Lynn school board to talk Tech, SPED

LYNN – The School Committee is set to meet tonight to discuss issues contained within a recent State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education district audit, and members say they expect answers regarding problems at Lynn Vocational and Technical Institute and within the Special Education Department.The DOE released its district audit to the School Department last summer after spending two weeks touring the city, but committee members were not handed a copy of the 112-page report until late December, leaving little time to digest the findings before a Jan. 8 meeting.With allegations of safety and civil-rights violations at Tech, along with questions regarding the effectiveness of special-education facilities among the issues contained in the report, committee members were angry that they did not receive the document earlier, and requested time to review the information.While much of the district received a passing grade from the state, the SPED department faced criticism for the facilities provided to students in alternative programs, while auditors also questioned the equality of programs for alternative and non-English speaking students.The most serious issues were contained within the grounds of LVTI, where the audit outlined problems with student supervision, safety, curriculum and facilities, among other things – all issues that Latham, former Superintendent Nicholas Kostan and the administrative staff have addressed with the DOE.Now three weeks later, members say they have carefully digested the information contained in the audit and are expecting answers from Superintendent Catherine Latham and her staff tonight.”I am very, very disappointed with what has been happening at Tech, although it is not new to me knowing about it. People have been talking about it for a number of years,” said committee member Donna Coppola. “I drive by LVTI several times during the day, and I see the kids crossing between buildings without the supervision there. I am hoping that the new administration will go in there an really make a change, one that will benefit the kids.”With each criticism in the audit came a suggested remedy by the DOE, and Latham told the committee earlier this month that all problems have been addressed or are in the process of being addressed with the state.”It looks like everybody has done their job to remedy the issues in the report,” said committee member Vincent Spirito. “(Latham) has done a lot of work with the department heads and (Deputy Superintendent Jaye Warry) to take corrective measures. At least now we know where they are, where we need help as a district.”Committee Vice-Chairman Patricia Capano says she wants to hear more detail than “the issues have been addressed” and says she wants answers and a specific time line from Latham and her staff.”It is not about how we got here, it is about how we move forward. What are our plans? Our goals? Our timeline? How are things going to change,” she asked. “Some of the data in this report is blatant, and I am hoping to see a change. We need to get some serious answers out of this because if we don’t get the answers someone else will come in and get them for us, and we don’t want that.”Spirito suggested that the committee will go through the report piece by piece tonight, and Latham said representatives from the SPED and ESL departments, along with LVTI would be in attendance to answer any questions that committee members may have.”It is not like I was hit by a train with this new information, I could see this coming,” said Coppola. “I just wish the report was shared with us earlier.”Committee members will meet in the LVTI Annex Building at 90 Commercial St. beginning at 6 p.m. The special meeting will precede the regularly scheduled committee meeting set for 7 p.m. The Committee is expected to discuss the current and upcoming budgets at that meeting.