Left In Lowell

I may have to change my mind about hydrogen.

Every week seems to bring more breakthroughs and positive developments regarding renewable energy. However, getting these products to market fast enough would require our government to actually invest in incentives and infrastructure. They would have to stop giving away the store to Big Oil and Big Coal. I’m not holding my breath.

Update: And I’ve been meaning to link to this article. You have to read it.

What’s more, the turbine will burn biodiesel, a renewable fuel with much lower emissions than normal diesel; a hydrogen-injection system will then cut those low emissions in half. And when it’s time to fill the tank, he’ll be able to just pull up to the back of a diner and dump in its excess french-fry grease–as he does with his many other Hummers. Oh, yeah, he adds, the horsepower will double–from 300 to 600.

“Conservatively,” Goodwin muses, scratching his chin, “it’ll get 60 miles to the gallon. With 2,000 foot-pounds of torque. You’ll be able to smoke the tires. And it’s going to be superefficient.”

He laughs. “Think about it: a 5,000-pound vehicle that gets 60 miles to the gallon and does zero to 60 in five seconds!”

Yet, our government and our companies languish in stupidity while Rome burns.

No, I am not referring to the 5-4 vote in the upcoming Mayoral selection but the split in the School Committee which much to my regret will probably result in School Superintendent Karla Brooks Baehr not having her contract renewed next year.

I could give a long list of the School System’s improvement under her leadership but does it really matter? No one is listening; they have already decided. Margaret posted on Jackie’s blog the 10 top accomplishments. But was anyone paying attention? The Lowell Sun in their non-endorsement endorsement of the School Committee members really took a swipe at the improvements that has been made in the past few years. The only one to answer them was School Committeewoman Jackie Doherty who basically said thanks but no thanks.” And we all know what she got for sticking to her principles.

As Jackie pointed out, the newspaper in its endorsement took an opportunity to make some broad-brush, negative observations about the state of our schools, without any factual support. For example, the critics of the Superintendent deride Lowell’s MCAS scores but what they fail to acknowledge are the very significant improvements. This year’s MCAS results show Lowell closing the gap with the suburban districts.

The problem is that most of us are not paying attention to what is happening in our public school system. Public discourse is controlled by a handful of critics with media connections and access to a political network; individuals, who are driven by personal agendas rather than by a genuine interest in educational improvements.

The two major issues raised by her critics are that the school department does not promote from within and that Lowell High School Headmaster Bill Samaras is being forced out. If you recall, he was suppose to have retired last June but requested and received an extension to 2007. Now he wants another extension and he has successfully been able to rally his powerful friends around his cause célèbre.

As for hiring and promoting from within, yesterday’s paper has an article on the issue. If and when Dr. Baher is allowed to present the report that was prepared with stats and figures, maybe her critics will back down. I doubt it, though. Since there are no grounds for dismissal, they have become a group in search of one; and they will not stop until she is no longer here.

According to the School Superintendent’s contract, she needs to inform the School Committee by December 1st if she intends in asking for a renewal or an extension on that contract. As of now, she has two solid supporters and one probable; the odds are not in her favor. If the Sun is correct, it does not look like she will have an ally in the new mayor. So, I can count, 4-3 at best.

Do these people have a replacement waiting in the wings? Do they realize how difficult it is to find a qualified school superintendent? Haven’t they followed the difficulties Boston had in finally finding someone who wanted to come there? And do they know the cost? Look at the salary and benefits extended to the new superintendent in some of our neighboring towns?

All that does not matter. Dr. Baehr’s crime was that she did not schmooze and she did not realize how many powerful FOBs (Friends of Bill, Samaras not Clinton) they are in this town. We could ask her to stay and fight but it is not fair. We let her and more importantly her mission—striving for excellence in schools—down.