My son has been going to the Pioneer Charter School of Science since the 7th grade. Hy husband and I feel that our son is receiving the education he deserves. He would not have received this education in the Everett Public School system. The school and the faculty are great. The classroom sizes are smaller and there is more one on one between the students and the teachers. The school is like a family, everyone knows each other and are there for each other. Because of the diversity of the school's teaching staff it is a credit to the school's success. The school's record of success should stand on its own in comparison with other schools. Thank you

Yeah, sounds like a small family alright. Is there any kind of religious test for entrance-would be my first question. Beyond that, it sounds like the school it's a vehicle for immigration of a particular and specific group.Not cool.

The SCHOOL was not paying all those companies and law firms. The money came from funds that should rightly go to real public schools (by definition schools with direct accountability to the local tax payers through an elected school committee.

Its amazing how the limopusine liberals can't see the divisiveness of these schools to the fabric of American society.

Our daughter has attended the Pioneer Charter School of Science since they open their doors in 2007. The only regret we have is that PCSS was not available to us in the elementary years. Prior to sending our daughter to PCSS we read about charter schools (positive and negative).  Parents and students deserve a choice when it comes to education. Our daughter will be graduating this year and we feel she is well prepared.  We are greatful to PCSS for the education she has received and we have nothing but respect for the administration and staff.

Pioneer Charter School, like many charter schools, is a wonderful educational option for our children.  It offers a quality education to the children.  It has a more rigorous academic curriculum, and has an extended school day and a longer school year.  It also offers a full sports program.  All of these are a real plus when it comes to working families of this state.  Parents have assurance that their children are getting a first rate education and they are also offered safe choices for the period between when after school lets out and when mom/dad get home.  The additional (and truly a gift) bonus of Saturday Academy for the children just puts it over the top when it comes to a choice of school offerings.  To put it succintly - Pioneer offers the 'full package'

For me this was a no brainer when it came to choosing a school for my child.  A charter school like Pioneer Charter offers so much more to the kids than a traditional public school would.  What I also find very refreshing about the charter school model is that there is no pull by political shenanigans or handcuffing of the school by the public sector unions.  The charter school model is not bound by the absolutely obscene ridiculousness that the traditional public school systems are bound by.

To speak to one of the particular comments in the reporter's article regarding public funds being used for VISA's.  It is not an uncommon practice for public schools, traditional or charter, to expend public monies for VISA's in the quest for securing/retaining qualified teachers as the article may suggest.  And in may opinion, I quite frankly don't care if the teacher comes from Mars - as long she/he is the teacher that best meets the qualifications for the position.

What I have experienced on a personal level is nothing short of miraculous at my child's school, Pioneer Charter School.  I witness an extraordinarily competent and committed staff who work tirelessly at getting education 'right'.  Their unboundless energy is amazing.  It inspires the children to want to succeed, to want to learn more, to want to be be good citiizens.  This school enriches every child's mind, body and spirit - and gives each and every one of them the confidence to follow their dreams.  And after all, isn't that what school is supposed to do?

When I discovered Pioneer Charter School of Science for my child, I had reached the end of my rope. Not only was I dealing with a culture of bullying, and a nonchalant school community, I also knew very well that my kid’s performance was not optima, but he was making the required grades and therefore did not "qualify" for special attentionl. All this has changed so much for the better, and after so many years filled with one futile attempt after another.  The teachers at Pioneer Charter School of Science were prompt in identifying strengths and weaknesses, and got to work at enhancing strengths and addressing weaknesses right away. My kid now thrives as a unique individual, happy to want to excel, while happy to have fun.  Today, my kid gets to school at 6:30 AM by choice—and they are happy to receive and accommodate a student so early--- and gets back home at 5:00 PM. 

I am an immigrant whose children did not have the motivation to learn to speak their parents’ language while they were too busy working hard to “blend in” .  Another testimony to the fact that Pioneer Charter School of Science affords students an environment where identity and motivation are accepted and encouraged, within a year at PCSS, my kid decided to and succeeded in independently learning to speak, read and write my language, and has become really proud of a minority identity in an accepting school that welcomes and THRIVES in diversity.

 I didn’t come to this school and find out about the mentioned “connections” to nationality or religion. In my search for information about the school before I applied, I had read about all these “connections”. As a native of another country-- not the one targeted in this article, and not the US--, I get how this works--- people from the same native country may band together and network to do bad things—but more often than not, people from the same country have banded together to support each other’s businesses or help newer immigrants find social support, employment, housing etc.  Perhaps THAT was taking place? Even that is not apparent in how the school is run. 

The implication of this article that there is a preference to a specific nationality is regrettable. I know for a fact that the USCIS lists explicit requirements for prospective employees’ requirements. These will need to be met in the application packet that it receives from both employee and employer for teachers or any other qualified professionals to be granted a H1B visa.

I have not found one item in this article that speaks to something that I would want my children to avoid.  However, I do see that several things have not been mentioned….  not the academic excellence, not the healthy social interactions, not the culture of good citizenship and good moral character are highlighted in this article.   This is also in sharp contrast to the articles (one as recently as this month)  by the same Steve Rosenberg who wrote this same article----, written on some of the qualities of this excellent school. What gives?

 So, the question is—  if these (insert your nationality/religion of choice here) organizations are doing so well in their delivery of the required high quality of education for our children in a supportive environment, why the focus on the national origin/religious affiliation of their business partners?  I, as a parent, do not care. I, as a citizen do not feel that this is appropriate. If anything, this kind of spin is tantamount to deliberately  targeting the school community at best, and even worse, risk having it be targeted by extreme-minded lunatics, as we have seen happen from time to time.

In other words, I do not find this to be a very responsible reporting.

The "diversity" of the staff seems to be a big factor for the parents of successful students. My question is how diverse is the staff if they are all recruited from the same country? Also, as a percent of the total budget, Pioneer's expenditure on visas and the legal fees that they entail seems WAY to high for a public school. And, the fact that only 4 of the 16 recruited from overseas are still on staff doesn't speak well of their recruitment skills. The pool of Massachusetts residents with certification in these areas would probably rate about the same retention numbers for significantly less money. Great teachers are not recruited, they are trained by administrators and other teachers. This Pioneer School and its budgetary choices (4 vendors from the SAME address???) is the next generation of the political cronyism for which Massachusetts is famous. The fact that the students and parents are pleased with the school is a wonderful - but at what cost?

The possible cultural bias and business ethics issues raised by this article are interesting.  It points out the dangers of the possible abuses of public funding by charter schools with little or no direct public accountability and oversight.

What racist garbage.  Imagine if the globe had run an article decrying the fact that a series of schools were suspected of having links to the catholic church.  Or Norwegians.  And presented it as some sort of unspoken reason to be inherently suspicious of the school.  The christianists would be all over the newspaper.

Even assuming some connection between the Turkish guy who the globe implies is part of this insidious plot to provide science and math instruction to kids, shouldn't the globe have to state exactly what is wrong with this guy's philosophy, espically where it affects education, before doing one of it's "exposes" of non-christianist immigrants in this country.  By the way, it fairly typical of various industries to seek out professional workers from a particular country.  And to provide immigration assistance to navigate thru the US immigration process for getting work permits.  I'm opposed to this (and chater sschhools in general) and think that it is an attempt to avoid paying the going pay rate here.  But still, how come its only suspcious when it is done by apparently non-european, perhaps non-christian, elements?

In many ways, this smacks of the attempt in NYC to prevent a muslim community center as well as the attack some years ago  on people associated with the boston mosque some years ago by people purporting to representing the Jewish community.