March Board of Ed: Lawrence and Holyoke

Update on Lawrence and Holyoke
first time presentation from John Connolly
Wulfson: being the first, it's the first on how we exit from receivership
people around the country on exiting from receivership situation; the advice we got is "you can't just turn a switch"
"an interesting transitional governance model"
receivership board who will hire a superintendent to oversee day to day operations
Connolly presenting with Ventura Rodriguez, associate commissioner for the statewide system of support, who also serves on Board
all others live in Lawrence

Connolly: Lawrence Alliance for Education will assume quasi-governmental role as receiver
currently overseeing search for new superintendent
really appreciate work of outgoing receiver Riley, work of teachers and community as a whole
taught for five years "would be the first to say that does not make me a teaching professional"
tremendous hope and tremendous challenges
"so far a very easy process" in working with people who know Lawrence very well
community process going forward on searching for superintendent
finalize slate by end of April; final interviews by early May; hire shortly thereafter; start date July first, we hope
open architecture system that is supported by community
improvement in connection, in morale, and most important in education of students; need someone who will continue that
Rodriguez: honored to be serving on board transitioning back to local control
go through the search process and get qualities for next candidate
important details to get people out there
two consultants from search firm running those sessions
10-15 person sessions
roughly 250 people over the two days; good representation of all of the stakeholders
food, childcare, translation
open to current Alliance for Ed or school committee members who want to speak

Wulfson: new contract "overwhelmingly ratified" by teachers' union
Mary Lou Bergeron, current deputy, will serve as acting during search

Moriarty: don't want to transition to a "less bad" urban school district

Stewart: many of gains in last years have been very technical; challenge of next step is need for change
Connolly: very much in transition, orientation session at which will be extensively briefed
"where the Lawrence schools stand specifically" part of session
one aspect of an innovative idea, need for teachers of color
Stewart: people you have there have good experience; looking forward to next experience

Doherty: role of curent School Committee
Connolly: two are on Alliance for Ed
"have met with each member of the...I have reached out to each member, I have met with all but one"
look for ways "to make sure the elected school committee has a voice"
"from a baseline starting point, two members serve on Alliance Board"
Doherty: do they still meet and take votes?
Connolly: do meet, outgoing superintendent has set meetings with them
"in the receivership, they obviously don't have powers over school budget and such things"

Sagan: want to thank you for stepping up and taking next step
"no one is more eager than us to restore it to local control"
but no one will be more deliberate than us
"we see this as a long term and a slow process"
that will involve local school committee showing that they are prepared to govern in a way that they have not done before
Connolly praises DESE staff

SHIFT TO HOLYOKE
Wulfson notes that Zrike's contract has been renewed
Sagan: thanks him for staying "we all know that this is really hard work"
Zrike: expect Holyoke graduates to be prepared to succeed in college and career "with more than a diploma"
multiple educational pathways offered to students; progress by the numbers cited
early literacy improving
challenges being addressed: retention of effective teachers, student engagement, discipline referrals, budget gaps
"we know our teachers need more support...the bar has shifted"
struggle to provide staff with competive wages "while health care costs are going up and charter reimbursement has declined"

reorganization to three middle schools (from seven), one high school
"one thing people can agree on is they want a move away from the K-8 model"
"more middle school options"
Veritas charter (from Springfield) "an in-district charter operating as a neighborhood school with some choice seats" as one of the middle schools opening
STEM Academy opening for 6-8
science scores are surprisingly low in Holyoke
teachers who are teaching across multiple grades and multiple subjects; "it makes it hard to do the job well"
"students want a middle school experience...don't want to be treated like babies, they've told me"

"thrilled where we are with high school efforts"
"igniting student interest and passion...sustaining their energy to perserve"
merge high schools into one campus with seven academies and three graduation pathways (early college, college prep, career/technical)
vision that students will learn across the city of Holyoke
continuing freshman academy
theme based academy structure
newcomer academy for students who have recently entered the mainland U.S.
"Holyoke has the highest percent of arrivals of any district in the state"

Moriarty comments that Board has responsibility to monitor resources Holyoke has available and make sure it doesn't fail for lack of support
Fernandez: also concerned because it is an economically depressed area
and "a little more to the influx of Puerto Rican families to the area"
Zrike: great that kids are graduating in greater numbers, but what happens next
know data of what happens to kids at Holyoke Community College
for students who are first generation college whose opportunities have always been closed off from us
McKenna: echoing Moriarty
"there's nothing harder than middle school...most challenging time to teach"
"finding good teachers and supporting good teachers"
"recruiting middle school teachers in STEM is a very high bar with a limited budget"
competing for a very limited pool of teachers
"I think it's absolutely the right thing to do...you've got a challenge"
Zrike: teachers supportive of middle school effort
Stewart: very ambitious resign, I like it a lot
asks about linked learning academies starting in tenth grade
all this great work at secondary level; is preK four years old? what partnerships below that?
Zrike: has been the vision to offer preK for all families; shift to middle school opens space
"the issue is funding...the seed funding to get it off the ground"
Stewart to Peyser: grant opportunities for early childhood?
Peyser: preschool expansion grant, which Holyoke is already getting
"at some point, in theory, that program will end"
"that's the largest [grant] by far"

Morton and Craven "want to understand budget issues more deeply"
will come and visit