Monday is the first day of school for your precious little bundles of joy that you so annoyingly hover and fuss over. The prodigy that express so much love for you as long as you provide them with Wi-Fi, gaming consoles and the latest phone. By love, I mean they grunt sometimes at you when they need to be fed or need money.

I am sure your child is different. Right? And special. I think the same thing when I’m stuck behind a bus picking up a kid across the street from the Robinson to bring them to the Daley. “Wow. Isn’t this just so special”

I’m sure the homeowners think “aww..the little ones are back to school” as the streets get jammed with the stop sign that pokes out despite a mile and half back up so the little whippersnapper can shuffle across the road while staring cow eyed at a screen and oblivious to their surroundings. Why teach a kid to look both ways when you can inconvenience everyone else?

I may wave a hardy hello on Monday to the parent sitting in their car in their pajamas waiting for their kid to get on a bus. Probably a RAV4. Why drive your own car to drop your kid off when you can have someone else do it, right? Why walk when you can drive. Why drive when the town or city will do it for you?

Maybe I’ll send a dozen donuts to the Lowell Public School Administrators. Oh, wait. Might have to make that 3 dozen for the Supt’s Office alone. Side Bar. They should rename that positon the Director of Mostly Failing Kids Schooling (DMFKS)

I’m sure the teachers are anxious to meet the new group of students who will not be judged on progress, but on their performance on a standardized test. I bet the teachers are equally glad to shelve their creativity and talent to robotically deliver the common core and standard instruction to a diverse group of students with individual needs. Why adapt? That doesn’t help the test scores.

I mean you could adapt, but then you would be judged by the all-knowing DESE test as subpar! Who cares that a rambunctious quite shitty fifth grader reading on a1st grade level progressed up to a 4th grade level purely on your talents. That’s not on the test. FAIL

I bet the Para’s can’t wait to see their huge $1,000 raise as they deal with the most difficult and challenging children as they are paid way less than a UPS driver. Maybe the Para’s should join THAT union.

The thing I anticipate most is listening to the benefits of inclusion or the benefits of teaching ESL students in English before, you know they know English. Then give them a test in English. That’s wicked smart.

I wonder how many buses will be needed for the UMASS ICC? I’m sure the city will need a plow to get through the piles of Maura Money sure to rain down on the city.
Just so you know, I don’t hate kids. Or teachers. I hate DESE. I hate wasting taxpayers dollars. I hate stifling teacher’s ability to adapt to meet children’s needs. I hate teaching to the test. I hate having Principals for the Principals. I’m not sure it’s Principle or Principal. You know why? I had a public school education. I’m kidding. I actually had an amazing education in Lowell with teachers that were impactful. And not in a weird way, if you know what I mean. I met lifelong friends and have great memories. At least until High School. Things went off the rails there, but man was it fun. I got stories…plus the only thing more common than Keg Parties at LHS from 1986-1990 was teacher student affairs (allegedly)

However, that was all before MCAS. Before Ed Reform. And most importantly, before Neighborhood Schools went away. Granted, the schools were segregated at the time. Kinda by accident I think. Then again…things were crazy on the SC back then.

The benefits of neighborhood schools were plenty. We knew our neighbors and the kids in our neighborhoods. Families supported families. Kids walked to school for the most part. Neighborhoods focused on community.

Hell, Jay Lang, the Supt that got away because he didn’t want to pay rent at a Lowell Elites white elephant property (allegedly) .. got his start as the head of the Community Schools Program. That was money to keep neighborhood schools open longer as community centers. Image that today?

Fast forward to 2023. Neighborhoods are way more diverse. Even Candy Land is more diverse. But folks are isolated. Society is falling apart. Rather than support each other, folks pray for covid cash and Biden Bucks. Bringing back neighborhoods schools will strengthen so many things in this community. Especially now that we have district representation. We can do it.

I heard a supposed non-expert lay out the plan back in 2017. It saves on busing and brings people together. We cannot do anything about DESE locally. We can’t kill the DOD from MASS. (We also can’t ban uber eats, cars, consumerism, etc., and solve global warming from Merrimack Street but that’s another post)

What we can do is do what most of us want. Bring back neighborhood schools. Now, I have to go sit in traffic while a bus stops every ten feet for a breeder’s accessory to jump off.

Enjoy!