One of the best delights of fall is a steaming bowl of homemade soup on a crisp fall day. The Rochester Women’s Club will be offering homemade vegetable beef and kale soups for sale on Sunday, October 7 from 12:00 to 1:30 pm. All proceeds from the sales will go toward the Scholarship Fund. Takeout pints are $4.75 and quarts are $6.75. Place orders by calling Marsha at 508-322-0998. The Rochester Women’s Club is located on Marion Road at Rochester Center.
Marion Recreation will be hosting the “Nightmare at 13 Atlantis Drive” Haunted House on Saturday, October 27 and Sunday, October 28 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. Admission is $5 per person. All proceeds will go to Marion Recreation Programs.
We would like to ask the community for assistance in making this Haunted House a success. It is through partnerships with local businesses, organizations and families that we will be able to offer quality entertainment to raise money for the many programs that Marion Recreation offers.
There are several things you can do: send in a tax-deductible donation, sponsor a room (there are many rooms in the building that you can “haunt” yourself or simply provide the materials for someone to haunt it for you) or provide needed goods.
All sponsors will be featured in all printed materials and advertisements for “Nightmare at 13 Atlantis Drive.”
If you can assist us in making this a ghoulish success or have questions, please contact the Marion Recreation Department at 774-217-8355 or info@marionrecreation.com. Donations may be made out to Marion Recreation and mailed to 2 Spring Street, Marion, MA 02738. Thank you for your support.
We’re looking forward to everyone having a SPOOKTACULAR time!
The Sippican Lands Trust invites you to participate in their Story Walk which is running now through October 9. The walk will be held at the Peirson Woods property on Point Road in Marion and is free and open to the public. It is a self-guided tour that promotes physical fitness and literary skills. The walk will focus on the children’s book Johnny Appleseed.
The Mattapoisett Police Officers Association and the Town of Mattapoisett will be holding a Harvest Moon Seafood Festival on Sunday, October 14 from 2:00 to 5:00 pm in Shipyard Park. Tickets are available at Town Hall. The event will be held in memory of Richard “Turk” Pasquill.
To the Editor:
A Preliminary Note: Before reading Letter #3, some clarifying points need to be considered. Letter #3 was written and submitted before the response to previous letters appeared in last week’s issue. The response seems not to have focused on the main point of my Letters #1 and #2; the primary point of those letters was that parents, students, teachers, taxpayers and community members need to become aware of some current local, state and national educational policies that are currently affecting decisions being made in the Old Rochester District – particularly the data-driven culture and its effects. No attempt was made to discredit the high school. In fact, many points in my first two letters focus on the excellent and even stellar education the high school has provided so many of its students. My concerns emerge from my very recent experiences with the data-driven, especially AYP-driven changes that result in a district focus that is based on assessment and scores and not on authentic instruction, true learning and skill building. Several of the retired teachers whose names were on the response have not taught in the district for many years and have no firsthand knowledge of current policies. They once experienced the district and the learning environment that was the very excellence that I fear is giving way to testing and data.
What do I mean by learning and achievement? What does true proficiency mean? How has the focus on AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) changed ORR? What does work effectively for students in the classroom? Since my first letter appeared, I have had enthusiastic positive feedback from parents, former students and interested community members. Each response has expressed appreciation for my bringing the concerns to light, as well as a desire to understand further what those concerns mean. I will try now to lay out further specifics, which come from the knowledge and sense of accomplishment that my teaching experiences at ORR, ranging from grades 9 through 12 and in courses at every level – B Level through Advanced Placement and everything in between, offered me. Additionally, I had been Coordinator of the English Department for grades 7 through12, and thereby had many experiences in curriculum planning and the personal and professional observation of teachers and instruction.
What am I looking for as the result of my letters? The answer is simple. To raise awareness and to encourage others to ask questions. We can all agree that little kids love to learn new things and to be able to do new tasks – until school chases that enthusiasm and curiosity right out of them. Observe some three and four-year-olds; they love to learn and use new big words, to count, to examine insects and leaves and try to identify them, to create architectural masterpieces from blocks – no matter how much effort it takes. Why? Because they see what they are learning and doing as useful and as steps toward personal growth; not that they could articulate that, but it is evident to any observer. By contrast, in today’s frenzy over data and standardized testing, the individual child often feels that his or her investment in learning is being stripped away by the emphasis on preparation for standardized testing. Administrators and politicians will insist that progress in reaching proficiency indicates success. What, in fact, is happening is that teachers are being encouraged and directed to teach to the tests and to decrease time spent on subjects and creative activities that will not be tested. Hence, the students we now see in the high school are often less motivated and often lacking in a personal investment in their education.
This raises the topic of proficiency. The stated aim in all of this data gathering and reporting and the clear teaching-to-the-test approach to raising scores is the need to have all students reach “proficiency.” Proficiency by what definition? What the test advocates and test-makers mean by proficiency is a certain minimum score on a standardized test; at present, the MCAS in our state and, soon to be, the national test. The truth is that the tests have become easier; and assessment, not instruction, has become the focus of the district. What is created is a false sense of proficiency; an illusion – merely a measure on a standardized test. When those who are obsessed with data speak of proficiency and the strides made, it is a misleading proficiency – proficiency on a narrow scale – that which is measured by a narrow measure – the standardized test. True proficiency comes from excellent instruction, excitement in learning; i.e., good teachers working hard at planning lessons that engage students and challenge students at their level offering each student a personal sense of purpose and accomplishment – that which comes from learning – gaining knowledge and skills to move each student toward success in their further education, their careers and their lives. Education is personal; not a vehicle through which drill will lead toward higher scores for the school to improve its and the administrators’ ratings.
If you have followed my previous letters, you may want to know more specifically how what I have described as detrimental to the standards of true learning affects students. What are many students missing and why? I cannot cover this entire topic in one letter, but I plan to offer further scenarios in future letters.
First, I will share some success stories that have nothing to do with test scores, but everything to do with good teaching, motivating students, authentic skill building and encouraging students to recognize their own potential. In my last letter, I briefly mentioned the Tech Prep program, which ORR no longer offers. That program, with its focus on authentically taking each student forward, was just one of the ways Old Rochester had, in wiser and better times, prepared students.
For about ten years or so, some of my colleagues in various departments and I had the opportunity to teach classes in the Tech Prep program. Students in Tech Prep were usually students who had had a difficult time in elementary school and who had lost confidence in themselves as good thinkers and good students. They had been in lower level classes, but in the Tech Prep classes the potential that these students had was nurtured, and a vigorous skill building program in English, mathematics, science, pre-engineering and technology was created. These students came to find in themselves a new confidence and a new joy in learning.
Now many of these students have Bachelor of Science degrees in Nursing or in Engineering – both very demanding programs. How did this happen? Through our curriculum taking the students from where they were, working deliberately and incrementally on skills, and showing them that they could be successful students and could be excited to continue to put forth effort and enjoy learning. They took courses in pre-engineering and in other hands-on technology and those of us teaching them math and English worked on their skills. A fellow English department member and I taught them junior and senior English; we used our college prep A Level curriculum but went more slowly and with a greater sense of catching up on skills that were lacking in reading and writing – skills absolutely essential for future success. Success breeds success; and each time the Tech Prep students recognized their own progress, they were gaining confidence. Each year I worked with the students on reading Shakespeare’s Othello in the original Shakespearean language – something difficult and challenging for them; and each year, they were sure they couldn’t do it, and each year they celebrated when I congratulated them on having read every word. The discussion and writing that followed captured their excitement and understanding and prepared them for future challenges.
Within this program, we engaged in many interdisciplinary projects; some were in conjunction with Bristol Community College. The projects had tangible products of which the students were very proud – again leading to the confidence and the awareness of their own abilities, which the students had lacked when we got them. Effort and skills and nurturing teachers worked magic. I often run into some of my former Tech Prep students, and they are excited to tell me of the jobs they have and their current successes.
Sadly, our school no longer has the Tech Prep program. Through illogical administrative decisions aimed at greater uniformity and consistency, the amazing success of the program aside, nothing as hands-on and as focused on skill and confidence building exists today. The awareness that education is different for every child, and not a one-size-fits-all endeavor, is today ignored. State standards and AYP take precedence.
Most of the students graduating (nearly 100 percent of the Tech Prep students did graduate) went on to community college either right away or after working for a while, and, as stated above, many went on to four-year degrees. I am convinced that this would not have been their path without Tech Prep. Especially significant was the development of skills in reading and in writing – without which a student cannot succeed in college studies.
So often today, the individual skill building is neglected, as all march together to prepare for the ever-so-important standardized tests. Important to whom? Not to students, but to the administrators and politicians and AYP.
The Tech Prep program is just one example of reaching students as individual learners. Conformity and consistency have taken the place of innovation and inspiration. Next time, I will write about other success stories.
What ORR currently offers as one of its solutions for some students is NovaNet – no substitute for true learning and skill building and the classroom experience. What does a student miss when he or she is taken out of the classroom and completes courses and gains credits through NovaNet? What is lost? Classroom discussion, challenging reading, board work, cooperative learning, accountability, and getting along in the classroom with teachers and with other learners are lost. On NovaNet, a student is taken out of his or her classroom and away from classmates and works on a course in modules on a computer answering multiple choice questions in a self-paced program until he or she gets enough answers right to complete it. Some students on NovaNet are taking courses for credit recovery and some are taking whole English, mathematics, science or social studies courses. In some instances, students have been moved out of teachers’ classrooms without those teachers having been part of the decision. Assigning students to NovaNet is done by committee. Students are then not held accountable for poor classroom performance or behavior and thereby miss out on the lifelong skills and values of dealing with personal consequences and responsibility.
Students’ repeating of courses, retaining students in a grade, students coming to high school for a fifth year are all negatives for the ever-revered AYP score. Where are learning and the good of the student? Some teachers and even students see this as “giving away diplomas.” Students themselves have expressed how the academic culture and standards have been reduced for all of them, even those in upper level classes.
An example: “Student A” does not like coming to school, has erratic attendance, has fallen behind, and does not invest time or effort in any assignments. “Student A” does not feel school has much to offer him or her. Administrators and guidance counselors become concerned about a possible dropout – a big negative for AYP. So “Student A” is taken out of some classes, given a diminished schedule that allows him or her to come to school only every other day, which, with our rotating schedule, means only two days in some weeks. “Student A” does credit recovery on NovaNet and graduates with his class – diploma in hand, but few of the skills acquired.
ORR, in fact, has not had a dropout problem in all the years I taught there; the dropout rate was miniscule because teachers, guidance counselors and administrators worked to motivate, inspire and remediate while encouraging each reluctant student to value what the school and teachers had to offer him or her.
Students need to be personally invested in their own learning. Why? Because learning is important and ideally creative and inspiring; not because their teachers and schools are judged by scores from once-a-year tests.
I do not claim to have all the answers in education. I know that some schools in our cities need to meet the needs of their students more effectively. I don’t claim to have those solutions. I wish I did. I do, however, know the schools in the Old Rochester Regional District and how they have met student needs in many creative ways. Dismantling that excellence for narrow standards and meaningless test scores rather than learning is to neglect our true responsibility to the ORR families and communities.
The current obsession with data and the belief that anything worthwhile should be measurable in numbers have little application to education. Any reasonable person knows that what contributed to his or her learning was not measurable in numbers, but was rather the expertise, the energy, the competency in subject matter, the passion, the caring, and the encouragement of good teachers. Measuring the bottom line in numbers is absolutely necessary if your business is manufacturing or sales, but not for education. Our students should be proud learners; not numbers for data-driven ratings.
“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” ― Albert Einstein
More topics to cover next time. I have peaked the interest of some readers and will share more specifics so that further understanding and awareness can be raised.
Thank you for reading.
Teresa R. Dall
Mattapoisett
The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence.
The Marion Board of Selectmen signed the Purchase and Sales Agreement for property at 185 Wareham Street for the Habitat for Humanity house that will be built in the near future. The decision was made at the Board’s regular meeting on Tuesday, September 17 in the Marion Town House.
The Board signed the agreement with the stipulation that the plan will be revised slightly before it is completely finalized. The new plan will be issued to the Board when it is complete. The revisions will be minor and will not affect the structural plans for the property.
Additionally, the Board granted Habitat for Humanity temporary access to the property so that they may demolish the existing structure before the lot is cleared and the construction can begin. Had the Board not granted the temporary access, Habitat for Humanity would have had to apply for an easement at the Fall Town Meeting, ultimately delaying the start of the construction.
In other news, Department of Public Works Superintendent Robert Zora met with the Board to give an update on the department. Zora said that the DPW will be hiring two employees in the coming weeks: one labor position and one truck driver position.
The DPW will be assisting the town in the Sprague Cove herbicide spraying. However, before the area can be sprayed, it needs to me mowed. Zora suggested hiring a mower since the town does not own one that would cut the area sufficiently. The area only needs to be mowed three times each year.
“We will be looking at other options. We can’t justify it right now,” Zora said about purchasing a new mower.
Zora also advised the town that it is time to start looking into replacing one of the town’s water tanks. He said the process should be done every three years as opposed to every five years. The town will send divers into the tank to inspect the damages and to see how long the current tank will last before it needs to be completely replaced.
The tank will cost approximately $4 million to replace. The existing tank will be torn down and the new one will be located in the same spot. Zora said the town has already allotted $130,000 for design and engineering on the project.
Town Administrator Paul Dawson gave an update on the repainting of the parking lot at the Marion General Store. Two companies submitted bids for the project and Dawson recommended using LBC Construction’s services. LBC will repaint the lot for $1,100 and also recommends seal coating and crack filling for an additional fee. John Ludes, partial owner of the lot, will attend the next meeting to discuss a final decision.
Dawson also updated the board on the Marion Natural History Museum ceiling repair situation. The town has met with the engineer; however, a final price tag on the project is still two to three weeks away. Meanwhile, the museum is trying to secure grant money to try and repair some of the elements inside of the museum that will not be covered by insurance.
“There is progress so that is a good thing,” said Dawson.
FEMA will hold a meeting on Tuesday, September 25 at 6:00 pm at Old Rochester Regional High School. A mistake on one of the flood maps will be discussed. The Board urges residents to attend the meeting to educate themselves on the new maps.
The Marion Board of Selectmen will meet again on Tuesday, September 25 at 7:00 pm in the Marion Town House.
By Katy Fitzpatrick
The Junior Friends of the Mattapoisett Free Public Library are offering a free showing of the film “Tangled” on Wednesday, September 26 at 1:00 pm in the downstairs meeting room. Because this date is a half day of school, children are welcome to spend some time at the library and enjoy the free moving and refreshments, courtesy of the Junior Friends.
The Rochester Board of Selectmen and Board of Assessors met to discuss a variety of issues that had been plaguing them for months. The discussion was held at the Selectmen’s regular meeting on Monday, September 17 in Rochester Town Hall.
“Our objective is to clear the air and get some good, constructive ideas going,” said Assessor John Mello.
The first order of business for the Boards to discuss was the tax abatement and interest issue between the town of Rochester and Covanta SEMASS. According to the Selectmen, Tax Collector Beatrice Renauld was never notified that the tax interest for Covanta SEMASS was waived; therefore, the town issued the company money that it didn’t have to. Renauld issued the money back in June and the money has yet to be refunded. According to the Selectmen, it was the Assessors’ responsibility to tell Renauld the interest was waived.
“The collector should have been notified,” said Mello.
The two boards agreed to work together to try and get the refunded money back from SEMASS.
The biggest source of controversy in the meeting was the discussion of the contract, evaluation and working hours of one town employee position: the Massachusetts Appraisal Tehcnical Advisor. According to the Assessors, they never received the original copy of the new contract for the position, which had been renewed when the initial contract of three years expired. The selectmen, however, contested that all contracts for town employees are kept in the same place for the sake of organization.
“You do not have authority over this position,” said Mello.
The discussion about contracts then transitioned into a talk about the evaluation of the town employee. The assessors were displeased that Town Administrator Richard LaCamera had access to the confidential information when they believed that the only people who should be able to access the information are the employee and his direct supervisors.
“The risk of a breach of confidentiality is a concern of mine,” said Mello.
Town Counselor Blair Bailey answered the Assessors’ concerns by saying that LaCamera only opens the evaluations to make sure they are completed with all the necessary information and that he does not read them. Furthermore, Selectman Naida Parker ensured the Assessors that the evaluations were in safe hands.
“The confidentiality of those documents has always been paramount in this town,” she said.
Mello deemed the tone LaCamera addressed the Assessors in as unprofessional and condescending. LaCamera responded by saying that there had been three months of emails from the Assessors that were unprofessional.
In other news, Assessor Jana Cavanaugh updated the Board on the status of the Fiscal Year 2013 Tax Rate. Cavanaugh said a final review of the rate will be conducted on Wednesday, and when an agreement has been reached, it will be submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. From there, the Department of Revenue will respond to the town with an approval or denial of the rate.
“We are right where we think we should be,” said Cavanugh.
In other business, LaCamera informed the Board that he has received a timeline for the project for improvements to Rochester Town Hall. He said he asked the Financial Committee to join the next Selectmen’s meeting in order to further discuss the project. Also, the Board suggested that December 3 be the date for the Annual Tree Lighting. The date, however, has not been completely solidified.
The Rochester Board of Selectmen will meet again on Monday, September 24 at 7:00 pm in Rochester Town Hall.
By Katy Fitzpatrick
No abutters to the River Road two-lot definitive subdivision plan attended the public hearing on Monday, September 17 at the regular Marion Planning Board meeting. Engineer Gregory Morse presented the Board with revised plans which took into account the abutters’ comments from previous public hearings, as well as the advice from town consulting engineer Ken Motta.
“We’ve revised our drainage system,” Morse said. “We’ve rerouted all the flow from this system across the street to a tidal pool.”
The revised plans also included a swale, as well as many new catch basins that will be piped together in a single network.
“This swale now directs stormwater away from abutters to the cul-de-sac,” Morse said.
Furthermore, Morse has revised the grading for the roadway, increasing it so that the plan no longer requires the contentious retention wall. The grade still requires a waiver from the Board, however.
Because Morse is in the process of obtaining an easement, Chairman Jay Ryder expressed slight concern for the project.
“That easement is integral to the drainage system,” he said.
Overall, the revised plans earned the appreciation of the Board, which opened the public hearing with a reading from an email written by DPW Superintendent Robert Zora.
“I am in agreement with the revisions,” Zora wrote.
Board member Thomas Magauran praised the homeowner and Morse for their work on the subdivision plan, citing it as a much-needed improvement for River Road’s drainage system.
“You as an applicant are subsidizing the town’s work on that road,” Magauran said. “You guys are creating a win, win, win for everyone.”
Motta also spoke to the Board, explaining the new documents that have been submitted: an updated cover letter for the project and an updated waiver list.
“We’ve gone through all the waivers,” Motta said. “We feel [the project] is in the best interest for the neighborhood in that area.”
Because a single abutter expressed interest in attending the public hearing but was not able to do so, the Board voted for a continuance.
“I hate to close the public hearing and deny her that right,” Magauran said.
“I think we’re very close,” Ryder told Morse. “And between lines of communication for the next meeting, we may be that close.”
The public hearing will be continued at the Board’s next regular meeting on Monday, October 1 at 7:10 pm.
In its other business, the Board approved two ANR plans, both represented by Brian Grady of GAF Engineering. In both plans, the respective homeowners sought to dissolve interior property lines, thereby combining multiple lots into a single one. Ryder emphasized to Grady that such an action would not be reversible.
The first ANR plan, for property at 7 Cove Circle, was approved by the Board with Stephen Gonsalves abstaining. The second ANR plan, for property at 43 Converse Road, was approved by the entirety of the Board.
In its last business, the Board participated in a discussion with David Davignon of Schneider and Associates, who was representing the owner of Indian Cove Boat Yard. Davignon described the plans for the yard, which includes subdivision into three properties.
“One lot would be located entirely in Mattapoisett,” Davignon said. The remaining two lots would be located in Marion.
After the discussion, Ryder told Davignon that the next step in the process is submitting a formal application with plans. Magauran also advised Davignon to check the bylaws for right-of-ways with Motta prior to submission.
The next meeting for the Marion Planning Board will be on Monday, October 1 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.
By Anne Smith
A representative from the Mattapoisett Town Council was present for tonight’s Planning Board meeting to clear up some miscommunication between the two parties regarding the Board’s jurisdiction over granting a special permit for the construction of a cell phone tower off Jane Lane. Since the proposed location is not within the designated corridor near Route 195, the authority of the Planning Board was in question.
Attorney Jonathan M. Silverstein, from Kopelman & Paige, P.C., a Boston legal firm that acts as Mattapoisett’s Town Council, provided a ruling to the Planning Board, stating that the ZBA is responsible for the cell tower decision because of the residential location of the tower.
But getting that ruling had proven difficult. In a previous Planning Board meeting, some members had voiced their concern that they had not had correspondence with Kopelman & Paige regarding the question of their jurisdiction. Silverstein said that he received a request for information from the building inspector on June 20, but said he was unaware of the Planning Board’s requests for information and apologized for the lack of timeliness of his response.
“The building inspector had asked a question when this application was filed and I answered it when he asked it of me.”
He said he had first heard about the communication problem between the two parties via an article published in the local press.
“Just for the record, there had been no request of me, at least that got to me, regarding this application. I thought it important to set the record straight that no request had been made of us. As Mr. Merlo indicated, he made the request of me on August 28 and the next day, I did get the letter out,” Silverstein said.
He also said he wanted to make sure that they can all maintain a good working relationship and to improve communication between him and his clients and that he wanted to speak face-to-face with the Planning Board as an act of good faith.
In other business, the Board held a hearing for Dennis Mahoney & Sons, regarding vacant land on Marion Road (Route 6). The applicant is proposing to build a 100-foot right of way as an access path to the proposed cell tower off Jane Lane. The road would also help provide frontage to two abutting parcels of land.
Jeff Youngquist of Outback Engineering represented Mahoney at the meeting.
“The reason the road is so long, is in case we ever have to sell the property, they can get frontage off this road,” he said. “All we need is a gravel driveway to get back to the cell tower and that’s basically it.”
“Just to clarify. . .we’re here to just clean up and give you proper frontage on this existing lot,” said Planning Board member John Mathieu.
The proposed cell tower is located outside of the designated area, a corridor next to Route 195. Due to its location, the Planning Board does not have the authority to grant a special permit, but must defer to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a decision.
The construction of the proposed road would divide one lot into two, but would be considered to be one lot because there is no plan to develop the land for homes.
“Essentially it’s one lot now and it’s staying one lot, but the use of that lot is not before us now. This is about cleaning up that lot and creating adequate, legal frontage,” Mathieu said.
As a result, the engineering company has requested waivers be granted for the non-essential features that would be required if the lot was being developed for housing.
Planning Board Thomas Tucker read a letter of endorsement submitted by highway surveyor Barry Denham, stating that the plan adheres to state law.
“My recommendation would be to accept it and that we make sure of Lot #1 is subdivided in any way shape or form, it comes back before the Board,” said Planning Board member Ronald Merlo.
The Planning Board then voted unanimously in favor of the project.
The Planning Board then heard from Brad Saunders, representing the Bay Club, regarding a Form C Application to subdivide land at the Bay Club.
The proposal would divide an existing lot and add those pieces to abutting lots, with no plans for building construction on any of the lots.
“So basically you’ve got the same amount of open space and you’re reducing it by one lot,” said Merlo.
“It makes some sense in some regards because some of these lots are tight,” said Saunders.
The Planning Board voted in favor of the plan.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board will be on Monday, October 1, 2012, at 7:00 pm at the Town Hall.
By Eric Tripoli
