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My brother emailed me this link to take a trivia test regarding basic information all U.S. citizens should know. The test is in a jeopardy-like format, fun and fast to take, and easy (I got all questions correct). It covers four basic areas: U.S. flag, history, government, and rights. Take a few minutes to answer the questions and see how you do; maybe make your kids take it too and members of your family and friends. Keep in mind, however, the actual test people applying for citizenship must pass is much harder. For a sample of some of those questions, check here.

Today we celebrate my eldest child’s 15^th birthday. I can tell you, those years went by quickly and they continue to pick up speed the older I get. My son is now taller than me and apparently smarter since he has an answer for everything. Anyway, it got me thinking about aging and an intriguing radio show I heard on the topic the other day. They were interviewing co-authors, Dr. Harry Lodge and Chris Crowley, about their book Younger Next Year. I haven’t read the book, but what interested me was the notion of a difference between body age and actual age that we control. It reminded me of when I was 25 and went to a podiatrist about foot pain. He told me I had the feet of a middle-aged woman (horrific to hear at the time, now not so much) and sold me a pair of $500 orthotics, which I wore diligently until one broke. I’m not sure my feet got younger because they looked the same in flip flops… But my point is, we know the biological clock ticks for all, and that the impact of those years varies for each of us. For some, like my friend Jayne who has active aunts in their late 90s, there is a genetic predisposition to live long and be healthy. Yet, according to these guys, each of us has the potential to make our bodies younger through a combination of cardio exercise, weight training, diet, and attitude—easy to say, difficult to do. Still, the concept is empowering. As I see the sands of my own life running down, it’s helpful to think I can make my body younger. Okay, so I’m not going to get my 25-year-old body back, but check with me next year (maybe I’ll be 39 indefinitely). For now, I’m off to the gym!

Bob Martin, gritty poet and songwriter of Lowell’s past and present, will be celebrating the CD release of his first album, Midwest Farm Disaster, first recorded in 1972, tomorrow night, 8:00 pm, at the Brewery Exchange.  I’ve seen Bob perform many times, at the folk festival and in other venues around town and I can attest that he just keeps getting better. I own his last two albums (The River Turns the Wheel, and Next to Nothin’), but never got my hands on the first one, which will be available tomorrow night. To top it off, he’ll be joined by local singer and songwriter, Sandy Spence.  They put on a great show with many tributes to the city they both know and love so well. For information, see Bob’s website. 

Thank you to Superintendent Karla Brooks Baehr for her leadership in improving the quality of education in Lowell. Today’s Sun quotes Board of Education Chairman Paul Reville denouncing the “attack campaign” against Baehr by strident charter-school advocates and suggests board members were not influenced by the inaccurate, negative propaganda surrounding her candidacy for the Education Commissioner position. I choose to believe that’s true. Despite the best efforts of the harshest critics, the facts speak for themselves. When you look at a number of indicators, Lowell stands out as an educational leader of large urban school districts. Baehr was instrumental in that progress, but she didn’t do it alone. Yesterday, I received an email from a teacher, who wrote: “Thanks for sticking up for not only Karla, but Lowell Public School teachers, parents, and more importantly, our students.” It’s a point worth repeating: the smear campaign was not only against our superintendent, it was against our school system. The progress we have seen in the last seven years would not have happened without the efforts of our administrators, staff, teachers, students, and families. Perhaps that is Baehr’s greatest achievement in Lowell—through relentless focus and vision—she re-invented our expectations of urban public education. Of course I’d love to see her stay, but it’s unlikely. It’s also sadly amusing that some folks, such as WCAP radio talk-show host George Anthes, are calling for a Keep Karla campaign as reported on LiL. The cliché too little, too late comes to mind regarding Anthes, who was a persistent and harsh Baehr critic during his morning show…also, the song lyrics: “Don’t it always seem to go, you don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone.” Baehr is leaving Lowell, but what remains is an infrastructure for continued success through consistent standards-based curriculum, a template for high-quality instruction, and an expectation of excellence. For that, I thank Dr. Baehr, and I have no doubt continued successes are ahead for her.

I’m saddened and disappointed to write that Lowell Superintendent Karla Brooks Baehr, who was one of three finalists for the state’s Education Commissioner position, did not get the post. The Board of Education chose Mitchell Chester, Ohio Department of Education state superintendent, in what is being reported on WBZ as a unanimous vote. I don’t know much about Chester, but I know Dr. Baehr would have made an excellent Education Commissioner.

Today’s Sun has two op-ed pieces you may find interesting. The first is Kathleen Madigan’s bruising criticism of Lowell Schools and the leadership of Supt. Baehr. The second is my response to Madigan. I’m not sure if the Sun articles are online yet, but here’s a permalink to my text. An avid charter school advocate, Madigan is former vice president of Advantage Schools, a for-profit charter school management company. Personally, I’m somewhat neutral about charter schools (as long as we fund them fairly and hold them accountable), and I suspect Dr. Baehr’s position might be similar. Apparently, Madigan feels differently. She sent her inaccurate, misleading diatribe to newspapers across the state in an attempt to derail Baehr’s candidacy for Education Commissioner. The Worcester Telegram published Madigan on Friday, Jan. 11, and ran my response letter-to-the-editor yesterday. (They limited me to 250 words even though Madigan had 640.) I’ve been critical of The Sun in the past (and will continue to be when they deserve it) but our local newspaper let me rebut Madigan’s claims with the same number of words they afforded her. Thank you very much! Even so, I couldn’t include all the facts to discredit her many charges in the space allowed: She whacks us on, among other things, the dropout rate, declining enrollment, chronic teacher absenteeism, and funding. She also tries to belittle the measurable improvement we’ve seen in student test scores as “disappointing.” For a point-by-point response to all Madigan’s charges, see this memo by Paul Schlichtman, Lowell coordinator for research, testing and assessment. In the meantime, know that of the five largest school districts, in 2007 Lowell placed first for percentage of schools that made Adequate Yearly Progress in English and second for math. How’s that for disappointing? Although not there yet, we are clearly leading the pack when it comes to successfully meeting state educational standards amid the challenging demographics of an urban school system.

While the Boston Celtics didn’t do well last night in an upsetting 88-83 loss to the Washington Wizards, Lowell High School’s basketball teams have been doing great! During Friday night’s game against Andover, the Lowell girls’ team ruled the court with a 51-42 victory, and Ashley Rivera scored her thousandth career point during the final seconds of the game. Now undefeated, the girls will participate in MVC play ranked as the number one high school girls’ basketball team in the state. During its newscast last Friday night, Fox 25 highlighted the LHS girls basketball team as part of its “High School Fridays” segment. The girls will play Cambridge Rindge and Latin in Lowell on Wednesday at 6 o’clock.

Lowell High School’s boys’ basketball team is also undefeated, following an exciting overtime victory against Andover and a decisive win against Lynn English. With its 9-0 record, the boys are gearing up for a showdown with Central Catholic, also on Wednesday night at 7:30, and the stakes are first place in the MVC and the number one ranking statewide. If you can, come on down and support our great basketball teams and feel the excitement of Lowell High School athletics at its best. (Note: Wednesday at 7 p.m. is also the next school committee meeting at City Hall.)   

Tonight’s Personnel Subcommittee meeting to discuss the process and makeup of a citizens group for screening superintendent candidates has been postponed due to inclement weather. What happens next regarding the superintendent search will be discussed at the regular School Committee meeting this Wednesday, Jan. 16, in Council Chambers at City Hall, beginning at 7 p.m.

I finally got back to the New England Quilt Museum to view their current exhibit (which ends today!).  “Lowell: Inside Out” is a juried exhibition featuring 26 quilts inspired by the Mill City.  This is such a great show! I don’t have time to elaborate, but if you have a chance, stop by.  The colorful ”Lowell Spinners 10th Anniversary” quilt is the first to catch your eye at the top of the stairs; next, I was drawn to the fabulous “Canal Walk, 2007″ where a photo taken from behind the Doubletree Hotel was divided into 6 pieces.  Each quilter took a piece, they shared fabrics, and the result is amazing.  The pieces are all individual, but work together beautifully in a triptych-like manner to show the whole picture.  I really like these ’art quilts’ that depict scenes through creative use of fabric and clever stitching, but there are many abstract quilts that reward close inspection. Seriously, if you’re downtown today, take a look.  

Just by way of background and to shed an interesting light on our current process, here are the actual members of the last Blue Ribbon Search Committee:

2000 Blue Ribbon Committee
7 members, each appointed by one of the School Committee members, including the Mayor, as follows:
          Mayor Eileen M. Donoghue       Atty. Michael Gallagher, Chair,  
          Regina M. Faticanti                  Ken Powers,  
          Timothy F. Golden                  Michael Kuenzler
          George D. Kouloheras             William Collins
          Kevin J. McHugh                     Robin Hall,  
          Joseph M. Mendonca               Dr. Garrett Thurston,  
          William S. Taupier           -      Victoria Hatem,  
3 union representatives:     Teachers – Paul Georges, President
                                        Clerical & Custodial – David Rodrigues, President.
                                        Administrators – Francis Picanso, President
1 current principal (selected by lottery)        Judith Rogers, Rogers School
1 Citywide Parent Council                            Richard Howe, Jr., Chair
1 Special Education PAC                     George Peterson, President
1 Lowell Plan                                      James J. Cook, Executive Director
1 UML                                                Dr. Don Pierson, Dean    
1 MCC                                                Molly Sheehy, Dean
Total:  16
 

By my count, at least five (and maybe more) of the above were parents of children in the Lowell public schools at that time.