All comments to the Massachusetts DESE on the state's Race to the Top plan are due next Monday, January 4. Read through the PowerPoint
School Committees and superintendents (and teachers' unions, come to that) around the state are considering the state's MOU. Signatures are due January 13. Worcester's new constituted School Committee will meet next Tuesday at 5:30 pm in the Durkin Administration Building. This is an informational meeting to answer the questions the School Committee had regarding the MOU. It is on the agenda for a vote at the January 7 meeting (7pm, City Hall). Consider getting in touch with your committee members with your thoughts on the MOU.
9 comments:
One thing to question about Turn Around models, o Transformation model (provided that an LEA with more than nine level 4 or 5 schools may not use the transformation model for more than 50 percent of its schools)
I am not sure hoe DESE is NOW defining these levels. In the last iteration, I believe that WPS would have had at close to 9 schools at level 4 (no level 5). If so, which of the other actions will WPS and the EAW allow to happen?
Jack Foley (I believe it was) asked at the last meeting how many of our schools would be on this list. It does change all the time, and the last answer I heard was that no one knew for sure what the latest definition is, so no one knew how many schools would be "transformed" (quotes very much meant).
D. STATE RECOURSE FOR LEA NON-PERFORMANCE
If Massachusetts determines that the LEA is not meeting its goals, timelines, budget, or annual targets or is not fulfilling other applicable requirements, the state will take appropriate enforcement action, which could include a collaborative process between the state and the LEA, or any of the enforcement measures that are detailed in 34 CFR section 80.43 including putting the LEA on reimbursement payment status, temporarily withholding funds, or disallowing costs.
HUGE!!! This definitely needs more back up info. I cannot ever remember this type of terse language in a State grant.
As for the "List", has anyone called DESE to find out? If not, why? If yes, what did DESE say? This is like fine print on a contract. DESE must have something in mind. Last year they had a chart that was bantered about with level 4 and level 5 defined.Maybe the new admin is not aware of this document.
Launch a new statewide program to place specially trained turnaround teachers and leaders in the lowest-achieving schools
Does this mean the State will now be responsible for selecting WPS personnel?
I just Googled and found this link to proposed definition for Level 4 schools http://www.doe.mass.edu/boe/docs/1209/item3_attachB.pdf
Maybe WPS staff is already working on this, In my previous life, Dr. C would have had admin working on this to try to identify the number of schools so we could go in with a rational argument against or support fofr the proposed MOU.
And then, of course, they're going to do that every year, or so they postulate. So it's 20% this year, the next bottom 20% the following year...
Even better info
http://www.doe.mass.edu/boe/docs/1209/item3.html
Looks like WPS (not individual schools though) will be a Level 3 district. However, 90 schools will be identified for levels 4 and 5.
Oh well, off to enjoy life. Good luck to all of you in trying to make sense of this latest "saving grace" of RTTT!
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