State Takes Over Holyoke Schools

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education declared Holyoke Public Schools a "chronically underperforming" Level 5 district on Wednesday.

With that rating, Holyoke Public Schools is placed under the control of the state and will be managed by a receiver.

This vote follows a highly attended forum on Holyoke Public Schools in the city Monday night, where the school community largely asked city schools remain under local control. 

Turning Public Schools Into Christian Madrassas

Ken O’Brien

Imagine that you live in the strongest military power in the world.

Your society leads in science, education and art.

A storm of religious fundamentalism begins to sweep through the region, undermining the “secular” elements of the community, imposing the primacy of scriptural tradition. Belief in science begins to be questioned, art becomes more focused on spiritual correctness and education emphasizes conformity with religious orthodoxy.