this is in response to the STG/RTTT/Title 1 growing tangle of federal grants: how do they relate, which ones share requirements, do we have to take their money?
Federal grants
stack of papers that we just got at 7 pm
state board takes action on 3/23: Level 4 schools
explaination of how state figures Level 4 schools:
Composite Growth Performance Index, MCAS Failing, median student growth percentile (also on MCAS). It includes dropout and graduation rates for schools that graduate students
CPI figured by grade, school, district
redesign plan has to be submitted to Commissioner for approval by the stakeholder group of each Level 4 school
stakeholder group addresses wraparound services that students may need
transformation model makes the most sense to her (Boone)
statutory assurances that appear in federal grants are going across the board
entitlement grants consolidated and carry more restrictive requirements
information that we know to date: state board votes on March 23
Foley: we don't know everything yet, hold off on a vote until the mayor returns
O'Connell wants to have this information again when we do vote (mid-April); MAKE IT SHOW UP ONLINE
3 comments:
Believe or not I've spent a lot of time thinking about the Union Hill situation. Even though I'm far removed from it I'm a product of that neighborhood. Obviously the biggest problem is the socio-economic conditions of the students, and you're not going to solve that simply by focusing on the school itself. That's the problem with the Federal and State laws. They punish the staff and don't try to resolve the socio-economic situation. For a lot of those kids when they leave that school building they have no focus on their studies. Likely no one is at home pushing them to do homework and study. The problem needs to be resolved not only by the School Committee, but also by the City Council. I drove through that neighborhood yesterday and the teen agers were all hanging out in the same exact places I used to hang out at twenty-five years ago. If you're going to solve the problem you're going to have to find a way to do it outside the school building and after hours and on weekends. The City Council needs to be just as engaged to fix the root socio-economic issues as the School Committee is in looking at the classroom.
You're problem isn't the educators, your problem is the failure of State and Local politicians to fix the poverty problems in that neighborhood, and those problems have been there since before I was born. It's not insurmountable, but it would take an effort to focous politicians on the poor people and not just the middle class and business community. I lived in that neighborhood for over twenty years and never saw a City Councillor. We used to see the police a lot though.
All of which I'm sure you already know.
Jim, two thoughts: I'm trying to figure out if there's anything to rallying alums of Union Hill. If it's a group that includes you and Brian O'Connell, that has to mean something.
Also, I wonder if there's anything to be gained by petitioning the council on it?
I think hitting the council and hitting the state rep for that area (Fresolo?) as well as Senator Moore. How about the state and city ponying up some money to run after school programming? Not extended day, but tutoring and general after school programming. I think a lot of politicians push more and more class room time, but these kids also need study time and time to do homework in an environment where they can get help. If they can't get that support at home, then the state can try to create it in the school building. The school is probably the closest thing to a community center that neighborhood will ever have.
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