DESE Issues Southbridge Turnaround Plan

Southbridge Public Schools Level 5 District Turnaround Plan 
(Click on above link to view plan document)

By Brian Lee 

Education Commissioner Mitchell D. Chester is at Charlton Street Elementary School this morning for a press conference to unveil a turnaround plan that will guide changes in the chronically underperforming district of about 2,200 students.

The comprehensive 70-page plan includes priorities and strategies to accelerate student achievement and benchmarks connected to student outcomes.

The plan said that the district's state-appointed receiver has the right to lay off teachers and staff, and reorganize, consolidate, or abolish departments, positions or school functions, and create new ones, but does not specify how that would materialize. 

Is There A Meeting?

UPDATE (11 AM):  Councilor Manna has informed me that the presentation will be at a Council Committee of the Whole meeting next Thursday, March 31, at 6 PM.

According to the DESE Commissioner's Update on Southbridge Public Schools Receivership Activities:

School Year 2016-2017 Budget 

SPS and ESE staff members will present the school year 2016-2017 budget at a Southbridge Town Council meeting on March 24. In preparation, ESE staff members are engaging in conversations with the Southbridge Town Manager and SPS principals and administrators to assess the various needs and priorities for the coming school year. The final budget will be published on the SPS website immediately following the March 24 presentation. As I explained in the February memo, Paul Dakin, former Superintendent of Revere Public Schools, continues to provide support to the district and I have asked him to be my point person on the budget development process.

There is still no meeting scheduled for today or this evening according to the town's website. 

Can anyone clarify?

Southbridge School Year 2016-2017 Budget

According to the DESE website Southbridge Public Schools and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education staff members will present the school year 2016-2017 budget at a Southbridge Town Council meeting on March 24. No such meeting is posted on the town's website as of yet.

In preparation, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education staff members are engaging in conversations with the Southbridge Town Manager and Southbridge Public Schools principals and administrators to assess the various needs and priorities for the coming school year. 

DESE Meeting On Southbridge Underperforming Schools - January 26, 2016

Special BESE Meeting - Southbridge Level 5 Public Hearing - January 25, 2016

DESE Press Release On Receivership For Southbridge

Board of Elementary and Secondary Education Declares Southbridge Public Schools Chronically Underperforming

Vote authorizes the education commissioner to appoint a receiver for the district to dramatically improve outcomes for all students

BOSTON - The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education today voted 9-0 with one abstention to designate Southbridge Public Schools a chronically underperforming ("Level 5") district, thereby authorizing Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Mitchell D. Chester to appoint a receiver for the district.

DESE Board Votes Receivership For Southbridge Schools

Mitchell Chester

At its meeting this morning the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education voted with only one abstention to classify the Southbridge school system as Level 5.

This designation as a chronically underperforming district will result in the appointment of a receiver by Commissioner Mitchell Chester. In the meantime Chester will serve as interim receiver until a permanent choice is made, effective immediately.

The receiver will assume the responsibilities of the superintendent as well as the school committee.

Southbridge Schools Hearing - January 25, 2016

At emotional hearing on Southbridge schools, some urge state takeover

By Brian Lee 
Telegram & Gazette Staff 

Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace

The time has come to do something about the educational system in Southbridge.

For almost thirteen years the district has been identified by the state as performing well below acceptable standards.

Residents know that the problems with the system have persisted even longer than that. 

For a period, under the leadership of Superintendent Dr. Dale Hanley, the district was making progress in improving its performance.

DESE Board Changes Agenda For January 26 Meeting

The Board of Directors of the DESE has changed the agenda for its January 26 meeting since yesterday.

Previously the agenda called for merely holding a discussion of the possibility of receivership for Southbridge. Any vote on the matter had been planned for February 23rd's meeting.

The agenda item now reads:

1. Southbridge Public Schools: Commissioner's Recommendation on Level 5 District Status - Discussion and Possible Vote

Why The Delay?

Mitchell Chester

The DESE will hold a public hearing on whether or not the public school district in Southbridge will be taken over by the state. It will hold that meeting next Monday starting at 4:30 in the auditorium at the old high school.

The following day the Board of Directors of the DESE will hold its regularly scheduled monthly meeting at Roxbury Community College. On the agenda is a discussion  of the Southbridge case. However, Commissioner Chester has indicated that he does not expect a vote to be held until the Board’s next regularly scheduled meeting on February 23^rd. 

Commissioner Recommends Receivership For Southbridge Schools

As many expected, Commissioner Mitchell Chester recommended that the State take over the Southbridge school system and place it in receivership.

The exact details of how that action will occur still require that several steps be played out. The first is a public hearing here in Southbridge on January 25^th followed by a vote of the Board of Directors of the DESE on January 26^th or February 23^rd.

Assuming the Board votes to support the Commissioner a Turnaround Plan will be worked out between the DESE,  the group or individual chosen as receiver and local stakeholders. Until this plan is issued all the details of the receivership remain speculative.

The Commissioner’s  press release follows:

DESE Board Meeting On Southbridge - December 15, 2015 - VIDEO

On December 15 the Board of Directors of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education held a regularly scheduled meeting in Malden.

On the agenda for that meeting was a discussion of the just released District Review for the Southbridge School District.

As a result of that review, as well as a consideration of prior history, Commissioner Mitchell Chester indicated that the prospect that Southbridge would be moved into level V status remained on the table.

If that were to take place, Southbridge would join Lawrence and Holyoke as Massachusetts communities that the DESE had moved into receivership. 

Following is a video of that meeting as it relates to Southbridge.

Letter From DESE To Southbridge School Committee

Click link for related article in Worcester Telegram

Southbridge School Committee Meeting - December 28, 2015

Southbridge School Committee To Continue Superintendent Search

Ken O'Brien

Despite a request from the Commissioner of the DESE to suspend its Superintendent search pending a decision on receivership for the district, the Southbridge School Committee decided to continue with that endeavor.

Following the roll call, (during which Dr. Page and Mr. Jovan were excused) the Chairman read agenda item number III. Thereafter he went to agenda item IV and the committee voted to go immediately into executive session. It was indicated that this was to consider the legality of any action related to agenda item III, the letter from DESE Commissioner Mitchell Chester.

After approximately 40 minutes the committee, consisting of Mr. Lazo, Mr. Bishop, Ms. Congdon, Mr. Olivo and Ms. Peloquin returned to open session.

Herding Cats

On December 15^th the Board of Directors of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education met in Malden. On their agenda was the issue of the continuing underperformance of the Southbridge school system.

The Worcester Telegram reported, “Deeply troubled about the state of Southbridge public schools, Education Commissioner Mitchell D. Chester said a recommendation to place the district in Level 5 receivership is not off the table.” 

Emergency School Committee Meeting - December 28, 2015

Southbridge School Committee

Emergency Special Meeting

MacKinnon Council Chambers

December 28, 2015

7 PM

The O'Zone reports that the letter from DESE Commissioner Chester advises the School Committee to suspend the Superintendent search until the receivership issue is resolved.

Four Schools To Exit Underperforming Status

The state announced that four schools designated as "underperforming," or Level 4, will exit that status after meeting their turnaround goals. Of the more than three dozen schools that the state designated Level 4 in 2010 and 2011, the majority have exited underperforming status.

"Some of the smartest efforts in the Commonwealth can be found in turnaround schools," said Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Mitchell D. Chester. "I'd like to recognize all the educators and families who are providing students with a better future by raising expectations and implementing reforms." 

DESE Solicits Bids For Receivership Of Southbridge Schools

The Worcester Telegram reports that the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has issued a bulletin calling for bids from individuals and nonprofit groups interested in serving as a receiver for Southbridge schools.

"This BID is designed to select an individual or nonprofit organization to serve as the receiver of the Southbridge Public Schools, should the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education vote to designate the district as Level 5,” the bulletin said.