New Bedford Educators Association

New Bedford Graduation Rises for the First Time in 4 Years

2012-02-12T10:28:00.003-05:00

MALDEN – The Patrick-Murray Administration today announced that the state’s four-year graduation rate improved for the fifth consecutive year in 2011, while th e annual dropout rate dipped to the lowest level in two decades.

According to a statewide report released today, 83.4 percent of the 74,307 students in the 2011 cohort graduated within four years, an increase of 1.3 percentage points from 2010, 1.9 percentage points from 2009, 2.2 percentage points from 2008, 2.5 percentage points from 2007, and 3.5 percentage points from 2006. A cohort is comprised of students who entered high school as 9th graders or who transferred into the same cohort at any time over high school.

“We are committed to ensuring that all of our students graduate from high school prepared for higher education, the workforce, or both," said Governor Deval Patrick. “I am proud of the progress we have made, but we won’t be satisfied until we have a system that closes th e achievement gap and prepares all of our students for success.”

The state’s annual dropout rate also improved since last year, as 2.7 percent, or 7,894 out of 289,161 high school students in grades 9-12 dropped out of school during the 2010-2011 school year. This is the lowest dropout rate in two decades, and the third year in a row with a rate below 3 percent. The 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 rates were 2.9 percent.

“School districts are working hard to reach at-risk students. More and more students have the supports they need and motivation to stay in school and graduate on time,” said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester. “In today’s world, a high school diploma is a minimum requirement. Our goal is to provide all students with a high quality education that prepares them for college and careers.”

"Our focus continues to be on helping all students reach higher and graduate with the knowledge and skills they need to keep growing and learning," said Education Secretary Paul Reville. “This improvement is an affirmation of our commitment to reaching at-risk students, but also a reminder there is more work ahead – more students that need our support in persisting through high school.”

All subgroups, with the exception of limited English proficient (LEP) students, improved their four-year graduation rates since last year. In 2011, the four-year graduation rates rose by 2.2 percentage points for African American students (from 68.5 percent to 70.7), by 1.9 percentage points for low income students (from 67.9 to 69.8), by 1.6 percentage points for special ed ucation students (from 64 to 65.6), by 1.4 percentage points for white students (from 87.7 to 89.1), and by 0.8 percentage points for Hispanic students (from 61.1 to 61.9) and Asian students (from 86.9 to 87.7). The four-year graduation rate decreased for LEP students by 1.6 percentage points (from 57.8 to 56.2).

Through targeted initiatives, including After-school Enrichment Academies, recently proposed in Governor Deval Patrick’s Gateway Cities Education Agenda, which will give middle and high school English language learners additional intensive and targeted language instruction, the Administration is working to close the gap between English language learners and their peers. Similarly, proposed Student Support Councils and High School Career Academies are designed to mi tigate problems, traditionally associated with poverty, which can get in the way of students coming to school and being ready to learn; and to motivate students to persist through high school by creating multiple pathways to college and career, and giving students access to internships and other work-based learning opportunities earlier in their academic careers.

Additionally, in fall 2010, Massachusetts was one of only two states awarded a federal High School Graduation Initiative (HSGI) grant by the U.S. Department of Education. That five-year, $15 million grant (referred to locally as “MassGrad”) is helping support state and local efforts around high school dropout prevention, intervention and recovery. Beginning in May 2011, a total of 47 Massachusetts schools from 27 districts received either a MassGrad Implementation Award or a Planning Award to employ research-based practices to incr ease their high school graduation rates. A number of these schools were able to capitalize on their funding right away, providing intensive summer programs to their most at-risk students.

A total of 29 schools, or 62 percent of those that received funding, showed an increase in their overall graduation rate from 2010 to 2011. In addition, a total of 27 schools, or 57 percent of funded schools, showed a decrease in their overall dropout rate.

The urban school districts that made the largest gains in reducing the number of dropouts between 2009-10 and 2010-11 included:

Boston had 75 fewer students drop out in 2010-11 than in 2009-10 (0.4 percentage point improvement, from 6.8 percent to 6.4 pe rcent);

New Bedford had 39 fewer students drop out in 2010-11 than in 2009-10 (1.0 percentage point improvement, from 8.1 percent to 7.1 percent);

Lynn had 31 fewer students drop out in 2010-11 than in 2009-10 (0.8 percentage point improvement, from 5.4 percent to 4.6 percent);

Somerville had 26 fewer students drop out in 2010-11 than in 2009-10 (2.0 percentage point improvement, from 5.6 percent to 3.6 percent);

Malden had 19 fewer students drop out in 2010-11 than in 2009-10 (1.3 percentage point improvement, from 4.9 percent to 3.6 percent).

Boston, Lynn, Somerville and Malden were each MassGrad Award recipients.

Other findings in the Graduation Rate report include:

Statewide, more than 80 percent of students graduated in four years in 230 out of 288 school districts (79.9 percent; up from 79.2 percent in 2010 and 75.7 percent in 2009) and 257 out of 370 schools (69.5 percent; up from 68.8 percent in 2010 and 65 percent in 2009).

The five-year graduation rate for the 2011 cohort was 84.7 percent, up 0.7 percentage points from the 2010 five-year graduation rate and the highest five-year graduation rate since the Department began to calculate the rates in 2007.

Students who attended a single school throughout high school continue to graduate at much higher rates than more transient students. On average, 87.2 percent of students from the 2011 cohort who attending a single high school graduated in four years, higher than the comparable rates for students who attending two schools (67.8 percent), three schools (41.6 percent), and four or more schools (32.2 percent).

Among non-graduates in the 2011 cohort, 6.6 percent are still in school, 1 percent were non-graduating completers, 1.7 percent earned a GED, 7.2 percent dropped out, and 0.1 percent were expelled.
58.6 percent of non-graduates who are still in school have earned their Competency Determination (CD).

Other findings in the Annual Dropout report include:

Statewide, 25.8 percent of all dropouts were 9th graders, 25.5 percent were 10th graders, 24 percent were 11th graders, and 24.7 percent were 12th graders.

2.3 percent of female students and 3.2 percent of male students dropped out of high school during the 2010-11 school year.
43 percent of all dropouts statewide were white, 36 percent were Hispanic, 15.5 percent were African American, 3.3 percent were Asian, 26.5 percent were students with disabilities, 12.4 percent were limited English proficient, and 56.4 percent were low income.

68.8 percent of 12th graders who dropped out and 46.8 percent of 11th graders who dropped out during the 2010-11 school year had already earned their Competency Determination (had already met the MCAS graduation requirement).

For more information on the graduation ra te, look online at http://www.doe.mass.edu/infoservices/reports/gradrates/ and http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/state_report/gradrates.aspx. For additional information on the annual dropout rate, including school and districts numbers, look online at http://www.doe.mass.edu/infoservices/reports/dropout/.

Mass. granted ‘No Child’ waiver

2012-02-10T13:18:00.001-05:00

From: Paul Toner, MTA President
Tim Sullivan, MTA Vice President

We applaud the U.S. Department of Education’s decision to grant Massachusetts a waiver from No Child Left Behind. NCLB’s requirement that all students score “proficient” or higher on the MCAS tests by 2014 is unrealistic and unproductive. More than half of our schools were deemed failing by that standard – including some very highly regarded schools – even though we have the highest performing students in the country.

The negative label and one-size-fits-all sanctions for these schools did not promote thoughtful consideration of the best strategies for improvement or for our students.

We plan to work closely with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to make sure that the accountability and support systems that replace the NCLB requirements under this waiver advance innovation and excellence, narrow the achievement gap and promote a love of learning in our schools.

Our View: Statehouse must end unfunded mandate for transporting homeless children | SouthCoastToday.com

2012-02-10T13:18:00.000-05:00

Our View: Statehouse must end unfunded mandate for transporting homeless children | SouthCoastToday.com

Council calls for new joint committee with schools | SouthCoastToday.com

2012-02-10T13:17:00.000-05:00

Council calls for new joint committee with schools | SouthCoastToday.com

New Bedford graduation rate improves | SouthCoastToday.com

2012-02-10T13:16:00.000-05:00

New Bedford graduation rate improves | SouthCoastToday.com

Graduation Rate Report (DISTRICT) - Massachusetts Directory Profiles

2012-02-10T13:11:00.000-05:00

Mayor to host a series of public meetings

2012-02-10T13:06:00.003-05:00

Feb. 15, 2012 - Roosevelt Middle School, 119 Frederick St.

March 1, 2012 - Keith Middle School, 225 Hathaway Blvd.

March 13, 2012 - Normandin Middle School, 81 Felton St.

The meetings will run from 6:30-8 p.m.

Mitchell reacts to former mayor's remarks on school crisis | SouthCoastToday.com

2012-02-09T09:06:00.000-05:00

Mitchell reacts to former mayor's remarks on school crisis | SouthCoastToday.com

State school official bemoans achievement gaps, science failure | SouthCoastToday.com

2012-02-09T09:05:00.000-05:00

State school official bemoans achievement gaps, science failure | SouthCoastToday.com

Former mayor Lang rebukes state ed commissioner | SouthCoastToday.com

2012-02-08T10:08:00.001-05:00

Click here to read the letter the former mayor sent to Paul Reville.

Letter from Scott W. Lang to Education Secretary Paul Reville regarding Commissioner Mitchell Chester

2012-02-07T08:15:00.002-05:00

Please share this very important letter with all your colleagues and friends.

Mayor Mitchell's opening remarks

2012-02-07T07:50:00.000-05:00

February 07, 2012 12:00 AM

Mayor Mitchell made the following statement at Monday night's special meeting of the School Committee.

Thank you.

I have asked to convene this special meeting of the School Committee because I believe New Bedford is facing a crisis.

As all of us are aware, we meet tonight against the looming backdrop of a possible state takeover of our public schools. We are just weeks away from deadlines that might trigger a state decision.

By any measure, such an event would be serious setback to our school system.

But let me be as clear as possible:

Should it happen, a state takeover will be a devastating blow to our City with permanent and wide-reaching implications far beyond our schools.

It will significantly damage our City's reputation in the wider world. It will undermine our local economy and discourage business investment and job-creation. And it will thwart our efforts to retain a healthy, flourishing middle-class, and erode our quality of life.

Regardless of what a state receivership for our schools might look like, it is safe to say we will live with the negative consequences for a very long time.

The prospect is distressing and would be a very sad day in New Bedford's history.

We cannot allow it to happen. And I am prepared to do anything and everything in my power--as Mayor and as a Member of this Committee--to prevent it.

Everything is on the table, because, frankly, it has to be, given what is at stake.

We are here because the process for producing a turn-around plan for the school district has broken down, perhaps irretrievably. New Bedford has been working to produce a plan that will satisfy the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education since last summer. In that time, we have submitted three versions of our plan.

None have been approved. We are going on our fourth attempt. Meanwhile, three other districts have submitted similar turn-around plans to the state and have successfully gained state approval.

Moreover, thirty-five individual schools state-wide have been deemed underperforming and have therefore required the development and approval of school-focused turn-around plans. Among this group of thirty-five, New Bedford's Parker School has the dubious distinction of being the only school to which the state had to assign an outside consultant to help draft its turn-around plan.

Lastly, it has to be acknowledged that New Bedford Schools remain plagued by some of the highest drop-out rates and worst MCAS scores in the state. Many parents have lost confidence that our schools are functioning effectively. They are voting with their feet as they leave the City or send their children to the Vocational High School, charter schools, or other alternatives instead.

For its part, the School Department has often made the case that the state has not recognized the unique challenges facing our schools, or recognized our School Department's efforts to meet those challenges.

This "blame-game" is not news to anyone who has followed the strained relations that have existed between state officials and the New Bedford School Department in recent years.

The state has a point. The School Department has a point. My point is simply this:

Attributing blame is not a useful exercise at this point. Deciding who is more at fault-whether local or state officials-is not going to solve our predicament or change matters.

We are where we are.

What matters is how we decide to move forward.

My own expectation is that three things need to happen:

(1) We need to accept the reality of our current situation.

(2) We need to understand exactly what has been missing from past drafts of the turn-around plan. What is it about past drafts that left the state so unimpressed?

(3) We need to take clear and decisive action that will signal to the state that the New Bedford School Committee is not going to sit by passively while the School Department marches into a state receivership.

For my part, I am--at present--undecided as to precisely what clear decisive step is required under the circumstances. My mind is open, and my opinion is going to be informed largely by the conversation that takes place here tonight.

But I do know this: The time for half-measures is over.

In its correspondence last week the state insisted we take whatever steps necessary to signal a "new day." If that is the benchmark set by the state, then we have no choice but to meet it, regardless of where the fault lies.

That is the task before us tonight.

Mayor implores schools to get serious about 'crisis' | SouthCoastToday.com

2012-02-07T07:37:00.000-05:00

Mayor implores schools to get serious about 'crisis' | SouthCoastToday.com

Our View: School Committee must replace Superintendent Francis

2012-02-05T15:51:00.001-05:00

What are you thoughts?

Support NBEA: Decisions imposed on teachers without their input, should not stand. Period.

2012-02-05T14:33:00.001-05:00

People seem to forget that the union was created to protect its members from unfair business practices imposed by those in control. While I can understand why those on the UIA and the Education Roundtable want to rid themselves of the union altogether, what I don't understand is why a lot of our union members don't fight back for the bargaining rights those in the past fought hard and won for all of us so that our schools are better workplaces for all (including the students, contrary to popular belief these days). If we think back to the teacher's strike in the 70's, it wasn't higher pay or less working hours on the placards the teachers were holding -- it was a plea for more creative input into the teaching process (in other words, we are still fighting today for the autonomy to have educators educate students, rather than some politically motivated individuals who are hellbent on destroying the union and what it stands for). If the union goes, who will protect teachers from unreasonable demands from bullying administrators who simply want to push forth their own agendas, or political puppets who impose their will without having had one course in education or any experience in the classroom? Just think about that for a minute. Any decisions imposed on teachers without their input, should not stand. Period.

School officials open to uniforms | SouthCoastToday.com

2012-02-03T09:48:00.000-05:00

School officials open to uniforms | SouthCoastToday.com

State finds 80 percent of New Bedford schools' turnaround plan lacking | SouthCoastToday.com

2012-02-01T09:17:00.002-05:00

Recently the Standard Times wrote an editorial supporting the District Turnaround Plan. The following are two quotes from the editorial.

The plan has numerous specific, measurable tasks that point to Superintendent Mary Louise Francis' "theory of action" from last year, which states: "We believe that if there is a clear focus on the effective delivery of an aligned curriculum by high-quality teachers who employ the use of student data to drive instruction, students will be engaged, learn at proficient and advanced levels, graduate, and be college and career ready." Standard Times - November 30, 2011

The presentation made Monday before the School Committee includes many excellent, thoughtful examples of steps that can lead to improved academic achievement, as well as the methods of monitoring that will be necessary to ensure appropriate progress is made. Standard Times - November 30, 2011

Click here to read the November 30, 2011 editorial.
Our View: Leadership, accountability together will change New Bedford schools

State unimpressed with New Bedford schools' turnaround plan | SouthCoastToday.com

2012-01-31T09:52:00.001-05:00

We find Commissioner Mitchell D. Chester's statements to be rather odd considering that the DESE has been involved in the development of the plan all along. In fact, the DESE hired a plan manager to work with the district to create the plan, which he is now criticizing. Why would Chester criticize a plan his department had a hand in creating?

Mitchell's Statements:

"I am disappointed that at this point in time we have yet to see a plan from the district that reflects both a willingness and a sense of urgency about the need to change the way in which we're doing business in New Bedford."

"I would say my patience is wearing thin."

"What they've submitted is more of a laundry list of partnerships and initiatives ... but not a coherent strategy for ensuring that children are receiving a high-quality program of instruction."

"I need a plan from the district that shows that they're repositioning themselves to insist on viable leadership at the school building level, on strong focus of improving curriculum and instruction for students ... and a strategy for positioning the central office to support that improved curriculum and instruction."

"What I've seen from the district is a proposal to secure a number of partnerships with outside organizations, each of which represents a different initiative, a different approach, but which collectively don't add up to a coherent, strategic approach to improving curriculum and instruction."

Click here to read the Turnaround Plan.

It's time to take uniforms — and schools — seriously | SouthCoastToday.com

2012-01-31T08:44:00.001-05:00

In his article, Mr. Spillane says, "Adopting uniforms for a big public school system like New Bedford's would not be easy."

Mr. Spillane is right but in this case the size of a district does not matter. According to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 71, Section 83, "School officials shall not abridge the rights of students as to personal dress and appearance except if such officials determine that such personal dress and appearance violate reasonable standards of health, safety and cleanliness."

UMass teacher program in trouble after state review | SouthCoastToday.com

2012-01-31T08:16:00.000-05:00

UMass teacher program in trouble after state review | SouthCoastToday.com

Autonomous Schools: A proposal which seeks to undermine collective bargaining.

2012-01-29T10:27:00.004-05:00

What are your thoughts on this UIA proposal?

The MTA has established a web-based toolkit on the Stand for Children ballot initiative petition.

2012-01-25T10:01:00.000-05:00

The MTA has established a web-based toolkit on the Stand for Children ballot initiative petition.

The kit is posted at: http://massteacher.org/stand

It contains links to fact sheets on the ballot question, the petition itself, the attorney general’s four-page summary, video and audio programs on Stand’s aggressive anti-union tactics in other states, the MTA legal complaint against the initiative and other materials.

Please forward the toolkit link to your colleagues. If you have a Facebook page, please share the Toolkit link tohelp spread the word about how the Stand initiative will reduce member rights at the bargaining table and impose top-down mandates on districts and teachers concerning evaluations, transfers, dismissals and the acquisition of Professional Teacher Status.

MTA’s lawsuit will be going before a single justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. If the MTAprevails, the initiative will be stricken from the ballot.

Meanwhile, however, the initiative petition process is proceeding in accordance with state law. It is currently before the Legislature. If the Legislature rejects it or fails to act on it by May 2 and it has not been stricken from the ballot as a result of our lawsuit, then Stand will have to collect additional signatures to qualify the question for the November ballot.

The toolkit will be updated regularly, so please remember to visit:

http://massteacher.org/stand

And please forward the link and promote it widely!

Thank you.

President Obama's Remarks Relative to Education

2012-01-24T21:44:00.003-05:00

"For less than one percent of what our Nation spends on education each year, we’ve convinced nearly every State in the country to raise their standards for teaching and learning -- the first time that’s happened in a generation.

But challenges remain. And we know how to solve them.

At a time when other countries are doubling down on education, tight budgets have forced States to lay off thousands of teachers. We know a good teacher can increase the lifetime income of a classroom by over $250,000. A great teacher can offer an escape from poverty to the child who dreams beyond his circumstance. Every person in this chamber can point to a teacher who changed the trajectory of their lives. Most teachers work tirelessly, with modest pay, sometimes digging into their own pocket for school supplies -- just to make a difference.

Teachers matter. So instead of bashing them, or defending the status quo, let's offer schools a deal. Give them the resources to keep good teachers on the job, and reward the best ones. In return, grant schools flexibility: To teach with creativity and passion; to stop teaching to the test; and to replace teachers who just aren't helping kids learn.

We also know that when students aren’t allowed to walk away from their education, more of them walk the stage to get their diploma. So tonight, I call on every State to require that all students stay in high school until they graduate or turn eighteen."

United Interfaith Action's Small Autonomous Schools Proposal

2012-01-24T08:24:00.001-05:00

What are your thoughts?

MTA Files Suit Against Stand Ballot Question on Behalf of Diverse Group of Education Stakeholders

2012-01-23T14:14:00.002-05:00

The state’s largest teachers’ union filed a complaint on January 23 with the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court asking that the Stand for Children initiative petition be barred from the November ballot on the grounds that it violates the state constitution.

Massachusetts Teachers Association President Paul Toner said that the initiative is a distraction from “serious, collaborative, ongoing education reform efforts” and that it will not improve the quality of education for students. “We have been working extremely long and hard with parents, business groups, state officials and other education stakeholders to implement a new evaluation system that is designed to improve the quality of instruction in our schools,” said Toner. “This lengthy and complicated ballot initiative throws a monkey wrench into the process. It’s no wonder so many organizations, as well as education leaders in Governor Deval Patrick’s administration, are strongly opposed to it.”

Secretary of Education Paul Reville addressed the ballot question in an e-mail last November. “I fear that the ballot initiative would set up a distracting and divisive battle, engendering an over-simplified public dialogue that would alienate educators and prevent us from achieving a variety of reform goals,” Reville wrote.

The lawsuit, filed by the MTA on behalf of seven plaintiffs, asserts that the ballot proposal violates state constitutional requirements for initiative petitions and that the summary of it is incomplete.

The complaint alleges:
The measure confuses the voters by including unrelated matters in one petition.
The measure affects the powers of the courts.
The Attorney General’s summary of the petition is incomplete, failing to inform the voters of ways in which it impairs teacher collective bargaining rights.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are all registered voters. They are three recent Massachusetts Teachers of the Year, the president of the Massachusetts Parent Teacher Association, a Boston public school parent, an expert in teacher education and evaluation and a member of the Scituate School Committee.

According to the complaint filed by the MTA: “The purported purpose of the Petition is to impose a teacher evaluation system that will support ‘merit-based’ personnel actions in the public schools. In operation, however, the Petition is a confusing hodgepodge of eleven separate sections that amend and/or repeal numerous provisions of two comprehensive statutes governing public schools in conceptually unrelated areas. The diverse subjects that would be presented to the voters range from the introduction of new timelines in teacher-dismissal arbitrations to employee rights in school regionalization to the method of computing years of service required for professional teacher status.

“Further, the amendment would significantly alter the scope of judicial review of arbitration awards in teacher terminations. …“Additionally, the summary prepared by the Attorney General is neither ‘fair’ nor ‘concise.’ While four pages long, the summary is nevertheless incomplete and fails to inform the voters of the magnitude of the substantive and procedural changes to existing law that would result from the Petition’s enactment, including that the measure would end the right of school districts and teachers to collectively bargain over the material aspects of numerous personnel actions and other subjects.”

Plaintiff comments on the Stand for Children ballot question.

Michael Flynn, 2008 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year. He teaches second grade in Southampton and lives in Northampton, where he is a member of the school committee: “This ballot question is so complicated and bureaucratic, the summary alone is four pages long. There is no way voters can make an informed decision about it in the few minutes they have to spend in the voting booth.”

Mary Ann Stewart, president of the Massachusetts Parent Teacher Association and a resident of Lexington: “This is a huge distraction from what teachers and parents believe is most needed to help students succeed. We need small class sizes, excellent preschools, support services for at-risk students and high-quality professional development for teachers. Instead, this ballot question gives us more top-down mandates and red tape.”

Richard Hebert, a Scituate resident and a member of the Scituate School Committee: “I believe in local decision-making. I believe in letting towns and their teachers hammer out the guidelines for reducing staff. This one-size-fits-all approach is dangerous and simplistic and infringes on the autonomy of towns and ignores the special circumstances each community faces.”

Floris Wilma Ortiz-Marrero, 2011 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year, lives in Amherst and teaches English language learners at Amherst-Pelham Regional Middle School: “Teachers, administrators, parents, business leaders and state officials just spent many, many months coming up with a bold new evaluation system for school personnel. We’re at the beginning stages of implementing that system now in my district and many others. If this ballot question passes, all that hard work will be thrown out the window. Districts will be forced to implement an untested new system developed by an outside organization – Stand for Children – that most teachers have never even heard of.”

Jon Saphier, president of Research for Better Teaching, Inc., and a resident of Carlisle: “Destroying the credibility of the new and needed evaluation system is not what we need. Making the new system work for students is what we need. The Stand for Children ballot question creates a situation where even small distinctions in evaluation ratings can lead to terminations of competent and experienced teachers. This will cause numerous arbitrations and lawsuits where the termination will be overturned because the fine discriminations by evaluators cannot be defended.”

Jae Goodwin, 2010 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year, teaches and lives in Framingham: “Teachers know what good teaching looks like. We need to have a voice in setting standards and making sure that the evaluation systems in our districts lead to better teaching. This ballot question basically tells teachers to take a back seat in the process and let the administrators make all the important decisions.”

Scott Walker Recall: Organizers Collect 1 Million Signatures, Far Exceeding Number Required

2012-01-17T15:12:00.000-05:00

Bargain, or face the ballot

2012-01-17T12:21:00.000-05:00

Bargain, or face the ballot

Voke schools manage to avoid retention issues | SouthCoastToday.com

2012-01-17T09:29:00.002-05:00

According to this article, Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech students are chosen in "a blind application process" that takes into consideration "attendance, grades, discipline and guidance counselor recommendations."

Here's my question. How can it be "a blind application process" if the school takes into consideration attendance, grades, discipline and guidance counselor recommendations?

Educators struggle to reduce number of students held back from year to year | SouthCoastToday.com

2012-01-15T08:07:00.005-05:00

This Standard Times article omits some very important facts.

• Many of our students live in “Poverty”.

• Over 200 of our students are homeless!

• The percentage of low-income students rose from 59.6%
in 1999 to 69.5% ten years later.

• New Bedford Public Schools has had a 40% increase in ESL students in the last
10 years.

• New Bedford Public Schools has had a 25% increase in its Special Needs
population.

• 1 in 5 students transferred in or out of the district during the
school year.

• 25% of our NBHS students transferred in or out of New Bedford High School in 2010.

• By May 3, 2011, Greater New Bedford Voc-Tec sent back to New Bedford Public Schools 48 of their students.

9th Grade -- 16
10th Grade -- 8
11th Grade -- 22
12th Grade -- 2

• By May 3, 2011, the Global Learning Charter School sent back to New Bedford Public Schools 28 of their students.

5th Grade -- 4
6th Grade -- 10
7th Grade -- 2
8th Grade -- 6
9th Grade -- 2
10th Grade -- 3
11th Grade -- 1
12th Grade -- 0

Why would the Standard Times ignore these facts in their article?

Illinois teacher commits suicide citing working conditions

2012-01-14T09:33:00.000-05:00

Illinois teacher commits suicide citing working conditions

Small-schools proposal back on track in New Bedford

2012-01-14T07:44:00.001-05:00

Please share your thoughts on this issue.

Retiree health care could force New Bedford tax hikes or service cuts | SouthCoastToday.com

2012-01-13T08:43:00.000-05:00

Retiree health care could force New Bedford tax hikes or service cuts | SouthCoastToday.com

Charter Schools don't measure up to conventional schools: Submitted by Eddie L. Johnson

2012-01-13T08:03:00.003-05:00

On Dec. 14, Lou St. John, president of the New Bedford Educators Association submitted an in-depth and credible op-ed piece to the Standard Times ("Your View: Charter schools 'lose' too many students").

The NBEA's research of the facts, evidence and study of the Global Learning Charter School's enrollment data, is very much on point, very accurate and can easliy be reviewed, accounted for and verified, by contacting the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
The graphs and charts submitted, used and provided by St. John to corroborate and confirm the NBEA's collected data, research and correct findings, is available public information, and accessable on DESE's website.

Anyone can read and review this written and documented public information, simply by contacting the state Department of Educaction for both a written and verbal explanation of the bar-charts and findings for the Global Learning Charter school.

The department will also provide a personal explanation by department officials responsible for accurate data and public information, confirming St. John's findings.

That is exactly what I did.

The NBEA's postion on charter schools is supported by a Huffington Post article of Dec. 20 titled "Charter School Proponents Focus on Accountability In Word If Not Deed."

Included in the Huffington Post article are comments from California Charter School Association President Jed Wallace, as charter schools are failing students in other states.

Recently, the California Charter Schools Association trumpeted its call for districts to discontinue 10 charter schools the group identified as culprits of "consistent academic underperformance."

On Dec. 17, Stephen Furtado, the executive director of New Bedford's Global Learning Charter Public School, wrote an op-ed response to the NBEA position paper titled, "Your View: Facts show the true success at Global Learning School."
In Furtado's response, there are many misrepsentaions of the "facts" of New Bedford's Global Learning Charter School, as well as several omissions.

These misrepresentations and omissions do not include the cost per student, the percentage of graduates of the Global Charter School, the number of students who started and completed their education, where the students end up, who do not complete their education curriculm, and the 37 administrators, plus teachers, for 90 students, with a $5 million budget.

At this very high public taxpayer supported cost, failure by charter schools is unacceptable, and cannot and should not be used as an excuse.

Neither does Director Furtado sufficiently explain the percentage or failure rate of the 90 students at Global.

There can be no claim to substantiate a 100 percent success rate by any charter school. Global Learning Charter School as per the Department of Education has documented only one-third completion rate.

I am sure the Department of Education is both accurate and has posted and published complete, credible, authentic facts and validated public information.

In reality, charter schools are siphoning money from New Bedford's public school budget without any oversight from the New Bedford School Committee and superintendent of schools.

It is quite interesting that Catholic and private schools do not collect School Department money, yet they are educating and graduating the majority of these schools' successful students who would normally be in the New Bedford public school system.

I believe in choice, however neither Catholic schools nor private schools are being funded by the local city budget, and in my humble opinion, neither should charter schools or autonomous schools presently being proposed, discussed and presented as New Bedford School Committee agenda items.

Eddie L. Johnson is a member of the Superintendent of New Bedford Public Schools Rountable.

Change sought in gauging teachers

2012-01-12T08:08:00.000-05:00

Paul Toner, Massachusetts Teachers Association president, said, “My members feel like they are being attacked.”

What are your thoughts on this important issue?

What Teachers Make

2012-01-12T07:55:00.000-05:00

NEW BEDFORD EDUCATION ROUNDTABLE ANNOUNCES NEW CO-CHAIRS

2012-01-10T08:15:00.002-05:00

The New Bedford Education Roundtable is pleased to announce that long-time members Kate Fentress and Dr. Bruce Rose are its new co-chairs, replacing outgoing Chair John K. Bullard.

Kate is the Executive Director of the Women’s Fund of Southeastern Mass., whose mission is to advance the educational attainment and economic security of women and girls in the region. Bruce is Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at UMass Dartmouth and Vice President of the NAACP, New Bedford Chapter.

“John Bullard has been a terrific role model and leader since we began meeting in the spring of 2010,” Ms. Fentress said. “We have reached out to many constituencies to build our case and understand the challenges the New Bedford Public Schools face. I look forward to working with Bruce and other Roundtable members to advocate for changes that will address root causes and establish best practices for the successful education of every child.“

“Concern and support for education should be an obligation of all citizens of a community,” Dr. Rose said. “The New Bedford Education Roundtable is established pursuant to that obligation. It is our hope that we may help to energize support and concern within all elements of the community for the high quality education of our students.”

The Roundtable is a forum of individuals and organizational representatives who seek transformative change in the New Bedford Public Schools. Hosted by the Community Foundation, its members include representatives of 15 business, religious, philanthropic, educational and other community-based organizations. John Bullard has served as Chair since the Roundtable’s inception in 2010, and will remain a member.

In the past two years, the Roundtable has actively pursued many of the goals built into its vision of a community where children are well educated and prepared for whatever post-secondary training or education is necessary for them to become economically self-sufficient and productive members of our community. The significant activities of the Roundtable to date include:

1. Providing data on MCAS scores in New Bedford and comparing the data with results from other Gateway Cities via a report from the UMass Dartmouth Urban Initiative commissioned by the Roundtable. We will continue to support The Urban Initiatives’ ongoing efforts to monitor the progress of public education in New Bedford.

2. Three opinion pieces in the Standard-Times in 2011, intended to increase the number of community stakeholders who are engaged in the education conversation.

3. Hosted forums and debates focusing on the public schools and how elected officials will approach the many challenges facing them. The Roundtable also met individually with the mayoral candidates.

4. The Roundtable has collaborated with community stakeholders, including regular meetings with the Superintendent of Schools, a meeting with the leadership of the New Bedford Educators Association, and meetings with Elementary, Middle and High School Principals.

More specifically, the Roundtable supports efforts to improve teacher effectiveness, including greater parental involvement, and will continue to develop and support ways to increase attendance, decrease out-of-school suspensions and improve the high school graduation rate. The Roundtable also supports United Interfaith Action’s Small Autonomous Schools Initiative.

Links to the MCAS report and the opinion pieces, as well as more background about the Roundtable and its membership, can be found at http://www.cfsema.org/about-us/what-we-do/new-bedford-education-roundtable

About the Chairs

As the Fund’s first Executive Director, Kate Fentress has had a hand in every aspect of the development of the organization she now manages. With an MSW from Boston University, Ms. Fentress applies her clinical background as well as her many years of fundraising experience both professionally and as a volunteer. Before coming to the Women’s Fund, she was the Development Director at the Inter-Church Council of Greater New Bedford and also at the Lloyd Center for the Environment in Dartmouth. She commands a deep understanding of the challenges and the opportunities the 21st Century offers all women. Ms. Fentress was selected by the Standard-Times in January 2008 as Southcoast Woman of The Year.

Dr. Bruce Rose has been dedicated to improving access and opportunity in education throughout his higher education career of more than 30 years. At UMass Dartmouth, he has had responsibility for overseeing various academic support initiatives and opportunity programs, including the Upward Bound Program. Dr. Rose is active in the New Bedford community as Vice President of the NAACP and Chair of the Education Committee; he is a SMILES Literacy Mentor; and was a founding member of the Advocacy Committee for Excellence in Education (ACEE). He also served on the District-Wide Committee for School Improvement, which led to the transformation of the district's junior high school system to a middle school system.

Mayor to schools: Fix problems 'faster' | SouthCoastToday.com

2012-01-10T07:51:00.000-05:00

Mayor to schools: Fix problems 'faster' | SouthCoastToday.com

Mayor: Parents, schools must build better ties | SouthCoastToday.com

2012-01-08T11:21:00.000-05:00

Mayor: Parents, schools must build better ties | SouthCoastToday.com

New Bedford Waterfront

2012-01-06T15:49:00.000-05:00

Episode of "My Backyard" featuring the New Bedford waterfront. The song "Out to the Sea" which is featured in the video, was created by the Youth Ambassador Program. We are proud of our New Bedford High Students.

School innovation plans raise many questions By Carol Strupczewski

2012-01-05T07:46:00.002-05:00

Innovation schools or autonomous schools present, in my opinion, many questions that have not been discussed, at least at the presentations I attended. Last year I attended two meetings of small autonomous schools supporters United Interfaith Action regarding this educational concept. During one of those the meetings, children put on skits promoting these small innovation schools in which everyone would know each other, class size would be smaller, teachers could give individual attention, etc.

This, in my opinion, left the audience with the impression that these innovation or autonomous schools will be the end-all-to-be-all answer; however, in my mind there are many unanswered questions. Several things that were never mentioned during the meetings were: student absenteeism, poor study habits, lack of discipline, not paying attention, etc. How will the innovation or autonomous schools address these problems?

At the regular December meeting of the New Bedford School Committee, which I attended and re-watched, the agenda item for "Innovation School Prospectus" was presented and discussed. Prior to the taking up of this agenda item, several individuals in favor of innovation schools spoke during the public comment section. One of the speakers was a child attending an elementary school in New Bedford. He mentioned that he was in favor of these small autonomous schools, as there will be a small number of students in the school, more individual attention and parents can be involved in the educational process.

According to the report by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, May 2011, the report listed the following enrollments: Dunbar which hadn't closed when the report was done, had 105 students, Kempton 125, Rodman 145, Hathaway 162, to name a few. I also noticed that there are several elementary schools with enrollments less than 250 students. One of my questions is: "Don't we currently have these small neighborhood schools in New Bedford?" The next question is: "If this is such a great idea, why did members of the School Committee, the superintendent and mayor approve of building larger elementary schools?"

Here are more questions I have regarding the creation of small autonomous neighborhood schools as presented by Dr. Lawrence Finnerty and Marlene Pollock:

Who will be the overseer of the innovation school?
What will be the total costs? Are there any hidden cost?
Who will appoint the principal?
Who will decide on the curriculum?
How will the teaching staff be chosen?
Where will the funding be derived, will it be taken out of the regular school department budget as is the funding for the Global Learning Charter School, and who will monitor the funds?
How will students be chosen, will the student enrollment be assigned by the neighborhood or will it be district-wide? If district-wide, what will be the anticipate cost for busing?
What happens if students decide to bail out? Where will they go and will others be allowed to transfer into the innovation school?
Will the teachers, staff and students have a longer school day and year? If so, what will be the added cost?
Will paraprofessionals be assigned to these schools?
If the innovation school is within another school, will there be more than one principal for that school, how will they be able to keep track of MCAS, and will the innovation school be assigned its own name?
Will the faculty have the protection of the union?

Our newly elected school officials have challenging work ahead in dealing with many issues in our schools. Everyone who will be working on this proposal needs to carefully weigh the pros and cons of this prospectus.

One of the important points that everyone needs to keep in mind is that it is ultimately the student — yes "the student" and not the size of a building — who must step up to the challenges of academic success. As I written previously, students must prepare themselves for their future by studying, seeking extra help when deemed necessary, and be in school daily and on time. Parents should be fully involved in their child's education and have a good working relationship with their child's teacher. This concept has been and will always be in place in the New Bedford Public Schools, and I rather doubt it will change.

A point of information to everyone, I am on the Superintendent's Roundtable, sit on the Environmental Curriculum committee, and have been attending all school meetings for several years and very seldom see members of the UIA or Education Roundtable in attendance. To fully understand the many positives and challenges taking place in our schools, one should regularly attend these meetings.

As I stated in the beginning, there are many questions that need to be researched and answered before the school department embarks on this voyage.

An Inaugural Address by Mayor Jonathan F. Mitchell

2012-01-03T07:53:00.002-05:00

Monday, January 2, 2012

Honored guests, Mayor and Mrs. Lang, Judges Casper and Fernandes, members of the City Council and other government officials, citizens and friends of New Bedford.

Today, more than at any point in decades, New Bedford is poised for progress.

To those who have sometimes wondered whether or when our City would begin to turn the corner after decades of struggle, I say this:

Now, more than ever, is our chance to make it happen. We will find ourselves no better opportunity than right now to regain our place as one of America's great cities.

There is nothing of which I am more certain.

We would never have arrived at this point without the skillful leadership of Mayor Scott Lang. In his six years in office, Mayor Lang established that transparent and above-board government is the cornerstone of a successful city.

Through his tireless advocacy before state and federal leaders, our City is taken seriously in the wider world, and our citizens have renewed confidence in city government.

To take New Bedford to the next level, it is essential that we build on this legacy. Let me state my view as clear as possible on this point:

Like Mayor Lang, I too believe there is simply no substitute for an open government and fact-based decision-making. Policy-makers in City Hall—from the Mayor down—will make decisions based on a careful evaluation of the merits, not on narrow parochial interests.

Our citizens deserve as much, and we cannot build credibility with investors and high government officials if they have doubts about our motives.

While the current approach to governing will remain, we must be ready to offer new answers to the challenges we face if we are to fulfill our City's potential.

The challenges ahead are significant: growing jobs and effectively competing in the global economy, keeping our neighborhoods safe and thriving, delivering efficient government services, and building a first-rate school system.

Economic Growth

The number one priority for my administration is to do everything in my power to help create well-paying jobs. More good jobs means less crime, a broader tax base, more vibrant homes and neighborhoods, and more kids going to college.

Beyond that, the opportunity to put in an honest day's work is the foundation of personal dignity and a sense of self-worth. More good jobs mean a more confident, engaged, and optimistic community.

The way forward begins with the realization that New Bedford is in a fierce competition for jobs that is global in scope. As your Mayor, I pledge to you that I will fight non-stop in that global competition on our City's behalf.

Our starting point will be to support our existing businesses, as well as to protect our fishing industry from unfair regulations.

But to bring new business here, our economic strategy must play to our natural competitive advantages.

The first is our waterfront. Countless other cities remain envious of the waterfront we have. It can and should be the source of new jobs in the areas of fish processing, cargo, and renewable energy.

Like cities such as Newport and Portland, Maine, our waterfront should be a place where our residents and tourists alike can shop, dine, and enjoy first-rate public recreational spaces right by the water.

The largest piece of our waterfront development puzzle is the South Terminal project, which would serve as the center of New Bedford's cargo import operations for decades to come, and unlock space elsewhere along the waterfront for retail, tourism, recreation, and other uses.

We must never take our eyes of that prize, and always be making the case to the state and business leaders that this project is essential to our future as a port and as a City. It should and must go forward.

And I will add this: I stand by this conviction regardless of the status of the Cape Wind renewable energy project. As exciting a prospect as the Cape Wind project may be in the near-term, South Terminal itself is a project with a 100-year return on investment, and that is where our long-term focus must remain.

In seeking out new businesses to set up shop here, we also need to keep in mind that today's most successful companies are constantly on the lookout for places where their workers would want to live.

Our advantage is this:

We are NOT like everywhere else. Our authenticity is a huge advantage when the rest of the world is becoming more homogenized, and sterile, and the same.

New Bedford is different.

New Bedford is exceptional.

New Bedford is the real deal.

We have a history like no other mid-size American city. We have a vibrant downtown. We have beaches and water views aplenty. We have a diverse and energetic North End. And we have a deeply-rooted arts and cultural scene.

These things make us—as individuals and as a community—unique and more interesting.

For others considering whether to locate here, these things make our City a much more attractive place to build a future than so many other American cities that have been hollowed out and are left without something special to call their own.

Above all we need to build on our uniqueness and avoid the temptation to develop in ways that erode our most precious possession: our identity.

The cities that will succeed in the knowledge economy of the 21st Century will be those where ideas are generated and freely exchanged. There is no better environment for this than a college campus. Strengthening the higher education infrastructure in the City makes sense on many levels—from training today's workers to generating construction jobs.

Over the very long run, if we are truly serious about creating a cultural and business climate that encourages new ideas take hold and flourish, then the increased presence of higher education is an absolute necessity.

To be sure, UMass, Bristol Community College, and Bridgewater State College have already established themselves in our City. The task now is to encourage them to grow their footprint here in the years ahead. From the ranks of their students will come the leaders and employees of the next generation of businesses and non-profits to thrive here.

Safe Neighborhoods

Creating these jobs and improving the quality of life in our City will not be possible unless we keep our streets safe. Parents in every neighborhood should be able to let their kids play outside until it's time to come in for supper, without thinking twice about it.

While most of our neighborhoods are safe, a select few have alarmingly deteriorated in recent years. In these places a sense of social disorder and danger prevails to an extent unlike anything we have seen before in our City. The situation cannot stand, and it won't.

We cannot allow crime—and the fear of crime—to corrode these neighborhoods any further—for the sake of those who live in them, and for the rest of the City.

Unless something is done, the City's reputation for a high quality of life will suffer and eventually discourage companies from building their futures here.

At that point, we all lose. The entire City—every one of us—has a major stake in the long-term stabilization of this small group of deteriorating neighborhoods.

As Mayor, I will work closely with our Police Chief, David Provencher, our District Attorney Sam Sutter, and my former boss, United States Attorney Carmen Ortiz, to ensure their maximum cooperation in removing the most dangerous predators from our streets.

I will take direct steps to deal with other elements of social decay: garbage, graffiti, and run-down properties.

Certain neighborhoods have suffered, in great part, because a few large absentee landlords have purchased tenements out of foreclosure, disregarded housing codes and allowed the properties to become run down.

They have turned a deaf ear to law abiding neighbors who have complained again and again.

My administration will take proactive approach to the problem. I will establish a multi-agency code enforcement task force that will hold negligent absentee landlords accountable when they don't treat their rental properties like their own homes.

Their tenants are entitled to safe and clean living conditions. Neighbors deserve the same kind of respect. If the large landlords cannot fulfill these basic obligations, they don't belong in New Bedford, period.

City Finances

By now it's not news to anyone that we live in an era of diminished resources. The financial meltdown in 2008 has left government at all levels struggling to pay its bills for the foreseeable future.

Here in New Bedford, our hard-working City employees have had to endure layoffs and furloughs. With the expiration of federal grants and continued economic uncertainty, further layoffs in the Fire Department, schools, and elsewhere are unfortunately still within the realm of possibility.

As I stated from the beginning of my campaign, we must strive to deliver more effective and efficient government services. We have no choice. The City has already asked too much of tax payers.

It's not just about doing more with less. We need to scrutinize every activity of city government, and ask whether we need it. Can we do it more cheaply? Is there a different way to do it?

Doing it the way we've always done it is no longer the solution. Nor would it be responsible to cut just for the sake of cutting. We need to think hard about what government can do well, and what taxpayers can afford.

For starters, we will begin to implement Citistat, a modern municipal management tool that has saved cities throughout the United States millions of tax payer dollars.

I also will ask the City Council to approve the establishment and hiring of a Chief Financial Officer so that budget decisions can be subject to careful scrutiny and long-term planning. For a city of our size to be without a CFO, is the equivalent of piloting a boat without a compass in the Buzzards Bay fog. It is a recipe for fiscal surprises that can be avoided with some forethought and strong financial oversight.

Education

Our City's economic competitiveness, and indeed its quality of life, cannot be separated from the quality of the education our schools offer. To compete for the jobs of tomorrow, children must have the intellectual tools for a knowledge-based economy.

There are pockets of true excellence to be found among numerous teachers, principals and students at every level of our school system. Recent graduates have gone on to top colleges and have served with distinction in the military.

But our school system is not where it should be. Barely half of our high school students graduate in four years. Our MCAS scores are among the lowest in the state. Two of our schools have been placed on the state's list of the worst performing schools.

Concerned about the performance—and sometimes the safety—of our schools, some families have lost confidence and are leaving New Bedford. School officials are working to address the problems, but the system is not moving nearly fast enough.

Our school system needs to do better, and do better now. Several months ago, a state education report highlighted critical areas in New Bedford's public schools that need drastic improvement.

In my judgment, it is time for New Bedford to move past its long-standing defensive posture in engaging the state about our schools.

We hold to the current position only at our own long-run peril. The first step in addressing a problem is to recognize that it exists. The officials at the state Department of Education did not arbitrarily single out New Bedford for a harsh assessment. The Department evaluates a school system in light of what it observes in comparison with school systems all over the state.

It rarely issues a report like the one New Bedford received. And while we can quarrel with the report's finer points, its major findings hardly came as a surprise to many of those closest to the system.

At this point, we simply can't afford to take lightly the threat of a state takeover of our system. It happened in Lawrence when the state lost faith in a district's ability to deliver an adequate education to its students.

We do not want that to happen here.

Now, there is no doubt that our city's demographics play a part in our student performance. It is hardly news that less affluent children from unstable homes tend to do less well in school than their peers, here and everywhere else.

For this reason, some of the blame for our lower test scores is rightly laid on federal and state policies that indirectly foster the concentration of poverty in cities like ours.

But demographics are only part of the story. The reality is that we haven't done as well as other Massachusetts cities that face similar challenges. Among the state's so-called "Gateway Cities," New Bedford is at or near the bottom in terms of MCAS scores and the four-year graduation rate. The reality we must acknowledge is that the deficiencies in our schools are, in part, of our own making.

But that also means that many of the "fixes" for our schools should lie in our own hands.

So tonight, I invite my colleagues on the School Committee and other school leaders to pledge that we will not accept the status quo, that we will empower our education professionals to get the job done, and hold them accountable for the results, mindful that accountability only comes when the people at the top mean what they say.

Fixing our schools is going to require all of us to be open to some new ideas and new ways of doing things.

I want to hear those ideas.

During the campaign, I called for an education summit because I wanted to hear everyone's observations, concerns, and recommendations. In the weeks ahead, I will schedule three public hearings at each of our middle schools so that the entire city can have easy access to the discussion. I want to hear from everyone.

I will ask one thing in return: For every concern you air, you pledge to be part of a solution: It can be something you are willing to do differently, or something you are willing to offer of yourself. It can be simple, or it can be hard to achieve.

My point is this: To improve our system, we need everyone involved and everyone willing to take a positive step to make a difference.

I will be the last person to suggest I have answers to the difficult problems that vex our schools.

But I do know that when teachers and parents are on the same page, students behave better and stay in school.

Successful school systems have a culture of respect and high standards of personal conduct, where student safety is not even an issue. That positive climate is a fundamental prerequisite to educational attainment.

But let's face facts: Good behavior starts at home, and many parents in our City have failed to step up and do their part. There are many causes for our high drop-out rate, but most can be traced back to a disconnect between the home and the school.

We can't legislate good parenting, but we can build a better relationship between schools and parents. Toward this end, I will convene a "Building Bridges" Task Force to advance initiatives that can bridge the gap, including an expanded home visit program, attendance improvement measures, and drop-out prevention programs.

Each child gets one shot at an education. Each deserves the very best this City can offer.
Looking Ahead

Good jobs, safer neighborhoods, efficient government, and high performing schools. These are our challenges.

Success will come only when we recognize that these are not someone else's problems. Even if you don't have school age children, what happens in our schools affects you. Even if you live in the North End, crime problems in a South End neighborhood affect you. Even if you have a steady job, that many of our fellow citizens have looked in vain for employment, affects you.

To borrow a phrase, let us expand the circle of "self-interest rightly understood" so that we all recognize that all of our lives are lived and shared within the same circle.

Our fates and lives, our potential successes or failures are being forever woven together.

Think about it: What if every home owner kept up their yard"»how much more attractive the City would be.

What if everyone maintained a close eye over their neighbors' homes, and shared information the police needed to do their jobs"»how much safer we'd all be.

And what if every able-bodied citizen volunteered some time to help children, seniors, or veterans"»how much stronger our bonds of community and friendship would be.

If everyone who professes a love for our City by the sea bears responsibility for making it a better place, we will draw closer together, and leave a stronger community for our children and grandchildren.

We may look to Boston and Washington for help, but it is up to us to find lasting solutions to our challenges. Each of us must ask: What role can I play?

What should give us hope is that our City's history has been a story of continual adjustment to new challenges. When we really need to change, we do it, and we do it well.

When the discovery of oil in Pennsylvania ushered in the end of the whaling era, New Bedford changed course and became a textile center. When textile production began to move to the South in the 1930's, we re-filled our mills with manufacturers of apparel and other goods. Along the way, our waterfront evolved from the top whaling port in America to the top fishing port.

Now is NOT the time to lower our sights, and settle for less. Let's rise to the challenges of 2012.

Today, a new generation is stepping forward to lead our City. Like generations before, we see New Bedford's promise and potential, and have dedicated ourselves to building our community the old fashioned way: through honesty, hard work, and imagination. This place is where we strive to live out the American Dream, and to build a brighter future.

With our sights raised toward that future, let us begin our work together.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the great City of New Bedford

Mitchell: Schools are underperforming, need to be improved | SouthCoastToday.com

2012-01-03T07:51:00.000-05:00

Mitchell: Schools are underperforming, need to be improved | SouthCoastToday.com

Address lacks flash but not vision | SouthCoastToday.com

2012-01-03T07:47:00.000-05:00

Address lacks flash but not vision | SouthCoastToday.com

Your View: Boston Foundation report on work force falls short | SouthCoastToday.com

2011-12-24T07:27:00.000-05:00

Your View: Boston Foundation report on work force falls short | SouthCoastToday.com

Education Radio: Stand for Children or Stand for Profit?

2011-12-21T09:13:00.000-05:00

Education Radio: Stand for Children or Stand for Profit?: On this week’s show we take a look at Stand for Children, an organization that defines its mission as one of grassroots advocacy for publi...

Lawmakers urged to require local approval of charter schools

2011-12-20T13:00:00.000-05:00

Lawmakers urged to require local approval of charter schools

Make no Mistakes about the Small Autonomous School Issue: Sent By Eddie L. Johnson

2011-12-18T09:17:00.003-05:00

Please Click on the Following Link - Center for Collaborative Education

Make no Mistakes about the Small Autonomous School Issues. This Issue is totally driven by Boston Consultants, Dan French and Eric Oddleison (who recently passed away). This attached consultant Firm, are and were the Consultants, solicted and supported by Elected School Committee Woman, Marlene Pollock, and newly Elected School Committeeman Jack Liveramento and the UIA, for promotion and implimentaion.

The questions still remains, "HOW and WHO", will pay for Dan French's Ideas and self promotion?

If the School Committee vote in the Affirmative, French will surley get "PAID". He does not work for free.

Dan French knows that any presentations by him personally to the Elected School Committee, Mayor and Teachers Union, would be unaccpetable. Therefore he needs a local Community organization like the UIA to advocate this idea, as he does not have the courage to do so himself.

So Dan French is definately using the UIA to do the leg work, and should the School Committee take a favorable vote on this seriously flawed idea, his firm would be the "PAID" established Consultant, for setting up small Autonmous Schools in New Bedford, along with New Be dford's Consultant Carol Matsumoto.

At any School Committee, Please, question Elected School Committee Women Marlene Pollock and Jack Liveramento, if Dan French is the outside Consultant involved in New Bedford's advocacy for Small Autonomous Schools, and see if either of them will be truthful.

Letter: Union should support successful charter program | SouthCoastToday.com

2011-12-18T07:34:00.000-05:00

Letter: Union should support successful charter program | SouthCoastToday.com

Facts show the true success at Global Learning school | SouthCoastToday.com

2011-12-17T06:22:00.000-05:00

Facts show the true success at Global Learning school | SouthCoastToday.com

Florida charter schools: big money, little oversight - Cashing In On Kids - MiamiHerald.com

2011-12-16T11:01:00.000-05:00

Florida charter schools: big money, little oversight - Cashing In On Kids - MiamiHerald.com

Charter school financing

2011-12-16T06:43:00.000-05:00

Charter school financing

Our View: Autonomous schools offer New Bedford creative path to better education | SouthCoastToday.com

2011-12-15T09:09:00.000-05:00

Our View: Autonomous schools offer New Bedford creative path to better education | SouthCoastToday.com

Enrollment trends at Global Learning Charter Public School

2011-12-15T07:47:00.000-05:00

Enrollment trends at Global Learning Charter Public School

Charter schools “lose” too many students

2011-12-13T09:04:00.003-05:00

The public schools in New Bedford have wonderful teachers, great classes and successful students.

We recognize that our city faces extraordinary challenges that place big demands on all stakeholders to ensure the educational success of our students. The New Bedford Educators Association advocates for city, state and national funding and policies to alleviate the underlying cause of so many problems – poverty, high unemployment, teenage pregnancy and inadequate social services. And we are committed to working on school-based initiatives that will help our students succeed and move on to decent jobs or higher education. That said, we caution against initiatives that risk creating a two-tiered education system – one for a select few who receive a disproportionate share of resources and the other for everyone else. We have a major concern that the charter school system in Massachusetts is creating such a two-tired system.

Although charter schools are required by law to accept all students, study after study shows that most charters fail to educate the same proportion of high-need students as their sending districts. Most obviously, they consistently fail to educate as many special needs students and students with limited English language skills.

In addition, most charters lose a huge number of students from the first year of enrollment to the last. That suggests either they aren’t serving the students who enroll very well, or they employ enrollment practices that result in sending back to the district students who can’t meet the charter’s behavior or academic standards.

The Massachusetts Teachers Association conducted a study of Boston charter schools in 2009 and found that these problems were commonplace there. We asked the MTA to help us look at the data for the Global Learning Charter School in New Bedford, and we found that the pattern continues here in New Bedford.

We looked at the number of students enrolled in a given year, as reported to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and then followed that class to find out how many were still enrolled in each subsequent years. The drop-off is dramatic. The number of students still enrolled by the fall of their senior year since this charter school was founded is miniscule, ranging from a low of 13 students to a high of 19.

Here is DESE enrollment data for the Global Learning Charter School class of 2009 – the class that had the largest number of seniors (19). The numbers of students in that class each year is as follows:

Grade 6: 90
Grade 7: 79
Grade 8: 71
Grade 9: 33
Grade 10: 36
Grade 11: 24
Grade 12: 19

Approximately one-fifth as many students were enrolled as seniors as were enrolled as sixth graders. About half as many were enrolled as seniors as were enrolled in ninth grade. If the New Bedford Public Schools “lost” four-fifths of their grade 6 students by grade 12, it would be a national scandal.

What happened to all those other students? Why did they leave? If the waiting lists for charter schools are as long as charter school advocates claim, why weren’t students enrolled off the waiting lists to replace those who left? This charter school siphons more than $4 million a year from the New Bedford Public Schools, yet graduates a very small number of students. Are we getting our money’s worth?
And there is another question that should be asked. Since charter schools are funded by public taxpayer dollars and call themselves “public schools,” shouldn’t they have to serve a similar population as is served by the “regular” public schools?

I believe they should, but the MTA study in Boston showed that they do not, and the same is true in New Bedford.

In the most recent school year for which data is available (2010-2011), just 7.5 percent of Global’s students spoke English as a second language and no students were designated as Limited English Proficient. District-wide, three times as many (21.4 percent) of students in NBPS spoke English as a second language and 4.1 percent were Limited English Proficient. In addition, just 11.6 percent of Global’s students were special needs, compared to 19.8 percent in the NBPS.

Special needs students and those with limited English language skills belong in our public schools and deserve as good an education as everyone else. Why are “public” charter schools held to a different standard? We do not appreciate it when charter schools are held up as examples of high performance even though they serve a less challenging population and also lose many students along the way. NBPS doesn’t “counsel out” students and send them to Global, but Global can send students with behavior problems or other issues back to the NBPS. This is certainly not a level playing field.

Rather than looking to create more schools like this, we strongly favor offering choice and innovation within our existing public schools. Just one of the many examples we are enthusiastic about is developing an engineering academy at New Bedford High School.

This “school within a school” was designed by a team of educators and administrators at NBHS dedicated to creating a career- and college-linked pathway for students. Planning and development of the academy proposal has been a collaborative effort with an active support network of community partners and institutions of higher education, specifically Bristol Community College, the Workforce Investment Board, and local businesses. It is strongly supported by the NBEA.

This proposal has recently been accepted by the National Academy Foundation, the nation’s highest profile network of career academies. The foundation is working closely with the high school team to bring the proposal to life, spending a year planning curriculum content, professional development and student pathways, with a targeted launch of an approved NAF Academy of Engineering in school year 2012.

We need more collaboratively developed programs such as this one, created with input from classroom teachers in our schools and others. We believe this is a more promising road to improvement than developing costly new schools, especially new charter schools that siphon funds from New Bedford but are not accountable to the community.

Lou St. John, President

New Bedford Educators Association

Global Learning Charter School
Enrollment Data

Will New Bedford be the next Lawrence

2011-12-11T07:49:00.000-05:00

Will New Bedford be the next Lawrence

Stand for Children Ballot Initiative Fails to Deliver

2011-12-08T10:38:00.001-05:00

Recognizing that excellent teachers are critically important for student success, the MTA has long advocated for high standards for those who want to enter and remain in the profession, along with high-quality mentoring and professional development for educators. This past year, the MTA was a leader in developing a more effective and comprehensive educator evaluation system – one that includes a streamlined process for dismissing teachers who receive poor evaluations and fail to improve. This new system is being rolled out statewide over the next three years.

Unfortunately, a national organization with no particular expertise in education – Stand for Children – is seeking to disrupt the implementation of this system through an initiative petition on the November 2012 ballot. This complex question would make changes in the yet-to-be-implemented evaluation system and impose new state mandates on school district personnel decisions.

The initiative is opposed by Massachusetts Education Secretary Paul Reville and a growing number of affected groups, including the Massachusetts Parent Teacher Association, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the Massachusetts Secondary School Administrators’ Association, the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Reading Association, the Massachusetts Association of College and University Reading Educators, the Massachusetts School Library Association, the Massachusetts Council for the Social Studies and the Massachusetts Administrators for Special Education. And the opposition is growing.

Here are some of the reasons the MTA is opposed to the ballot question:

It’s a distraction from the real issues. This divisive proposal is a gimmick that will divert time, money and energy away from important priorities for our students such as:
Keeping class sizes small.
Restoring art, music and other enrichment classes.
Supporting programs that help attract excellent teachers to work in hard-to-staff schools.
Improving access to high-quality early childhood education.

It takes away local control. This initiative would reduce local control over our schools by requiring every district to follow one-size-fits-all state mandates in making transfer and layoff decisions. Those decisions should be made at the community level – by letting districts and employees collectively bargain personnel systems that meet the needs of their particular communities. The teachers’ voice in this process is critically important.

It invites age discrimination and favoritism. The proposal opens the door to favoritism, nepotism and age discrimination – all problems that a more objective system is designed to counteract. An experienced teacher in good standing who is at the top of the pay scale could be laid off to make room for a less expensive teacher with far less classroom expertise. An outspoken, experienced teacher could be replaced by a more compliant novice educator, or one who is well-connected to a local politician or school official.

It’s policy by bumper sticker – not collaboration. Although a Stand representative served on the task force that recommended the evaluation system changes, that representative never once proposed the changes contained in the ballot question. Instead, the organization raised money from wealthy individuals at Bain Capital and elsewhere and proceeded on its own to draft a long and complicated ballot question without conferring with the education and parent groups most affected by it. The summary of this initiative alone is four pages long – far too extensive for voters to read, interpret and make informed decisions on in the few minutes they have to spend in the voting booth. While the bill is long, the campaign simplistically claims that a yes vote is for “great teachers” and implies that those who oppose it are against quality schools. This is education policy by bumper sticker, not by thoughtful collaboration.

The MTA has been a leader in promoting initiatives to help students achieve at the highest levels and promoting the voices of educators with proven expertise in collaborative efforts to help schools succeed. We are currently providing professional services in Holyoke and New Bedford to help those districts implement the new evaluation system in schools that are designated Level 4, or underperforming.

Although Massachusetts schools are already ranked number one on many national and international measures, we are always open to ideas about how to make them work better. We strongly believe that cooperation and discussion among all affected parties is a far better approach than forcing an up-or-down vote on a complicated and deeply flawed ballot initiative

Mitchell won't drop legal fight over furloughs | SouthCoastToday.com

2011-12-06T09:44:00.000-05:00

Mitchell won't drop legal fight over furloughs | SouthCoastToday.com

Education | Historian blasts education reforms | Seattle Times Newspaper

2011-12-06T08:23:00.000-05:00

Education | Historian blasts education reforms | Seattle Times Newspaper

When an adult took standardized tests forced on kids

2011-12-05T15:12:00.000-05:00

When an adult took standardized tests forced on kids

Gateway Cities Agenda Will Close Achievement Gap by Paul Reville

2011-12-05T12:51:00.002-05:00

Massachusetts' record of educational achievement is second to none and a model for the nation. Our students consistently score at the top of the charts on national and even international tests. Massachusetts has much to celebrate, yet achievement gaps, deep and persistent ones, tell us that the work of education reform is far from finished. All students are not yet achieving at high levels.

Last month, in an address to the education community, our governor challenged us to do more. He called on us to do more for those children still stuck in persistent achievement gaps typically found among poor children, students with disabilities, those who speak English as a second language and frequently, students of color. These students are heavily concentrated in the commonwealth's Gateway cities, like New Bedford, which are home to many of our immigrants, low-income students, English Language Learners and others whom we can be serving better. The challenges faced by students, their families and educators in the Gateway Cities are daunting.

So how will we reach these children?

The governor has given us a clear plan, a Gateway Cities Agenda, centered on five core principles. First and foremost is a renewed commitment to high standards and accountability in our education system. At the heart of that commitment is a call to get every child to reading proficiency by Grade 3. To this end, we will pilot Kindergarten Readiness Literacy Programs in Gateway City Districts, designed to support at-risk students with an intensive program between pre-K and kindergarten, placing special emphasis on early literacy development.

Secondly, this plan calls for a host of student supports to ensure all students come to school healthy and ready to learn. Out-of-school factors, negative consequences of poverty, often prevent students from learning. Over 71 percent of students in New Bedford come from low-income families and the additional challenges these children often face are significant. To combat these obstacles, we will create Student Support Councils in Gateway Cities and provide Student Support Counselors to predominantly low-income schools. These counselors will focus their efforts on assisting students and their families in solving problems and eliminating barriers that get in the way of student learning.

Thirdly, the governor's plan demands that we individualize learning to target students' particular needs. Schools should give students the quantity and quality of instruction they need to meet high standards. The current "one size fits all" school system does not work for many of our students. Some need more time and teaching to meet their particular learning challenges. Consequently, the governor's plan will pilot Summer English Learning Camps, designed to give English Language Learners the additional time and instruction needed to learn English while keeping pace in academic subjects.

The governor's plan also sets new expectations for college and career readiness, introducing secondary students to multiple success pathways early in high school. To this end, the Gateway Cities Agenda will establish high school career academies in several Gateway Cities that will offer high school students the opportunity for early career exploration, more applied learning and a variety of motivating educational experiences. Only 53 percent of New Bedford students graduate high school in four years. We need to better demonstrate for these students how the skills they are learning in school can apply to meaningful work in the real world, and providing access to career education can help do just that.

Finally, the governor called on us to innovate. To seed and incentivize innovation, we will establish a statewide Commonwealth Education Innovation Fund, a public-private fundraising partnership that will strengthen our capacity to meet 21st century education challenges by providing the education sector with the kind of "research and development" function common in the world of business. This fund will not be limited to the Gateway Cities.

Taken together, these five principles and action strategies form a frontal assault on achievement gaps while building a foundation for a 21st century education system. With these strategies and tools, Massachusetts will continue its pioneering leadership in education by making sure that all of our children are prepared for success.

Paul Reville is Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Editor's File: Improving education starts in the home | SouthCoastToday.com

2011-12-05T12:49:00.000-05:00

Editor's File: Improving education starts in the home | SouthCoastToday.com

Suburban districts monitor class size, too | SouthCoastToday.com

2011-12-05T12:48:00.000-05:00

Suburban districts monitor class size, too | SouthCoastToday.com

Research supports class size as harbinger of test success

2011-12-05T12:46:00.000-05:00

Research supports class size as harbinger of test success

New Bedford's unequal class sizes spur call for fairness | SouthCoastToday.com

2011-12-05T12:45:00.000-05:00

New Bedford's unequal class sizes spur call for fairness | SouthCoastToday.com

Open Checkbook website to launch

2011-12-02T14:41:00.001-05:00

Under a government transparency initiative included in the 2011 state budget, the Commonwealth will be launching a new website by the end of the year providing detailed information about state expenditures, including state employees’ salaries and retirees’ pensions.

The initiative, called Open Checkbook, will provide information on all state budget expenditures, including payroll and pension information, for fiscal years, 2010, 2011 and 2012. While salary information is just for state employees, pension information will be available for all who receive retirement income under a pension system funded by the state, including retired teachers and administrators receiving pensions through the Massachusetts Teachers Retirement System.

A great deal of public employee salary and pension information has been available for several years on websites operated by the Boston Herald and the Pioneer Institute. These organizations obtained the information through public records requests.

The Commonwealth has posted answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the Open Checkbook initiative. The FAQ explains that state employee annual salaries and retiree annual pensions will be available by name and will include information about where the person is or was employed. It will not include the individual’s address, bank account information or Social Security number.

For more information on this and other state transparency initiatives, see mass.gov/transparency. Active employees who have unanswered questions should contact their human resource offices. PreK-12 retirees who have unanswered questions may contact the Massachusetts Teachers Retirement System.

Letter: Accountability won't be enough to change schools | SouthCoastToday.com

2011-12-01T09:43:00.000-05:00

Letter: Accountability won't be enough to change schools | SouthCoastToday.com

Leadership, accountability together will change New Bedford schools

2011-11-30T09:05:00.000-05:00

Leadership, accountability together will change New Bedford schools

New Bedford schools' turnaround plan unveiled

2011-11-29T11:54:00.000-05:00

New Bedford schools' turnaround plan unveiled

RI pension overhaul may head to the courts

2011-11-18T08:18:00.001-05:00

Our View: Failure not an option for any city school | SouthCoastToday.com

2011-11-18T08:07:00.000-05:00

Our View: Failure not an option for any city school | SouthCoastToday.com

Legislature restores evergreen clauses

2011-11-18T07:49:00.000-05:00

The state Legislature gave final approval on November 17 to a bill backed by the MTA and other labor organizations affirming the legality of “evergreen clauses,” which extend the terms of public-sector collective bargaining agreements after they expire while unions and employers negotiate new agreements.

Governor Deval Patrick has said repeatedly that he supports the bill, and he is expected to sign it into law soon.

The MTA played a leading role in a coalition of labor organizations that advocated for the bill.

“We are extremely happy that the Legislature has approved this bill,” said MTA President Paul Toner. “It is important that state lawmakers are reaffirming what we’ve always believed – that public employers and employees may agree that their contracts will remain in place if they are still negotiating when the existing contracts expire.”

The bill was filed in response to an October 2010 ruling by the state Supreme Judicial Court in a case involving the Boston Housing Authority. In that case, the court ruled that evergreen clauses were not permitted under the state’s Labor Relations statute, G.L. c.150E, which has a provision limiting the duration of contracts to three years.

Many, but not all, public employee contracts in Massachusetts contained evergreen clauses when the BHA ruling was issued. The decision raised several concerns, including questions about how disputes would be resolved while successor contracts were being negotiated.

The chief sponsors of the bill were Representative Marty Walsh (D-Dorchester) and then-Senator Steven Tolman (D-Watertown), who has since become the president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. Senators Katherine Clark (D-Melrose) and Ken Donnelly (D-Arlington) led the effort in the Senate to ensure passage before the end of the session. Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth) and Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo (D-Winthrop) both strongly backed the bill.

Supporters of the bill argued that:

· Evergreen clauses are a common, established feature of public-sector labor relations. Since 150E was enacted in 1973, there has been widespread and uncontroversial acceptance of evergreen clauses by the Commonwealth’s public employers and labor unions, as well as by the Department of Labor Relations.

· Evergreen clauses are voluntary. Like all contract terms, evergreen clauses must be approved by both labor and management during collective bargaining negotiations.

· Evergreen clauses provide essential continuity during negotiations. As acknowledged by the SJC in the BHA case, evergreen clauses provide “a continuing code of conduct while parties negotiate a new bargaining agreement.” Such continuity is important during contentious periods in labor relations, when a contract is about to expire or has expired; it is particularly crucial during times of severe economic strain.

· Evergreen clauses are common in the private sector and are legal under the National Labor Relations Act.

· Evergreen clauses provide the means for efficient and effective conflict resolution during contract negotiations. Significantly, evergreen clauses are necessary to permit employers and labor unions to continue to utilize arbitration to resolve disputes over the terms and conditions of employment after a contract expires and the parties are bargaining for a new agreement.

There is no appropriation required for this bill. It contains an emergency preamble and will go into effect shortly after it is signed.

Legislature approves bill to cut pensions for future employees

2011-11-16T10:01:00.001-05:00

The Legislature approved a major pension overhaul on Nov. 15 that will reduce retirement benefits for public employees hired after April 2, 2012, by requiring them to work longer for their benefits, increasing the minimum retirement age and reducing annual pension benefits by about 3 percent.

Governor Deval Patrick is expected to sign the bill into law.

The final bill did contain several amendments supported by the MTA, including allowing higher education members who participate in the Optional Retirement Program to transfer to the state retirement system, allowing creditable service for part-time release union representatives, reducing pension cuts for future long-serving public employees and increasing the base on which the annual cost-of-living-adjustment is calculated from $12,000 to $13,000.

MTA President Paul Toner said that good pension benefits are important for attracting and retaining high-quality education employees.

“We strongly opposed reducing pension benefits for future employees from the start,” Toner said. “Thousands of MTA members contacted their legislators, arguing that public employees in Massachusetts already pay the vast majority of the costs of their own pensions. We maintained that future employees should not be responsible for paying down an unfunded pension liability that was created by municipalities and the state, not by them.

“We lost those arguments,” he continued. “The recent volatility in the stock market and the weak economy persuaded legislators to limit the state’s exposure and costs by reducing future pension benefits.”

The pension bill is designed to save the state $5 billion over the next 30 years.

After the Senate approved the bill by a wide margin on Sept. 29, it became clear that the House was going to pass a similar measure. While continuing to oppose cuts in benefits for future members, the MTA also worked hard to win amendments that are important to certain current members and to long-serving future employees.

The bill reduces retirement benefits for future employees in several ways. It increases the minimum retirement age by five years, from 55 to 60, for teachers and other Group 1 employees, including MTA’s higher education members and education support professionals. The bill also changes the formula used for calculating benefits. As a result, most future MTA members will have to work about two years longer to receive benefits similar to what current employees will receive.

In addition, future pensions will be based on a five-year salary average rather than the current three-year average, typically reducing pensions by about 3 percent.

The Legislature agreed to amendments fought for by the MTA to reduce the impact on future employees with more than 30 years in the system. The formula changes will enable them to reach their maximum benefit levels earlier than employees with less than 30 years of service. In addition, the contribution rate for future Group 1 members will decrease after 30 years of service, from 11 percent to 8 percent for teachers and from 9 percent on the first $30,000 in income and 11 percent on the portion over $30,000 to a flat 6 percent for other future Group 1 employees.

The MTA fought hard for the ORP amendment. The ORP gives higher education members the option of participating in a defined contribution plan, similar to a 401(k) in the private sector, rather than in the state retirement system. Under the new bill, ORP participants will be able to transfer into the state retirement system and “buy back” prior public service.

The other significant win for the MTA was a no-cost amendment that will allow employers and unions to agree on part-time leave time for presidents and other union representatives without any loss of creditable service, provided they contribute into the retirement system at the same rate as other full-time district employees. Full-time release presidents already receive this benefit.

The bill contains other amendments that will benefit a small number of members, including revisions pertaining to creditable service for maternity leaves taken before 1975, an increase in the amount of salary a retiree can earn while collecting pension benefits and an increase in the minimum retirement benefit.

MTA presentation on the new supervision and evaluation process

2011-11-16T08:36:00.000-05:00

In June 2011 the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education passed new Teacher/Administrator Evaluation regulations with the goal of improving the supervision and evaluation process while facilitating growth for all. Every district in Massachusetts must review and amend its current evaluation system to fit the new regulatory evaluation framework. As Brockton is a participant in Race to The Top, we must implement a new evaluation system for the 2012-2013 school year in line with the federal regulations. In response to the new regulations, we have formed a Teacher/Administrator Evaluation Task Force to work on developing the tools and processes needed to meet the regulations. The Task Force consists of eight members: The four BEA members appointed by President Gibson are Ellen Culley, Yolanda DiFalco, James Doyle, and Suzanne Smith. The four members appointed by Superintendent Malone are Sean Ahern, Elizabeth Barry, Michelle Connors (BEA Member), and Kathleen Moran. The group is currently actively engaged in this process and working hard to accomplish its task.

The task force members, working collaboratively, will be presenting a product to the two of us which we will share with one member of the School Committee for further vetting. Following this, the evaluation tools and process will be submitted to the formal collective bargaining teams in the spring of 20 12, with anticipated implementation in the fall of 20 12.

As part of our ongoing open communication, we have scheduled a workshop for ALL district educators and leaders -including the Superintendent, BEA President, School Committee members, teachers and principals to be held on Monday, November 21,2011. The workshop will be conducted by the MTA and will focus on explaining the new framework and implications for districts and educators. There will also be a question-and-answer session. One hour will be devoted to the tool and process and one hour will be devoted to questions, comments, and concerns. We strongly urge everyone to make every effort to attend this meeting.

Date:
Monday, November 21,2011

Time:
4:00 p.m. -6:00 p.m.

Location:
Brockton High School Auditorium

6 New Underperforming Schools Placed on Accelerated Turnaround Path

2011-11-16T07:40:00.002-05:00

MALDEN – The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) today designated six schools in Lawrence, New Bedford, Salem, and Worcester as underperforming and established a three-year timeline for those schools to implement turnaround plans that will lead to rapid acceleration of educational improvements.

This tiered designation was created as part of the Patrick-Murray Administration's Achievement Gap Act of 2010 as a way for the state to set underperforming schools on a pathway to success through an intense focus of resources and flexibilities. Designated underperforming or "Level 4" schools have three years to turn around performance and are eligible to compete for federal School Redesign Grant funds to dramatically transform teaching and learning for their students.

"The first-year results for the Commonwealth's underperforming schools were largely positive, and we are providing these districts with the aggressive tools and assistance necessary to achieve rapid school turnaround." said Elementary and Secondary Education Mitchell Chester. "Strong leadership and a shared vision for the school is a key to the success of Level 4 schools. We also know that schools that maximize effective use of time and resources, have in place strong data systems and formative assessments, and are implementing systems of student and teacher support, as well as a positive school culture are experiencing greater results in student achievement."

The six schools identified as Level 4 schools on Tuesday are:

Lawrence: Business Management and Finance High School (9-12)
Lawrence: International High School (9-12)
Lawrence: James F. Leonard School (6-8)
New Bedford: Hayden-McFadden Elementary School (PK-5)
Salem: Bentley Elementary School (K-5)
Worcester: Burncoat Street Elementary School (K-6)

A school is identified as underperforming or "Level 4" as a result of low performance on MCAS English language arts and mathematics tests over a four year period and failure to show signs of substantial growth over that time. In March 2010, the state first designated 35 schools from 9 school districts as underperforming or Level 4. Those schools were given new flexibilities and responsibilities to turn around their schools in three years, and the majority received significant federal School Improvement Grant funding to support substantial change and improvement. One Level 4 school in Boston subsequently closed.

Level 4 schools are required to develop and implement redesign plans in collaboration with the superintendent, school committee, teachers' union, administrators, teachers, parents, and community representatives. A school's redesign plan also serves as its application for federal redesign funding. The three-year redesign plans will: (1) provide a pathway for significant improvement at each identified school; (2) address district-level capacity to support low performing schools; and (3) set measurable, annual goals that will serve as the standard for exiting Level 4 status.

To exit Level 4 status, an identified school must show a three-year increase in student achievement and be able to demonstrate that essential conditions are in place to sustain that improvement at both the school and district level.

"We are committed to ensuring that every child is prepared for success, and will continue working aggressively with each of our underperforming schools to provide them with the supports they need to reach each and every one of their students," said Education Secretary Paul Reville.

ESE provides various methods of support to Level 4 schools, including the appointment of a district liaison to assist with district systems support, making available School Redesign Grant funding and assistance and providing districts with additional tools and funding through several key Race to the Top initiatives.

Approximately $8 million in federal School Redesign Grant funds will be available to the next cohort of Level 4 schools, including the newly named schools and the 4 schools identified in March 2010 that did not receive funding. Massachusetts could also receive an additional $8 million in federal school improvement funds to award to Level 4 schools later this year. The 28 schools that were previously awarded federal School Improvement Grant funding will receive, on average, approximately $500,000 per year for three years.

More than 20,600 students attend the state's 40 designated Level 4 schools, which are located in ten school districts across the Commonwealth. Eighty-seven percent of those students are minority students, 21 percent are students with disabilities, 29 percent are English language learners, and 87 percent are low income.

These students, typically found in the Commonwealth's Gateway Cities, are stuck in some of the most persistent achievement gaps. Last week, Governor Deval Patrick laid out a set of new strategies aimed at reaching these students focused on five goals: (1) getting every child to reading proficiency by the third grade; (2) providing every child with a healthy platform for education; (3) providing each student with the quality and quantity of education he or she needs to be successful; (4) preparing all students for college and career success; and (5) seeding and incentivizing innovation.

These strategies, coupled with the supports provided in the Achievement Gap Act of 2010, are providing educators with the tools and flexibilities they need to prepare all students for success.

Group pitches autonomous schools for city | SouthCoastToday.com

2011-11-15T09:14:00.000-05:00

Group pitches autonomous schools for city | SouthCoastToday.com

Anti-Worker Law SB 5 Repealed in Ohio

2011-11-09T13:33:00.000-05:00

Anti-Worker Law SB 5 Repealed in Ohio

Election 2011: Jon Mitchell

2011-11-09T13:20:00.000-05:00

Schools Matter: Tennessee Teachers Will Evaluate Legislators Who A...

2011-11-08T08:39:00.000-05:00

Schools Matter: Tennessee Teachers Will Evaluate Legislators Who A...: (Updated 11:47 AM) From looking at this document that 64,000 Tennessee teachers could be filling out this week, it seems much more fair ...

House approves pension bill that reduces future employee benefits

2011-11-03T09:34:00.000-04:00

The state House of Representatives today joined the Senate in passing a pension bill that will cut benefits for future public employees in Massachusetts in order to reduce state pension costs by $5 billion over 30 years. Differences between the House version and the previously approved Senate version will have to be resolved in a conference committee before a final bill goes to the governor.

In addition, the House approved a new “evergreen” bill that would permit public employee contracts to include a clause specifying that a current contract remains in effect after expiration while a successor agreement is being negotiated. The Senate has not yet acted on that issue. The MTA and other unions lobbied for an evergreen bill to preserve contract stability and allow negotiations to proceed in good faith.

The MTA lobbied for months against reducing pension benefits for future employees, arguing that these employees will already be paying the vast majority of the costs of their own benefits under the current system. New teachers pay more than 90 percent of those costs, contributing 11 percent of their salaries toward their pensions.

Thousands of MTA members sent emails to their legislators on this issue, and dozens met with their legislators in person. The MTA’s argument did not prevail, as legislators cited fiscal pressure from the loss of revenues in this bad economy. The House vote was unanimous, with one representative voting “present.”

The governor and legislative leaders argued that lower benefits are needed to reduce spending on pensions and protect the state’s excellent bond rating, thus reducing the cost of borrowing.

The MTA pointed out, among other things, that good benefits are key to attracting and retaining high-quality educators and therefore to student success.

The MTA was successful in winning several changes that protect current employees, and both branches included a modest increase in the cost-of-living adjustment for current and future retirees, raising the base on which the COLA is calculated from $12,000 to $13,000.

The MTA sought a number of amendments in the House. One was successful. Both the House and Senate bills include provisions that will allow higher education employees who participate in the Optional Retirement Program to switch to the state pension system.

The MTA will be asking the House-Senate conference committee to resolve differences in the ORP language and make other adjustments to the bill that benefit educators.

School Committee candidates take final exam in stride | SouthCoastToday.com

2011-11-03T08:09:00.000-04:00

School Committee candidates take final exam in stride | SouthCoastToday.com

Mayoral Candidates 2011

2011-11-02T09:44:00.000-04:00

Mayoral Candidates 2011

After viewing these Questionnaires & Videos, we hope that you would support those candidates who support our students, teachers and public schools, and therefore the future of New Bedford. Please encourage your friends and family who reside in New Bedford to do the same.

School Committee Candidates 2011

2011-11-02T09:42:00.000-04:00

School Committee Candidates 2011

After viewing these Questionnaires & Videos, we hope that you would support those candidates who support our students, teachers and public schools, and therefore the future of New Bedford. Please encourage your friends and family who reside in New Bedford to do the same.

House releases pension plan that would reduce benefits for future employees

2011-11-01T13:13:00.001-04:00

The House Ways and Means Committee today (Oct. 31) released its version of a pension bill that is similar to a bill passed by the Senate in September with a few key differences. The MTA is currently analyzing the House plan and expects to file amendments to it. The House has not yet scheduled a floor vote on the bill, but it could be taken up as soon as Wednesday.

The House bill, like the Senate plan, would affect new state and municipal employees by requiring them to work longer to reach the maximum benefit level. In addition, pension benefits would be based on the highest five-year salary average, not the current three-year average. Both bills contain a modest increase in the cost-of-living-adjustment, raising the base on which the COLA is calculated from $12,000 to $13,000.

The House bill does not contain several provisions that the MTA had lobbied for and won in the Senate, including allowing higher education members who selected the Optional Retirement Program (a defined contribution plan) to switch to the state retirement system (a defined benefit plan).

On the plus side, however, the age at which a Group 1 employee would be eligible to retire and begin collecting retirement benefits is lower in the House bill. The Senate plan set 60 as the minimum retirement age while the House bill sets it at age 57. Under current law, it is age 55.

The MTA opposed changes to the pension system that would reduce future members’ benefits, arguing that members pay the vast majority of their own pension costs. The House and Senate leaders and the governor have argued that these changes are needed to reduce the state’s future pension liabilities and protect the state’s bond rating.

Real reform snubbed

2011-10-31T14:32:00.000-04:00

The Herald is wrong to assert that the Massachusetts Teachers Association is opposed to reform (“Sluggish on schools,” Oct. 25). The MTA collaborated with a range of stakeholders to reinvent the educator evaluation system, and we have worked with Gov. Deval Patrick and others to support the Expanded Learning Time initiative and other innovative efforts to help children succeed. Educators do believe, however, that the proposed Stand for Children initiative should be rejected because it does not address the real needs of Massachusetts students. The question would undermine the new evaluation system before it even gets off the ground, and it appears to be inconsistent with the types of ballot questions permitted under the Massachusetts Constitution.

Beyond that, the proposal is a gimmick that fails to address the most serious problem facing our schools — a lack of funding that has led to larger class sizes and the elimination of music, art and other important programs. Families can’t afford to waste time and energy on a campaign that distracts everyone from the real work of supporting students and teachers.

Paul Toner, President
Mass. Teachers Association