School changes

Plenty of Worcester Public School parents looked at their paper this morning and thought, "They're going to do what?!"
(And then some of them went over to the T&G site and commented to that end, although the discussion over there now seems to have moved on to the use of alliteration in commenting.)

If you'd like to look at the full presentation and discussion of this, the subcommittee meeting from yesterday is now posted (bottom of the page, highlight "Sch. Comm.--Stdng Comm on Teaching, Learning, and Student Support" and click "Launch Player). The full agenda is here, and the backup for that particular item starts on page 24 with "Addressing Issues of Educational Reform."

To answer a few questions:

• this is in answer to some items filed by various school committee members about other ways of doing things: longer school days, different school structures, Horace Mann schools, classical schools.
• this also grows out of Governor Patrick's moves on Innovation Schools and the Race to the Top.
• the latter, RTTT, is where money could come from, 'though the administration in this presentation also in hoping this might possibly save money (I'm not clear on where; I think at this point it's still a question).
  
• when isn't clear. Mary Mullaney asked just that question at the last full Committee meeting. It could be this year, it could be next year.
  
• Note also that both at the full Committee and again yesterday there was much assurance from the administration that the community would be fully involved on this.
• No, I don't know any more than what I've got up here.
  

If you've got questions, please post them. The Standing Committee will report at the next meeting of the full committee (February 25), and we can ask questions then.