I am not convinced that this is a good idea.
I fear that it may be a hasty, knee-jerk
overreaction to unfortunate but correctable personnel decisions as well as the
concurrence of those issues with a period of transition and realignment.
Southbridge already has a less than enviable
reputation. While some may see a state takeover as a way out, experience suggests
that such an action carries with it a stigma that is difficult to escape.
Take for example the comment of
one student in the recently taken over Lawrence school district. “I don’t
think it’s right, because when I go somewhere people already judge me before
they know me just because I’m from Lawrence, and that just makes it even
worse,” he said. “They think that I don’t do anything and that I can’t learn
and that I’m stupid.”
A similar sentiment was expressed in a
case in Ohio. “The Little Miami School District in Warren County knows
first-hand the dreadful “black-eye” that accompanies a state takeover. The
state makes all the decisions regarding what programs and teachers remain.”
The school district cannot simply invite the state
of Massachusetts in and hand over control of the district. The Massachusetts
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will make the decision when or
if they will come into the district and initiate a takeover.
If such an action occurs, there is a complete loss
of autonomy. The financial implications of this may extend beyond the school
department. One of the provisions of the
turnaround plan for the Lawrence School District that entered into receivership states, “A budget for the district including any additional funds to be
provided by the Commonwealth, federal government or other sources”. (page 21)
What is troubling is the term “other sources’. The
earlier cited Ohio case noted, “When the state takes over a school district
they do not shut the doors. They will
have a district take out loans in order to keep those doors open. They will keep placing larger and larger
levies on the ballot until a levy passes, and that levy will go toward paying
off that loan. The state’s goal is to
make sure that they get their dollars back from the loans and to return a
district to local control whenever possible. A state takeover is not a
short-term or long-term solution.”
Other provisions of the Lawrence Plan might prove
troubling as well.
Pursuant
to G.L. c. 69, §1K, the Commissioner and the Receiver must create a turnaround
plan intended to maximize the rapid improvement of the academic achievement of
students in the district. The
Commissioner and the Receiver will take all appropriate steps necessary to
support the goals of the turnaround plan.
Among other things, through the turnaround plan, the Commissioner and
the Receiver may reallocate the uses of the existing budget of the district;
provide funds to increase the salary of an administrator or teacher working in
an underperforming school in order to attract or retain highly-qualified
administrators or teachers, or to reward administrators or teachers who work in
chronically underperforming districts that have achieved the annual goals in
the turnaround plan; expand the school day or school year or both of schools in
the district; limit, suspend or change one or more provisions of any contract
or collective bargaining agreement in the district; limit, suspend, or change
one or more school district policies or practices, as such policies or
practices relate to the underperforming schools in the district; provide
job-embedded professional development for teachers in the district; provide for
increased opportunities for teacher planning time and collaboration focused on
improving student instruction; and establish steps to assure a continuum of
high expertise teachers by aligning the following processes with the common
core of professional knowledge and skill:
hiring, induction, teacher evaluation, professional development, teacher
advancement, school culture and organizational structure. (page 9)
The locally elected school committee is essentially
a cipher for as long as the receivership lasts:
School
Committee: The Receiver will continue to
work to build the effectiveness of School Committee interactions. This will
include continued updates about district information and a professional
development plan developed in coordination with the Massachusetts Association
of School Committees. The professional
development will focus on building the Committee’s capacity and preparing it to resume its duties when
the district has demonstrated sufficient gains and embedded the requisite
positive change to meet its goal of exiting receivership.
(page 14)
One of the first things that happened in Lawrence was
the termination
of 16 teachers.
An excellent article detailing the atmosphere
surrounding the events in Lawrence appears in the current issue of Commonwealth
Magazine.
Another consideration is the actual effectiveness of
such a state takeover. It is instructive that Lawrence underwent a prior state
takeover in 1998 from which it emerged in 2005 (page 36 of pdf) only to go back into
receivership by a decision made in 2011.
As the author commenting on the Ohio experience
notes, “A state takeover is a long, painful process and one that no school
district would ever want to experience.”
Agreed! Thank you for the Common ground.
ReplyDeleteClass sizes are already to large for proper success.
The cutting of more through no fault of their own would be devastating to this communities educational success. Look what happened when they pink slipped 65 teachers a few years ago. Those positions were NEVER returned but only somewhat replaced. White flight kicked in an the expensive school choice monkey is still not off our backs.
It's pretty easy and safe for some retired pension receiving person to call for the state to come in when he has no skin in the game with NO taxes to pay, no job to lose. It's pretty funny when administrators go wild and its somehow the teachers fault and they should pay the price. I don't understand that logic.
Indeed, in the long term, taking the necessary actions locally and avoiding a state takeover will result in greater local control, less outside intervention, and better long-term outcomes for students, employees, and the community.
ReplyDeleteSo I have been reading a few different things about Southbridge Schools, both from the ozone and the telegram. I have collected to be what I believe the facts are and must say that I am annoyed and frustrated with what has been going on in Southbridge.
ReplyDeleteWe got a Brand Spanking New school with great teachers and support staff to man it. Now when it was said who the new principle is, I said well everyone deserves a shot, lets see what happens. However from what I have read, there's a need for either more experience or a different person needs to come in. The thing that really set me off is the recent incident where the student was punched from behind, resulting in a concussion and his football season is over.
If memory serves correct, Massachusetts increased penalties for bullying recently. Also why was the mom issued a no trespass order? For caring about her son and wanting justice for what happened? This is bonkers. Also according to what I read " no administrators were present" so who is in command when the administrators are not in? Why was it the parent had to take action instead of the school? Makes me worry about my siblings who are in the systems still.
The other thing that bothers me about this Is the school committee stance on this. ( well the majority of it anyways). Why would you not say anything about this? Why would you be scared to
Talk about this? If you can tell kids to talk about their problems instead of acting out, we'll then you should talk about the problems. The response of being afraid of a lawsuit, well I could sue if my sister gets hurt and no administrators are there, and I'm sure the parents of any student being hurt in school and the proper procedures are not followed can sue. Why not talk about the issues and just say that you are going to work to address and rectify the issues or something of that nature. Bullying in schools is a very serious subject, and its shameful that this seems to not being addressed as much as it should be. If this does not get addressed we are only going to get a bad reputation, and this new school will look like a nice gift wrapping of dog turds .
Jack Jovan
ReplyDeleteI am very disturbed on what has transpired in the Southbrdge School District over the past week. To have the Superintendent placed on administrative leave and the issues that have been ongoing at the school one has to be concerned with the atmosphere that has prevalent in the school. I am also troubled with anon blogs that state we need a take over by the state.
I have issue with that statement, we have a teaching staff that is tremendously gifted and that care for the students under their charge, they have inspired our kids to be great students, leaders and more importantly young adults of good character. Southbridge is not the first school to have fights or issues. It is how we rise to the challenge to fix the problems, the state is not going to come in and waive a magic wand and make it all better. I am willing to give Terry Wiggins all the support that I can as he serves as interim superintendent and I will also support the teachers and staff as they continue to strive to make this system the very best. I am not giving up and I will be a voice of reason in this insanity
Starting your campaign speech a bit early, Jack?
ReplyDeleteJack Jovan was one of the four that brought us Eric Ely in the first place.
ReplyDeleteHe gave Ely all his support until he stopped communicating with him shortly after he arrived. The FLAB FOUR thought that they could control him over the other candidate whom had a DESE connection. Politics brought us Jovan's pick over the better option and wait for it,.. people now want a DESE connection.
Keep hitting the road Jack! and don't you came back no more no more.
If the "better candidate" was the best pick why oh why is he not a Superintendent now!!!! BTW...look at the vote, it was 7-0 for ELY...the other three can't hide from that vote...Yes let's get a DESE Stooge in here to run things...after all our state givt is so well run!!!
ReplyDeleteThat "other" blogger can't stand any opinion that contradicts his.
ReplyDeleteEarlier this morning I put a comment on his post about this petition and he posted it and then responded very snidely. Having documented his tendency to do this before, I copied my comment and his:
Sue:With all due respect to those who have signed this petition, for you to claim that, “Though there are already more than enough names for the petition to move forward, more names are welcome.” is the purest form of ‘spin’. The petition has been up for two days and has only 66 signatures. I could probably get that many signatures in two days on a petition to ban puppies.
Blogger:"I could probably get that many signatures in two days on a petition to ban puppies."
And no doubt that is precisely the type of petition you would advocate.
Shouldn't you be posting on that other blog? Nastiness is encouraged there. Spare me your "With all due respect." You clearly have none.
Now, of course, the comments are gone - removed by an "administrator".
DeleteSue,
DeleteThe motivation behind the petition was and will continue to be children of Southbridge and the belief that each and every one of them deserves an excellent education. The people who have signed the petition did so because they believe that things need to change in order to ensure every child in our community receives an excellent education and is able to realize their full potential. In addition to signing the petition many supporters voiced their “Reasons for signing” under the petition. Those who signed the petition did not do so in order to attain a certain amount of signatures in a set period of time. The target of 100 signatures was automatically generated by change.org when the petition was posted.
(Replier’s note: This comment was submitted to the other blog, too.)
Erin,
DeleteRegardless of what the other blogger said, I did mean “with all due respect”. You and your supporters are guaranteed a constitutional right to petition the government for a redress of grievances. The fact that I disagree with your choice of alternatives does not mean that I do not respect your right to pursue that alternative.
What I objected to was HIS remark. , “Though there are already more than enough names for the petition to move forward, more names are welcome.”
Realistically speaking I’m sure that you must realize that to petition a state agency to take such a drastic step as to set aside the authority of a locally elected body and assume control of a local district’s administration is not a matter that is taken lightly. If, in a town of 17,000, such a request cannot even muster 100 supporters, then it is not likely to warrant serious consideration by the state.
The town has been working with the state on an accelerated improvement plan and their reports have not indicated an imminent need for such intervention. The political dimension is distinct from the performance issues because they can be resolved if people like you, your supporters and I, as well, address the dysfunction of our local politics. In this regard that other blogger has shown himself totally unwilling to view others who disagree with him as nothing less than the embodiment of evil. That is far from constructive.
(Note: I won’t be bothering to post this on the other blog. I’ve had more than enough of his snide insults.)
Sue
DeleteThere are more then one reason for the DOE to step in and take control (plz read the follow).
OVERVIEW OF STATE TAKEOVERS
Presently, 24 states have enacted policies that allow them to take over a school district due to academic problems within the school district. Many state policies provide a succession of sanctions for academic problems within a school district, with takeovers as the ultimate sanction. Other state policies target a single troubled school district for an immediate state takeover.
In addition to academic problems within a school district, states also take over school districts due to fiscal mismanagement, inept administration, corrupt governance
and crumbling infrastructure within the school district.
In a state takeover of a school district, either the state board of education or a federal court charges the state department of education or another designated entity with
managing a school district, usually for a certain amount of time, such as five years. Most state takeovers do not happen without the state department of education thoroughly
documenting a school district’s problems.
Pros of State takeovers:
1. Are a necessary extension of a state’s constitutional responsibilities
2. Provide a good opportunity for state and local decision-makers to combine resources and knowledge to improve children’s learning
3. Allow a competent executive staff to guide an uninterrupted and effective implementation of school improvement efforts
4. Are a catalyst for creating the right environment for the community to address a school district’s problems
5. Allow for more radical, and necessary, changes in low-performing school districts
6. Place school boards on notice that personal agendas, nepotism and public bickering have severe consequences
7. Use achievement data collected from school districts and schools to bolster accountability efforts.
Cons of State Takeovers:
1. Represent a thinly veiled attempt to reduce local control over schools and increase state authority over school districts
2. Imply that the community has the problems and the state has the answers, and thus falsely assume that states have the ability to effectively run school districts
3. Place poorly prepared state-selected officials in charge, with little possibility of any meaningful change occurring in the classroom
4. Use narrow learning measures (i.e., standardized test scores) as the primary criterion for takeover decisions
5. Usually focus on cleaning up petty corruption and incompetent administration and do not go to the root of the social problems facing disadvantaged students in urban school districts
6. Foster negative connotations and impressions that hinder the self-esteem of school board members, administrators, teachers, students and parents
7. Produce showdowns between state and local officials that slow the overhaul of management practices, drain resources from educational reforms and reinforce community resentments.
read more here
http://ielp.rutgers.edu/docs/developing_plan_app_b.pdf
Jonathan A. Supovitz, an education professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said research showed that state takeovers were more likely to improve a district’s central administration and support services than classroom instruction.
ReplyDeleteSupovitz: “The real question is, where is the source of the problem? If the problem lies deeper in socioeconomic issues or local school issues, my sense is a takeover would be less effective.”
Here is a look at what has happened in a few cases around the country:
PHILADELPHIA: After years of poor achievement and budget crises, the state replaced the school board in 2001 with a school reform commission consisting of three members appointed by the governor and two by the mayor. The district adopted a common curriculum and new accountability measures, among other changes, that resulted in higher achievement. However, it continues to face budget problems and turmoil over a controversial school leader who departed in August.
OAKLAND,CA: The takeover in 2003 was set off by a financial crisis that eventually necessitated $100 million in state emergency money that the district is still paying back, though it regained local control in 2009. While there have been improvements in school financing and test scores, *many residents say state control drove families out of the district*.
BRIDGEPORT,CT: The state dissolved the elected school board for the 20,000-student district in July at the request of the board’s president and others who blamed division and dysfunction among its members for holding up progress. Since then, the state has appointed a new board, *spurring some parents, former board members and others to sue*.
ROOSEVELT,NY: The 2,600-student district was taken over by the State Education Department in 2002 amid mismanagement and weak student progress. Since then, slight academic gains have come at a cost of more than $200 million to the state for improvements like new buildings. In 2008, the district’s continuing financial problems required an $8 million bailout.
Source:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/12/education/state-takeovers-of-school-districts-have-had-mixed-results.html?_r=1&
Thank you.
DeleteOkey-Dokey.
DeleteHow do you define an "excellent education"? I think part of the problem in Southbridge is that there's no agreement in the town as to what this means and, even if there was, the system doesn't seem to have any way to measure excelelnce.
ReplyDeleteThe district has formalized how it defines and the indicators used to measure “high quality instruction” (or an “excellent education”) within the Southbridge Standard. Here is the link http://southbridge.k12.ma.us/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/474046/File/Superintendent/The%20Southbridge%20Standard.pdf
ReplyDeleteThanks. The document speaks about the process of teaching and what indicates good teaching is taking place. How is excellence measured at the student level? This is my primary concern. I guess grades and test scores can be used but I'm not sure these really measure how a student stacks up against peers in other states or other countries. My preference would be (and I've been hammered on this in the past) to track where are students go after the complete high school. Are they going to the most selective schools? How many are selected for the military acadamies? I'm sure there are others but these are some of the most important for me as a parent. These are objective measures that outside observers (potential home buyers) would probably use to decide how well the Southbridge schools will prepare their children for life after school. I'd appreciate your thoughts on this.
DeleteI appreciate Mrs. Quinney's quest to want to do something drastic to improve the educational environment for our students. It looks like, however, the first step toward salvation has been taken with the potential removal of Mr. Ely. Next needs to be the incompetent principal at the middle high school who has done nothing but destroy the morale of the teachers and students, degrade every employee in sight and make a complete mockery of our school system. It's time for change . . . NOW.
ReplyDelete