Page 4 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, October 11, 2019 Lawrence A. Simeone Jr. Attorney-at-Law ~ Since 1989 ~ * Corporate Litigation * Criminal/Civil * MCAD * Zoning/Land Court * Wetlands Litigation * Workmen’s Compensation * Landlord/Tenant Litigation * Real Estate Law * Construction Litigation * Tax Lein * Personal Injury * Bankruptcy * Wrongful Death * Zoning/Permitting Litigation 300 Broadway, Suite 1, Revere * 781-286-1560 Lsimeonejr@simeonelaw.net ANGELO’S FULL "Over 40 Years of Excellence!" 1978-2019 Regular Unleaded $2.379 Mid Unleaded $2.799 Super $2.859 Diesel Fuel $2.779 KERO $4.759 Diesel $2.599 CE Call for Current Price! (125—gallon minimum) Open an account and order online at: www.angelosoil.com (781) 231-3500 (781) 231-3003 367 LINCOLN AVE • SAUGUS • OPEN 7 DAYS For Advertising with Results, call he A call The Advocate Newspapers cate Ne spapers at 617-387-2200 or Info@advocatenews.net IL ! SERVICE HEATING OIL 24-Hour Burner Service DEF Available by Pump! ~ Letter to the Editor ~ MVRCS Supt. responds to State Rep’s proposed legislation on discrimination Dear Editor: I am writing in response to the article titled, “State Rep. Ultrino fi les legislation to prohibit discrimination based on hairstyles,” published in The Malden Advocate on October 4, 2019. In the article, State Representative Steven Ultrino announced his sponsorship of a “hair legislation bill,” asserting that he was driven to action by the realization that “…there was hate in the community based on culture and hairstyle…” It is clear that Rep. Ultrino, who attended private Catholic schools for the entirety of his student life and who has never worked as a teacher or administrator in a public-school environment, has set his sights squarely on MVRCS as an institution that emanates hate. This suggestion is patently and demonstrably false, and unbecoming of a legislator. MVRCS is a school that serves Malden and five surrounding communities. The school was founded to provide parents an alternative choice to the general public-school systems, and its mission is to ensure that all children, regardless of race, are provided with equal educational opportunities. More than half of our students are of color, constituting a larger minority representation than would be expected based on the racial composition of the school’s sending districts. Year after year, while our student attrition rate is substantially lower than those of the communities we serve, our test scores are consistently higher, particularly for children of color. Clearly, with a 2,000-student waitlist, there is a tremendous appetite among Malden parents, of all races, for gaining access to MVRCS’s program. MVRCS’s mission emphasizes structure, discipline, and order. It celebrates human commonality, faculties of the mind, and character, rather than appearance and material possessions. The school’s approach features a simple, consistently implemented dress code, which is an important ingredient in creating an atmosphere that is conducive to student learning. Each year, our handbook, which includes the dress code, is reviewed and acknowledged via a compact that is signed by all students and parents. Although it was featured less prominently, I would like to direct your readers’ attention to another article published on October 4, one that is far more representative of the school’s sustained track record of student success. Running under the headline, “Nearly 10 percent of MVRCS graduating class attains National Merit or Commended Student distinction,” this article recognizes and celebrates seven of the 82 members of our graduating class. Five of these seven seniors happen to be people of color. One of the commended students, a young woman who happens to be African American, is the younger sister of a 2014 MVRCS graduate who grew up in Malden, attended Harvard University, and is now completing her second year in Oxford, England, as a Rhodes Scholar. While these accomplishments are truly exceptional, they are not uncommon at MVRCS. They are indicative of the results our teachers – and our school – consistently produces. Rep. Ultrino is to be admonished for publicly undermining a school that, as per its charter and philosophical underpinnings, is founded on principles that are diametrically opposed to hate and division. Furthermore, it is reprehensible that, rather than engaging a member of the school’s leadership team in a constructive dialogue (Rep. Ultrino sees some of us regularly through mutual membership in Malden-based volunteer organizations), he opted to single out one administrator who, in serving in her capacity as dean of students, simply performed her duty in upholding the policies of the school. Having been a student and a one-year administrator in Catholic schools with similar policies, Rep. Ultrino should have a thorough understanding of the value and benefi ts of a dress code within a school community. As a former Malden School Committee member, he should also recognize the importance of fi nding common ground, across a diverse student body, in driving student academic achievement. There is important work to do for our schools in Malden. In fi ve years, Rep. Ultrino has failed to deliver meaningful reform in education funding for our community, as evidenced by state aid to the city increasing at a per-pupil rate that is below inflation. During the same time period, our wealthy neighbor Winchester’s per-pupil state aid increased by double the infl ation rate. Perhaps Rep. Ultrino might be more effective if he spent his time focusing on socioeconomic equity, which would be meaningful to all Malden children. Rep. Ultrino’s insistence on perpetuating a misrepresentation of MVRCS is little more than political opportunism. I urge him, moving forward, to train his attention away from maligning a well-respected and highly-ranked school – and the dedicated staff members within it – that has had such a transformative impact on its students and the educational landscape in Malden and beyond. Sincerely, Alexander J. Dan Director/Superintendent Mystic Valley Regional Charter School Malden Resident Prices subject to change FLEET
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