Earlier this week I received a call from the Orange Town Administrator in which he invited me to attend an emergency meeting at Orange Town Hall on Saturday morning, May 8th. Mr. Kwiatkowski informed me that the topic of discussion at the meeting would be the projected budget shortfall for the Town of Orange in the 2011 Fiscal Year. I informed Mr. Kwiatkowski that I would be in attendance and I asked him if the Orange Finance Committee or Selectmen would like for me to bring anything. By anything, I not only meant the Mahar budget materials and information about our organization. I was also willing to bring the coffee and donuts that could help set the stage for meaningful dialogue about how we would work together to create the best situation for the families in the Town of Orange.
This morning [Friday] a staff member at Mahar came into my office and handed me the front page of the Local section of the Greenfield Recorder. She said to me, “Sorry to ruin your day…but you have to read this.” I carefully read the article that was written about the budget crisis in the Town of Orange, and then I read it again. Orange Finance Committee Member Jane Pierce speaking of the teachers at Mahar was quoted; “I feel if we have more excellent teachers then there are fewer needed. Doesn’t it sort of beg to a larger class size?” The reason that I read this twice was that I could not believe what she [Ms. Pierce] said. I have been in communication via E-mail with Ms. Pierce this week and I have been preparing a Mahar class size report for her. I thought that we were working together…but then I read her quote.
One of my mentors taught me that a public action should always receive a public response. With this in mind I am compelled to respond to the statements made by Ms. Pierce publicly. To be fair, if you did not read the article in Friday’s Recorder please stop reading this and go back and read it before you proceed in reading my response. If you did read it and my response is of interest to you, please continue. I am writing this article on behalf of the students who attend our school, their families, our staff, and the four towns that make up the Ralph C. Mahar Regional School District. It is also important to say that more than 75% of the students who attend Mahar reside in the town of Orange.
There are really only two points that I need to make. The first is that when one talks about the Ralph C. Mahar Regional School in terms of “they” you would expect that the person who is speaking does not reside in the Towns of Orange, Wendell, Petersham, or New Salem. It would be okay for a person from Athol, Gill, Turners Falls, Montague, or Amherst to talk about Ralph C. Mahar in terms of “They” but not for a person from Orange. The Ralph C. Mahar Regional School is here for the education of the children and young adults from Orange and our other member towns. I don’t call our teachers “the professionals.” Rather, I refer to them as “Our professionals.” Mahar is Orange. Mahar is Wendell. Mahar is New Salem. Mahar is Petersham. I have an agreement that was drafted in 1956 and later amended to back these statements up.
Second, I am going into Saturday morning’s meeting with a different paradigm than the one that Ms. Pierce conveyed in her statements to the Greenfield Recorder. I am going in to the meeting with the intent of building and sustaining synergy with my colleagues from the Town of Orange. I want to be part of a solution rather than part of an argument that has gone on for years. Rather than remind readers about what a wonderful school community Mahar is and rather than write about the ills of educating children in crowded classrooms, I am choosing to write about the need to change some hearts and some minds. Mahar should not be viewed separately from the communities of Orange, Wendell, New Salem and Petersham.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Breaking Down Bullying
The unfortunate suicide of South Hadley teen, Phoebe Prince has brought about a renewed sense of purpose for school officials, legislators, those in law enforcement, parents, teachers, and students. Events such as those that recently took place in South Hadley, MA have a way of setting off a chain of events that forever change the landscape of the day to day operation of schools in America. I can compare the anti-bullying vigilance of recent days to the exponential increase in lockdown drills and implementation of Emergency Planning that took place in schools after the events at Columbine High School in 1999.
Never before has the actions of bullies been so clearly defined. In the book “The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander” Barbara Coloroso (2008) describes three elements of situations that involve bullies and those being bullied. First, the situation always involves an imbalance of power. That is that the offender is often bigger, older, stronger, more verbally equipped, or has more capital with peers. Second, the bully always acts with intent to harm. The offender means to inflict some type of physical or psychological pain on the victim or victims, and it is never an accident. Third, in instances of bullying both the offender and the victim know that the bullying can and most likely will occur again. This threat of further aggression is often the reason that bullying goes unreported to adults.
Coloroso (2008) asserts that the terror that is generated from the above mentioned actions renders victims powerless. Once this terror exists there is potential for extreme acts of aggression, retaliation, and a cycle of violence that can come from either the offender or the victim. School administrators and teachers now intimately aware and focused on the interactions of students with one another in classrooms, in the hallways, in the cafeteria, and on the sports fields have been hyper vigilant about ensuring that students are not engaging in these behaviors.
When crises such as those in South Hadley strikes the public school system groups of people whom I refer to as “Crisis Entrepreneurs” move quickly. These are groups of people and corporations who profit from seriously unfortunate events. To date, I have received about a dozen invitations to seminars and weekend retreats to meet with “professionals” about mitigating the problems caused by bullying in schools. One of these conferences was $600.00 per person to attend, and it came with a weekend stay at a four star hotel. These invitations come to me by fax, by E-mail, and in via the US Postage service. The faxes go in the recycle bin along with the mail, and the E-mails go directly to the junk E-mail box.
The Ralph C. Mahar Regional School has a department that focuses specifically on Student Support Services. Among this group of highly qualified professionals are veteran school counselors, a school psychologist, licensed school social workers, and a support team facilitator. This group meets weekly to discuss the interactions of individual and groups of students, their behavior in and outside of school, and proactive approaches to stopping violence while ensuring school wide social-emotional wellness. At Mahar, we understand a very simple fact: If students are not well, learning cannot and will not take place. How could a student who fears for his or her safety focus subjects like Algebra, Geometry, Chemistry, or anything else for that matter?
The No Child Left Behind Act calls upon school administrators to focus on student drop out rates, performance on state assessments, graduation rates, and specifically the performance of students in selected populations such as Special Education, English Language Learners, and those from Low Income Families. Take the pressure of these accountability standards and when added to the previous and approaching budget crises the public schools are faced with an entirely new set of problems. There is only so much funding, and where should it go? Do we risk lower test scores to keep our students safe? Do we focus on their wellness even though it might mean that class sizes may go up in our schools?
To me the answer is simple. The safety of our students comes first. Those who are best poised to ensure student safety are those who are trained to listen to them and when needed, act as their voices. I recognize that we are in a budget crisis – but I will not allow any reduction in funding to fall on the backs of our children who are in need of the most support. Those who are reading this article who have been bullied or been bullies know that bullying is not isolated to schools. Perhaps there are bullies in our adult lives too. It is my hope that the proactive approach of Mahar and the proactive approaches of other public schools will not only keep our students safe now, but educate them for a future in which they go out of their way to help, rather than hurt others.
Never before has the actions of bullies been so clearly defined. In the book “The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander” Barbara Coloroso (2008) describes three elements of situations that involve bullies and those being bullied. First, the situation always involves an imbalance of power. That is that the offender is often bigger, older, stronger, more verbally equipped, or has more capital with peers. Second, the bully always acts with intent to harm. The offender means to inflict some type of physical or psychological pain on the victim or victims, and it is never an accident. Third, in instances of bullying both the offender and the victim know that the bullying can and most likely will occur again. This threat of further aggression is often the reason that bullying goes unreported to adults.
Coloroso (2008) asserts that the terror that is generated from the above mentioned actions renders victims powerless. Once this terror exists there is potential for extreme acts of aggression, retaliation, and a cycle of violence that can come from either the offender or the victim. School administrators and teachers now intimately aware and focused on the interactions of students with one another in classrooms, in the hallways, in the cafeteria, and on the sports fields have been hyper vigilant about ensuring that students are not engaging in these behaviors.
When crises such as those in South Hadley strikes the public school system groups of people whom I refer to as “Crisis Entrepreneurs” move quickly. These are groups of people and corporations who profit from seriously unfortunate events. To date, I have received about a dozen invitations to seminars and weekend retreats to meet with “professionals” about mitigating the problems caused by bullying in schools. One of these conferences was $600.00 per person to attend, and it came with a weekend stay at a four star hotel. These invitations come to me by fax, by E-mail, and in via the US Postage service. The faxes go in the recycle bin along with the mail, and the E-mails go directly to the junk E-mail box.
The Ralph C. Mahar Regional School has a department that focuses specifically on Student Support Services. Among this group of highly qualified professionals are veteran school counselors, a school psychologist, licensed school social workers, and a support team facilitator. This group meets weekly to discuss the interactions of individual and groups of students, their behavior in and outside of school, and proactive approaches to stopping violence while ensuring school wide social-emotional wellness. At Mahar, we understand a very simple fact: If students are not well, learning cannot and will not take place. How could a student who fears for his or her safety focus subjects like Algebra, Geometry, Chemistry, or anything else for that matter?
The No Child Left Behind Act calls upon school administrators to focus on student drop out rates, performance on state assessments, graduation rates, and specifically the performance of students in selected populations such as Special Education, English Language Learners, and those from Low Income Families. Take the pressure of these accountability standards and when added to the previous and approaching budget crises the public schools are faced with an entirely new set of problems. There is only so much funding, and where should it go? Do we risk lower test scores to keep our students safe? Do we focus on their wellness even though it might mean that class sizes may go up in our schools?
To me the answer is simple. The safety of our students comes first. Those who are best poised to ensure student safety are those who are trained to listen to them and when needed, act as their voices. I recognize that we are in a budget crisis – but I will not allow any reduction in funding to fall on the backs of our children who are in need of the most support. Those who are reading this article who have been bullied or been bullies know that bullying is not isolated to schools. Perhaps there are bullies in our adult lives too. It is my hope that the proactive approach of Mahar and the proactive approaches of other public schools will not only keep our students safe now, but educate them for a future in which they go out of their way to help, rather than hurt others.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Mrs. Grosky: Top Ten Semifinalist in Massachusetts Teacher of the Year Competition
Since 1960 the Massachusetts Teacher of the Year program has honored a Massachusetts teacher who exemplifies excellent teaching. Now in its 50th year, the program’s purpose is to identify a teacher who is worthy of publicly presenting the importance of the teaching profession, and representing the positive contributions of all teachers in the Commonwealth. When one considers that there are more than 69,000 teachers in Massachusetts it is apparent that finding the single person to hold the title “Teacher of the Year” is no easy task.
All too often you will read articles in the newspaper about principals who unveil new programs in their schools, superintendents who make valid arguments for more funding for education, the donations of wealthy people to the schools, and school facility upgrades (if and when they happen). All of these things are good, but when it comes to schools the most important and relevant articles that should be written everyday are not. These are the articles that pertain to the miracles that happen in each and every school, public or private, in every town in America every single day.
An article a day could be written about teachers who make differences in the lives of their students. These differences come by way of instruction, conversation, feedback, reward, and redirection. Accountability standards and state regulations aside, teachers work incredibly hard and our communities need to know that. So let this article serve as a thank-you to all teachers as I write about one who I have come to know quite well. After my first observation of her in her classroom three years ago, I told her that I was not comfortable evaluating her. Rather, in my time spent in her classroom observing like a good little administrator should – I was witnessing and learning about teaching at its very finest.
Anne Grosky is a teacher in the Ralph C. Mahar Regional Middle School. She works with eleven students who have unique learning styles. Her students enter her classroom having learned that learning is difficult for them, and because of this, they are in a different educational setting than their same aged peers. Anne however, does not see this as a challenge. Rather, she told me that she sees her job as an opportunity to “straighten sagging shoulders” and “raise heads that are pointed to the floor.”
The students in Mrs. Grosky’s class work in a system by which they earn certain tokens at the end of each school day. These tokens are earned for positive peer interactions, completion of assigned work, helping others during the school day, and for their participation in learning at the highest level that these seventh and eighth graders can. The tokens are then deposited into an account, and then at the end of the week these students can write checks to the “Grosky Store” for school supplies, books, and other items that pertain to school. The students also have the option of saving their tokens in their accounts so that they may purchase the ultimate item from the proverbial “top shelf” of the “Grosky Store.”
The best item in the “Grosky Store” is Sunday Dinner at Mrs. Grosky’s home. When Mrs. Grosky first came to me with this idea, I did not know what to say. In ten years as an educational administrator I had never been approached with such a request. Once I had a clear understanding of what she was thinking, I had to accept the idea. Anne and her husband Mitch (a retired principal) have now taken to having Anne’s students over the house each week. There they assist in planning, preparing, eating, and cleaning up after a meal with Anne’s family. On one Monday in particular when Anne showed me the pictures of one of her students making a Caesar Salad something dawned on me. I was looking at a picture of a student, who at the age of thirteen and due to the situations of his life had never had the opportunity help prepare and enjoy a meal in the fashion that Anne had provided. My heart melted.
When I watch Anne teach and I see her science experiments, her class plays, and her truly multi-sensory approach to teaching, I know that miracles are happening in her room everyday. When I see the pictures from her home each Monday, I know that the miracles are now taking place on Sundays as well. What a treat…a teacher who loves her work, loves her students, and truly changes their lives. I believe that all teachers should be recognized, and as you have read, especially Anne.
So about a month ago, I got together with some of Mahar’s employees, parents, and with the students in Anne’s class. We decided that she should be the one who is called the “Teacher of the Year” and we put together a packet of information on her behalf. Just a couple of days ago, Mrs. Grosky was informed that out of the 69,000 teachers in Massachusetts that she has been named a Top Ten Semi-Finalist in the competition. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education still has much to do to identify the person who will hold this prestigious title. The winner, by the way, is automatically entered into the National Teacher of the Year Competition. Because of rules that govern confidentiality, I cannot write about how Anne has helped each student individually, but I think that President Obama is going to be delighted when he meets her and learns about what she has done.
All too often you will read articles in the newspaper about principals who unveil new programs in their schools, superintendents who make valid arguments for more funding for education, the donations of wealthy people to the schools, and school facility upgrades (if and when they happen). All of these things are good, but when it comes to schools the most important and relevant articles that should be written everyday are not. These are the articles that pertain to the miracles that happen in each and every school, public or private, in every town in America every single day.
An article a day could be written about teachers who make differences in the lives of their students. These differences come by way of instruction, conversation, feedback, reward, and redirection. Accountability standards and state regulations aside, teachers work incredibly hard and our communities need to know that. So let this article serve as a thank-you to all teachers as I write about one who I have come to know quite well. After my first observation of her in her classroom three years ago, I told her that I was not comfortable evaluating her. Rather, in my time spent in her classroom observing like a good little administrator should – I was witnessing and learning about teaching at its very finest.
Anne Grosky is a teacher in the Ralph C. Mahar Regional Middle School. She works with eleven students who have unique learning styles. Her students enter her classroom having learned that learning is difficult for them, and because of this, they are in a different educational setting than their same aged peers. Anne however, does not see this as a challenge. Rather, she told me that she sees her job as an opportunity to “straighten sagging shoulders” and “raise heads that are pointed to the floor.”
The students in Mrs. Grosky’s class work in a system by which they earn certain tokens at the end of each school day. These tokens are earned for positive peer interactions, completion of assigned work, helping others during the school day, and for their participation in learning at the highest level that these seventh and eighth graders can. The tokens are then deposited into an account, and then at the end of the week these students can write checks to the “Grosky Store” for school supplies, books, and other items that pertain to school. The students also have the option of saving their tokens in their accounts so that they may purchase the ultimate item from the proverbial “top shelf” of the “Grosky Store.”
The best item in the “Grosky Store” is Sunday Dinner at Mrs. Grosky’s home. When Mrs. Grosky first came to me with this idea, I did not know what to say. In ten years as an educational administrator I had never been approached with such a request. Once I had a clear understanding of what she was thinking, I had to accept the idea. Anne and her husband Mitch (a retired principal) have now taken to having Anne’s students over the house each week. There they assist in planning, preparing, eating, and cleaning up after a meal with Anne’s family. On one Monday in particular when Anne showed me the pictures of one of her students making a Caesar Salad something dawned on me. I was looking at a picture of a student, who at the age of thirteen and due to the situations of his life had never had the opportunity help prepare and enjoy a meal in the fashion that Anne had provided. My heart melted.
When I watch Anne teach and I see her science experiments, her class plays, and her truly multi-sensory approach to teaching, I know that miracles are happening in her room everyday. When I see the pictures from her home each Monday, I know that the miracles are now taking place on Sundays as well. What a treat…a teacher who loves her work, loves her students, and truly changes their lives. I believe that all teachers should be recognized, and as you have read, especially Anne.
So about a month ago, I got together with some of Mahar’s employees, parents, and with the students in Anne’s class. We decided that she should be the one who is called the “Teacher of the Year” and we put together a packet of information on her behalf. Just a couple of days ago, Mrs. Grosky was informed that out of the 69,000 teachers in Massachusetts that she has been named a Top Ten Semi-Finalist in the competition. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education still has much to do to identify the person who will hold this prestigious title. The winner, by the way, is automatically entered into the National Teacher of the Year Competition. Because of rules that govern confidentiality, I cannot write about how Anne has helped each student individually, but I think that President Obama is going to be delighted when he meets her and learns about what she has done.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Cellular Phones = Handheld Computers: Parents Beware!
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to read over state legislation that is proposed to limit bullying in schools. It is apparent that this law has been drafted in reaction to a recent tragedy in which a student who was being harassed by her peers made a drastic decision to take her own life. The legislation will offer school administrators increased flexibility in taking steps to eliminate bullying in schools while at the same time mandate that students be educated about these negative peer interactions.
In the wake of the tragedy that has driven this legislation, administrators all over Massachusetts and in many other states have been taking steps to ensure that their schools are free of the types of student behaviors that brought about this event. More specifically, my fellow Superintendents, Principals, Assistant Principals, Counselors, and Technology Directors have focused in on “Cyber Bullying,” what it is, and when and where it takes place.
It is not that we didn’t know about “Cyber Bullying” at Mahar. Each year we have guest presentations for our students that pertain to their behavior on the Internet and next month we will have a presentation for parents. We have known for a long time that just as the Internet provides a new method of communication for everybody, it also provides users with the idea that their one-way communications can remain anonymous. We spend a lot of time informing students that this is not so. Further, we have other concerns about students’ safety on the Internet because of the potential for them to be endangered by the predatory behaviors of some, identity theft, and other outright scams.
We thought that the aforementioned feared activities could not take place in school because we have such an elaborate technology system in place that simply will not allow it. In school, every move that a student makes on the Internet is monitored, and every word that is typed can be recorded. These filters are in place because of laws that exist to help us protect our students. But what I have learned recently is very important information, not only for teachers and administrators, but for parents as well.
When I was a child the Atari, the Apple II, and the Commodore 64 dominated the industry. There was no Internet and cellular phone calls were reserved for those in the military or those who were filthy rich. Today, the cellular phone is not just a phone – rather, cellular phones are handheld computers. A student who has a phone with a data connection can do anything that can be done on a computer, and this fact is one that needs the careful scrutiny of parents.
Those parents who are proactive and put surf controls on the home computer, limit time on the Internet for their children, and take other steps such as having the home PC in plain view might not be doing enough to protect their children from the dangers that exist on the “Net.” Even with all of the controls that are available, students can still use their phones – sometimes right in front of their parents and teachers to connect to the net and communicate with others. A student appears to be checking the time might be on Facebook, MySpace, sending a text, and/or so much more.
In the wake of the tragedy that has driven this legislation, administrators all over Massachusetts and in many other states have been taking steps to ensure that their schools are free of the types of student behaviors that brought about this event. More specifically, my fellow Superintendents, Principals, Assistant Principals, Counselors, and Technology Directors have focused in on “Cyber Bullying,” what it is, and when and where it takes place.
It is not that we didn’t know about “Cyber Bullying” at Mahar. Each year we have guest presentations for our students that pertain to their behavior on the Internet and next month we will have a presentation for parents. We have known for a long time that just as the Internet provides a new method of communication for everybody, it also provides users with the idea that their one-way communications can remain anonymous. We spend a lot of time informing students that this is not so. Further, we have other concerns about students’ safety on the Internet because of the potential for them to be endangered by the predatory behaviors of some, identity theft, and other outright scams.
We thought that the aforementioned feared activities could not take place in school because we have such an elaborate technology system in place that simply will not allow it. In school, every move that a student makes on the Internet is monitored, and every word that is typed can be recorded. These filters are in place because of laws that exist to help us protect our students. But what I have learned recently is very important information, not only for teachers and administrators, but for parents as well.
When I was a child the Atari, the Apple II, and the Commodore 64 dominated the industry. There was no Internet and cellular phone calls were reserved for those in the military or those who were filthy rich. Today, the cellular phone is not just a phone – rather, cellular phones are handheld computers. A student who has a phone with a data connection can do anything that can be done on a computer, and this fact is one that needs the careful scrutiny of parents.
Those parents who are proactive and put surf controls on the home computer, limit time on the Internet for their children, and take other steps such as having the home PC in plain view might not be doing enough to protect their children from the dangers that exist on the “Net.” Even with all of the controls that are available, students can still use their phones – sometimes right in front of their parents and teachers to connect to the net and communicate with others. A student appears to be checking the time might be on Facebook, MySpace, sending a text, and/or so much more.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
500 Lunches in 90 Minutes or Less!
Tonight I used the Internet to see if I could find out how many restaurants there are in the United States. I learned that there are approximately 750,000 in total and that of these, more than 50,000 are classified as “Fast Food.” McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, and KFC all operate on pretty much the same premise – people walk in to the restaurant, wait in line for a relatively brief amount of time, then they get their food and leave, or they sit down and eat it pretty quickly.
It is likely that there is tremendous research on the eating habits of fast food lovers. For instance, it would be interesting to know the average number of minutes a person stays in one of these establishments. I would be curious to know how much money the average person spends and how many people can be served in one hour. The caloric content of fast food meals has been under intense scrutiny in recent years along with fat content and sodium levels – yet these establishments continue to flourish with hungry customers.
If I were to offer fast food franchise owners the opportunity to have more than 500 customers a day for 180 days a year, most would likely jump at the opportunity. This proposition would provide a chance to serve more than 90,000 meals a year. Let’s say I was to tell the fast food owners that the 500 meals per day would be served in less than 90 minutes? I think that would make the offer even better. Imagine the profits that could be made!
Now imagine that any meal served must meet Dietary Guidelines, which recommend that no more than 30 percent of an individual's calories come from fat, and less than 10 percent from saturated fat. These regulations also establish a standard for meals to provide one-third of the Recommended Daily Allowances of protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, calcium, and calories. And one more thing….the maximum that can be charged for a meal is $2.50 (and it must include milk).
Mahar parents were recently notified of a twenty-five cent increase in an individual student lunch. The current fiscal situation both locally and nationally made this a very difficult decision to make. Mahar’s commitment to providing nutritious meals for its students remains – but it is becoming increasingly expensive to maintain.
It is likely that there is tremendous research on the eating habits of fast food lovers. For instance, it would be interesting to know the average number of minutes a person stays in one of these establishments. I would be curious to know how much money the average person spends and how many people can be served in one hour. The caloric content of fast food meals has been under intense scrutiny in recent years along with fat content and sodium levels – yet these establishments continue to flourish with hungry customers.
If I were to offer fast food franchise owners the opportunity to have more than 500 customers a day for 180 days a year, most would likely jump at the opportunity. This proposition would provide a chance to serve more than 90,000 meals a year. Let’s say I was to tell the fast food owners that the 500 meals per day would be served in less than 90 minutes? I think that would make the offer even better. Imagine the profits that could be made!
Now imagine that any meal served must meet Dietary Guidelines, which recommend that no more than 30 percent of an individual's calories come from fat, and less than 10 percent from saturated fat. These regulations also establish a standard for meals to provide one-third of the Recommended Daily Allowances of protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, calcium, and calories. And one more thing….the maximum that can be charged for a meal is $2.50 (and it must include milk).
Mahar parents were recently notified of a twenty-five cent increase in an individual student lunch. The current fiscal situation both locally and nationally made this a very difficult decision to make. Mahar’s commitment to providing nutritious meals for its students remains – but it is becoming increasingly expensive to maintain.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Racing to the Top - We Have to Wait and See
Lately the Race to the Top has been the topic of conversation in our schools and in the media. The Race to the Top is a competitive $4.35 billion dollar education reform program that could award Massachusetts up to $250 million dollars in additional funding for education. In order to obtain these funds the Massachusetts Department of Education has had to work collaboratively with State Legislators and stakeholders in drafting its proposal to the Federal Government.
On December 11, 2009 Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Commissioner, Mitchell Chester sent a letter to School District Leaders asking that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) be signed by School Committee Chairpersons, Massachusetts Teachers Association (Union) Presidents, and District Superintendents stating that their districts would commit to implement the initiatives named in the state’s proposal to the Federal Government. The Commissioner states very clearly in his letter that if Massachusetts were to be awarded the aforementioned funding, at least half of the grant award will be distributed to those districts who submit MOU’s that are signed by all three parties.
The MOU has been the topic of discussion since the release of the Commissioner’s letter, and for many more reasons that there is time to write about. First, in order for an MTA President to sign the MOU he/she needed the consent of the larger MTA as an organization and the support of his/her local Teachers Union. The School Committee Chairs needed to have the authorization from their School Committees to sign and finally, the Superintendent would have to sign as well.
Here is a link that will take you to both the letter from the Commissioner and to the MOU:
http://www.doe.mass.edu/arra/rttt/mou.doc
If Massachusetts is awarded the Federal funds associated with this agreement, the Ralph C. Mahar Regional School District would stand to gain approximately $27,000.00 in additional funding. The amount of funding for each district is based on how much Title I funding each district receives – which is an additional 15% of each district’s Title I funds….but these funds come with requirements……
What requirements???
Since the Teacher’s Unions, Superintendents, and School Committees were unsure of what the requirements would be many of these groups opted not to sign and/or submit the MOU. As of 9:00 PM last night, approximately 50% of the districts in the state had signed the MOU, and this is reflective of about 67% of the state’s K – 12 population. At Mahar the MTA President, School Committee Chair, and Superintendent (me) signed the MOU. With this we also signed a Memorandum of Agreement stating that any party could back out of the Race to the Top process at a later time – should the requirements of the grant be perceived to be prohibitive, remove collective bargaining rights, or be viewed as not a good option for Mahar’s students.
The state’s application to the Federal Government is due in Washington DC on January 19. I am not clear on what happens after that, but I will be sure to keep you posted. All that I know for sure is that with the Massachusetts application for the Federal funds are 245 signed Memorandums – and one of them bears our district’s name and required signatures.
On December 11, 2009 Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Commissioner, Mitchell Chester sent a letter to School District Leaders asking that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) be signed by School Committee Chairpersons, Massachusetts Teachers Association (Union) Presidents, and District Superintendents stating that their districts would commit to implement the initiatives named in the state’s proposal to the Federal Government. The Commissioner states very clearly in his letter that if Massachusetts were to be awarded the aforementioned funding, at least half of the grant award will be distributed to those districts who submit MOU’s that are signed by all three parties.
The MOU has been the topic of discussion since the release of the Commissioner’s letter, and for many more reasons that there is time to write about. First, in order for an MTA President to sign the MOU he/she needed the consent of the larger MTA as an organization and the support of his/her local Teachers Union. The School Committee Chairs needed to have the authorization from their School Committees to sign and finally, the Superintendent would have to sign as well.
Here is a link that will take you to both the letter from the Commissioner and to the MOU:
http://www.doe.mass.edu/arra/rttt/mou.doc
If Massachusetts is awarded the Federal funds associated with this agreement, the Ralph C. Mahar Regional School District would stand to gain approximately $27,000.00 in additional funding. The amount of funding for each district is based on how much Title I funding each district receives – which is an additional 15% of each district’s Title I funds….but these funds come with requirements……
What requirements???
Since the Teacher’s Unions, Superintendents, and School Committees were unsure of what the requirements would be many of these groups opted not to sign and/or submit the MOU. As of 9:00 PM last night, approximately 50% of the districts in the state had signed the MOU, and this is reflective of about 67% of the state’s K – 12 population. At Mahar the MTA President, School Committee Chair, and Superintendent (me) signed the MOU. With this we also signed a Memorandum of Agreement stating that any party could back out of the Race to the Top process at a later time – should the requirements of the grant be perceived to be prohibitive, remove collective bargaining rights, or be viewed as not a good option for Mahar’s students.
The state’s application to the Federal Government is due in Washington DC on January 19. I am not clear on what happens after that, but I will be sure to keep you posted. All that I know for sure is that with the Massachusetts application for the Federal funds are 245 signed Memorandums – and one of them bears our district’s name and required signatures.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Regional Assistance Centers
This morning I attended a workshop that was sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Today’s workshop focused on another DESE initiative which is aside from the new computer data collection program for Special Education compliance reporting, the Readiness Project, or the new MCAS data reports that show student growth (DESE meetings of late). The DESE initiative du jour was creation of the District and School Assistance Centers (DSACs) across the state.
Essentially, schools and districts are now being ranked in a level system that places them anywhere from Level 1 to Level 5. I should specify that the level system relates directly to school performance under the No Child Left Behind Act…which means how our students perform on state assessments and meet other criteria such as timely graduation. The new level system works like this:
Level 1 – Meets Regulation – DESE provides voluntary access to online tools
Level 2 – At Risk – DESE suggests assistance for student groups and teachers
Level 3 – Needs Technical Assistance – ESE provides priority assistance and guides self-assessment
Level 4 – Needs Intervention – DESE requires intervention
Level 5 – Needs Substantial Intervention – DESE co-governs district
So where does Mahar stand in all of this?
Here is a breakdown of the 1766 schools in Massachusetts:
Level 1 – 464
Level 2 – 82
Level 3 – 1177
Level 4 – 43
We are in a group with 1176 other schools. Today our administrative team affirmed yet again our commitment to improve. Before the announcement of the District and School Assistance Centers, we were committed to reaching the benchmarks for student performance that is set by the state. Now we are also committed to moving Mahar to Level 2, and then to Level 1 in the new system unveiled by the DESE today. Only now, we know that we will have the assistance of some highly qualified folks at the DESE – one of which I have come to know as an outstanding person and consummate professional.
I am looking forward to working with our newly appointed DSAC Regional Assistance Director, Ken Rocke.
One more thing – for those of you who read yesterday’s blog, I went with the Quarter Pounder with Cheese & a Large Fries. I skipped the soda though and had a cup of coffee.
Essentially, schools and districts are now being ranked in a level system that places them anywhere from Level 1 to Level 5. I should specify that the level system relates directly to school performance under the No Child Left Behind Act…which means how our students perform on state assessments and meet other criteria such as timely graduation. The new level system works like this:
Level 1 – Meets Regulation – DESE provides voluntary access to online tools
Level 2 – At Risk – DESE suggests assistance for student groups and teachers
Level 3 – Needs Technical Assistance – ESE provides priority assistance and guides self-assessment
Level 4 – Needs Intervention – DESE requires intervention
Level 5 – Needs Substantial Intervention – DESE co-governs district
So where does Mahar stand in all of this?
Here is a breakdown of the 1766 schools in Massachusetts:
Level 1 – 464
Level 2 – 82
Level 3 – 1177
Level 4 – 43
We are in a group with 1176 other schools. Today our administrative team affirmed yet again our commitment to improve. Before the announcement of the District and School Assistance Centers, we were committed to reaching the benchmarks for student performance that is set by the state. Now we are also committed to moving Mahar to Level 2, and then to Level 1 in the new system unveiled by the DESE today. Only now, we know that we will have the assistance of some highly qualified folks at the DESE – one of which I have come to know as an outstanding person and consummate professional.
I am looking forward to working with our newly appointed DSAC Regional Assistance Director, Ken Rocke.
One more thing – for those of you who read yesterday’s blog, I went with the Quarter Pounder with Cheese & a Large Fries. I skipped the soda though and had a cup of coffee.
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