Principal Gilman a role model for local schools

To the editor:

As a former history/English teacher and vice principal at Whitter, now retired, I like to read about what is going on in Haverhill schools from time to time.

There is no better place to find that information than in The Haverhill Gazette.

I was delighted to read that Euthemia (Petrakis) Gilman took the initiative to establish a program utilizing a community resource at a local farm. What a creative and insightful thing to do! Bravo! Themia was in my classes for advanced students, and her mother was a highly respected substitute teacher in the Haverhill Schools. Clearly, education is part of Themia's DNA.

I am usually not a fan of charter schools, but Mrs. Gilman appears to have combined the best of the public school procedures with the freedom that charter schools offer.

Charter schools are famous for draining resources from the local regular system and showing little improvement in results. It is noteworthy that nearly every school professional will tell you that utilizing a local resource is critical in giving children a more complete educational experience. Mrs. Gilman is to be applauded for this.

Ironically, an internet search reveals that the local committee has been less than friendly to her and the school.

Perhaps the school leaders are resentful of her initiative and independence to try something different. That would not be surprising because Haverhill's school board appears inexperienced, unable to understand matters of curriculum and testing and a superintendent without the determination to do what is correct. When this superintendent could have brought a plan to reduce teen pregnancy in Haverhill, he stood by and let the local committee bullies prevent it from happening.

Any perusal of the internet will reveal articles about Haverhill's School Committee that demonstrate it as an embarrassment to the city.

When Planned Parenthood appeared before the committee, for example, one school board member, in particular, was openly rude and hostile. Another made offensive remarks about 'his children' and not wanting them 'exposed.' The nonsense with which this member spoke revealed that nothing will be done to remedy the burgeoning teen pregnancy problem in Haverhill.

Both members are young and have no business on committees overseeing children. Surely, neither has read the curriculum for honors senior history or the freshman honors reading list. Why should we wonder with people like this that a local resource like a farm is not being utilized by the administration? And why prevent other children from learning solid values just because he doesn't want 'his' children to learn how to prevent becoming pregnant? Is learning how to say 'no' not a good value?

How can we expect the regular system to become creative in its approach, when it acts like this! Is it fair to say that those with special needs simply do not get 'special' advantages in Haverhill? Probably. One wonders where the special education director is in this mix.

If school administrations give the green light to things like Canobie Lake Park — hardly educational — or other amusement settings as fillers at the end of the year, why are they not using local resources that provide educational offerings?

When I taught in Haverhill, the administration was looked up to. When I taught in Haverhill, we strove to use all the resources we could to enlighten the students. When I taught in Haverhill, board members were highly educated people with knowledge of education, testing, and curriculum. What Haverhill has now is election by default. Since no one of real quality wants to step in, the results are a small coterie of uniformed people.

Again, my congratulations to Mrs. Euthemia Gilman and her teachers for taking initiative to develop a creative program outside of school for those with special needs.

Why the other schools have no interest and why the school leaders have no interest elsewhere speaks volumes about the degradation of the Haverhill school system.

When a school system is not utilizing local resources for any of its students, be they mainstream or special needs, it needs to be remedied, for the neglect is beyond the pale.

Dante Ippolito

Norwell