Dear Governor Patrick,
A mistake ignored is not a mistake corrected. I urge you to move immediately to rectify the ongoing injustice that exists as a result of the approval of the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School. Secretary Reville was wrong when he pushed for approval of this clearly deficient application in order to further a broader political agenda. His email to Commissioner Mitchell Chester acknowledges the sacrificial tone with which this school was foisted on our community. As the chief educational officer in your administration, he bears responsibility for this disaster.
He then supported the call to void the charter: “I do believe that the (IG’s) report and the preceding controversies make the continued existence of the [Gloucester Community Charter Arts School] charter not in the best interests of the school or the community.” Now he has not only backed away from this position, but is once again defending this thoroughly tainted process. His actions, along with Commissioner Chester’s, have cast a lingering shadow not only over their credibility and the integrity of the BESE, but unfortunately because of a lack of resolve from your office, that shadow has now crept to your threshold.
I urge you to show the leadership necessary to do three things necessary to help correct this wrong: 1) immediately remove and replace Secretary Reville; 2) support the Attorney General’s review of the Inspector General’s report and call for a thorough investigation into the procedural defects that were perpetrated by your education officials; 3) do what is necessary to void or revoke this ill-begotten charter.
Governor, we spoke nearly five years ago about public education and the importance of raising the bar for all children in our Commonwealth. That day I put my support fully behind your candidacy and worked on your behalf to help you become our Governor because I believed in you. I know we don’t always get what we want. Sometimes we don’t even get what we need, but at the very least we deserve justice. Gloucester has been denied due process. My three daughters and the rest of Gloucester’s students have been denied due process by this debacle. If you choose to do nothing, the burden of responsibility for this mess will be yours. Trying times require strong leadership and doing what is right is so much more important than doing that which is politically expedient. I urge you to do the right thing.
JG
Deval Patrick only seems to demand accountability from his appointees when the Boston Globe makes an issue of it. Given that Reville correctly perceives the administration’s chief priority is courting that same paper, I rather imagine he’s safe.
Not correcting this process also makes it clear that there are two kinds of processes in the Commonwealth. One for rich, suburban towns like Brookline and Wellsley and another for industrial towns like Gloucester, Springfield and Lowell.
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p>There is no way that this issue would be lingering as it has if this were a rich town. The very inadequacy of the chapter 70 funding formula is what caused these inadequacies in the first place.
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p>If you believe in fairness, grow some real stones and fix this.
The governor so far has voiced all the right things regarding the wrongful approval of the Gloucester charter school. Unfortunately, he has failed to make it happen. It’s time to step up and use his power to fix this mess.
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p>Sec. Reville and Comm. Chester need to go in order to begin repairing the credibility of the entire Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
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p>The new education bill gives tremendous authority to the “Commissioner”. That power is misplaced if Chester continues.
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p>The Governor needs to insist on correction action and get this school revoked – either through the AG’s office or his own actions. The citizens of Gloucester and the Commonwealth deserve better for their tax dollars.
is administering the policy that Patick wants. What needs to happen is that Patrick needs to be pushed hard on Charter Schools. How many Charters have opened in Wellesley, Dover, Lincoln or Belmont? Do we only remove funding from less wealthy communities?
This forum has contained many calls for the removal of Reville and/or Chester. I have written several, including this one from April.
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p>Reville is an albatross around the neck of the governor, representing everything that is arrogant and wrong with state government. Not only will Reville bring the governor down in Gloucester and vicinity, the criticism of the IG and Gloucestergate just seems to resonate in every other community where the state Department of Education has shoved a bitter pill down their throat.
Below is an exchange that occurred during a Sept 2006 debate. So Governor Patrick, how do you reconcile your funding comments with you actions relative to charters? Does Reville know your position on charter funding and how does your position reconcile with the mess that your administration has created in Gloucester? Gloucester can hardly afford to fund a charter.
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p>Veto moratorium, but cap charters until funding is reformed
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p>GABRIELI: Tom and I support charter schools because we see them as an opportunity for innovation and choice. Deval, I think you’re wrong to refuse these kids the choices that every other parent seeks for themselves to go to a great school.
PATRICK: Chris, you’re wrong that I don’t support charter schools. As important as charter schools are and as helpful as they are, we need to come up with a different and better funding mechanism before we raise the cap.
REILLY: Deval, if there was a moratorium proposed by the legislature, to curb any growth in charter schools, would you sign that legislation? I wouldn’t. I think Chris would veto it.
GABRIELI: I would veto it.
REILLY: Would you veto it?
PATRICK: Yes, but listen, we’ve got to be serious about funding. The formula works in theory, but in real life, there are real tensions between real families and that is not community building and that is not advancing ed reform.
REILLY: It’s a matter of giving parents choice, give them a choice.
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p>Source: MA gubernatorial debate on CBS4 news [Xref Gabrieli] Sep 13, 2006
http://www.thebostonchannel.co…
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p>Cut, paste, and listen!
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p>At approximately 5:40 of the channel 5 interview, the discussion turns to charters and charter funding. Candidate Patrick says the following relative to charter funding: “We have a funding mechanism that is starving both charter schools and district schools.” So what happened? You did NOTHING to solve this inequity over the first few years of your administration. Why is Reville so off message if, in fact, this is still Governor Patrick’s view? Candidate Patrick meet Governor Patrick. Governor Patrick meet the kids in Gloucester and Swampscott that are stuck in underfunded “traditional” public schools.
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p>Governor Patrick do something about the Gloucester mess that should have been done months ago. Shut it down! What you then choose to do with Paul Reville is your choice, but understand that the insensitive and stubborn manner in which he has represented you is disgraceful and reflects poorly on your administration.
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p>Finally, now that your are again Candidate Patrick, why should anyone believe a word that you say?