Genuine
innovation is often only recognized in hindsight. The media eventually
notice the results and declare them to be innovation at work.

Although
not yet widely noticed, Somerville's school system is becoming one of
the more innovative in the nation. But not so long ago it was producing
extraordinary and widely noticed results that, in hindsight, were an
illusion. And the "innovation" behind that illusion, while in plain
sight, went unnoticed.

Standard and Poors are the folks who
placed high credit ratings on CDOs, those worthless bundles of home
mortgages that tanked last year. Under contract with the Gates
Foundation, they also developed a scale for evaluating schools and
school systems on "gain score." That's how students' performance on
standardized tests improves or worsens between grades, particularly
between the seventh and tenth grades.

During the Argenziano
administration, Somerville Public Schools had the highest gain scores
in the Commonwealth, and among the highest in the nation. Even more
noteworthy, this occurred as Somerville's school population was
decreasing, while the number of immigrant children for whom English was
a second language was increasing.

Without questioning what lay
behind such a remarkable accomplishment, many city officials took
pleasure in boasting about it. What lay behind it was this: a little
under 100 sophomores who took the test had received an entire year of
"test preparation" by having been held back in the ninth grade for a
year. As the proportion of bilingual and special needs students
entering the ninth grade had increased, more freshmen failed to meet
the high school's standards for promotion to the tenth grade. They were
required to repeat the year. So the ninth-grade population grew to be
25% more that that of the other grades.

One consequence was
that those tenth graders taking the test who had taken the same classes
twice boosted the average gain score. There were other consequences as
well. Kids held back were separated from a supportive network of peers
and friends, but received no focused help from teachers, tutors, or
parents. Feeling isolated, often persuaded that they were stupid, more
kids dropped out. Another consequence was that putting 100 kids through
an extra year of school cost about $1.5 million per year.

The
greatest consequence, however, was that the causes for students'
learning difficulties were never identified and dealt with. When asked
about the high retention rate, a former School Committee member said
that, "you can't blame the schools if the kids don't test well,"
expressing the general attitude of many school officials.

The
most common explanation offered for the high retention rate was to
blame the kids and their parents. Preoccupied with survival concerns,
disproportionately poor, immigrant, or parents of kids with real
learning disabilities, they were in scant position to argue back.

The
blamers didn't ask what problems the schools themselves could cure. Or
how they should adjust the curriculum to more effectively educate the
changing population. Or how to provide better guidance. Or which
elementary schools most needed help in preparing their students for
ninth grade. But why ask questions when you have the highest gain
scores in the state?

Grade retention was justified with
arguments against "social promotion." Indeed, promoting students who
have not learned the fundamentals in order to keep them with their
social peers sets them up for continued failure and produces illiterate
graduates. But there are alternatives other than obligating them to
repeat the same experience that didn't work the first time.

In
Chicago, where Obama's Secretary of Education made his name, school
leaders realized decades ago that retaining kids year-to-year was
tantamount to giving up on those who most needed help. In the 1970s,
they made principals responsible for the failure or success of their
schools. Evaluating both required clear and simple grade, retention,
and dropout-rate data, and those data revealed that 90% of middle
school students who were held back with poor grades didn't graduate
high school. If you're told you're stupid often enough, you'll begin to
believe it.

Back in Somerville, a new Schools administration,
new high school principal, and new guidance department produced real
innovation. A straightforward "redirect" program now offers timely
tutoring, counseling, and instruction before vulnerable kids fail so
many tests that they have to repeat an entire course. It works better
for the students, their families, their schools, and the taxpayers.

In
the next few columns we'll look at how it's often housing, economics,
law enforcement, health, and their chaotic interaction that undermine
school improvement, rather than factors that can be directly controlled
by schools themselves. We'll consider how teachers' unions are
educationally more progressive than self-described Progressives. And
we'll examine how Somerville schools are meeting challenges that
confound public educators throughout the nation by creating innovations
that remain invisible, unless one pays attention.

"Sometimes I think I could change my way of cooking," she said. "But I know I can never do that. I cook as we did in Haiti."

Laguerre,
who immigrated from Haiti 20 years ago, still cooks in the traditional
Haitian style, with the liberal use of spices, fresh vegetables, and
rice. Laguerre-who will be at the food table to talk about Haitian
cuisine-is one of the many local Haitians at this weekend's "La Grande
Fête: A Celebration of Haitian Culture" who helped the Somerville Arts
Council (SAC) make this event a true cultural celebration. The event is
sponsored by SAC as part of its ArtsUnion project series, and in
conjunction with the Haitian Coalition.

La Grande Fête will run
from 4 to 8:30 p.m. in the Union Square plaza (rain date September 13).
The program will commence with live drumming, followed by readings from
local writers and poets.

Laguerre said that people tend to
lump Haitian food with other Caribbean islands, but it is really quite
distinctive. Haitian food is full of flavor as nothing is cooked
without spices. Certain staples are included in all dishes, such as
onion, garlic, thyme, clove, black pepper, hot pepper, and parsley
(also sweet bell peppers and tomatoes). These ingredients are the base
for just about anything, whether it be chicken, beef, pork or rice and
beans.

Several dishes are specifically native to Haiti,
including rice djon-djon (jon-JON). It requires Haitian black
mushrooms, locally grown fungi. The stems of the mushrooms are used to
color the rice black, then the mushroom caps with lima beans are used
as a tasty topping. Calalou (kah-lah-LOO), consisting of crab meat,
salted pork, spinach, onion, okra, and peppers, and pain patate (pane
pah-TAT), a sweetened potato, fig, and banana pudding, are other native
dishes to Haiti. Soup jomou (pumpkin soup) is traditionally served for
lunch on Sundays.

Another popular dish is a porridge (moulin mais) made of a ground corn, sugar, and milk, cooked over a large fire.

In
general, the average Haitian diet is largely based on starch staples
such as rice (which is locally grown), corn, millet, yams, and beans.
However, wealthier residents can afford meats (usually pork and goat),
lobster, spiced shrimp, duck, and sweet desserts such as
French-influenced mousse and pastries.

Haitians traditionally
prepared food with a lot of salt, but in the United States people are
too health conscious to do so, Laguerre said. The meats are overcooked
in Haiti to kill bacteria.

In fact, a Haitian will feel sick
to his stomach if he sees rare meat, said William Pamphile, of Fiesta
Bakery in Union Square, as he put a fresh batch of Haitian meat patties
in the display case. "We don't want to see anything red," he said. "The
meat must be browned. Color is important, as well as the timing in the
oven."

La Fiesta will offer its fresh meat patties and passion mango guava juice at this weekend's festival.

Carbohydrates
are also an important staple in the Haitian diet, and particularly
taken in during breakfast and lunch, Laguerre said. In Haiti, the field
workers need to store up on their energy and dine of rice, beans and
plantains during the two main meals of the day. Legumes are only eaten
with meat, she said.

Haitians add a lot of vegetables to the
menu. Laguerre had a friend over for lunch the other day and used
eggplant to spice up a beef dish. She cut the eggplant and placed it on
top of the meat. The eggplant melted over the meat into one savory
mouthful.

Haitians also cook with a lot of oil for flavor.
They will use pork fat to fry their plantains. They also like to add
some acidity to their dishes, such as some vinegar and lemon to a
coleslaw.

Another traditional meal is squash (or pumpkin)
soup, Laguerre said. The meal is a celebration of the independence of
Haiti over the French, and consumed for good luck.

"On every
January 1 the Haitians will make their squash soup," Laguerre said. "I
will call people to wish them a Happy New Year and they will say, 'Have
you cooked your soup yet?'"

For dessert, Haitians love anything
sweet, Pamphile said with a quick laugh. Many desserts have added
coconut milk, a fruit that is plentiful on the island. Laguerre said
popular desserts are a bread made with white sweet potato and rice
pudding with plenty of sugar and milk.

A favorite place for
local Haitians to shop is La Internacional market in Union Square,
located next to the Fiesta Bakery. Owner Nora Cabrera smiles broadly
when she said that she and her husband, Eduardo, opened the business to
cater to South Americans in the square. But, her first customer was
Haitian. And amazingly enough, Haitians comprise the majority of her
customers. People come for the dried djon mushrooms that a Haitian
woman picks herself and then delivers to the store every six months.
One can get a decent sized bag of this delicacy for $3.75.

Cabrera
also supplies djon in cube form-similar to a bullion cube-for 50 cents.
The store additionally carries the Haitian ńame and malanga roots.
People like to peel and then boil them, along with watercress, to make
a savory bullion, Cabrera said. At La Internactional one can also find
Acassar, a Haitian cornmeal-based drink (in a can) that has a
consistency of a milkshake.

The Cabreras often take requests for
hard-to-find items like taro and cassova; and travel to the produce
market in Chelsea to see if they can find them.

The Cabreras have learned enough Creole to carry a conversation, especially their son, Byron, Nora said.

Rachel
Strutt, SAC's program manager, is appreciative of all the help from the
Haitian Coalition and local business owners who will provide music,
food and dance. "We are not from Haiti and not pretending that we can
replicate the Haitian culture, so they are really sharing with us to
make this a wonderful event," she said.

"Over the years we
have highlighted Latino and Indian cultures, but we never featured the
Haitian culture, of which there is a large population here in
Somerville," Strutt added. "Whenever we (SAC) put on an event like
this, we learn so much about local culture."

The music lineup
includes Gifrants, who blends Haitian music, Brazilian music and jazz
and overlays it with warm vocals, and Watch Out!, a local Haitian band
that plays rollicking Haitian Kompa music. Jean Appolon and Nailah
Bellinger will be on hand to lead the crowd in Kompa (Haitian house
dance).

As nightfall descends, several short documentaries
will be shown, including "Belo's Song of Peace," a documentary by
Natasha del Toro about a Haitian pop icon and the attempt to stage a
large music festival in Jacmel, Haiti. During the festival, authentic
Haitian food will be able for purchase and artists will be selling
their wares; notably the Atis Fanm Matenwa, a female cooperative will
be selling their hand painted silk scarves.

Social service
organizations will share information about the services they provide
the community, both locally and in Haiti. The Wayside Youth &
Family Support Network will showcase recent paintings by Haitian teens;
there will be an on-site Haitian flag making project for youth; and
artist Valentin Iviquel and other painters will showcase his paintings.

Schedule of events

4:00 – Play recorded music

4:30 – Live drumming

4:45 – Poetry and literary readings by Somerville youth and Jean-Dany Joachim

5:15 – Gifrants

5:45 – Kompa dance demo with Jean Appolon and Nailah Bellinger

6:30 – Watch Out!

7:30 – Screening of several Haitian documentaries

On September 2nd, detectives followed both females as
they travelled to 449 Washington Street in Boston where they were
observed as they pawned items suspected of being stolen from Somerville
homes. The transaction was also recorded on video.

In the
course of their continuing investigation, detectives were able to
confirm that the items sold by Manning and Walsh had been stolen during
house breaks in Somerville. When Somerville and Boston Detectives and
one of the Somerville victims returned to the Boston pawn shop to
retrieve the stolen property, Manning and Walsh walked in behind them
carrying a bag. Upon seeing a Somerville Detective Michael Kiely, they
dropped the bag on the floor and attempted to leave but were stopped by
detectives. The bag was found to contain three laptops that were
recently stolen in Somerville. Danielle Walsh was also observed by the
victim, who was with the detectives, wearing a necklace that was stolen
from her home. During the continuing investigation, laptops valued at
approximately $10,000.00 and jewelry valued at $10,000.00 were
recovered.

Chief Anthony Holloway attributed the quick
solution to these crimes to timely crime analysis, diligent
professional investigative techniques and information received from the
community.

The investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be filed.

After
introductions from Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone and former mayor
and current U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano, Kerry made an opening statement
making the case for changing the industry. He noted that a typical
family could be paying $24,000 a year for health insurance by 2016, and
that the U.S. ranked 37th in healthcare among industrialized countries.

"We cannot continue to be the only developed country in the world that does not cover everybody,' Kerry said.

As
his first public appearance since Sen. Edward Kennedy's funeral on
August 29, Kerry invoked his colleague's push for health care reform
during his 47 years in the Senate and said he would continue the work.

"The
greatest honor of (Kennedy's) life was representing you, the people of
Massachusetts," Kerry said, adding that follow his example would mean,
"taking on these battles in the same way that Teddy would have, and I
pledge to you I will."

The overwhelming majority of the audience
in the school's auditorium, most of whom arrived hours before the doors
opened, appeared in favor of health care reform. The 2,000 who arrived
too late to get in watched the proceedings on a screen in the gym.

Ron
Rego, a 62-year-old cancer survivor from Somerville, was the first
person in line at 3:30 p.m. – four hours before Kerry was scheduled to
arrive.

"I have an oar in the water," Rego said as he waited.
"When I was diagnosed they gave me two months (to live). By the grace
of God, and cutting edge medicine, I'm still kicking."

After
reading the health care overhaul legislation, Rego said he worries a
government-run health insurance program would write him off.

"Under the new plan, the likelihood is I wouldn't get those kinds of drugs," Rego said. "I wouldn't be worth the money."

Fears
about economic feasibility were aired during the forum, alongside
concerns about increasing government bureaucracy, but many more
questioners seemed worried Kerry and other Democrats weren't fighting
hard enough for reform.

Among those was Sara Lennox, a
Somerville resident who has practiced medicine in Cambridge for 25
years, who expressed frustration with insurance companies passing
administrative costs onto patients.

"How will your plan control these rapacious, disgraceful practices?" Lennox asked.

Kerry
responded by saying the insurance reforms would work to lower costs by,
among other ways, banning pre-existing conditions as a reason to deny
coverage and making it easier for doctors to go on home visits.

Maureen
Barillaro, a member of Somerville Climate Action, asked Kerry to
examine how environmental policy could be a part of the discussion as a
form of preventative health care.

Her question referenced the
recent discovery of contaminated soil in areas throughout the city,
including a former industrial site in Union Square that is now a
residential neighborhood.

"We are not healthy because our planet
is not healthy," Barillaro said. "The people in Somerville cannot have
our own gardens, because every inch of the soil is contaminated."

"What
she said is absolutely true," Kerry replied. "If you want to reduce the
cost of health care … we've got to start paying attention to the
quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat."

As
Kerry wrapped up the two-hour question and answer session, he stressed
that people could keep insurance plans they are happy with and that the
government would not interfere with the relationship between patients
and doctors.

"I will not vote for a plan in Washington that does not leave you with a choice," Kerry said.

Grossman is a businessman by heart and
by trade. He is currently President of Grossman Marketing Group on
Cobble Hill Road in Somerville, a business his grandfather started many
years ago. Because of his belief in American capitalism as a way to
benefit all, he is considering (but has not made a clear declaration)
of bringing casino gambling to Massachusetts. He recounts a visit to a
casino in Connecticut in his past, saying that 27 of 100 license plates
he saw were from Massachusetts. Admitting this was an unscientific
poll, which he did on his own time, Grossman still states "That's
hundreds of millions of dollars going to Connecticut [from
Massachusetts residents]." Grossman's unwillingness to legalize casinos
comes from the fact that, as he says, "We have the most successful
lottery in the United States."

Grossman started his political
career helping Michael Dukakis in his 1988 Presidential bid. Since
then, Grossman has been involved with appointed positions in government
and philanthropic endeavors. He is the founder of Massachusetts
Institute for a New Commonwealth, which caters to the needs of the
middle-class in Somerville and towns and cities all over Massachusetts.
He is active in Project Bread, and considers Jewish charities of great
importance, saying, "I've been involved with Jewish communal
activities; helped raise money for the U.S. Holocaust Museum."

President
Clinton appointed Grossman Chair of Democratic National Convention in
1997, a position he held for approximately two years, leaving due to
his father having died suddenly of Parkinson's disease. "My father was
my business partner and one of my heroes," Grossman tells The
Somerville News.

Grossman declares he is pro-union and
pro-worker rights, and says that he is fit for the State's top treasury
seat because of his experience in the business-world, namely at
Somerville's Grossman Marketing Group. Grossman states that "…for
almost thirty years [he has] run a business, met payrolls, created
jobs, negotiated contracts, managed money and hopefully treated people
with a certain amount of dignity."

The statutory
responsibilities of the State Treasurer are funding for schools,
retirement, lottery, pension and general state assets. While the
Treasurer will not have a direct say – since this position is not in
the legislature – in how these funds are manipulated and handled,
Grossman states he will use his influence to instill "financial
literacy" among the public. "You may not have a vote, but I think you
have a voice," he says.