Thursday night, amid the sounds of the stock market crashing down around us, there was an oasis of optimism in a most unusual place—a school committee meeting!  The Committee was getting an overall update on progress toward our 5 long-term goals from Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi and Gretchen Kinder (who took some ribbing for being the real action person of the team), and Dr. Vince McKay.  Gretchen, in fact, began the meeting by introducing the Tufts University Active Citizenship Summer Fellow Polly Donovan who helped Gretchen put together a Statement of goals and aspirations including a specific work plan by goal through 2012 and cost projections over the summer.  We got a handout.  It’s impressive.  See if you can get a copy.

In discussion of Goal 1: Extension of School Day Tony P. explained the different alternatives in consideration.  The thing called “Expanded Learning Time” is a state funded program which would give $1,300 per pupil for 300 hours of extra school which must include enrichment, core academics, professional development of teachers, and “targeted assistance” (for underachievers).  Tony’s preference would be to have the program skewed toward the last group, but we’d have to get special permission for that.  He discussed the fact that all constituents would have to be on board to make it work and said that probably only one school in Somerville would do it.  There was a case of a school elsewhere voting to do it but so many parents didn’t want it that they struck, and the school was forced to forego the grant and discontinue the program.  Mark Niedergang said he’d heard from many parents who felt that more deskwork was not what was needed for their kids.
The other alternative is a city-funded program we’ll call “Extended School Day,” which could be a combination of things including SCORE and volunteer-run after school clubs.  I think they said these things are already piloted at Healey and Winter Hill schools.  Longer schools days, Tony P. added, may be mandated by statewide administrative changes in the near future.

Goal 2 addresses the need for improvement to middle school level instruction throughout the city.  This is Tony’s #1.  He says it’s “economically do-able.”  Where the K-8 system does not have an official “middle school,” he says, there are no differentiations in the contracts we have with middle school level teachers.  (Or maybe he was just suggesting there should be more differentiations than there are.  I’m not sure.)  Also, the Super suggested that there might be a difference in the K-8 model in that it does not give children experience with transitions in the way that a separate middle school experience may.  Things that Vince McKay mentioned as actions taken toward improving middle school level instruction are: Math initiatives (Kennedy is a pilot), instilling a climate of academic achievement, and improving teacher camaraderie.  Tony P. elaborated that they are working on more departmentalization so teachers can specialize in their subject.  Dr. McKay says this task force is re-convening in one week and they are re-hiring the consultant that has been working with them.

Much of what we hope to achieve in middle school is improved academic rigor.  The solutions are to gear toward getting kids ready for AP level course work in high school by earlier preparation, and early language program which could let kids start at level 2 or 3 at the HS.  Pre-algebra and pre-geometry in middle school would also help prepare kids for honors and AP level work in math.  (There will be more about languages under Goal 4.)

Goal 3 is to increase inclusion opportunities for special ed. students.  This is reported to be happening at most of our schools and staff training toward this end is also happening.  Dr. MacKay would like to increase the content knowledge of SPED teachers and have better “pairings” ( co-teaching), and more common planning time for SPED teachers and regular ed teachers.  In answer to query from Mark N., Tony P. explained that there is not a direct parallel with our system to the O’Hearn school because we want every school to improve in inclusion so that all our schools are inclusion schools, not just one (because that would not be as inclusive).  The goal is to bring students back to our district who may have had to leave for more accommodating places.  There is a Tufts student working with Debbie Connell on this goal.

Goal 4 is to establish a foreign language instruction program before high school (by 2012).  This is the real twinkle in Dr. McKay’s eye when it comes to improving middle school instruction.  There are lots of questions to answer about when to start instruction (K-8 or just 7 & 8?)  The Super thinks maybe we should have a pilot and seems less optimistic that we can make it affordable, that we can find quality instructors who can handle middle school, or that we could mandate it for everyone (even those who are just learning English).  Adam Sweeting tried to push the idea that we need to decide if we think language instruction has intrinsic value.  There seems to be a friendly rivalry between Vince McKay and Tony Pierantozzi on this one.  No clear way forward yet, but this is linked with an extended school day.

Goal 5 is to develop greater multicultural understanding and increase staff diversity.  Tony P. says they are really “going great guns” on this one.  There is diversity training in every school, he says.  They’re going for the “salad bowl model” as opposed to the melting pot.  He claims there is a 25% increase in staff diversity.  Mark N. says the date to achieve this goal should be moved up.  Rebecca Martinez leads this effort.

Finally, Gretchen Kinder presented an updated version of a SPS logo and slogan.  There were some sharp critiques of some of the features of the new logo design.  It can probably be tweaked.  The slogan “Education, Inspiration, Excellence” was debated and the committee was kind enough to hear my suggestion of changing it to “Educating, Inspiring, and Excelling.”  Mark N. suggested “Educate, Inspire, and Excel.”  I think I still like mine better because it sounds like we’re actively doing those things now.  After that meeting, I had the feeling we were!  Joe Beckman and I actually exclaimed to one another: “That was fun!”  Go figure!