20 The Valley Patriot October - 2005Methuen

As I campaign for the office of mayor inMethuen, I am asked frequently about itemsthat would be part of a new administration'sagenda. There truly is a lot to do, but someof the items that would require immediateattention include the following:

Development: I have heard much talkduring the campaign about the rate ofdevelopment in Methuen. Methuen, likemany communities, has seen a spike inresidential development. With Chapter 40Bbeing a main culprit, I believe it is time forMethuen to review its Master Plan, with aneye to proactively dealing with Chapter 40B,as well as other planning issues. Since weremain below our ten-percent threshold, wewill remain in a reactive mode as developersfile for additional projects. We shouldattempt to become the masters of our owndestiny through new planning.

Economic Development: It is my intent topresent a re-organization of the Economicand Community Development Departmentto the City Council within 30 days of takingoffice. While a formal plan is not yet written,I have asked that former Mayor DennisDiZoglio, former Economic DevelopmentDirector Bill Buckley, and Planning BoardChair Steve Defeo, make recommendationsto me on this re-organization. It is my intentto reintegrate Economic Development withPlanning, thereby eliminating onedepartment head position. Nothing we dowill have a greater impact on Methuen’sability to meet its future needs.

Traffic Mitigation: I continue to work withSenator Baddour relative to the BrooksPharmacy area. In the short term, I will workto see that the state releases the proper

permits so that the traffic cones can bereplaced with a traffic island, and that theHowe Street Bridge is restriped. The trafficsignals must be synchronized properly, aswell. I will ask the city council to approvefunding for a traffic study in conjunctionwith the state to determine what additionalimprovements could be made to theintersection. The rotary at Route 93 remainsa critical piece for Methuen and the state,and I will work with Senator Baddour andCongressman Meehan to see this projectthrough. It is my hope that we can work withthe state to help fix the intersection at Crossand Pelham (Rte. 93) and help foster bothbetter traffic flow for our citizens as well aseasier access for business in the area.

Regulatory Streamlining: It is my intentto search for ways to reduce regulatory redtape for both citizens and business. It is myintention to study our current regulatoryburden and seek through such study toeliminate unnecessary paperwork andexpense. I believe that through a simple useof information technology we can achievesome measure of relief. An example wouldbe the filing of paperwork already with thecity from prior years filings.

Postal Service: I will continue to makethe case to Congressman Meehan and post-al officials that Methuen needs a new postoffice. In the interim, we need additionalsatellite offices, and will work towards onein the West End. Ultimately, however acommunity of Methuen’s size needs a new,modern postal facility centrally located.

Information Technology: Methuen’swebsite will be overhauled immediately, andwe will explore new, cutting edge ways ofcommunicating with our citizens.Information technology will be a way to

bring government closer to the public, andwill make us more accessible.

Renovation of Methuen High School: I willlook to see what, if any, recommendationshave come out of the High School StudyCommittee. I will convene an executive groupto ascertain what immediate steps need tobe taken to move us towards successfulacquisition of state assistance in thisendeavor. Although the new state entitydealing with funding has yet to issue finalguidelines, it is my desire to outline atimetable for Methuen with regards to thisproject. Our needs are clear in this area andwe must create a process, and then move itforward.

These are not the only issues, but theyare some of the more prominent ones beingmentioned to me by the people I am meeting

My Mayoral Agenda for MethuenBill Manzi, Methuen City Councilor

during the campaign. Methuen has a newfire chief, and he has some very interestingideas about managing our fire department.Public safety will continue to be a priority,as will the creation of a larger communitycenter in our Arlington Neighborhood, andcontinued excellence in our Department ofPublic Works. I am committed to workingwith our youth groups to properly manageour fields, and if possible, expand ourexisting inventory. Our recreation program,as well as continued after school activities,will be a top priority in my administration. Ilook forward to seeing you on the campaigntrail. Please remember to participate in ourdemocracy by taking the opportunity tovote on November 8th.

Please email any comments or sugges-tions to manziformayor@comcast.net .

Methuen City Councilor Billy Manzi (background, second from right)was endorsed last week by Congressman Marty Meehan, State SenatorSteve Baddour and former State Senator Jim Jajuga in Methuen Square.

Re-Elect Kenneth R. Willette, Jr.

Methuen City Councilor At-Large

"You Know Where Ken Willette Stands on the Issues"

On the Issue of Local Government Spending:Ken Willette Voted AGAINST the last two town

budgets because more cuts were necessary

On the Issue of Taxes:Ken Willette Voted AGAINST Tax

Increases for the last two years in a row!

On the Issue of Identifying Sex Offenders:Ken Willette Recommended the placement of

detailed information, including photos, on level 3sex offenders on our local government access

channel - to protect families and childrenI am grateful for

your support & yourvote on Election Day,

Tuesday-November 8th.

On the Issue of Accountability:Ken Willette will continue to ensure that all elected

officials are held accountable to the taxpayers.Ken has always maintained high ethical standards.

Paid for by the Committee to Elect Ken Willette, Jr.

The Valley Patriot October - 2005 21

Laborers'

International

Union of North America

Laborers'Laborers'

InternationalInternational

Union of NorUnion of North Americath America

BILL MANZIBILL MANZIBILL MANZIMayor of Methuen

Mayor of MethuenMayor of MethuenPaid for by the Local Laborers' International Union of North America

Local 175

Proudly Endorses

Local 175Local 175

32 Hampshire St.

Methuen Square

One Owner...Two Dining ExperiencesCasa Vecchia ExpressGourmet Italian Take-Out

GOURMET ITALIAN TAKE-OUT

CATERING FUNCTIONS

Mon. - Sat.

11am-10pm

Sunday closed

(978) 689 - 2266

Mon. - Sat.

4pm -Close

Sunday closed

(978) 327 - 5049

Buy 2 Dinners get 1/2 off thelesser price.Dine in Only,

Mon. Tues. Wed.

Take out Dine in

22 The Valley Patriot October - 2005Kids & Education

by Hanna, Age 11

Hanna's Education Corner

Methuen Mayoral Candidate, Ellen BahanAn Interview with

Why are you running for mayor?

I’m running for mayor because I reallybelieve I can make a difference in the city ofMethuen.

What do you do for work?

I’m an interior designer. I opened up myown business 25 years ago.

Why do you think you are qualified to bemayor?

I think I am qualified because, in the last10 years, I have made local government agreat study of mine. I graduated fromKatharine Gibbs in 1972, which taught megreat reference that I am very good atinvestigating. I have been watching this cityfor years and have found many things thatI do not like, and I want to change them.

What are your goals as mayor?

My first goal as mayor is to have an audit.I want to audit every fund that comes intothe city. I want an independent audit, too.We have to hire someone who has no biasto come in and take a look at the finances ofthe city. Second, I want a moratorium onresidential building.

I think that we need to catch up on ourservices, like our police, fire, schools, andour water. Our water treatment plant hasbeen bonded so that it is currently beingbuilt, but we need to catch up on our otherservices and stop the residential building.

What do you plan to change if you areelected mayor?

I plan to change the fact that thegovernment is not open to the people. Weneed to take back the government and giveit to the people. People must have access topublic information and they have to belistened to. When they have concerns andthey call up the mayor, their concerns havevalue.

What is your favorite book?

I have so many favorite books. Myfavorite book is probably “The King ofTorts,” by John Grisham. I like John Grishama lot, but I often don’t have a lot of time toread for recreation.

What makes a good mayor?

A good mayor is someone who listens tothe people and acts in the best interest ofthe people only. It is someone who doesn’tbring politics into it, someone who does thejob for the honor of doing the job and takingcare of the people. When I’m elected, it’snot going to be about me, it is going to beabout the people.

How are you different from yourcompetition?

I am different from my competitionbecause I am not one of the good old boysor good old girls. I do not owe anyoneanything. I come with a clean slate, which

Photo by Rachel

will make it easier for me to do the job andtake care of the people’s needs first - aboveand beyond anything else.

If elected, do you have any new ideas aschairman of the school committee?

Yes, I do. I just came back from a wholeschool year in North Carolina. And I got tosee exactly how a different school systemoperates and I liked it very much. Theyseparate their classes differently. I was justreading Senator Baddour’s plan to promotebetter schools; he wants to add an extra hourto the school day. In North Carolina theyalready have added that hour and it isworking out very well. They also have aprogram called SAGE for advanced kids.What they do is take the advanced kids andrun about 8-12 lessons ahead of everyoneelse. So kids are not held back if they arebright. They can move at their own pace.

Do you support MCAS?

Yes, yes, I do. I think there need to bechecks and balances in everything we do. Ireally believe in checks and balances ingovernment. I think MCAS needs a littlework, but it is a great start.

Should good teachers be paid the sameas bad teachers?

Well, yes, but they have a contract so it ishard to weed out the bad teachers.

Where did you grow up and where didyou go to school?

I grew up in Salem, New Hampshire andwent to Saint Joseph’s School from first toeighth grade. I went to Salem High Schooland then Katharine Gibbs School in Boston.

Do you have any children and, if so, wheredo they go to school?

I have three children: two daughters whoare out of school and a son who is in theeighth grade at the Tenny.

Do you have any new ideas for the schoolcurriculum?

As I have talked about before, I wouldcertainly like to look into the enrichment pro-gram. Right now my son is in the enrichmentprogram and he doesn’t like it because theytake him out of school in the middle of theday. It disrupts his other classes, so I wouldlook into changing that. Also, we need totrain our students to be vital members ofsociety when they get out of school.

Is “No Child Left behind” working inMethuen?

I don’t know, honestly, if it is working inMethuen. One of the reasons I am runningfor mayor is because I can’t get access topublic information like this. I think that onceI am in office, I will be able to look at all thisand see how all those programs are working.Right now, public information is not madeavailable to me, or they charge me so muchmoney that I can’t afford it.

Who has endorsed you and doendorsements help?

I believe some endorsements help, but Ialso believe that they feed into the good-

Hanna, The Valley Patriot's ace reporter, interviews

Methuen mayoral candidate Ellen Bahan.

You can Email Hanna atValleyPatriot@aol.com

Merrimack ValleySchool of Hair Design

COSMETOLOGYDEVELOP THE REAL

YOUHigh Demand Job Market

Financially Rewarding Career

www.m-v-s-h-d.com 978-688-1133

Day and Evening Classes Available1,000 Hour Course

Methuen/Lawrence line at 315 East Haverhill Street,less than one mile from Interstate 495

A PROSPEROUS CAREER IN HAIR DESIGNIS OFFERED IN THE MERRIMACK VALLEY

BARBER / ESTHETICS COMING SOONENROLL NOW FOR THE FALL CLASS

Become State LicensedComfortable...family-friendly atmosphere

SIGN UP NOW

Open for Public Services Walk-Ins WelcomedPaul Mitchell, Joico, Matrix and many more professional products used!!

old-boy and good-old-girl system. And thepeople in the good-old-boy and girl systembelieve that endorsements help. But I’m notlooking for endorsements of the politicos; Iam looking for endorsements of the peopleI will be serving. I believe that I am going toget the endorsement of those peoplebecause they are tired and don’t want moreof the same.

Will you raise taxes?

No. I won’t raise taxes. Again, I am goingto need access to the public records that Ihaven’t been able to get access to. Methuen,over the last six years, has taken a 15 milliondollar levy limit and dwindled it to almostnothing, while performing the biggest build-out in the history of the city. So, one has towonder where all this money is going. I planon tracking it and looking into every corner.

The last thing I would ever do is raisetaxes. In fact, I’m looking to do an underride.

What are you going to do about the schoolsthat were put on the warning list because ofMCAS?

Well, I am certainly going to look into that.I don’t think we are getting a clear picture ofwhat is going on in our schools. I wouldvery much like to support Senator Baddour’sproposal to bring more accountability to ourschool systems.

Do you support the city council vote notto give the next mayor a raise?

I certainly do. In fact, if it had passed lastmonth, I would have taken the amountabove and beyond whatever the currentmayor receives for pay and use that moneyfor the independent audit I want when I getin.

We had to reschedule this interviewbecause of a zoning board meeting aboutcell towers. Can you tell me what happenedat your meeting?

Unfortunately, at the zoning board meet-ing, the board failed to uphold the bylawsthat I wrote, and I am furious. Their thinkingwas that if they didn’t let this cell towerantenna into a building - which is going tobe the base station - and the antennas endup on the fire department building near daycare where kids play outside, they wereafraid that Omnipoint would have sued us. Ibelieve that some things are worth gettingsued over and that the health and well beingof the citizens is one of those.

What are your concerns about localboards, and whom would you appoint to cityboards if you get elected?

I would very much like to set up a talentbank of qualified people who want to serveon these boards. It takes a lot of time toserve on the boards, especially those likethe zoning board. You need time to ridearound and look at the land parcels. I thinkthat there are plenty of wonderful, intelligentpeople in Methuen who would like to dotheir civic duty and serve on these boards.

The Valley Patriot October - 2005 23Kids & Education

Book Keepers CornerDr. Charles Ormsby

The legend of Lexington and Concordtells us that the British army was given agood drubbing by a bunch of untrainedfarmers who were poorlyprepared but got the upperhand by shooting frombehind rocks and trees.The “rocks and trees”portion embodies sometruth, but the untrainedand poorly prepared partis pure fiction.

General Galvin’s book,“The Minute Men, TheFirst Fight: Myths &Realities of the AmericanRevolution,” gives anentirely different view of the preparednessof the revolutionary “rabble.” First, the bookprovides a history of the minute manconcept starting from early colonial times.With this as backdrop, Galvin details theevents of April 19, 1775 as the minute menrespond to the British attempt to raid thecolony’s military stores in Concord. Whatthe legend of Lexington and Concordportrays as a surprising outcome, this bookclearly describes as nearly inevitable.

The concept of colonialists being readyto fight “on a moment’s notice” originatedshortly after the colonists first arrived onthis continent. It was a natural response toIndian raids on farms and villages. Farmershad to respond instantly to these raids orbe faced with almost certain annihilation.

Galvin traces the history of militarypreparedness and rapid response in the 150years leading up to the Battles of Lexingtonand Concord. This history includes the“snow shoe men,” who hunted Indianscalps for the bounty placed on them byMassachusetts. Galvin also traces theevents of the French and Indian War thatproduced the “picket guards” concept. Thisconcept required men to “lie on their armsall night and in case of any alarm be readyto turn out at a minute’s warning.”

As 1775 approached, the training andcoordination of the minute men became moreand more sophisticated. When April 19th

arrived and the British set outfor Lexington, the Redcoatswere facing forty-sevenregiments of theMassachusetts Militiacontaining over 14,000 men(more than 4,000 of whom,from 14 regiments, actuallyengaged the British that day).

Seven hundred Britishregulars marched from Bostonvery late on the 18th of Aprilunder orders by General Gage.This was a woefully

inadequate force given the high state ofpreparedness of the minute men and colonialmilitia forces. The local forces knew severaldays in advance that an operation wasimminent and had time to disperse and hidetheir military supplies — including ten tonsof musket balls! — while preparingnumerous alert riders … Paul Revere beingmerely the best known.

Colonial forces were assembling atLexington Green in the middle of the night,hours before the British troops arrived. Theyintentionally avoided blocking the Britishadvance, but the British chose to confrontthem directly and probably fired the initialshot. A big mistake!

It was first light when that shot was fired.Eight colonialists were killed and ninewounded. By the time the British enteredConcord, thousands of minute men andcolonial militia were either waiting for themor on their way.

The skirmish at Concord’s North Bridgewas a rout. The British were outnumbered4-to-1 and were silly enough to fire first. Onevolley from the revolutionary forces was allit took to send the Redcoats running. After

”Twins Escaping from the Back Yard”Our twins who are four years old have a problem staying in our back yard. I do not want

them leaving the yard unless I know where they are going.

At four they are too young to be left alone in a yard with or without fencing for anylength of time. You would be boggled if you knew the trouble two four year olds can getinto in a yard, even if it only has dirt in it. Don’t chance it. If they do not stay put with youwatching them from a window, then by all means go out with them or have them stay insideuntil you are available to be outside. If you don’t have a fence, get one installed and whilethey are young, have the only access be from the house.

My son,who just turned three and a half, recently started attending preschool threemornings a week. He seems to enjoy going and the center was recommended by a friend,but I really would like to know how he is doing during the day.

You did not go into detail and let me know if you feel uneasy about the program or if youare just curious. Which ever is the case, it is clear that you need to feel at ease about hissituation. Over the next few weeks, drop by unexpectedly. Make up any excuse such asdropping spare clothes by or needing to pick him up a half hour earlier than normal. Theway you find him behaving at these odd moments of the day will be a good indication ofwhat goes on when you are not there. I can assure you that competent preschool teachersexpect parents of newly enrolled children to do this and will not be offended.

I am not allowing my children to go out trick or treating on Halloween for a variety ofreasons. Too much junk, don’t know the source of the candy, etc. This year at ages two andthree they will not miss it. What are your suggestions for future holidays?

You are smart to think it though now so that you will be consistent as the youngstersgrow up and will not waffle as they pressure you. Clarify in your mind the reasons behindyour decision so you can make those clear to your children when they are older anddemand an explanation. Some options would be, letting them attend school or neighborhoodparties only, dressing up and visiting a few close neighbors that you know or somerelatives who live nearby. If religious reasons are part of the equation and you want to dowithout the dressing up part, take them out to a family dinner on that night and make thisa tradition. Whatever you do, give it some thought now while they are young before itdoes become an issue.

My children, seven, nine, and eleven, constantly ask me to let them stay up past theirbedtimes on school nights.

If you feel the bedtimes are appropriate as is, don’t give in. Tell them the limit has beenset for a reason and as they get older it will change, but now that is it. Keep the routine atnight consistent. For example, a half hour before the time, have the children get ready, havea snack, and then give them a short time to read or be read to and then lights go out. Whatever you have them do, have them do it consistently and you will have less arguing asthey realize your mind is made up.

“Which One is Left?”Barbara Peary, M.Ed.

RAISE ‘EM RIGHT™

Please send questions to RAISE ‘EM RIGHT™, P.O. Box 831,Carlisle, MA 01741 or e-mail to RAISEEMRIGHT@aol.com. Continued on Page 30

ANDOVER — Greater LawrenceTechnical School, Andover, has announcedits Students of the Month for September.They are sophomores Tacianna Camatta,Natalie Maldonado, and Sabrina Dorsainvil,all of Lawrence.

Tacianna Camatta, the daughter of Fatimaa n dTarc is ioCamat tao fLawrence,majors inC o s -metology.S h eenrol ledat GreaterLawrencebecause,“ w h e n

you graduate, you graduate with a career.”Tacianna also intends to go to college aftershe graduates, and she believes thatattending Greater Lawrence will lead to abetter paying job that will help with hercollege expenses.

Tacianna is playing fall soccer, and is amember of the school’s TechnologyCommittee. Last year, as one of the top twoninth grade students in her class, she washonored for maintaining an A averageduring the freshman exploratory process.She was also a member of the cheerleadingsquad, a peer mediator, and a reporter forthe school newspaper, GLT Vibes.

Math Department Chair Doris Michaudnominated Tacianna to be a student of themonth. “Tacianna is very conscientious,always willing to help, and just a joy to havein the classroom,” Ms. Michaud said.

Tacianna thrived during her freshmanyear, when students explore the manydifferent occupational options available inGreater Lawrence’s career clusters. She cameto the school thinking she might major inelectronics, but changed her mind once shewas exposed to Cosmetology.

“Once I explored Cosmetology, I found Ireally liked it,” she said. “The teachers hereare very friendly, and they help you a lot.They guide you through exploratory.”

Outside of school, Tacianna likes to go tomovies with her friends.

Natalie Maldonado, the daughter of Belkisand Josué Maldonado of Lawrence, is aMachine Technology major. She enrolled atGreater Lawrence on the advice of her

b r o t h e rJosué andher sisterJ a z m i n ,who areboth GLTSgraduates.

“I likedthat theschool hasb o t hacademic

classes and career areas, so you can have amajor at the same time as you take academicsubjects,” she said.

Natalie, who found the GLTS exploratoryprocess to be very helpful in choosing amajor, said she has found the learningenvironment at Greater Lawrence to be verypositive. Her favorite academic class is math.In her career area, she enjoys working withher hands, especially on the lathes.

“It’s a great school,” she said. “You learna lot, and have fun at the same time.”

Outside of school, Natalie likes to listento music. She plans to go to college aftergraduating.

Machine Technology/CAD instructorMaurice “Skip” Bowers nominated Natalie.He praises her outstanding attitude andsheer desire to learn. Mr. Bowers alsoappreciates her helpfulness with otherstudents.

“Every day she is in class is just apleasure,” Mr. Bowers said.

Sabrina Dorsainvil, the daughter ofGladice and Wilson Dorsainvil of Lawrence,is a Graphic Communications major. Shecame to Greater Lawrence knowing shewanted to join that program.

“I’ve always liked drawing,” she said.

Sabrina, who had a perfect attendancerecord during her freshman year, washonored for maintaining an A average during

the CareerExploratoryp r o c e s s .She is amember ofthe GraphicsA d v i s o r yBoard, andis veryactive inathletics.

L a s tspring, as af r e s h m a nmember of the track team, she finished thirdin the mile run at the league meet. She alsoran indoor track, and is a twoyear memberof the varsity volleyball team.

Outside of school, she likes to playvolleyball. After graduating, she intends tocontinue her studies in college.

Graphic Communications DepartmentHead Jean Anton nominated Sabrina,saying, “She is an exemplary student,showing care and interest in everything shedoes.”

“Sabrina shows great respect for both herteachers and classmates,” she said. “Shehas a delightful, happy personality.”

The Student of the Month program wasbegun nine years ago to familiarize theGreater Lawrence communities with theschool’s outstanding students and theirachievements. Marilyn Fitzgeraldadministers the program.

Three Sophomores Named September Students of the Month at GLTSBarbara Parente

24 The Valley Patriot October - 2005

Kids & Education

Last month the North Andover School Committeeapproved measures to evaluate academic expectations andgoals for students in the North Andover School System.

School Committee member Charles Ormsby made a mo-tions, which was unanimously approved. The motion wasto intended to support the school committee initiativesadopted last year. Part of this motion specifically seeksinformation from the superintendent regarding efforts toachieve those goals. Other aspects of the motion makeclear the school committee's position supporting a rigorousacademic experience for all North Andover Students. (SeeOrmsby's motion in box at right)

Included in this motion, the Superintendent has beendirected to report his progress back to the School Committeeat the next regular meeting. Dr. Ormsby should becommended for putting forth this important motion and the

Feds Say N. A. Schools FailingPaula Porten

LAWRENCE - The Massachusetts Department of Educationreleased the Massachusetts Comprehensive AssessmentSystem (MCAS) test scores last week, showing an increase inthe percentage of students passing in Mathematics in all gradelevels in the Lawrence Public Schools.

The largest gains were noted in the middle schools, wherethere was an increase of 7% of students passing in grade six,and an increase of 4% of students passing in grade eight. Mathgains are attributed to the continued success of teachers tomove students towards a basic level of mathematicsunderstanding, as well as the addition of a new math text bookto supplement the district’s math curriculum.

The Middle school also saw gains in the percentage ofstudents passing on the 7th Grade English Language Arts testwith an increase of 3% passing— 82% of all seventh gradestudents passed the ELA component of the test. There was amarginal (1%) decrease, and increase (also 1%) in the Grade 4ELA and Grade 3 Reading tests respectively.

“We know where the gaps in achievement are and we aremaking the instructional adjustments and curriculum decisionsthat will allow us to stay focused on student achievement. I amexcited by the trend of improvement this district has establishedduring the past five years—teachers and students have workedincredibly hard for the gains that have been made and wecelebrate those gains,” said Superintendent Laboy.

At Lawrence High School, the percentage of students earningcompetency determination continues to improve each year. Fromthe class of 2003 there were 75% of students who earnedcompetency to the class of 2005, where 86% of students passedthe ELA and Math MCAS assessments.

The most marked improvements are measured over the pastfive years. Students in the 10th grade who took the MCAS testin ELA in 2000 showed 37% of students passing.

This year, 66% of students earned a passing score—a gainof over 30% in five years. Comparably in Math, students whotook the Math component of the MCAS test resulted in 23% ofstudents passing. In 2005, 56% of students passed—againand increase of over 30% of students.

Mayor Sullivan said, “It is easy to focus on the annual resultsand get lost in the comparison between this district and otherdistricts. It is of equal importance to recognize the grounds thestudents have gained during the past five years since thatgrowth is the most accurate indicator of future success.”

MATHEMATICS

MCAS Scores in Lawrence Show Improvement

Source: Lawrenec School Department

Kids & Education

rest of the school committee should be commended forunanimously approving it.

I'm hopeful that the Superintendent will produce plans tomeasure goals for the children of North Andover. I'm alsoconcerned about the need to implement these goals. Thegoals are for academic standards such as an in-crease inMCAS results and increased Advanced Placement students.

I was concerned last week when I opened up my 4th

graders MCAS math results and saw that the percentageof "needs improvement" (39%) and "warning/failing" (19%)at the Thomson School totaled more than the "proficient"(29%) and "advanced" (14%). I immediately called parentsfrom other schools in the district to see how other elementaryschools did. “Not much better” was the answer I receivedand was given their numbers to further review. No parent Ispoke with was happy with their numbers.

While other districts had schools on the federalwatch list because of their MCAS results, the entireNorth Andover school district was placed on the“watch list”. When I began looking at the numbers Iwas quite startled when I compared 4th grade mathfor 2004 to 2005. Specifically, reviewing the "pro-ficient" and "needs" improvement" categories. Atboth Kittredge and Atkinson the “needs improve-ment” category was nearly 50%, much higher than“proficient” and much higher than in 2004.

Now I look to the Superintendent to implement thegoals for student academic achievement. With thenew math curriculum and implementation of theHoughton Mifflin program, I am optimistic that thenumbers will eventually improve. Because the entiredistrict is now on the watch list, this is an opportunityfor the superintendent to turn the results around andachieve our goals. Not only will the federalgovernment be watching, but I, as well as manyparents will be watching too.

Dr. Ormsby's Expectation Initiatives

Atkinson 19 35 35 10

Franklin 17 31 47 5

Kittredge 37 34 22 7

Sargent 18 37 42 4

Thomson 4 29 47 20

2004 by %

2005 by %

North Andover 4th grade math MCAS results

Atkinson 11 32 49 8

Franklin 18 44 36 1

Kittredge 20 28 48 4

Sargent 18 39 38 6

Thomson 14 29 39 19

Needs Warning/

Advance Proficient Improv. Failing

A) That the Superintendent translate the SchoolCommittee’s district-wide academic goals into traceable goalsfor various levels in the organization with a particularemphasis upon top level administrators. The Superintendentshould report to the School Committee on these goals andhow their achievement will lead to successfulaccomplishment of the district-wide goals;

B) That the Superintendent establish a plan to ensure thatgrades and honor roll lists reflect substantially elevatedacademic expectations and that, for all courses, parents andstudents have information that explicitly informs them of astudent’s achievement level compared to that student’s peers;

C) That the Superintendent remove any communications inthe district’s guidance to students or parents indicating thatlower levels of effort on homework or otherwise is acceptedof any students regardless of academic standing. While theSchool Committee recognizes that there will be exceptions,it is our policy to set an expectation of rigorous efforts for allstudents and that this expectation should be consistentlycommunicated to all students and parents in our policymanuals and any other student/parent communication;

D) That the Superintendent develop guidance to staff thatencourages homework assignments focusing on academiccontent while minimizing assignments that are high in effortbut low in subject matter content and that these guidelinesshould also be provided to parents;

E) That the Superintendent establish clear, concise andmeasurable guidelines for achievement in core academicsubjects by grade level that are suitable for distribution tostudents, parents and the larger community. Both nominalexpectations (which should be high) and minimumrequirements should be included for each subject and grade;

F) That the Superintendent review our policies and proceduresregarding class assignments to see if more grouping on ahomogeneous basis by student achievement levels can easeteacher burdens and improve instructional efficiency in theclassroom; and

G) That at our next meeting, the Superintendent advise theSchool Committee of an appropriate timetable to report tous the information requested by Subsections A, B, D, E and Fof this motion.

The Valley Patriot October - 2005 25

Answer to Newsday Puzzle on Page 31

Thinking Outside the Box: ContinuedPeople hate to see others profit at their

expense. All I can say is, “That’s tough.Grow up.”

The few brave liberals, and in particularliberal politicians, that dare to read thiscolumn might argue, “Yeah, what you sayis true, but in the case of big corporationsprofiting while ‘little people’ are paying,we can wield the fist of government andstop those evil corporations fromincreasing their prices.” They say thisknowing that the “little people” have morevotes than big corporations, so that theycan sell this violation of private propertyrights at election time.

Corporations have given up trying todefend property rights and explaining thebenefits of leaving prices to market forces,especially since most of the voters arepoorly educated and don’t have even arudimentary understanding of basiceconomics.

Our only hope is that those who can readand exercise their rational faculties can alsounderstand that when prices rise during ashortage, it is a good thing!

Why is that? There are at least fourexcellent reasons.

First, when a commodity is in shortsupply, higher prices discourage uses that

have low value. Every one percent increasein a product’s price convinces a smallpercentage of marginal consumers that theyshould forego consumption. This tends toreduce — not eliminate, but reduce — theshortage so that those who have high-valueuses for the commodity can continue to getthe product.

Second, price increases trigger the useof substitute products for a commodity inshort supply. If a product is used in multipleapplications, it is rarely the only productthat can fill each of those needs. Oneapplication might require the scarce product,but other applications have otheralternatives. When the scarce product price

rises, users will substitute one of thealternatives that are not in short supply. Thiswill free up the scarce commodity for thoseuses where its availability is most critical.

Third, when prices rise potentialproviders are encouraged – by higherprofits — to provide more of the product orto provide alternative products to meet theapplication in need. In some cases, this leadsto a rapid increase in supply and in othercases it may take longer. Supply increasescan come from moving inventory from placeshaving surpluses to places of scarcity. Foritems such as plywood, this usually takesonly a few days. Additional supplies canalso come from increases in production.While this may take somewhat longer thanshifting inventories, it can happen rapidly –e.g., by adding a third shift – if profits aresufficient. Inventing an alternative productto meet the application’s need is alsoencouraged by higher prices, but in mostcases this takes the longest amount of time.

Fourth and finally, the possibility that aproduct might be in short supply in thefuture leads speculators to purchase excesssupplies of the product in advance of ashortage, precisely because they might reapa windfall profit if the product’s price rises.Much of the time they make no profit or losemoney because a shortage does notmaterialize. But they persist, preciselybecause when an unusual shortage doesarise, they make large profits. The extrasupply the speculators have on hand servesto moderate shortages when they do occur.

Less waste, use of alternative products,importation of supplies from areas ofsurplus, greater production, and suppliesprovided by speculators that otherwisewould not exist — all of these are themechanisms the market uses to solve theproblem of supply shortages.

When do-gooders scream, “pricegouging!” and the government outlaws“windfall profits,” all of these marketmechanisms are short-circuited. Preciouscommodities are used wastefully, alternativeproducts or supplies are not exploited,producers are slow to increase production,inventors are less excited about discoveringalternatives, and speculators don’t investin reserve supplies.

What is the end result? Shortages, longlines, economic waste, and inefficiencies.These, in turn, translate to increased humansuffering. Suffering that is prolonged insteadof rapidly overcome.

Price fluctuations and profit variations,both up and down, are the signals used bythe marketplace to communicate informationto producers, consumers, investors, andinventors. If you stop these signals, theeconomy can’t respond and the excesses/shortages of goods and services can’t becorrected.

Dr. Ormsby is a member of the NorthAndover School Committee. He is agraduate of Cornell and has a doctoratefrom MIT. If you have any questions orcomments, you can contact Dr. Ormsbyvia email: ccormsby@comcast.net

Have a tip,story idea?Call or email us - we will

keep your identityconfidential.

(978) 557-5413 ValleyPatriot@aol.com

(unless we get a call from Karl Rove)

Crossword