Letters
Cuts to senior meals will hurt
To the Bulletin:
Governor Patrick's recent budget proposal includes an item that would severely cut funding for elder nutrition. I have deep concerns over the proposed $1.5 million cut to that program.
A 24 percent reduction would eliminate 240,000 free or subsidized meals for needy seniors who would otherwise be at risk for going hungry. Coupled with the fact that Highland Valley Elder Services has not seen an increase in funding for nutrition in the past 20 years despite a growing senior population, a 24 percent cut would be devastating to the senior nutrition program.
The nutrition program is vital to maintaining the health and well-being of at-risk seniors who are unable to shop and cook for themselves. An elder who is poorly nourished is at greater risk for illness. In addition to providing nourishment, delivery of a meal to a homebound, isolated senior is often the only social contact that elder has in the day. In their brief visits, those who deliver the meals are able to assess the needs of the individual and check on his or her safety and well-being. The nutrition program through Highland Valley Elder Services helps low-income seniors to remain in their homes and avoid nursing home care.
Urge your legislators to restore funding for the elder nutrition program.
Rosemary Kofler
Amherst
Rosemary Kofler is the secretary of the Amherst Council on Aging.
Music soars above football
To the Bulletin:
Super Bowl Sunday was not just about football for some University of Massachusetts students.
At the same time the game was being played, 39 UMass musicians were playing Beethoven, Mendelssohn, and Sullivan. The UMass Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Jonathan Brennand, candidate for a Master's Degree in orchestral conducting, performed to a full audience at Grace Episcipal Church in Amherst.
The music was glorious!! Tha talent and commitment of these students earned them a standing ovation from a cheering audience!
It was very inspiring and exciting to know that we have students at UMass who are committed to keeping arts and music alive and well.
Fran Plumer
Amherst
Anherst schools said lacking
To the Bulletin:
It would have been nice to read articles that instead of refuting former School Committee member Sanderson, questioned why these issues keep coming up, not just from her but from numerous other parents. The common thread revolves around the elementary schools and parents' concerns that they don't see the schools heading in the right direction.
For years I have been concerned about the lower level of challenge in the elementary schools and was told, "don't worry, they all catch up, it all comes together in the middle school and high school." Now being a middle school parent I must agree it is significantly better but is that conscionable or even fair for the middle school teachers and students? Students who need intervention need to be targeted and show significant improvement by the third grade. This attitude of don't worry does not provide corrective education tools in a timely manner and makes it more likely that these students will remain in special education at an increasingly higher cost for themselves, their families and the district.
Why are there so many constant concerns about our elementary schools? Why do parents perceive that the middle school and high school are better? Is there increased rigor in the middle school and high school? Is it the infusion of students from towns with populations of highly educated people and a per capita income $11,000 to $17,000 higher than Amherst that help to bring up test scores? Has anyone ever taken out the three towns from the high school MCAS and SAT data to see if we truly fare better compared to elementary school?
Whether it is academic rigor that improves test scores or significant population changes from elementary to middle school, or some other reason, ongoing concern from parents requires us to quickly determine the reasons.
Amherst has too much going for it to be performing at the current level. We have one of the highest educated populations in the state and country. More than 41 percent of the residents have masters degrees or higher, and over 70 percent have a bachelors or better. We spend over $3,000 per student more than the state average, and the teacher student ratio is 10:1 compared with the state at 13.9:1.
Why are three of our School Committee members defending themselves and the administration? Their time would be better spent asking deeper, unrelenting questions until honest answers and, more importantly, solutions are found. All of our children and especially our most at risk children depend on it.
Michael Jacques
Amherst
Racial claim questioned
To the Bulletin:
In your recent article entitled "Choice of teen school board member sparks criticism," a Ms. Jacquelyn Smith-Crooks is quoted as saying: "I think race is a factor, as much as we would like ours to be a post-racial community#If you have 45 percent or more of your consumers underrepresented on a governing board, that should raise somebody's concern."
I find this attitude curious. If one truly believes that we should be judged by the content of our character and not by the color of our skin, to suggest that one can only be represented by someone of the same race is offensive. How is suggesting that race be a factor any different than#racism? If we want to live in a "post-racial community," we need to start acting like it.
Paul Maiewski
Whately
School committee choice praised
To the Bulletin:
I was struck that several members of the Amherst School Committee voted for a student to fill a the vacated spot on the committee because he said he would not be a candidate for a full term.
I'm not sure why they would feel this way. It seems to me that it would be invaluable to have a full-voting student voice on the School Committee.
I was the first student member of the School Committee (way back in 1983) and I believe it was important for the adult members of the committee to have to reckon with student concerns at each meeting.
I am glad the tradition of a student member continues. However, there is nothing like having a real vote to have one's views heard.
Max Page
Amherst
School evaluation process rapped
To the Bulletin:
Critics of charter schools were no doubt delighted to read about the trials and tribulations of the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School in Hadley. The school had been criticized in a state evaluation widely covered in the press. As a member of the school committee of the Gill-Montague Regional School District, which has been declared a Level Four underperforming district based on a report riddled with factual errors, I urge the critics to be careful what they wish for.
This could happen to you.
The process, if you can call it that, begins when a district or school is flagged for some reason, perhaps legitimate, by the state. The evidence seems to show that in both the charter and Gill-Montague cases the issues that led to state concerns were dealt with in a timely manner. Yet the school or district may find itself trapped in a nightmare.
The essence of the problem is that once a district or school has been flagged, a veritable bureaucratic feeding frenzy occurs. Various consultants, often retired school officials supplementing their incomes, descend on the school or district.
Inevitably they find all sorts of things wrong that probably take place in numerous schools or districts in the commonwealth. A report ensues containing a grab bag of complaints, some of them valid and some not, but most only marginally related to the original issue. These criticisms then appear in a very long press report (or two) creating the impression that something is terribly wrong.
The bad publicity of course seriously undermines the reputation and viability of the school or district, a reality for which the state is totally unaccountable.
The administration and staff, their reputations at stake, jump through numerous bureaucratic hoops and hope for the best. The bureaucracy, observing this behavior, feels it is accomplishing a great deal of good.
The Chinese immersion school is an exciting experiment that hopefully will avoid this fate. But the state evaluation process is a scandal. It continues because the victims are afraid to challenge it.
Jeff Singleton
Montague
Jeff Singleton is a member of the Gill-Montague Regional School District School Committee, but notes that the views here are his alone and do not represent the position of the committee.
MacCracken plugged for registry post
To the Bulletin:
This letter is to express my support for Bonnie MacCracken of Amherst in her run for Registrar of Deeds in Hampshire County. In my nearly 40 years in the land survey industry, it has become apparent to me that the public is best served by a Registry of Deeds administered by someone whose daily profession has required using that registry on a day to day basis, rather than someone whose experience is political.
The administration of a registry can make small changes in recording and storage/retrieval options that can make a big difference to the public in its use of these records. These opportunities are best recognized by one who has used these records over a considerable time.
The depth of MacCracken's research in various registries of deeds is well known to me and to many others who use the registries regularly. Residents of Hampshire County will be well served by electing Bonnie to fill the position of Registrar of Deeds.
Sterling Hubbard
Conway
