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Since they were four years old, my children have attended the Lowell Public Schools—my oldest is now at the Freshman Academy at LHS and my youngest is in middle school. Thursday, I attended events at the Bartlett, a K-8 school; the Stoklosa Middle School; and the Daley Middle School. On Monday, I attended Special Olympics at the Lincoln Elementary School and read to first graders at the Greenhalge Elementary School.  At every school I visited this week and all the schools not mentioned that I have visited over the years, I have been impressed by the talented, creative, respectful children I have seen performing in programs, listening attentively, and participating in classroom activities. The vast majority of our students are good kids, and every day, wonderful learning takes place all over our city. I know it. I have seen it firsthand, and I have lived it through my own children.

And yet, I have also been to expulsion hearings.  I have received emails about students bringing weapons to school, and I have listened to stories about bullying. Clearly, there is a small more »