North High (all items)

We're considering all items having to do with North at once
Lee Clarkson, senior
"have always been proud of my school"
"education been jeaporized by multiple students"
imperative that WPD should be present at all times in school hours
"let us concentrate on getting an education rather than on safety"
police officer deter
false perception are somehow a threat to them
Parents
parents need support and teachers need support
kids don't feel safe there
I don't feel safe sending them there
"bomb threats and violence going on is just getting out of hand"
"throw out children who do not want to be there"
"hundreds of kids want to be there, and they're not safe"
"School Committee needs to step up and help"
Zalauskas, EAW
"city entrusts educators with their most valuable assets, their children"
"we have to start investing in our future and that starts...with the safety there"
"have to ask the City Council to invest more money...there's not more money coming from the state"
North cut in-house suspension, used to have a hall monitor
people doing a duty, when someone could be hired to do that
"definitely mixed among the people"
"personally don't want police there all the time...beseech you to consider these things"
"reach out to your fellow city council officials and ask them to step up"
"way under the tax levy...Shrewsbury took five times to get the tax rate up"
"bond ratings aren't everything"
appreciate Mayor's support on this issue
"people need to come together and say what they need to say"

Petty: this administration has been dedicated to address the concerns of the students and staff and parents at North High

Boone: address academic and student achievement challenges at North High
"tonight I will be reporting graduation and dropout rates"
86 students who had been very close to graduating, without supports they would not have gotten there
"we were not producing dropout factories and warehouses"
"highly motivated staff, students who wanted the best for their education, and parents who wanted the same"
North High's graduation rate move to 71% in four years
"because lots of people had a focus, worked together"
safety, climate, and culture

Background:
4 bomb threats "we have some leads and we are agressively working with the Worcester PD....interuption of the instructional day are not good for students or fair to staff"
bomb threats tend to come in waves
"unfortunately those threats have continued long term over the months at North High School"
several fights, both students and staff have been injured in
most recent incident "students had planned fights to occur and had no relation to the bomb threat"
"important to put some facts here"
"the police were at North High school...not for any other reason than to respond to the bomb threat. That is standard protocol and response practice"
when students returned, the fights erupted
police went in to deescalate the situation, some students responded poorly, and there were arrests
"we all want to know what has happened with students that have violated our code of conduct; the law is very clear: I cannot talk about individual students, any more than I can talk about individual staff"
"discipline has been handed out to the maximum extent allowed to us"
"anything less than safe schools, it doesn't matter what the graduation rate looks like"
threats then circulated regarding violence at the school on Friday
principal wanted to assure parents that school would be safe on Friday and so sent a message to parents to let them know that school would be safe, with presence of police on that day
police were there for extra support needed when there were threats of violence on that day
"the number 599 has circulated in a number of places...there are numbers embedded in that
130 students may be absent on an average day
reflect students who get services elsewhere who are not in the building
380 or so students who were absent that day
radio station that broadcast information regarding threats that were not true
some parents came to pick up students, some chose to leave students in the school after learning that all was safe
there were statements made that the first line we're using is arrest rather than suspension: that is not true
suspensions have occurred and will continue to be
result of conversations had
"countless hours...using with factual knowledge for this action plan"

Safety

• there is one liaison per quadrant: the WPD in North will be there for the beginning and end of school
• "lead teacher for school safety and accountability" for all current and future and safety intervention--new position--
• safety intervention team (on graduation model): coordinate hall monitoring, data collection, individual interventions for students
• review & revise staffing for hall monitoring
• additional IA for hall monitoring and bathroom coverage (particularly floor 2-4)
• enahse NHS electronic photo ID system: was put in place for students in hall: "early implementation was very successful" : tracks students going to bathroom, as they swipe in and out of the bathroom; also registers students reporting tardy: third device to coverage all bathrooms
• threatening and/or aggressive behavior will not be tolerated

Climate & Culture

• Teaching with Poverty faculty reading and discussion with Eric Jenson
• Superintendent & CAO  to meet with faculty to discuss: recent events, action plan, improvements in graduation/dropout
• student assemblies for students to share their thoughts in an open forum
• subjects of non-violence, impact of media, personal accountability, digital footprint
• student interaction with recent alumni through assemblies, focus groups, & mentoring
• in conjuction with You, Inc. will run social and emotional groups: one for boys and one for girls, ten weeks per session, 10 students each (40 students total)
• Superintendent & CAO to meet with Student Council, Principal's advisory council and others for discussion
• meeting with families in partnership with DA, ACE, LEI, Black Legacy, Mass Grad Coalition. Forum for families to discuss safety, voice concerns
• 12 week training program for 20 parents at Worcester Academy with bus passes, dinner, childcare, interpreters: parenting and school success, navigating a school system, child development
• Commitment to Kindness as developed by a WPS teacher: students to have a voice in promoting postive perspectives on the school 

Already happening:

restorative justice: most have been trained

Friday chat with principal

common planning time

graduation improvement meeting

pipeline collaborative externship

Gear Up trips to college

CSI : College Success Institute

(and more)

Class size and staffing

I'm not going to type out the chart, but I'll take a photo to post later. Short version is that North's average class size is highest of the four comprehensives in ELA (23.3), in science (22.1), and world language (23.5, tied with South). South has the highest class size in math (22.4), Burncoat in science (23.3). 

These students now reading their mission statement.

Boone: fewer than 2% of students at North garner 98% of the attention
those 98% need our love and attention
"let us come together and work on this"

Petty (Biancheria takes the chair)
thank the students for coming out: read it today
"The sad part of this is, the kids up there are pretty good kids...few kids causing issues up there...the kids do and what the teachers do don't get the attention"
"there's such good things happening"
"support this"
"have to come together as a community"
"we address so many issues in the Worcester Public Schools"
graduation's going up..."North High's increased dramatically"
"we'd like to know what's going on, hear what the parents have to say"
"think it's important that we support the principal, support the staff and the students"

Biancheria: "in 2011, we opened the doors to fabulous new North High School"
"very proud, and I still am...I'm a graduate, 1974"
"I know that we have fabulous kids there...I have all the faith in the world in the staff there"
"room is full of people who care and who want to see the best come out in print"
appreciate administration putting together this plan
appreciate our police working with our school safety liaison
"there will be teaching and there will be learning"
"I am standing here to say the support you need, that's the support you'll get"

Monfredo: "North High has always been an exceptional high school"
"believe action plan certainly addresses many of the issues"
was going to suggest a committee...but Boone has already put that together tonight
changes in the culture of the school, commitment to kindness
Much work to be done, can do it together

Ramirez: part of some programming that happens at school
"part of what I'm not hearing
in the dialogue is we don't have a lot for youth to do in this city"
"youth in this city are crying for help"
bomb threat is what I would like to get solution to
postive outlets needed
"Love all of our students at North...that 2% needs attention..it drips into the community and we own that"

O'Connell
action plan tonight: clear questions
"What do the students think of this plan?"
students high AP scores,
What do teachers think of this plan?
Janice Harvey's column, echoing concerns of teachers
What do parents think? Will that do the job that needs to be done?
"very much appreciate the work of the press and the media"
"the public in Worcester is much better educated than they would be"
"individuals truly need to be heard"
...we do set the budget
teachers concerned with ratios: are classes too large?
would teacher rather have a lead teacher or another teacher in a classroom?
Don't think action plan would have prevented bomb threat, fights
"would this plan create culture and feeling of safety"
"these are areas in which" we should hear from students
would like stats on alternative programs

and then I spoke

Foley: begun the listening process
"the schools really reflect the tensions throughout our community"
issues facing at all our high schools across the city
students to bring us back
"I wish fewer of them went to Holy Cross"
"not a plan, but a framework"
"bring them together,...bring their voice back into the school"
"outline by which many players working with us and the School Committee"
lot of work to be done, great commitment
"students set the culture at that school"
"I think media hurts public perception"
working groups, conversations

EAW president

apologizes for not being at the last meeting
thanks the mayor and the superintendent for going up to talk to the teachers at North
teachers would like to be further engaged in the solution: so that everyone feels they've been heard
glad that safety "was big on the agenda today"
will forward MTA's Legislative agenda to us
to get much needed dollars to our needy kids

EAW president on innovation schools

Len Zalauskas:
"a good example on why the city of Worcester needs to improve the funding of the Worcester Public Schools...get a bang for their buck!"
requests that this be taken back to the City Council

Communication from EAW President Len Zalauskas

...who runs through his addresses in Worcester (as he's lived here his entire life) as he starts his statement
"I always tell them I'm a schoolteacher, first"
speaking of a mentor: "she always accentuated the positive...that's one of the best lessons I learned as a teacher"
"I have these three issues in front of us, and I think we all get it now: we need to work together."
"When we don't work together, it doesn't work. Things don't go as smoothly as they should."
...water under the bridge...we need to move forward...
"We need to all raise the ship up together"

Innovation plans hearing

Note that this is a public hearing tonight: the School Committee will not vote tonight.
Len Zalauskas: "not happy" in the way it rolled out
He'd asked to participate, but was not allowed to
"very fine plan, and they did a fine job"
law is clear..."if you're on one of those committees, you're supposed to help write the plan"
"wanted to bring that to your attention"
 "no one bids in there, anyway..."
some issues that need to be dealt with in these plans
"let's get it right"
"the gold standard is UPCS...and that's about Worcester East Middle...the other one is much worst"

Ted Coughlin:
who knew he lived in Shrewsbury?
"embed more STEM in the Worcester Technical High School curriculum"
and we've got a STEM education video...

workforce investment board president from Northboro
gap that's twofold in the emerging workforce
soft skills: communication, teamwork, time management
hands on skills:
"evolving labor market requires more than a high school diploma"
"becoming the underpinning of most of our industry"
80% of jobs created over the next decade are estimated to require math and science skills
"Massachusetts forgotten middle skills job"
support for Tech's plan

current sophomore reviews her plans for the rest of her high school


Zalauskas: "I'm not sure any of these people actually read this plan"
should be rejected and be revised
work year and work load: union's attorney questions who voted: faculty or teachers
there's a question as to who voted on the plan
2/3 vote of the teachers required by Act Relative to the Achievement Gap  
(section 8 deals with innovation plans)
(That's here: " the applicant shall submit the innovation plan to teachers in the school that is proposed for conversion for approval by secret ballot within 30 days. A two-thirds vote of the teachers shall be required to approve the plan.")
"president and superintendent can't collude to subvert the law"
first time the plan was put forward, it was rejected
"basically solid, but is it legal?"

O'Connell requests a legal opinion on the vote at Worcester Tech prior to the School Committee vote at the end of April
also comments on collaborative nature of the planning process: people need materials well ahead of time before a vote

Zalauskas

Len Zalauskas, EAW President
"have sat here trying to obtain more funding" in prior years

"I think that you are going to find without a doubt that the city does not give enough money to the schools...that I've been correct for all these years...that you may have people who are spending this money that don't realize that it's the taxpayers money..spent in a way that's not as wisely as they would spend their own money"
"Open and honest conversation about funding"

EAW President

Mr. Zaluskas: "this is why I'm proud to be a teacher in the Worcester Public Schools" (per the Women of Consequence Awards)
reads a recent letter to the editor (I'll link that later), regarding the recent spring concert at Mechanics Hall
"I have to say that I really appreciated that..."
"the kids are doing a good job, they're being motivated, and the teachers are doing a good job getting them motivated"
"a few of the plans are so outstanding that I can hardly wait to see what can happen inthe future"
"Worcester is a great school system...together...we can make it even greater."

EAW petition to address the committee

EAW here to speak on PCBs
the Mayor points out that this involves ligation and a grievance, so there's a minimal amount that can be said
President Zalauskas: "you're deadbeat dads and deadbeat moms"
(this on the after-school pay of the Level 4 schools, actually; the grievance denied by the School Committee was on this issue)

School Committee: President of the EAW

Zaluskas: Packed room tonight on the top floor of the admin building
Talk about a living wage; IA's don't make enough money to support their families
Brought some with him to tell their story

Len Zalauskas, EAW president

"We are proud of the accomplishments of the Worcester Public Schools...teachers don't deserve all the credit, teachers don't deserve all the blame..."
teachers on Level 4 schools: hours in their classrooms this summer, professional development..."they take pride in their profession"
"We are working without a contract..teachers no further ahead than we were when we started bargaining...we are told we are far too big..we work in an honorable profession...we do what we do because we believe in it...depends on a capable and educated workforce...competent teacher in a safe environment"
"orderly environment...best teachers in the state.."
"We want to be at the table and to make policy with the policymakers"
"this process needs to move forward, and we want to move forward as partners"
"We are eager to participate in the solution, but we don't want to take a pay cut in order to do so"
"that our hard work be recognized in our pay, our working conditions, and in the respect that is shown to us as professionals"
And the crowd stands to leave

Worcester School Committee meets this week

The Worcester School Committee will meet this coming Thursday, September 16 at 7 pm. You'll find the agenda posted here.
Of note:

• The president of the EAW, Len Zalauskas, is using his (indeed, any member of the public's) right to petition the committee. He'll be addressing the committee at the beginning of the meeting.
  

• There is a continuation of the sizable number of summer transfers.
• There are a number of communications from the administration coming back--vo-tech education, transportation (of which more anon), bullying, and student transfer rates.