• Contact Us
  • Events calendar
Entering Swellesley
Pinnacle, Wellesley

The Swellesley Report

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

  • Advertise
  • Business index
  • Contribute
  • Wellesley Square
  • Private schools
  • Camp
  • Eat
  • Schools
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Embracing diversity
  • Kids
  • About us
  • Events
  • Natick Report
  • COVID-19
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Athlete of the Week
  • Seniors
Needham Bank, Wellesley
Write Ahead, Wellesley

Letter to the editor: a “vocal supporter of Article 44”

April 22, 2022 by admin

I am writing this to share my support for Article 44 Academic Excellence.

I am the guardian of a current sophomore at WHS, the sixth child I’ve had in the WPS. We are a Fiske, WMS, and private school family. I’ve had three children graduate from WHS, and one graduate from private school. I’ve been a  three-year Parent Elect to WHS School Council. I’ve been a PTO involved parent and a six-year Head Coach of Cheerleading at WHS. I have a broad background with WPS. I’ve lived in Wellesley for 13 years, and I am an African- American mother who cares about her children’s education as I believe all parents care about their children’s education equally. Often some assume being a concerned parent is not equally distributed amongst all cultures and socioecomic backgrounds. This is unfair and not true.

I’m a vocal supporter of Article 44 because I support the schools and our children, and I want the best for them. I recently collected all the necessary signatures to run for School Committee, and many of you supported me and the evaluation of Wellesley Public Schools. But I don’t have to be a School Committee member, candidate, teacher, or a parent to have an opinion on this matter, and neither do any of you. Yes, we elected a School Committee, but that doesn’t mean they are above reproach.

If the Core Values include Academic Excellence, than I suggest that it is not “working” or satisfactory for all, and as educators or parents, and/ or concerned citizens…we all are obligated to ponder why it’s not working and then strategically figure out how to reverse those troubling trends right now. Let’s put the concern back on students learning transferable life skills and applying academic rigor that increases the rate of success.

I have removed two children from the WPS, so I’ve been through the process and paperwork. I am aware that the School Department is only now beginning to track or evaluate the reasons why a student left, or where a student ends up. Perhaps because I pointed out the lack there, it’s now being done. It’s a stark reality that WPS isn’t doing performance measurement on themselves regarding withdrawn students. What would that report card look like? We have no data to examine this?  Can’t we do more? Why should they fear a committee to evaluate school performance?

I think Bruce Franco is fearless. It’s not easy doing the work that he has done. Mr. Franco is a citizen who is participating in the greatest form of government in this country. Town Meeting, and the articles that a citizen can originate is evidence that this long- standing process does work. Now we can do our work, and examine the motions on their merit, without being clouded by the flaws. Behind the scenes, the author of Article 44 has repaired each flaw that was identified.  We can approve the motions for Article 44 and start the trend of putting school excellence first, for real, and trust all areas of student development will improve once this happens.

The town seal includes three significant symbols—a tomahawk, flower, and a BOOK.

Please Vote YES for Article 44.

Thank you,

Odessa Sanchez
Wellesley resident

print

Share

Filed Under: Letters to the Editor

Linden Square, Wellesley
Dedham Country Day School
Wonderful Wellesley, see what's new

Tip us off…

Please send tips, photos, ideas to [email protected]

 

Advertisements

Wellesley Square
Wellesley, Jesamondo
Edge on Science
Sexton test prep
Feldman Law
Fay School, Southborough
Wellesley Theatre Project
Volvo
Cheesy Street Grill
Admit Fit, Wellesley
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
Never miss a post with our free daily Swellesley Report email
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide

You can subscribe for free, though we appreciate any contribution that supports our independent journalism.

Click on Entering Natick sign to read our Natick Report

Entering Natick road sign

Most Read Posts

  • Family withdraws plan for large house near Wellesley's Brook Path
  • Wellesley Business Buzz: Merchants raise 'Parking, parking, parking' concerns in Wellesley Square; Lockheart Restaurant sign goes up
  • Bench near Wellesley High honors Tom Zinck
  • The Wellesley aqueduct bathrooms at Hunnewell Field have landed
  • Wellesley POPS Senior Profile: Jessica Klurfeld doubly talented as clarinet player & singer

Upcoming Events

Jul 6
10:00 am - 11:00 am

Open House at Boston Outdoor Preschool Network

Jul 16
10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Wellesley Square July Jubilation Sidewalk Sale

Jul 19
8:00 am - 9:00 am

Fay School admission information session

Jul 20
10:00 am - 11:00 am

Tour at Boston Outdoor Preschool Network

Aug 12
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Fay School admission information session

View Calendar

Popular pages

  • Wellesley’s 7 official scenic roads

Recent Comments

  • peter of wellesley on Hardy Elementary School project starting to feel more real
  • J on Family withdraws plan for large house near Wellesley’s Brook Path
  • Donna on Wellesley public works taking fresh look at RDF give-and-take area
  • Bubba on Wellesley Business Buzz: Merchants raise ‘Parking, parking, parking’ concerns in Wellesley Square; Lockheart Restaurant sign goes up
  • Branden on Wellesley Business Buzz: Merchants raise ‘Parking, parking, parking’ concerns in Wellesley Square; Lockheart Restaurant sign goes up

Links we like

  • Great Runs
  • Jack Sanford: Wellesley's Major League Baseball Star
  • Taquitos.net
  • Tech-Tamer
  • The Wellesley Wine Press
  • Universal Hub
  • Wellesley Sports Discussion Facebook Group

Categories

  • 2021 Town Election (24)
  • Animals (416)
  • Antiques (49)
  • Art (577)
  • Beyond Wellesley (47)
  • Books (366)
  • Business (1,502)
  • Camp (11)
  • Careers/jobs (48)
  • Churches (79)
  • Clubs (228)
  • Construction (295)
  • Dump (127)
  • Education (3,108)
    • Babson College (250)
    • Bates Elementary School (16)
    • Dana Hall School (34)
    • Fiske Elementary School (9)
    • Hardy Elementary School (44)
    • Hunnewell Elementary School (42)
    • MassBay (55)
    • Schofield Elementary School (24)
    • Sprague Elementary School (19)
    • St. John School (2)
    • Tenacre Country Day School (11)
    • Upham Elementary School (35)
    • Wellesley College (608)
    • Wellesley High School (961)
    • Wellesley Middle School (203)
  • Embracing diversity (69)
  • Entertainment (786)
  • Environment (749)
  • Fashion (141)
  • Finance (14)
  • Fire (162)
  • Food (342)
  • Fundraising (612)
  • Gardens (157)
  • Government (557)
    • 2020 Town Election (47)
    • 2022 Town Election (14)
  • Health (850)
    • COVID-19 (200)
  • Hikes (3)
  • History (388)
  • Holidays (405)
  • Houses (154)
  • Humor (47)
  • Kids (849)
  • Law (8)
  • Legal notices (6)
  • Letters to the Editor (62)
  • Media (70)
  • METCO (4)
  • Military (11)
  • Morses Pond (108)
  • Music (568)
  • Natick Report (29)
  • Neighbors (273)
  • Obituaries & remembrances (73)
  • Outdoors (642)
  • Parenting (62)
  • Police (757)
    • Crime (386)
  • Politics (551)
  • POPS Senior Profile (8)
  • RDF (6)
  • Real estate (331)
  • Religion (131)
  • Restaurants (332)
  • Safety (150)
  • Scouts (2)
  • Seniors (120)
  • Shopping (143)
  • Sponsored (6)
  • Sports (980)
    • Athlete of the Week (6)
  • STEM (107)
  • Technology (164)
  • Theatre (392)
  • Town Meeting (23)
  • Transportation (230)
  • Travel (17)
  • Uncategorized (1,230)
  • Volunteering (346)
  • Weather (177)
  • Wellesley Election 2019 (21)
  • Wellesley Free Library (276)
  • Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend (19)
RSS Feed Icon Subscribe to RSS Feed
Deland, Gibson Insurance, Wellesley

© 2022 The Swellesley Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login