Minority Parents Back Suspended ELE Supervisor Trilla

Claudia Hoyos. (Photograph by Alberto M. Surís, courtesy of Rumbo News.)

A group of Haverhill minority school parents have alleged a lack of bilingual services in the local public schools, in response to the suspension of an administrator for the district’s English Learner Education (ELE) program.

ELE District Supervisor Dr. Graciela Trilla has been place on paid administrative leave, Superintendent James F. Scully confirmed to WHAV. However, the nature of the suspension was not disclosed. Trilla is also the wife of Hunking School Building Committee member and former city Purchasing Agent Jonathan Goldfield. During the public participation segment of Thursday’s Haverhill School Committee meeting, several Latino parents called for Trilla’s reinstatement “before the start of the school year.”

“Ms. Trilla is currently on paid administrative leave.  Beyond that, I am prohibited by law from commenting on personnel matters within the District,” Scully told WHAV.

Speaker Claudia Hoyos, 6 Paradise Lane, told the committee more than 250 signatures were collected on a petition. She claimed ELE parents are uninformed about the coming school year’s placements, site locations and translation services, after school activities and sports.

“The (Haverhill) community is looking for a new leadership in our public schools that includes the diversity of our population,” she said. “Bilingual teachers, secretaries and administrators. As a parent of our minority children, we need a leader who will keep us informed.”

In rebuttal, Scully said parents are being contacted, as in the past, through individual schools. He pointed out existing bilingual services are being expanded to multi-lingual.

“We still have the translator services. We added another translator this year. Our translation services, or phys ed services, our transportation services, we have bilingual people handling in all the areas. For example at the Consentino School we have a bilingual secretary and we just advertised again for more. We’re looking for people to speak four different languages,” Scully said.

Director of Accountability Jared Fulgoni, who was later named a new assistant superintendent, further explained parent notifications usually come close to the start of school for “most accurate” ELE enrollment numbers. He noted the number of clasees between Tilton and Golden Hill schools, for example, are being consolidated for enrollment changes.

“In speaking with the principal at the Tilton School, it was determined that the enrollment had dropped to the point where we no longer needed to have two separate, second grade beginner (ELE) programs in the city and actually needed only one.  Originally, that program had been at the Golden Hill School. When the numbers increased we divided that into two. One of them went over to Tilton, one remained at Golden Hill. The principals have looked at the numbers, the numbers have since dropped back down to a level where we can consolidate it back into one classroom. And that classroom will then go back to the Golden Hill where it had always been,” Fulgoni said.

However, making a point of order during another parent’s comments, Committeemen Scott W. Wood Jr. and Paul A. Magliocchetti debated whether the discussion regarding Trilla was appropriate……

“The school committee doesn’t discuss personnel actions. We are not in charge of personnel actions. That falls under the domain of the superintendent. Public comment, by our rules, is not supposed to be about specific individuals. It is against the policy,” Wood said. “A point of information, though, she hasn’t gone after anyone or said anything about anyone. She’s talking about an issue she has with her son,” Magliocchetti replied.

“My point of order is on the discussion that there’s been employees’ names, saying about suspensions that isn’t been public as far as I know. And we’re discussing an employee suspension which I don’t believe we should be doing here,” Wood countered. “She hasn’t mentioned a suspension,” Magliocchetti continued.

“I’m not asking you, Attorney Magliocchetti, You’re not the chairman,” Wood added.

Haverhill City Councilor Andy Vargas stepped up to aid in translation. He is see with Ada Albino.

Haverhill City Councilor Andy Vargas stepped up to aid in translation. He is see with Ada Albino. (Photograph by Alberto M. Surís, courtesy of Rumbo News.)

The group supporting Trilla was accompanied by Spanish-language media and Haverhill City Councilor Andy Vargas, who participated as a translator. Representatives were also scheduled to meet with Mayor James J. Fiorentini Friday.

ELE  “provides multi-level, grade appropriate English language development in the areas of language arts, mathematics, history, and science to students in the Haverhill Public Schools whose home language is other than English and who are in the process of developing mastery of English fluency,” a department statement reads. “They arrive at any grade, age, and proficiency level and are welcomed to our community with support that is matched to their level of development. ELLs become fluent in English over time and serve as models to others who would like to become bilingual through the foreign languages.”

13 thoughts on “Minority Parents Back Suspended ELE Supervisor Trilla

        • No, however the candidate pool is lacking, and for numerous reasons. If you already have a good job, and like your job, you’re not going to leave it, especially for a pay cut. In a poor city like Haverhill, your hands are ostensibly tied without too much flexibility.

          Second, as Haverhill’s Brian Dempsey is Chair of Ways & Means, he controls the purse strings and financial lifeline to this city. He could single-handedly destroy any challenger/winner in one-term by simply cutting state aid, which The City of Haverhill relies on for one-third of the budget.

          Stop by Mark’s Deli early mornings and take a good look of who frequents there, you might get a better picture of how the city is run.

  1. Talk about out of control liberalism in action!!!
    A generation ago it would be unthinkable that someone who is not even a citizen of this country could step up to a microphone at a public meeting to make public policy demands when not even being able to speak the language of this country. How do current brain dead liberal elected officials respond? They facilitate the process by actually assisting in translating what this person has to say, as if somehow this person who is in this country illegally has rights. It’s absolute insanity!!! You’d think they’d be grateful for the free education their children are getting which they most likely contribute nothing to financially…but that’s not enough in this crazy liberal state.

    Jim Scully…everyone knows your background of being from Lawrence and being the Superintendent of Schools there….can you imagine if you were SoS of schools back then with all the different ethnic neighborhoods…Italian, Polish, Lebanese, Germans…and the people then had the same attitude as they do now of refusing to assimilate to the English speaking culture of this country?

    Lane Glenn, the president of NECC, has set up a program that enables community colleges in the Dominican Republic to assist illegal trespassing students in this country attending NECC to transfer credits. The leaders of the DR colleges came to NECC and stated outright it is their goal to place more Dominicans in positions of leadership in this state. As liberals in Massachusetts continue the support of open borders, and facilitate the demands of these invaders via their outrageous public policy demands the rights of taxpayers are slowly deteriorating. For Lawrence, the invasion is complete, especially when it last year declared itself a sanctuary city. It’s now Haverhill’s turn. With a corrupt mayor who self identifies as a “proud Liberal” it won’t be long before Haverhill is lost forever too.

    • Pat Haverhill:

      Jack I’m a Hispanic and proud to be an American and I’m also proud to be a Puerto Rican. I’m also a veteran of the US Army. My family and the Hispanic community have every right to attend a public school committee meeting and voice their opinion. At least we don’t hide behind a computer and make racist allegations.

      We stand up for our american rights like everyone else. Don’t be a coward! my friend. To bad that TRUMP is not going to win the election.

      I know every person that was in that room and none of them were undocumented or illegal how you stated. You are just afraid that the Hispanic community will take Haverhill over like we did in Lawrence my friend!!!

      Their are good and bad people in every race Jack! Maybe should talk about all the American Caucasians that are dying from drug use and getting hooked on prescription medication. They all come from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and yes Haverhill to Lawrence to use and buy all types of drugs.

      You are correct we are grateful for a free education because we all pay our taxes like everyone else. We contribute plenty financially like all tax payers do.

      Jack you keep stating illegal but you are wrong! the right term is undocumented my friend!

      You talk about a corrupt Mayor in Lawrence. Find out why your boy James Scully was fired from the Lawrence public schools. He ran the school system into the ground on purpose so that the state would come in and take it over. He buys the students bagpipes and ice skates. When have you seen a Latino person or child play a bagpipe and when have you ever seen a Latino person or child ice skate. Very few if any!

      Wake up my friend Trump is not going to win the election and build that wall you are hoping for!!!

      • Being from Puerto Rico is not the same as being an invader. “Undocumented” is a political term, invaders are exactly that, uninvited, breaking the rule of law (abet unenforced) to get into this country, and take resources away from Americans, meant for Americans, at social and educational levels, and that’s before any of them doing harm upon Americans Like the invaders suspected of rape here in Haverhill, staying with an invader couple, that were the rule of law enforced, the suspected heinous crime would have never been committed in the first place.

        Parents not having their children prepared to speak, read, and write the language of the world, especially in today’s business climate, is a reflection upon the parents, not the kids. The good news? Less competition for Americans that can articulate well and excel academically. The bad news? More drain by those uneducated and cannot speak the English language, as we see here in our schools.

        As for Trump, no impartial person who understands grade school math knows he does not have the Electoral Votes, especially if he doesn’t carry Florida. The popular vote is close, he may even win that, but history and the law shows, the popular vote simply no longer matters. We are left with two (2) horrendous candidates, neither believe in liberty, both could use a year-round lesson in basic Civics, and both will deliver more war-mongering and death to Americans, while the domestic populous remains imperiled and growing poorer.

        • I respect your opinion Mr Burns. At least you make sense not like Jack spewing his hatred behind a computer. Like I mentioned their are good and bad people in every race. Have great day sir!

      • No, the term IS ILLEGAL ! and there it is……”You are just afraid that the Hispanic community will take Haverhill over like we did in Lawrence my friend!!!” ….SO, that is the plan Councilor Vargas ??? Now we know that the rumors are true.

      • Pasquale,
        Where are the drugs coming from? Who are the dealers?
        You bring up how the Hispanic community took over Lawrence. I wouldn’t even go down that path!!
        Why is Trump brought into this equation?
        Sculls has done more for this system than any other superintendent. Bagpipes and ice skates, maybe he was trying cultural diversity i don’t know.
        What I do know is that there is now pride in the schools, he hold peop,e accountable and when you do that people are not going to be happy. Mistakes will be made and when we learn from our mistakes things always improve.

          • Pascual,
            I am sorry for spelling your name incorrectly, though I did not spell it pascule though part of it rhymes with mule and we all know what the term for mule is…
            On another note, I was in Lawrence over the weekend and I must tell you, you have done a great job in that city.
            Oh and another thing, nice job in dodging the questions and comments.. Maybe you can captain the local dodge ball team..
            However I’ll remember to spell your name correctly next time.
            Good day