Category: Letters to Local Papers

I am directing this letter to all of the voters who may not feel strongly about the elementary school issue, but who are concerned that our form of town governance is respected and followed.

There have now been three town meetings about the elementary school project in which our manner of governing has been bent or ignored.

1) Four years ago when the town voted to authorize improvements to Winthrop;

2) Last year’s town meeting regarding a request for funds to study feasibility of the Doyon Site, which failed to receive the required two-thirds majority;

3) The failure to meet the required two-thirds majority at our most recent town meeting.

Special town meetings are not free; we the taxpayers pay for these meetings every time they are held.

If this is not an issue that you care passionately for one way or the other, then consider how you might feel if the next issue is one that you are passionate about.

Imagine that you’ve achieved either the votes required to move something forward, or just enough votes to block something.

Now imagine the town moving forward (or not) with the issue that you care about, regardless of how the citizens voted at Town Meeting.

I would imagine that you might feel infuriated. Those of us who voted “No” last Tuesday the 8th certainly feel infuriated by news reports of the latest developments on this project.

What happens with this issue will set the tone for all future voting. Please consider that at the polls this Tuesday, May 15.

Is this how we want our votes to be handled in Ipswich? Do we want to keep paying for town meetings on the same issue until a certain group’s desired outcome is achieved?

How long does this continue until we’ve completely lost confidence in our town’s form of government and elected leaders?

If you want to insure that your future votes count, and put a stop to yet another vote on a project that has been the subject of three prior town meetings, I urge you to vote “No” on Question 1.

Maegan Chaggaris
Lafayette Road

By Carolyn Davis

After 17 years serving as the Winthrop School principal and in retirement for 10 years, I have continued to keep Ipswich public schools in my heart. That is what compels me to write this letter in support of two elementary schools.

Size does matter. Research shows that student achievement in small schools is at least equal and often superior to student achievement in large schools.

Smaller schools have lower incidences of negative social behavior, and cultivate better teacher and administrative attitudes along with an increase in staff collaboration. Not surprising, teacher effectiveness increases.

Communication among all staff is better in small schools with more personal interaction and informal exchanges.

Smaller schools are more manageable – for administrators, faculty, staff, and particularly students.

At the elementary level, students are learning to find their way, and to be confident and empowered.

Small means secure; an environment where children are well taken care of, able to navigate, and where everyone knows his or her name (almost everyone – principal, custodian, cafeteria staff, grade level teachers, etc.).

Small means “I belong.” Small means we have (all of us) our eye on the prize.

Once students feel this acceptance, inclusion, and sense of belonging – then they can thrive educationally.

Developing a healthy school culture requires work. It takes relentless focus, determination, and tenacity.

It is characterized by collaboration, trust, connection, innovation, clarity, and purpose – everyone on board.

Culture is the oxygen that breathes life into the educational program. It brings out the best in everyone.

It answers why we are here, what’s most important, and who we are. You feel it as soon as you walk in the door.

There is an infectious energy to learn and grow that transmits to everyone – all staff, parents, and students.

Healthy cultures are challenging to sustain, and even more challenging in larger school buildings.

A school culture can take three to five years to build and then every year thereafter to strengthen.

Presently, there are two healthy elementary school cultures in Ipswich. With one large, combined new school these unique cultures will disappear.

It will take years to rebuild a new one which will be challenging and time consuming. Guess who struggles with these transitions the most? Your children.

Twenty years ago the Winthrop School social worker wrote a grant to address the most prevalent student mental health issue we were dealing with at that time: anxiety.

Students were experiencing separation anxiety. They were worried, nervous, and afraid. It is difficult to imagine the exponential levels of stress, fear, and anxiety that children are feeling now with what is happening in the world.

This is one more reason why a smaller school is better – for students to feel secure, seen, and to know they belong.

I have confidence and faith in the Ipswich taxpayers to make the best decision for the town, the elementary schools, and most importantly for the students, your children and encourage you to support the two elementary school model.

Carolyn Davis is a retired principal (17 years) of the Winthrop School.

As a person who spent 21 years at the Ipswich Middle School, first as a teacher and then as assistant principal, I would like to add a perspective on the two schools conversation that has not yet been addressed.

If we move to having just one elementary instead of the two we now have, we remove an important opportunity for our children to learn how to navigate new relationships before heading off to college or the military or the work world.

In our small town, the only time students have this chance to meet new students, adjust to new group dynamics, and learn how to adapt to new people is when the two groups of kids arrive at the middle school from our two elementary schools.

If we remove the privilege of learning how to do this, we do our kids a great disservice.

Kids need to have this experience while they are still living at home, still surrounded by family and by some familiar people.

There are important life skills and life lessons learned from this coming together and it is unwise to abandon this.

I have always supported our students and continue to do so, therefore I will vote “NO” for one school.

Meredith Joss,
High Street

By Kenneth Savoie and Albert (Tito) Harkness

A mantra we had during my 21 years as a teacher at Winthrop School was, “all students are your students.” In other words, we were “one school” regardless of what grade I taught. I could often be found in a first-grade classroom during a writing lesson, working with kindergarten students during their partners’ science lessons, helping out in the office for a playground conflict involving third graders, and thoroughly enjoying the Pre-K end-of-year show.

All students were my students.

That is the culture of “one school.” Vertical (preK-5) and horizontal (fifth) teams, not me locked away in my singular classroom bubble, working for all of our students. One school supports the idea that the kindergarten student I get to know now, will show up one day in fifth grade and will have a connection with me.

One school supports families who need connections, familiarity, and assistance. One school supports staff understanding of teaching and curriculum through all grade levels. One school nurtures connections, familiarity, and belonging. To have this culture, however, size matters.

I cannot believe that the district is going down the path of instituting one mega-school for elementary students under the banner of fairness for all. Granted, it is a very luscious carrot, at the end of a very big stick. It appears to spread the resources, give everyone something, fix many problems. But, it also creates a Frankenstein school that will be around for decades. A physical plant that will dramatically change the cultures of both elementary schools by its sheer size alone.

Who has done the research?

In a study on elementary school size (“based on solid data and appropriate methodology”), Ready and Lee note, “rather than the constant mantra of ‘small is good,’ our results lead us to a different proclamation: ‘large is bad.’ “

Slate and Jones make a good point when they argue that “…there has been an overemphasis on reducing expenditures rather than focus on how school size affects the quality of students’ education.” Sound familiar?

So, what is the magic number?

According to recent figures from the National Center for Education Statistics, the mean for elementary schools in Massachusetts is 398 students.

Four studies, Goodlad (1984), Sergiovanni (1993), Raywid (1999), and Fine and Somerville (1998) recommend elementary school sizes at 300-350 students. They take into consideration issues of discipline, learning outcomes, student feelings of belonging and anonymity.

Ipswich is taking a big risk, with generational consequences, in proposing one mega-elementary school.

So, my question is: Are those pushing this decision unaware of the research, or just choosing to ignore it?

Imagine downtown Ipswich filled with big box stores. Why, then, would you want a big box elementary school?

Size does matter.

Doug MacLeod
Former 5th-grade teacher
Sacramento, California

Dear Fellow Citizens,

There are public misconceptions regarding the collective support of Ipswich educators for a large school at the Doyon site.

As citizens of Ipswich, we feel that it is crucial at this time for you to understand that there are legal constraints that prohibit educators from sharing any critiques about the building project.

Due to the state ethics Laws, public employees, in this case, Ipswich teachers, are forbidden to share their educational opinion if it is against the one building project.

These laws can distort public perception regarding the support of all educators; a claim that has been shared publicly.

This, along with the school committee’s decision not to honor the results of the June 2017 town meeting places the integrity of our democracy in question.

Ipswich Citizens,

Kerry Zagarella
Linebrook Road

Marissa Scarano
Mineral Street

Katie Norris
Jeffrey’s Neck Road

My family just celebrated our second anniversary of living in Ipswich. It’s tough to put into words how wonderful that felt.

I realize how fortunate we are to have been able to make the move to Ipswich.

As a professional musician, I’ve loved performing at events here in Ipswich, and as a result I’ve had the privilege of getting to know many of this town’s awesome people.

Since we are still considered ‘recent additions’ to this historic town, and in light of the elementary school situation we now find ourselves in, I thought it might be useful to share a bit of what we went through as we prepared to move 24 miles north.

I understand through discussions with friends that what drew my wife and I to Ipswich is similar to what has attracted other young families to town.

Back in 2015, while our son was in pre-school, my wife and I labored over whether we would we stay put in our prior town and deal with a troubled school system, or if it was possible to pack up and start over elsewhere.

We spent the better part of a year in research mode. We narrowed our focus and looked at towns with community elementary schools, as the educational research we found pointed us in that direction.

In addition to the educational advantages, we found numerous other benefits that resonated with us.

Accessible community schools help kids to build life-long connections. Kids and parents prioritize school when they feel supported and are part of the community.

Simply put, families who feel welcome are going to be more involved.

All signs on our path kept pointing us to Ipswich. This town seemed to have exactly what we’d hoped for – and obviously much more.

Still, inventory of available homes was very low, and demand was exceptionally high.

We weren’t sure if we would be successful landing in Ipswich; let alone what section of town.

Yet, through this, we were absolutely excited about the town having two excellent elementary schools.

Would we wind up closer to Doyon and have a better yard and more awesome green space?

Or would we wind up closer to downtown and enjoy the walkability of that neighborhood? We really saw no downside to either option, or Ipswich.

As miraculous as it still feels to us, we were able to find a house that was available and fit the bill. That house happened to be downtown.

Starting anew is never easy, but moving here has easily been the best decision for our family.

We’ve been taking full advantage of the walkability of this neighborhood, and as a result have met more people than we ever could have anticipated.

We’ve been warmly welcomed, and that has only strengthened our resolve to create as much value as we can for this fantastic town.

Life is funny though, because not long after we moved in, we learned that Ipswich is in a bit of a maelstrom regarding the very elementary schools we were so psyched about in the first place.

A debate is one thing, but I don’t quite understand why this recently has become so spiteful, particularly on social media.

I have my views on the matter; others have their views. I have friends on the other side of this issue that I love and respect.

We don’t see this the same way, yet, I’m proud to say our differing views haven’t turned into a total blood sport.

I have friends here who would prefer to build this single large elementary school on one end of town for all K-5 students.

Based on the research I did on schools prior to relocating to Ipswich, I simply don’t think that this is what’s best for all children — particularly of this young and vulnerable age group.

With that said, there are many statements being thrown around online about the MSBA process, including that we are left with no options should this proposal fail at town meeting.

If you question those statements, I encourage you to do your own research. The MSBA is a public agency — they expect that people will [and should] be calling them with questions.

The MSBA is not paying for 50 percent of the entire cost of this project — the town is still on the hook for approximately 62 percent of the cost.

Point being, this is still an enormous expense for our town and is not something we should simply settle for because we incorrectly think we have no other option.

The MSBA also provides similar, and usually higher, reimbursements for renovations and additions to school. The point is, there are other options.

Don’t believe the “use it or lose it” fear tactics. Fear should not be the reason to make a critical decision that will affect the children and the town of Ipswich for the next 100 years.

While the schools are definitely in need of repairs, the conditions of the building seem to be exaggerated.

I can only speak from my personal experience in the Winthrop school, which is the older of the two schools.

I’m there every weekday as I walk my son to and from the school. I also volunteer at the school, and am in the building at least once a week.

I can tell you that these kids are not learning in a state of squalor, and this is in no way an emergency situation.

Let’s keep things in perspective. Yes, the building has needs, but its physical condition is not the first thing that comes to mind when I’m on site.

What I do notice, above and beyond the age of the building, is how the teachers and staff there have made the very best of it.

I’m consistently impressed with all of the wonderful things that are happening.

Ipswich already has two great schools that are excelling. I only see positives about what each school offers our youngest students.

I simply do not believe that a non-centrally located elementary school is the best path forward for anyone. I will be voting “No” on Article 5.

Stephan Chaggaris
Lafayette Road

The first and most important question is: What is the best thing we can do for our children?

The best thing we can do for our children is to give them a small and nurturing school setting, where all the staff know all the children. Children have their best chance to thrive in this setting. This small miracle is already happening in Ipswich. There’s an old adage that says: “Don’t meddle with success.”

What I say is my opinion, but it is strongly supported by research on school size and I know it to be true from my own 17 years of teaching small groups of children in several locations, including Ipswich. I have also spoken with colleagues from my previous teaching in the Ipswich Schools, and all of them strongly favor the two school model.

The second question is: Can Ipswich afford to give our children the option of two small schools?

Can we find a way to accomplish this without substantially increasing the cost? If we believe in the importance of continuing to put the child first, we must look at all reasonable options in order to find a way to fix what we need to fix and keep two small schools. In our community there is  good will and caring, and also the flexibility to explore the idea of keeping two small, vibrant schools for the future of Ipswich and our children.

There are many things to consider in this debate, but our school plans must focus first and foremost on the children and what is best for them.

I grew up in Danvers, but since I was a small child, and again, while bringing my family to visit my mother, who moved to Ipswich nearly 20 years ago, I have loved the look and feel of Ipswich — the beaches, the woods, the downtown shops and the small town, neighborhood feel.

I returned to the North Shore as a single parent, juggling a career, four kids, two dogs and a cat. That was when the benefit of having services and conveniences a family needs: Stores, schools, bank, dentist, restaurants, and more, all within easy walking distance, became evident.

I moved to a house in the “grey” area, my kids could have attended Winthrop or Doyon. The flexibility of having my bigger kids able to walk my smaller kids to school was crucial to me continuing with my career and was a big factor in my choice of schools.

My first impressions of Winthrop School were of a warm, open and friendly environment, with highly capable and caring staff, set in a diverse and lively community. I know the same environment thrived at Doyon, too.

Winthrop School and downtown Ipswich became our living room, the perfect antidote to having to uproot my family from a Maryland suburb. I soon came to look forward to the days when I could walk the kids the 10 minutes to school myself, meet other parents. I was able to find new friends. My kids were able to get around, to and from school and social events without being strapped in a car all the time. Even with a busy work schedule, the 10-minute walk to the school made it easy to attend parent meetings, events, and to volunteer. We needed a downtown school just to get through the week.

Our Winthrop days have passed, but we remain engaged and committed to a school that gave my family and me so much, and I am committed to preserving for the next generation the benefits my family was so fortunate to have.

Ipswich is a geographically large and diverse town. We have two well-loved schools in need of some TLC. They are the right size and location for the ages and groups they serve. They are convenient for all.

More to the point: Current research shows that 300 to 400 students is the “sweet spot” size for an elementary school. Larger schools have more discipline problems. There is a greater risk of special needs kids, and even those who are just socially awkward, becoming marginalized, fading into the woodwork and being left behind in larger schools.

I ask, who benefits from ripping the heart out of downtown Ipswich to build a huge, expensive and remote mega-school, only accessible by motorized transportation? Why destroy two beloved communities when the existing structures could be rebuilt, modernized and expanded for less? Why rip away from 40% of in-town families the option of walking or biking to school, and raise their taxes? The proposed 775 student school is a supposed “solution” to a problem we don’t have. The problem is our buildings need fixing, it’s not that our buildings are the wrong size. So fix the buildings and don’t destroy what we know works: small schools for small kids.

A 775-student elementary school in a town of 13,000 is too big, too expensive, too far away and too far from who we are.

We can do better than this. Surely we can. — Monica Joyce, 11 High St.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should point out that I have lived in Ipswich’s central village since moving here in 1984. All three of our children graduated from Ipswich High School — our two youngest attended Winthrop School. Even though we no longer have children at Winthrop, we still consider that small neighborhood school as a critical community asset, contributing value to our home investment at Woods Lane.

My wife and I have always supported funding for our public schools, voting for all of the previous override requests. But this current proposal is different. Why? Because it asks us to abandon what our community has valued and invested in over time. Two small community schools, each with its own “culture” and set of strengths.

Ipswich has always demonstrated that it is not just a beautiful place to live, but an inclusive place as well. It’s hard not to develop a sense of ourselves across time when you drive or walk down High Street. We respect the old and do our best to accommodate the new in creative ways. We have achieved a “sense of place.” This proposal erodes that progress. It chooses one beneficiary over another, leaving others irrevocably behind. Has our collective memory grown that short?

There is a clear difference between intent and impact. While the intentions of all were good in this endeavor, the impact can’t be denied. For vulnerable families living in designated areas in town outside of walking zones for the new building project, the project itself will create additional barriers, causing an enhanced disparate disadvantage to these children and families. This issue has been raised over and over again to no discussion or resolution. Is this one school proposal truly best for all students?

There remains one undeniable and established fact throughout this discussion: Small neighborhood schools work best for kids, families and teachers/administrators. Equally important, Winthrop School and its younger sibling Doyon School have proven over time to work well for our community.

The one school at the Doyon site is a default option and asks us to contradict our own guiding principles of sound community land use planning in favor of creating a full “commuter” school well outside of our village center. The result – more time and precious financial resources spent on transportation and logistics – forever. During my MSBA funding research, I found examples of addition/ renovation projects as well as new construction, but there were absolute zero examples of school districts who decided to abandon a valuable central village location in pursuit of state funding.

The one school proponents have attacked both schools, labeling them “old” and “dilapidated.”

In reality, these two steel frame, concrete and masonry structures are in remarkably good condition. Doyon’s windows and doors were replaced with commercial-grade aluminum units in 2003-04. The roof was replaced in 2005-06. Its most recent wing was added to the rear in 1995.

Winthrop School’s addition was added in 1988-1989. It’s windows are all good quality Andersen units replaced in a similar timeframe as Doyon’s. The roof was also replaced in 2006 utilizing

MSBA funding support. As a result, if Ipswich decides to abandon this building as a school use, it will be required to reimburse a pro-rated portion of that grant based upon a 20-year life span for the roof. Clearly, these buildings and investments need not be considered disposable.

What lessons can we learn from the Pine Grove School renovation, a 1954 vintage elementary school in Rowley? First, properly executed renovation creates a new learning environment, enough to satisfy the MSBA’s flexible requirements and realize equal or better reimbursement rates for eligible construction costs. The same principles can be applied to addition/renovation projects. Second, comprehensive renovation can be planned in a multi-phased manner to minimize disruption and take full advantage of summer season breaks and even holiday periods. The Pine Grove project will take place in five phases over 18 months. The construction process is being used as a teaching opportunity for the students. To gain more insight from this project, please contact Deborah Eagan, Rowley Town Administrator. She also happens to be an Ipswich resident and former Winthrop School parent.

Are our elementary schools really over-crowded? Although rarely discussed, this costly new school proposal is being presented against a backdrop of steadily declining enrollment. It’s hard to imagine, but peak enrollment occurred in 2005 with Winthrop at 504 students and Doyon at 480. Current enrollments now stand at about 350 students each, and have continued to fall during the feasibility study process. In a letter dated December 2014, then superintendent, Dr. William Hart, submitted a Doyon School Space Reallocation Plan to the MSBA. To quote from that document: “The plan is designed for a population of 350 students. The reduction in student population allows for significant enhancements to the current school floor plan.” It goes on to discuss four major plan components: Reassigned Programming Space improving the School Psychologist office and Teachers Room. Reallocated Space “affords ELL and reading services to be conducted in a full size classroom” and it “affords three dedicated classrooms to support our comprehensive music program.” A third component provides Conference Space and Secured Storage. In the fourth component Ipswich Public Schools proposes to move the Pre-K Programs into one building to support program continuity and supply appropriate space. Why can’t this type of sensible space reallocation planning combined with modest new additions address our “educational plan” goals in a more fiscally responsible manner?

It’s easy to say “no” without offering a solution, a path forward. In reality, the two strong schools solution has been right in front of us all the time.

We can do better. We must do better. We must honor and respect the positive and beneficial characteristics inherent in both small schools at both sites. We should have faith that our previous investments in both school communities remains the right thing to do educationally and financially. Investing in 21st century education should reinforce that critical triangle – the kids, their families and their teachers. The “solution” should not tear at the fabric of our community in order to achieve that goal.

Please attend Town Meeting on May 8 and voice your support for two, strong elementary schools in Ipswich. Vote “no” on Article 5. Thank you. — Carl Gardner, Woods Lane