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Marking the fourth year of alumni recognition awards and four million dollars in endowment (so far), tonight’s event was a crowning achievement to celebrate the accomplishments of five special alumni who were touched by their experiences at the high school, and who, in turn, contributed to the world around them. This year’s event was especially poignant because current students introduced the honored guests, which to me was a very real reminder of how important we are as role models to the young people in our lives.  The event was also special because it marks another milestone in celebrating 175 years of Lowell High School history. As the first public co-ed, integrated high school in the country, there are many milestones for LHS. (Belated kudos to the Lowell Sun for a great job memorializing that history in Tuesday’s paper.) Both Marie and Dick have posted on tonight’s event, so I won’t go into details, except to say that as a member of the school committee and parent of an LHS student, I am proud to be part of this community of diverse, talented young people and adults. It is also nice to know that my children will one day be LHS graduates and so earn their own place in this exceptional legacy.

Apparently the pressure Lowell Superintendent Karla Brooks Baehr experienced is not unusual to the job or unique to the city. Today’s Boston Globe has an article on Lawrence school chief Wilfredo Laboy, who may be facing a battle to extend his contract. The situations of both school leaders are hauntingly similar: both have served seven years, both have been criticized for hiring practices, and both have seen an upheaval in committee support due to recent elections. The differences, however, are also significant: According to the Globe article, Laboy will receive a base salary of about $189,000 this year along with use of a Chevrolet Blazer, valued at about $6,000, and a $12,000 tax-sheltered annuity. Compare that to Baehr, who leads a larger school district and is due to receive only $155,000 this year. (Baehr’s contract also includes a $5,000 bonus if she “substantially achieves” performance-based goals.)  I’m not privy to the results under Laboy’s tenure, but I do know that in Lowell, Baehr led a total overhaul of math and literacy curriculum for grades K-8, as well as extensive work around instruction, and support for new teachers. Those and other efforts have resulted in measurable progress for Lowell schools.  Some city leaders (including those most critical and in positions to exert pressure) expressed surprise by her decision not to seek renewal of her contract. Given the unrelenting lack of appreciation for her leadership and opportunities elsewhere, I was not surprised—just disappointed and worried.  How do we build on the many improvements in student learning we’ve accomplished with her guidance, and how do we find an equally skilled, affordable replacement?