By Corinne Hogseth
An open letter to the School Committee
You folks must be feeling pretty silly. You ignored district naming and technology policies, violating OML in the process, and lied to the community about the origin of the movement to kill the Colonial mascot. We all know it was not students, but recent alumni and staff members behind this effort. When you said you were going to allow community input to choose a new mascot, you threw out 39% of the votes to exclude the Colonial. In the most recent survey, the Colonial – far and away the most popular suggestion in the January survey – was not included, because you KNEW it would’ve been the top choice. Students were required to complete a survey that did not include the Colonial. Clearly, the only way you could win was by cheating, so that’s what you did.
You’ve divided the community, alienated thousands of alumni going back over 60 years and created a toxic environment in the schools and community. I personally know students, parents and teachers who are afraid to speak up. I know kids who were even afraid to put their name on a survey submission advocating for the Colonial as the mascot. I know parents afraid to advocate for their bullied kids because they’re afraid of further repercussions from teachers.
You’ve wasted thousands of dollars on legal bills trying to prevent the public from knowing what some of your members were discussing via text during meetings. You’ve removed signage from around Leary field. You’re talking about hiring a graphic designer to come up with a new logo and next you’ll be talking about wasting even more money to replace graphics on basketball courts, fields, dugouts and scoreboards, all while proposing a budget that cuts classroom assistants at a time when there has never been greater need for them. Your plan is to bury these costs so there’s never any true accounting for the cost of changing the mascot.
All that to go from the Colonials to the Revolution?
Talk about a distinction without a difference! Was it all worth it? The minority of people who wanted to get rid of the Colonial can’t possibly be satisfied with this outcome, unless they were only looking to cause problems or to have a subject for their college essays. And the people who want to keep the Colonial are obviously unhappy. So, other than ticking off the entire community, what exactly have you accomplished?
You know who wanted the Revolution mascot? The Minuteman Tech community. Located near the site of the Battle of Lexington, that school community understands and has embraced their town’s role in the founding of our nation. A big disconnect in Acton and Boxborough seems to be that our younger generation and many newcomers, for whatever reason – lack of education? willful ignorance? – don’t have the same appreciation that is held by alumni and long-time residents of our towns.
You should be ashamed of yourselves, but as you seem incapable of shame or even self-reflection, we’ll continue to press for release of the records you’re suppressing. We will continue to expose the corrupt and divisive process that got us to this point.
Other towns have gone through the process of choosing a new mascot, but I don’t know of any who have handled it so poorly. I suspect you know you messed up but are too committed to back down. But it’s not too late to provide a good example for our kids. All you need to do is demonstrate some humility. Swallow your pride. Reinstate the Colonial.
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What a radical departure for the Acton-Boxborough Schools.
According to this budget snapshot (3/27, AB School Committee meeting), Superintendent Peter Light is reducing the staff by 20 FTE personnel. This will affect more than 20 people because he is laying off much needed part-time teaching assistants, at the elementary school level. This draconian measure will destabilize the schools, as seasoned teachers escape a hostile work environment. Every parent knows that teaching assistants are an amazing value and a huge asset to the classroom. One can only wonder what drove him to make this decision?
It is pretty obvious. They divert the money to their pet projects or “strategic initiatives”. MTSS, DEI and SEL are all woke programs that expand the non-teaching staff, while draining resources from academics. Acton-Boxborough will see their taxes go up, while the quality of the schools goes down. It is a horrible plan, to bring failed policies from urban education districts, to a successful school district like AB. They are woke revolutionaries, on an ideological mission.
Acton-Boxborough are traditional, slow-to-change suburban towns. They have an altruistic culture that has allowed positive things to happen. Because of this, they have been able to provide high quality schools, on a shoestring budget. Now a radical school committee is undermining that culture and revamping the schools, with reckless urgency. They have developed a radical plan to transform the schools, while leaving the people in the dark.
It is a shame that the budget will be approved at town meeting next Monday, with no discussion or dissent. Hopefully, the needed override for next year will trigger more conversation and be their Waterloo. This group should be stopped.
AB School Committee Meeting 3/27/22
http://actontv.org/on-demand/post-video/acton-boxborough-school-committee-meeting-3-17-22
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8TxMmwsusA
From the video, Peter Light’s presentation of the budget (time stamp 13:27)
Recommended Budget Overview
1. Partially fund strategic priorities
Reduces ADK Tuition from $3,750 to $1,800
Completes MTSS Staff Buildout Initiative
Provides funds to accelerate DEI work
Provides funds to begin SEL Strategic Initiative
2. Reduces Total District Personnel by 20.6 FTE ( net )
3. Uses 1.8M in reserves to limit Assessments
Budget Overview (with acronyms spelled out)
FY23 Budget as recommended
1. Partially fund strategic priorities
Reduces All Day Kindergarten Tuition from $3,750 to $1,800
Completes Multi-Tiered System of Supports Staff Buildout Initiative
Provides funds to accelerate Diversity Equity Inclusion work
Provides funds to begin Social and Emotional Learning Strategic Initiative
2. Reduces Total District Personnel by 20.6 Full time equivalents ( net )
3. Uses 1.8M in reserves to limit Assessments (increases to tax assessments)
There seems to be a correlation between what is happening in the Boston public schools (Mission Hill School) and what is happening in Acton. The woke school committee and progressive superintendent have taken control of the schools. They are enacting their utopian vision on the town. With four or five school principals now being replaced and woke DEI litmus tests on all new hires, the process is pretty far along. It is sad to see the schools go through this, but it is not the end of the world. Eventually, Acton will get its act together and boot these people out.
Without a local newspaper, the public has been left in the dark. Things won’t get better however, until people know what is going on. Acton Forum could be a valuable place for information sharing on the topic. Just tell people know about the site at town meeting. Say that it is a platform for honest conversation, away from the attacks encountered on Facebook.
Here are links to recent articles about the Mission Hill School closing and the investigative report:
Scathing investigation prompts Boston superintendent to recommend closing “failed” Mission Hill School
By Naomi Martin Globe Staff, Updated April 27, 2022, 6:40 p.m.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/04/27/metro/scathing-investigation-prompts-boston-superintendent-recommend-closing-failed-mission-hill-school/?p1=Article_Inline_Text_Link
Boston School Committee votes to shutter Mission Hill School
By Bianca Vazquez Toness Globe Staff, Updated May 5, 2022 7:21
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/05/05/metro/boston-school-committee-votes-shutter-mission-hill-school/?p1=BGSearch_Overlay_Results
INVESTIGATION CONDUCTED ON BEHALF OF THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS REGARDING ALLEGATIONS OF INADEQUATE LEADERSHIP AND A NUMBER OF SAFETY CONCERNS, INCLUDING BULLYING, SEXUAL ABUSE, AND AN UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT
https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/21749093/bps-phase-i-report-redacted-april-25-2022_redacted-42722.pdf
Wouldn’t it be funny if the Revolution mascot ended up being the Colonial? I cannot imagine what a Revolution looks like? Are they going to use only a word?
One thing that I found annoying with this entire process was the force fitting a social justice message with every one of the choices. Can you imagine the amount of effort it took, editing, and re-writing to force the social justice message into Nor’Easter? Or Stingers?
I’m so curious what you think the ‘forced’ social justice message was in each of the descriptions. For instance, here’s the one for Nor’Easters:
“It’s coming and it’s unstoppable, churning over land and sea, overpowering everything in its path.
“Like A-B, a Nor’Easter shows its relentless strength and drive.
“Each is unforgettable, epic, and historic. When one approaches, it’s a game changer. There’s excitement: you have to hunker down and prepare for it. When you’re in the midst of a Nor’Easter, it can feel destructive and intimidating, but the end result of that force is always breathtaking and beautiful.”
Please highlight the parts that contain a ‘social justice message.’
Hear, hear!
This commentary hits the nail on the head.
As a member of the ABRHS Class of 1980, I too found this effort to be a terrible waste of time and effort – ESPECIALLY now learning of the misleading way the entire process was handled.
Admittedly, I have not been a resident of my hometown of Acton since 1999, but I have and will always have the Town of Acton, my friends and classmates and The Colonials as a part of who I am.
When my brother David tragically died on December 1, 1979 in an accident at the sand pits in South Acton, my parents and extended family were blessed by the enormous outpouring of love and support. When I witnessed the entire ABRHS High School band, lead by the then band director George Revelas and the music & theater department staff, walk in to the funeral home to pay their respects to our family – that outpouring is what being an Acton Colonial means.
Respect. Honor. Dedication to Freedom.
what a fn joke!! I’ve been in the town for 45 years, and went thru the school system. Colonials is a great name, and should have never been replaced. School committee is as bad as it gets. What should really happen is the school administration should go to a real class and learn about the Colonial people because without them, we wouldn’t be here. Why don’t you take down the Acton center monument, too. The town sucks now!!
Revolution Definition – The overthrow of a government by those who are governed, A sudden, vast change in a situation, a discipline, or the way of thinking and behaving. I am not sure how this is more inclusive.
Well-written and well-argued. Travesty, but recent events indicate the school committee has neither shame, nor interesting serving the two communities. Did they attend ABRSD? Wish Ray Grey was around🥲
Given:
– The flawed process used as document in various posts on Acton Forum
– The financial impact that will impact the town budget to make this change (Football Field, Basketball Courts, Uniforms) in tough times…
– The frustration felt by town people
Is there any legal action that can be initiated to prevent this change from moving forward?
Step 1 is to Go to the school board meeting tonight – May 5th & question them on their decision making process/budget. Step 2 is to go to town meeting & again question the school committee & admin & their budget. And vote it down if you don’t think they are spending our money wisely. Don’t they have a Fiduciary responsibility to our towns & our students?? That’s where we start.
Here here.