This just proves the success of Mystic Valley Charter School and the benefit to Malden and the surrounding Community. Let the schools detractors take notice!!!

What is this lottery? Is this the type of lottery where the person who draws the black pebble gets stoned to death? If so, can we enter other people into it?

I dunno. I think the charter schools are funded the same way as a regular district school -- why would they be any different?

Don't charter schools have to pay for their own facilities and administrative costs (pension, benefits, keeping the lights on, etc.)?

I wish I could understand the acrimony that charter schools conjure up around this state.

Frank you need to be educated on this information before you put it out there. It is a shame that people are not informed before they post. These are everyone's tax dollars and the charter school is a non profit. Would you be willing to give the taxpayers who send their children to private schools a voucher for the dollars they are pouring into the public schools. With the interest in public charter schools I believe the taxpayers have spoken.

How many public schools do you know that own homes and apartment buildings?

I'm not necessarily for or against the charter schools. I just continue to be amazed at the vitriol towards it every time it's brought up. Seems like good enough kids come out of the school.

Our ward did not want more condos ( Edgeworth ) we'd rather it be used as a school or for
community usage

What IS the percentage break down of students from all the towns they serve ? IE 5 towns 20% per town or what ?

Imagine all the money that went into the Charter School went into the Malden Public School budget. Would solve some of the financial woes of the school and restore some lost programs.Isn't the head of the charter school also a city councilor?

what apartment building

Imagine if the city of Malden did what the charter school did with their money we would not have to even worry about the budget. What programs need to be restored?

You know, if everybody stopped worrying about the charter school and worried more about other programs that exist not just in the city of Malden than we also would not have to worry about the budget we would be just fine.

MALDEN public schools nearly lost there accreditation long before charter schools so you can't blame it on them ,its a money game, same old malden

You guys realize that the more facilities that the charter school opens, the more of your precious special little children can be admitted, right? We don't have to get all butthurt over not making the cut right away.

I think one of the big benefits to a charter school is no teachers union.most of the teachers are right out of college.they are held accountable for how all their students do.the schools priority is educating the kids

From reading on these blogs, I use to think Neil was an arrogant @ole. After reading about the success of the charter school, my opinion has changed. Neil K for our next mayor.

Malden Mom: The 5-6 unit place at 722 Salem St. and the two homes behind the school on Jacob St. No one knows who lives there or if they are losing money or making money on the maintenance and they sure don't pay taxes do they?

Mike G.: There is a cap on how many kids can attend no matter what facilities they build or buy.

TimH: While the teachers may by right out of college and have a lot of enthusiasm, it does not mean they know what they are doing. They are given a "script" to teach from yet they do not have the experience to deal with real life students or have the skills (yet) to command a classroom. There is such a turnover it is almost impossible to have confidence in the teaching staff. One year, the entire Math Dept. for the high school left and had to be hastily replaced. Over the course of that year, my kids had at least 3 teachers. Thankfully, they weed out the slow learners by high school so the kids who are left can keep up. The staff is treated with such disrespect that if they are any good, they head for the door at the first opportunity. When I would meet the teachers I would make a mental note whether or not they would make the end of the year. By the end of the year I knew who wouldn't make it to the next year. And it wasn't because they were bad teachers would they be gone.

Annieo only one of the houses in occupied the others are used for business, just like when city hall moves they will have to lease a place which will cost us all money. Who do you keep bashing the charter school enough.

Do the Malden Public Schools own any houses?

Does it matter to Mystic Valley how Malden Public schools operate? Don't think so, in fact given that 300 kids from Malden came to sign up for Mystic Valley's lottery according to the story perhaps Malden Public should start looking at the Mystic Valley way of doing things as they clearly that is know what a majority of people want. Or is that not how its supposed to work in this Country? Its nobody's business where anybody else wants to sent their kids. As for taking somebodies money its not the Malden Public Schools money or Mystic Valley's Money or Melrose money its the kids money to be spent where hopefully their parents believe their kid can get the best education. Why is there any cap should be the real question. Who is that cap their to protect? Not a hard question to answer.

Fred like you I didn't go to this Mystic Valley and have no ties except as a citizen. I can see with my own eyes and talk to people who send kids there and see how many turn out to send their children there tells one all they have to know. I also have eyes for what this Councilor says and gets done and he may be like a pitbull but he fights tooth and nail for his Ward and from what I can see he stands by his convictions. The end result is definitely a big positive for Malden.

Apparently with the amount of new enrollments parents are very impressed with the school. They provide an excellent education, transportation, extra activities/sports and much more. I would rather see a school make use of vacant buildings then more condos/highrises or houses rented where owners let them fall to the dumps. Well invested in our children seems to be a bad thing????? I feel thete is more success with the students attending the Charter School.

I believe everything annie o says about the charter school. (My only source) My guess is she is alot like kinnon. During all that teacher/porn stuff, i was pissed at the liberal responses. posters like carrol M and diana where defending that clown. That guy worked at that school for a couple of months. "The kids loved him". "He did nothing wrong. He should sue the school"
I don't think Annieo was defending him.
I was hoping Kinnon would fire the guy. There are too many good teachers out there that do not behave the way that guy did. (gay porn movies).
Now I like kinnon's style.
Annieo, what i mean by you two are alike, I mean strong willed, fearless, but feminine.

OK diana. Maybe you were not the one defending that teacher, but if you were posting at that time you would have defended him.
Alright, go ahead (old snarky), give it to me.

As long as his private life is just that PRIVATE then he was fine. However when videos or teachers fb become public and a wealth of knowledge is put out there concerns arise. Personally I am not going to pass judgement on the teacher as I have never met him.