Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
Marshall Cohen—researcher and producer, CNN
Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
LAM, Diana: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 2: | Line 2: | ||
Lam worked her way up from being a teacher to the position of being one of Boston, Massachusetts' district superintendents. She became the Chelsea, Massachusetts superintendent in 1989. At the time Chelsea, one of the state's three poorest cities, had a 52% dropout rate when it was taken over by Boston University as a ten year educational reform experiment. Lam, hired by the university as the district's first superintendent, stayed two years before campaigning to become the mayor of Boston. During her tenure, the dropout rate fell to 4%, teacher morale improved, student test scores improved faster than anywhere else in the state, and the number of students going to college doubled. (2) | Lam worked her way up from being a teacher to the position of being one of Boston, Massachusetts' district superintendents. She became the Chelsea, Massachusetts superintendent in 1989. At the time Chelsea, one of the state's three poorest cities, had a 52% dropout rate when it was taken over by Boston University as a ten year educational reform experiment. Lam, hired by the university as the district's first superintendent, stayed two years before campaigning to become the mayor of Boston. During her tenure, the dropout rate fell to 4%, teacher morale improved, student test scores improved faster than anywhere else in the state, and the number of students going to college doubled. (2) | ||
She also created some strong impressions. The Boston Globe newspaper featured her in fifty stories between late 1986 and just before she came to Dubuque. Many were flattering including a child advocate praising her leadership in Chelsea.. A former Boston school official referred to her as "a young star in the system." In 1985 she filed a sex discrimination complaint against the Boston School Department for not allowing her to hire a black woman to be vice principal. Lam won her case. There were also strong critics. She was criticized for leaving education for politics--a campaign that ended soon after it began after revelations that she and her husband had not filed tax returns for 1988 and 1989 and had failed to register some of ten rental properties valued at $2.1 million which were they owned. (3) | |||
In Dubuque, Lam established a number of initiatives including a task force to organize cooperative efforts between businesses and the schools; a plan calling for increased decision-making at the building level, improved student test scores, and promotion of cultural diversity; and “[[EXPEDITIONARY LEARNING]].” | In Dubuque, Lam established a number of initiatives including a task force to organize cooperative efforts between businesses and the schools; a plan calling for increased decision-making at the building level, improved student test scores, and promotion of cultural diversity; and “[[EXPEDITIONARY LEARNING]].” | ||
| Line 14: | Line 16: | ||
2. Ibid. | 2. Ibid. | ||
3. Krapfl, Mike. "Lams Leaves Behind Strong Impressions," ''Telegraph Herald'', June 28, 1992, p. 1. Online: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=aEyKTaVlRPYC&dat=19920628&printsec=frontpage&hl=en | |||
[[Category:Educator]] | [[Category:Educator]] | ||
Revision as of 04:08, 1 May 2016
LAM, Diana. (Lima, Peru--). In July 1992, Lam was hired as the superintendent of the DUBUQUE COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT. She succeeded Dr. Howard PIGG. (1)
Lam worked her way up from being a teacher to the position of being one of Boston, Massachusetts' district superintendents. She became the Chelsea, Massachusetts superintendent in 1989. At the time Chelsea, one of the state's three poorest cities, had a 52% dropout rate when it was taken over by Boston University as a ten year educational reform experiment. Lam, hired by the university as the district's first superintendent, stayed two years before campaigning to become the mayor of Boston. During her tenure, the dropout rate fell to 4%, teacher morale improved, student test scores improved faster than anywhere else in the state, and the number of students going to college doubled. (2)
She also created some strong impressions. The Boston Globe newspaper featured her in fifty stories between late 1986 and just before she came to Dubuque. Many were flattering including a child advocate praising her leadership in Chelsea.. A former Boston school official referred to her as "a young star in the system." In 1985 she filed a sex discrimination complaint against the Boston School Department for not allowing her to hire a black woman to be vice principal. Lam won her case. There were also strong critics. She was criticized for leaving education for politics--a campaign that ended soon after it began after revelations that she and her husband had not filed tax returns for 1988 and 1989 and had failed to register some of ten rental properties valued at $2.1 million which were they owned. (3)
In Dubuque, Lam established a number of initiatives including a task force to organize cooperative efforts between businesses and the schools; a plan calling for increased decision-making at the building level, improved student test scores, and promotion of cultural diversity; and “EXPEDITIONARY LEARNING.”
In 1993 amid controversy about her curriculum changes, the Board of Education voted 4-3 to renew Lam’s contract for another two years. In 1994, Lam announced that she had accepted an offer to be the superintendent of schools in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Marvin O'HARE succeeded her as superintendent.
---
Source:
1. Krapfl, Mike. "Board OKs Lam," Telegraph Herald, June 5, 1992, p. 1. Online: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=aEyKTaVlRPYC&dat=19920605&printsec=frontpage&hl=en
2. Ibid.
3. Krapfl, Mike. "Lams Leaves Behind Strong Impressions," Telegraph Herald, June 28, 1992, p. 1. Online: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=aEyKTaVlRPYC&dat=19920628&printsec=frontpage&hl=en