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There are currently 8 responses to “Tom asks: Should we move our family to Lowell?”

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1. 1 On April 9th, 2009, Lynne said:

   Public transit to commute to Boston (which may or may not appeal to Tom, given he’s working in Cambridge). My husband takes the train every day to North Station and then in to work, and I think it’s a viable option if his new workplace is near the red line in Cambridge. We get a monthly pass for my husband and it works out pretty well. Soon all the trains will have wifi so Tom could even get work done on the 50 min train ride to and from, as well as keep himself from being frustratingly snarled up in traffic.

   Lowell’s awesome blog community. Our political blogging is second to none (if I don’t say so myself), with three major liberal blogs talking largely about local life in Lowell (and a couple conservative ones, but I don’t see them as locally-focused), plus several cultural and arts bloggers as well. You can stay on top of what’s happening in the state and the city from multiple sources. Even our city manager and his office have a blog!

   Finally, Lowell is a town that needs Tom. For me, it’s not just what I can get out of Lowell, it’s the impact I felt I can have in this city that drew me here. Lowell is in transition, from the past to the future, and that makes for some very exciting times! Not to mention, I’d move here all over again just for the fact that we’re going to see a doubling of what is considered “downtown”…with the Hamilton Canal district and the JAM area renewal and rebuilding project underway. Very cool stuff.

2. 2 On April 9th, 2009, Ellen said:

   Even though his students are younger, I think you have to look ahead to what LHS has to offer when deciding on schools. When our children were entering high school, we looked at options of private schools, but none of them compared to the offerings our students could get at LHS. I would tell him that Lowell High School offers so much for the students. Any type of club they would like is available. There is a strong fine arts and music program. There is also the Latin Lyceum program if his children are outstanding, motivated students. Here they get a top notch education in a smaller setting, but still have all of the options of a large school. I would have told him how each year several Lowell High graduates are attending top Ivy League schools. Many LHS grads go on to do outstanding things, if you look at the Lowell High Distinguished Alumni list. I would tell him that Lowell Public Schools has great partnerships in the city that help to make it unique and successful and truly a close community, even though we are a big city.
   Just a few thoughts….

3. 3 On April 9th, 2009, lowell parent said:

   I am a parent of 2 elementary students in Lowell schools. If you’re a believer in MCAS as a method of ranking, closer inspection will show that the schools vary in scores. As Jackie says, the MCAS scores are skewed by the high population of ESL students. They’re at a further disadvantage since the state recently ruled against teaching classes in another language for such students.

   My POV is that the academic performance of a student is the responsibility of the parent, not the teachers. The teachers are there to teach the lessons. A parent’s involvement and interest is what determines if a child is an A student or a C student. Keep in mind that natural distributions should follow a bell curve. That means most students should be average (C/B-) with just a few in the A range. It’s my responsibility to ensure my child is in the A range. I don’t care if 34% of other kids failed or barely passed the MCAS, I just care that my kids isn’t one of them. And there’s a lot more important things we should be teaching our children than just how to get a 1500 on the SAT.

   For students that excel, Lowell schools have lots of great opportunities. The Latin Lyceum seems to be a great challenging program. And I understand that there are middle/senior school collaborations with UMass Lowell and Middlesex college for advanced science programs.

   If your kids are already well disciplined and interested academically, then they’d do just fine in Lowell schools. I bet they’d even benefit more from the greater diversity our community offers.

4. 4 On April 9th, 2009, gp said:

   Jackie,

   I saw this entry last night, and then just noticed Dick Howe just
   linked it (along with something I did on flooding that will be
   talked about at the next CC meeting), so hopefully that helps
   put this question more prominently on the radar screen..

   It’s an important one because the issue of attracting people like
   “Tom” — people who are going to stay in a community, be invested
   in it, have kids in the schools, etc. matters in a way that just
   bringing empty nesters and young people without kids don’t
   (no offense to either group, esp. since I fall into one, at
   least for now).

   For me, the decision to move to downtown Lowell was easy.
   Among other small New England cities, Providence and Worcester
   were a distant 2nd and 3rd, respectively, but I think Lowell
   beats both, even (in my case at least) at the cost of a
   temporarily painful commute. But the HARD decision is going
   to be what to when things like children, schools, and
   neighborhoods come into play…so that’s why I’m so intereseted
   in Tom’s question and your response.

   The two cents I’ll throw into the mix is that in my (albeit
   limited) experience teaching in an urban high school in Mass.,
   I found that a large, diverse district offers tons of
   opportunities for kids to thrive — provided they are
   self-starters and come from homes that value education. In fact,
   for a lot of kids, they can thrive in school like that in a way
   they might not at a statistically *better* school like Lincoln-
   Sudbury or Acton-Boxborough. Then the downside, of course, is
   that in an urban district you’ve got certain risks and influences
   you wouldn’t see elsewhere, so there’s an intimidation/
   vulnerability factor worth considering…again, just totally
   depends on the kid.

   Both my future sister-in-law and cousin are freshmen at LHS and
   I ask them about their experience all the time. They love their
   experience in general, they love JROTC, and they consistently
   tell me there’s tons of programs out there for kids who want
   to succeed..in fact, one is trying to get into Latin Lyceum,
   something I’ve heard only good things about.

   As you said, the *experience* of diversity isn’t something
   easily quantifiable or otherwise measurable, but I think in
   terms of overall life and career preparation, it’s another
   factor that weighs in on the side of a district like this..

   best,
   gp

5. 5 On April 9th, 2009, Jackie said:

   Thanks for all your comments(so glad we got that feature fixed). Anyway, Tom responded as well–here are some of his thoughts: “Thank you for your thoughtful and detailed reply. I have been heartened by the prompt and positive messages I have received not only from you, but also from Jim Leary, Jean Franco, and (Supt.)Chris Scott. I have also been in contact with the Lowell Police Dept, which provides free crime reports on the surrounding areas of any prospective homes for sale. Again I received a positive message from the police sergeant, who also sends his children to LHS…I agree with you that diversity among the student population is a benefit. One of the primary reasons I took a transfer to the UK two years ago was for my children to experience more of the world and its diverse people…Moreover, as the only Americans in their classes, they now know what it is like to be the minority. Still, they have integrated well socially and are among the top performers academically, so I feel like there is a good chance they would do well in your school system. As the kids get older, any further relocations will become tiresome so we are keen to stay in one place for good now. I sincerely hope Lowell is that place. Thank you again for the information. I look forward to visiting Lowell.”

   I’m thinking if Tom and his family come for a visit, they’ll be sold on all the good things to like about Lowell. Heck, I never even mentioned the festivals!

6. 6 On April 11th, 2009, Lynne said:

   Just HOW could we miss mentioning the festivals, Jackie?? LOL!

   Lowell is a festival town, after all…

7. 7 On April 18th, 2009, concerned citizen said:

   Take a close look at Lowell’s Parochial schools. They provide excellent education, discipline and a safe environment.

8. 8 On April 27th, 2009, K-R-S said:

   what I find marvelous is the communication from yourself, SC Leary, the Supt of Schools, Jean Franco and LPD to this man & his family on behalf of our city! That type of communication, is not typical and typically..well lacking from many communities. Thank you for sharing.