So Where Are We On MCAS?

Ken O’Brien

 On Tuesday of this week we are finally going to get to see the Southbridge School Committee for the first time since their September 23^rd meeting. It will be interesting (should I say amusing) to see how they will deal with the flood of misinformation, ineptitude and finger-pointing that has characterized the last three weeks. 

At that time, you will recall, the Southbridge Superintendent of Schools announced that students who had taken the MCAS as sophomores in 2013 had never been given the opportunity to be retested during all of  the 2013-2014 school year. 

The Public Deserves An Answer

Ken O’Brien

On Sunday morning we posted a column titled “More Confusion”.

In that article we reported on credible claims that students who had failed the 10^th Grade MCAS in 2013 had in fact been retested. If true, such claims directly contradict the announcement made at Tuesday night’s School Committee meeting by the District’s Superintendent.

In addition we reported on rumors that the consultant’s contract with former schools’ Superintendent, Basan Nembirkow, had been terminated. 

Ely Responds

Ken O’Brien

As a result of the questions raised on The O’Zone post Southbridge Superintendent Announces Rumor Control Plan, Southbridge School Superintendent Eric Ely has responded.

His comment on that post read, “I have posted responses on the district website front page today. I will add to them as more questions come.

More Southbridge Town Council Sleight Of Hand?

Ken O’Brien

The O’Zone recently pointed out the extreme contrast between the conduct of oversight between the town council and the prior school committee. While the former has been dominated by laissez faire obsequiousness to town managers, the latter was dominated by a stifling micro-management of day to day operational and personnel matters.

While it failed to gain popular electoral endorsement, the campaign slogan of Dennis Martinek in his bids for town council has nevertheless seemed to have gained currency. People are beginning to realize that there is a need to “Restore Balance”.

The pendulum has clearly begun to swing toward restoring a balance of appropriate roles in the school department. It remains to be seen whether they will exercise appropriate oversight regarding the latitude they are now allowing management.