, and listening, is better than texting.

Mike Butler 781 223 2468
Vice Chairman, Board of Selectmen

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by: mikebutler @ Mon Feb 16, 2009 at 19:31:47 PM CST

Mike (0.00 / 0)

I would feign outrage if I was involved with this administration but any time you take a teacher out of a CLASS for ONE student you have made a mistake, correct the mistake and this all ends, otherwise deal with the storm or give up your seat

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by: greenlodge78 @ Mon Feb 16, 2009 at 20:31:17 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Mistake...? (0.00 / 0)

On the surface, a trade-off of an instructor serving many students for an instructor serving one student does seem like an error. However, if you look at SPED spending versus general ed spending - in Dedham or anywhere else - it becomes obvious that allocating resources for certain individual students with specialized needs takes precedence over allocating resources to large undifferentiated groups of kids all the time. And in most cases, this happens because it's mandated by law and the administrators have their hands tied - either tilt the resources toward the children with special needs, or face a lawsuit for not doing so.

Needing to scare up a resource for a child on an unplanned, unforeseen, emergency basis in the middle of a school year is one of the most difficut, time-constrained processes a school district can be faced with. If that's the case here, they probably (hopefully) chose the least of several evil options.

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by: stebivule @ Mon Feb 16, 2009 at 21:04:28 PM CST

[ Parent ]

misplaced anger (0.00 / 0)

Greenlodge78, Mike sits on the Selectmen, not the School Committee.

He works hard at opening up Town government to make it more accessible and accountable.

The School Committee has been run by the same group of folks for most of this decade, so if you want change THERE, by all means start working to elect new people.

In the meantime, I want Mike to keep his seat because he continues to make positive changes, and I want those changes to continue.

But Mike did say Elected officials have made special efforts in the last years to raise the level of public discourse . . . (m)any new names and faces have stepped forward to run for leadership positions and provide fresh thinking, ideas and direction for our Town . . .

I'd say that the School Committee  needs that kind of renewal.
 

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by: kei-o-lei @ Tue Feb 17, 2009 at 14:03:39 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Some of this, Some of that (0.00 / 0)

Mike, I agree with some of what you have to say, particularly about respecting the privacy of a child. However, your call for an end to the anonymity enjoyed by users here (and every other socially-mediated site) misses the mark.  And believe me, there are many posts on this thread that angered me, yet I find no reason to "out" those people who have posted items that I would characterize as unsubstantiated, misleading, biased, or vituperative.  As difficult as it may be for many to accept, this is the new reality of the information-age: people have the freedom to give/receive information at blinding speed through a variety of media, and some of that information will be garbage.  

The solution is not to ban the garbage or force the authors of the garbage to identify themselves, but to filter it appropriately. Filtering through online garbage is a core 21st-century skill, essential to facilitating understanding of what one reads on these here internets. Being Good Filterers enables users to counter-argue against The Garbagemen, and more effectively demonstrate the value of their beliefs and positions. Shining a light on the garbage generally exposes it for what it is - garbage - and helps the wider community understand why they should also consider it garbage.

And what else does this buy for our society? Empowered voices - people who now have soapboxes where once there were none.  Perhaps they are afraid to truly express themselves without cloaking their identity, and that fear is valid.  Sometimes the anonymous folks are the ones spreading garbage, and sometimes they're the ones shining light ... regardless, the dynamic that is created by the intermingling of these players on a multilayered, multimedia playing field is extremely powerful, and it's bigger than us all.  

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by: stebivule @ Mon Feb 16, 2009 at 20:56:53 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Leadership? (0.00 / 0)

Law suits are in process and you're telling people to keep their mouth shut... shouldn't you be leading the charge in investigation?

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by: dedham76 @ Tue Feb 17, 2009 at 08:48:44 AM CST

[ Parent ]

he's not our Daddy (0.00 / 0)

no he should NOT be leading the charge

for too many years we've relied upon out Town Mothers and Fathers to do that work for us

that gets us things like secret Striar funding deals

Mike is opening things up where he sits

we need to pry things open ourselves

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by: kei-o-lei @ Tue Feb 17, 2009 at 14:09:30 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Another point to consider (0.00 / 0)

Mike,

I do not disagree with any of the points you have made in your letter. But....

When families are dealing with the School system and especially special education, there is a need for people to be anonymous.  For one particular reason, STIGMA.  Parents can openly address issues, but children are not developmentally ready to made a decision to broadcast their particular situation, so parents are considering the "privacy" of the child by not identifying themselves.  Schools use the confidentially right to help them "not deal" with the rights of the student.  If the rights of the student were being practiced for the best interest of the child, there would not be the demand for Special Ed. lawyers or Educ. Advocates.  Carefully look at the number of drop-outs of Dedham students, it is not always the "families" issue (most of the time it's not), the schools have lost the child early on due to the lack of proper identification of the child's learning style... Then look at the number of student out of district, parents that choose Private schools (usually for smaller classrooms and more attention to students and concrete study skills.. etc), and the parents that have resources to place child, as not to fight the system.  I myself have had to be one that fought the system at the expense of the child's right for a community school to address the child's needs. The toll of bullying, segregation, lack of specialized learning to name a few, are the reason I chose to continue to use my username.  When society accepts each other, and support them, in all areas of the life (school, church (and yes, church is not forgiving), playground, stores, play dates, sports, etc) then we all would love to use our "given names".

   

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by: newjourney @ Wed Feb 18, 2009 at 21:07:43 PM CST

[ Parent ]

There is an unfortunate reason people are anonymous... (0.00 / 0)

Being anonymous on a blog can be dangerous.  As we have seen, some people write things without thinking, but having an anonymous identity can also be freeing.  That so many people have chosen to respond to this blog says a great deal to me.  By reading the posts, I can tell that both parents and teachers feel uncomfortable approaching the people in charge in Dedham.  It doesn't matter whether this fear is real or perceived.  Because people feel this way, it's a problem.  Parents and teachers should be able to approach people in charge without fear of retribution.  I am hoping that this blog has brought light to some of the problems in Dedham.  Now we need to work on fixing these problems.  Once the problems are addressed, Dedham will be a better place because of it.  (I hope.)

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by: Concerned_in_Dedham @ Tue Feb 17, 2009 at 10:32:56 AM CST

Secret Striar funding (0.00 / 0)

Can you tell me where I can find that?

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by: JM @ Tue Feb 17, 2009 at 18:33:29 PM CST

hahahaha (0.00 / 0)

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by: kei-o-lei @ Wed Feb 18, 2009 at 12:12:53 PM CST

[ Parent ]

whoops (0.00 / 0)

no secret source

sorry to get your hopes up :-(

 

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by: kei-o-lei @ Wed Feb 18, 2009 at 12:13:40 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Middle School (0.00 / 0)

To GreenLodge75, thank you for speaking out on this issue.  To Brian, thank you for giving residents of Dedham who are not on town boards a voice.  After reading the School Committee's self-serving letter in yesterday's Dedham Times, I feel compelled to comment on the issue that GreenLodge75 has raised.  The fact that the Superintendent requested that Brian remove this blog, and would not answer his question as to whether or not a student is receiving private instruction in the home speaks volumes.  Quilty as charged rings loud and clear.  I too have experienced the Superintendent's wrath and favoratism that others have referred to.  And I am well aware of her use of intimidation and bullying to get her way with teachers, parents and students.  Frankly, I find her demeanor appalling.  It bothers me that her contract renewal seems to have been pushed through quickly and quietly without public comment.  Could this have been done because three current school committee members are up for re-election in April?  I hope the elected official in question is not one of these three?  If so, can a conflict of interest be ruled out?  A blog gives people a chance to be heard without fear of retribution, and levels the playing field.  Hopefully this forum will help to right this wrong.  Good luck to you GreenLodge 75.    

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by: equalaccessforall @ Sat Feb 21, 2009 at 07:43:14 AM CST