Ed Reform at 17: Boone

Boone: policy implication at the school district level
"part of my attraction to Massachusetts was the history of ed reform...match with my philosophy of education of 'all means all'"
rural areas as well as urban
"early ed reform focused on funding, and that was key, with the achievement piece being there...ed reform two focuses heavily on achievement with wrap around services"
"what we're trained to do is focus on teaching and learning...we have to address those wrap-around needs and not just leave them to chance...families need supports to be successful"
"the jury is going to be out for years and years on No Child Left Behind..one of the things that has come through as a real strength that there is a real expectation that all students will be successful," regardless of race or poverty level
adult behaviors that are associated with student learning: adult acccountability
"we're now at a point when we can find that middle ground...we're going to need both"
"obviously, we have schools along the entire continuum...Worcester will have schools at Levels 1 through 4"
"where will we have the will and the courage to address what needs to happen...a shifting tide...we're caught in the middle of that tide"
"swim with the tide and you'll eventually swim out"
"use the energy...to work with the policy makers so it makes the most sense at the child's level"
"tough for communities to recognize that this is a riptide event"; to swim with the tide and eventually swim out
started on a path to address underperforming schools; what are the supportive services around the schools that are needed?
"and I share Kevin O'Sullivan's perspective on our huge numbers" of special education students
"it's not education for test scores...the MCAS represents one of the benchmarks"
not needing remidial services, enlisted students moving up as they've had a solid education
"a lot of ways that we can connect this in terms of 21st century learning"
"we should be successfull, we have no way to go but in a beneficial route"
"must revist the foundation funding formula...cannot continue to have a negative inflation factor...we've got to get that current in the economic situation"
"the state has got to address the funding formula"
"language concerns me...that achievement gap rests solely within the urban areas...that isn't the case"
multiple measures that will be used as a criteria to get out of Level 4 status; "that's what gives strength"
"quality options in that"
"requires us to focus on wraparound services"