by Alain Jehlen in Beat Reporter, Schools and Youth
Posted on July 2, 2010 at 4:40 pm
Last Modified on July 7, 2010 at 11:33 pm
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Greg Nadeau recently posted about proposals to combine the Choice and Neighborhood programs at the Healey. The School Committee recently voted on those proposals. I’m posting the press release here, followed by the text of the two motions the committee passed. What do people think?
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
Somerville, MA. Following more than three months of active discussion and with significant input from with staff, families and students at Somerville’s Arthur D. Healey Elementary School, the Somerville School Committee decided in a 5 to 3 vote on Monday, June 21, 2010 to unify the Healey School and charge the School Improvement Council with creating a school redesign plan. This plan will use the Choice program educational practices and governing document as a starting point for discussion. In a second action, the members of the School Committee voted 6 to 2 to define a set of guiding principles to help the School Improvement Council with their Fall 2010 planning work. “This was a complicated deliberation,” said School Committee Chair Mark Niedergang. “In the end, this decision was guided by the School Committee’s desire to sustain a progressive educational choice in the Somerville Public Schools. We also wanted to increase student, family and staff satisfaction at the Healey School, and student achievement for all youth in the Healey School community. I have never been more excited about the future of the Healey School, and I look forward, with great confidence and anticipation, to seeing the new design that the Healey School Council will develop.”
Says Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi, “Our staff will effectively carry out the School Committee decisions in order to ensure the Healey School continues the forward momentum begun by the staff, and stimulated by the debate over the last three months about the characteristics and elements the staff, families and students seek in their school.” The School Committee actions called for the District to allocate funds for a consultant to help shepherd the school redesign process, and the expansion of the team of advisors helping the School Improvement Council create the template for the new Healey School. The School Committee called for a transparent and inclusive redesign process that brings together faculty, parents/guardians and community members. The School Committee motion called for the development of a Healey School design plan by January 15, 2011. Monthly progress reports will be expected beginning in October 2010. The Healey School welcomes a new Principal, Jason DeFalco on July 1, 2010. As one of the co-chairs of the School Council, he will work with the school redesign consultant and all stakeholders to facilitate the transition planning process.
The Arthur D. Healey School currently provides high quality instructional and afterschool services to more than 560 youth in grades K-8. Since its inception 27 years ago, the Healey School has been home to the District-wide Choice program, a K-6 progressive, constructivist instructional program launched in a partnership with Tufts University. The Healey School also offers an integrated Grade 7-8 program and specialized classes for students who require special education instructions in substantially separate classrooms.
For more information about the Somerville School Committee decision to unify the Arthur D. Healey School, please contact Tony Pierantozzi at 617-625-6600 x6005 or tpierantzzi@k12.somerville.ma.us.
Here are the two motions that the School Committee passed:
Motion One made by Mr. Sweeting and seconded by Ms. Rafal:
I move that the School Committee charge the Healey School Council with drafting plans for a unified
K-8 Healey School based upon the educational philosophy and strong commitment to parent/guardian
involvement outlined in the Choice Ad-hoc Document. The School Council should also include other
best practices currently used at the Healey or other schools, while retaining its strong emphasis on
literacy intervention and the continued revitalization of the Middle Grade Program.
The new school will feature high expectations and a challenging academic environment for all
students and will be officially established in September 2011. The new Healey School should yield
increased enrollment and maximum retention of students, expanded family participation in governance
resulting in higher parent satisfaction and higher MCAS and/or other indicators of student
achievement.
The Healey School Council should develop a structured process for its deliberations that is transparent,
inclusive, and participatory. The School Committee will provide funds for a consultant to work with
the Principal and the School Council beginning in September 2010.
The proposal should take as its starting point the Choice Ad hoc document and its implementation
must be in accordance with all collectively bargained agreements and collective bargaining principles;
any elements of the plan that would result in a change of working conditions for employees are subject
to negotiation.
The School Committee recommends that the Healey School Council expand its membership in
September 2010 to become even more broadly representative and to include more parents/guardians,
teachers, staff, and community members in the design process for the new school.
The Healey School Council should work closely with existing leadership, including, but not limited to,
for example, the PTA, the Instructional Leadership Team, the Choice Council, the Middle Grades
Design Team, the After School Planning Team, Student Government and a representative of the
Specialist Teachers.
The School Committee expects the Healey School Council to provide regular updates to District
education leaders for presentation to the Educational Programs and Instruction Subcommittee,
beginning in October 2010. The School Committee requests a written progress report outlining key
parts of a proposed school design plan by January 15, 2011. The full proposal will be reviewed by
District education leaders and presented to the School Committee for its approval no later than March
1, 2011.
Motion One was passed on a roll call vote of YES – 5 – Rafal, Bockelman, Curtatone, Sweeting, and
Niedergang, NO – 3 – Bastardi, Cardoso and Rossetti and ABSENT – 1- Connolly
Motion Two made by Mr. Sweeting and seconded by Ms. Rafal:
The School Committee recognizes the following guidelines as key elements that should be
strengthened and considered for adoption as part of the mission of the redesigned Healey School:
A) Student-centered learning, an emphasis on students working in groups, project-based learning,
guided discovery and a variety of instructional styles
B) Looping, mixed grades and flexible grouping when appropriate
C) Experiential learning, high-quality field trips and out-of-school experiences such as Nature’s
Classroom
D) A focused emphasis on early literacy intervention with the stated goal that all students read at
or above grade level
E) Flexible student groups that provide advanced students with opportunities for more challenging
work and targeted remediation for students who are behind
F) Parent/guardian involvement in instructional activities (when appropriate) in the classroom
G) A parent/guardian on every teacher- and administrator-hiring committee
H) Parent/guardian involvement through subcommittees of the School Council, active working
groups, and an organization such as a Family Advisory Board to build community, share
information, and provide a forum for parent/guardian input on issues affecting the school
I) Strong community connections and university partnerships
The School Committee encourages the expanded Healey School Council to:
a) Investigate possible magnet themes to pilot and/or Horace Mann Charter status
b) Establish appropriate parent forums for providing input about the school
c) Investigate best practices for ensuring that high-quality enrichment activities are
implemented for the whole school
d) Investigate the best classroom structures (i.e. the optimal grades for looping and/or mixed
grades)
e) Develop and nurture opportunities for community building among all members of the
Healey School community
f) Bring more parents/guardians into the deliberative process through active working groups
and subcommittees
g) Investigate the possibility of renaming the school in a way that honors the past and
recognizes the future.
Motion Two was passed on a roll call vote of YES – 6 – Bastardi, Rafal, Bockelman, Curtatone,
Sweeting, and Niedergang; NO – 2 – Cardoso and Rossetti and ABSENT – 1 – Connolly.
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Next year, parents, faculty, and administrators are to work out how a unified Healey will look. Some discussion of the issue has been posted on this blog, and more has occurred among the members of the yahoo group “Somerville-4-Schools.” Here are some very brief excerpts from the S4S group so you can get an idea what people are thinking.
Click on Debate Over Choice to see the full posts.
from John S. on June 2:
Disappointed and saddened describes my reaction to the news that Superintendent Pierantozzi’s recommendation to the school committee is to “unify” the Healy Neighborhood School and the Choice program.
What a shame. The majority of choice parents are opposed to this change because they know intuitively that to “unify” is to dilute and to dilute is to end Choice.
from Joe B. on June 2:
We must have attended different meetings. What I heard was an earnest pitch – by both Choice and Neighborhood parents – to listen to everybody and to work together. What I hear in this, I’m sure well meaning, analysis is “play my game or I’ll leave.”
from Jeff L. on June 2:
Here’s my effort to summarize [the situation]:
In the 2008-2009 school year, the Choice program had become larger than the neighborhood school that hosted it (the Healey.)
The School Committee decided that it would study three options – a two-programs in one school option; a “two school” option where the Choice program moved into its own building; or a one-school option that incorporates some aspects of Choice in a unified Healey School.
The School Committee held a meeting at the Healey last week to look at some survey results which did not indicate that families on either the Choice or Neighborhood sides overwhelmingly supported any one option. The teacher’s survey indicated the teachers preferred a unified school.
Last night the Superintendent gave his recommendation of a one-school option with an effort to retain some aspects of the Choice program. The School Committee took 3+ hours of testimony, which revealed a wide variety of views on the issue.
Jeff Levine
from Jamila X. on June 18:
Hi neighbors,
I believe that any proposal to address issues currently faced by the Healey School that does not include the four basic elements of Choice, will lead to the dissolution of the program:
(1) Choice’s founding document, which guarantees that we have the other three elements below and the constructivist orientation of the program.
(2) The Choice Council, which differs significantly from the PTA or School Council, as it reflects parent participation in governance, in addition to fundraising, volunteerism and outreach.
(3) The parent opt-in clause – This is very important, as parents need to CHOOSE to place their children at Choice, avoiding conflicts over educational philosophy and further dilution of the program.
(4) A commitment from teachers to the progressive mission and philosophy of the program.
The only proposal that includes these elements is the one outlined by Mary Jo Rossetti at the School Committee meeting last Monday.
Many parents leaving the Choice program are doing so because they have no way of knowing what is coming next.
The other two proposals on the table are a serious threat to Choice.
Jamila
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Here is the text of School Committee member Mark Niedergang’s letter to the S4S group, with his argument FOR unification and the attached editorial by Judy Schwartz and Dave Leamon:
Dear Somerville-4-Schools,
Below please find the statement I handed out at the School Committee meeting on Monday night, June 14. It calls for an expansion of the Choice Program throughout the Healey School and a school design and development process led by an expanded Healey School Council next year.
I post this in response to an articulate letter from Judy Schwartz and Dave Leamon to the Somerville Journal that was posted on this list (also below). The letter focuses on the fear that many Choice Parents have felt that the School Committee, led by four current and former Choice parents (myself included), is planning to dismantle the Choice Program.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Why would four School Committee members, who have, or have had children in the Choice Program, and who have all been leaders of the Choice Program (including two co-chairs of the Choice Council, a job that is probably harder than being on the School Committee most of the time!) want to dismantle the program in which their children received a superb education?
I want to restructure and unify the Healey School under the philosophy, principles and practices of the Choice Program. I have spelled out what I consider to be the key elements of Choice in my statement. I believe we can trust the Healey School Council, with input and guidance from the Choice Council and other leaders at the Healey School next year, to design a terrific and exciting new school, far better than what we have now at the Healey.
On Monday night, I did not hear anyone on the School Committee calling for dismantling or even weakening the Choice Program. In fact, several School Committee members surprised me with their passionate support for the Choice Program.
Yours,
Mark Niedergang
Chair and School Committee Member, Ward 5
617-629-8033
*************************************************************************
June 13, 2010 Mark Niedergang
The Future of the Healey School:
Expand and Build On the Choice Program
(This document reflects my views alone.)
My top priority is to provide an excellent education for all students at the Healey School. I believe that the best way to achieve this goal is to restructure and unify the Healey School under the philosophy, principles and practices of the Choice Program. The Choice Program has a 27-year history of successfully educating children in Somerville with strong parent satisfaction as evidenced by the fact that every year there is a waiting list for admission. The passion and commitment of Choice parents is a critical resource for creating a strong, unified Healey School.
A motion for a unified Healey School should state clearly that key elements of the Choice Program will be retained. Of course, there will need to be some adjustments and changes in the structure of the current Choice Program as it expands throughout the Healey School.
I believe that the unified school should also incorporate strengths of the other programs at the Healey. For example, the Neighborhood Program features important qualities such as early intervention to strengthen literacy and a strong connection to the Healey School neighborhood.
Below is a list of key elements of the Choice Program that should continue in a unified Healey School. I believe that the philosophy and practices of the Choice Program continue to be relevant and beneficial for all students and families in Somerville. My daughter received a great education in Choice and I want other families to have a similar opportunity.
There should be written guidelines as part of any motion to unify the Healey School. These guidelines would guide the Healey School Council in designing the new school. I recommend that the Healey School Council be expanded in the fall to be even more broadly representative and include more stakeholders. Funds will be available to hire a consultant to work with the Principal and the School Council. The Healey School Council would develop a plan for the unified school and present it to the School Committee for its approval in early 2011. There will be opportunity for public participation in this process.
Implementation of a unified Healey School would begin in September 2011, and would proceed in stages. There will be no major changes in the structure of the Healey School during the 2010-2011 school year.
Key elements of the Choice Program for unified Healey School
These features respond to the questions:
n What are the best things in the Choice Program and the Healey School that should be part of the future?
n How can we build on the current strengths while addressing areas that need improvement?
A) Project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, guided discovery and a variety of instructional styles
B) An emphasis on students working together in groups
C) Parent involvement in instructional activities (when appropriate) in the classroom
D) Parent involvement in governance in addition to participation in the School Council, possibly through subcommittees established by the School Council
E) A parent on every teacher- and administrator-hiring committee
F) Looping, mixed grades and flexible grouping as appropriate
G) Experiential learning, high-quality field trips and out-of-school experiences such as Nature’s Classroom and Museum of Science sleepover
H) A focused emphasis on literacy with the goal that all students will read at or above grade level
I) High academic standards and expectations: challenging learning opportunities for proficient and advanced students; focused remediation (when necessary) for all students
J) Strong community connections and university partnerships, and hopefully a formal agreement with Tufts University that brings substantial resources into the school
K) Resources dedicated to community-building within the school
L) Continuation of a balance between students who are residents of the Healey School neighborhood and students from the rest of the City of Somerville.
Mark Niedergang
Chair and Ward 5 Member
Somerville School Committee
617-629-8033
mniedergang@k12.somerville.ma.us
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Wicked Local Somerville
Posted Jun 14, 2010 @ 09:34 PM
Somerville —
Somerville appears to be on the verge of losing an exceptional and very popular public school option called the Choice program, a program that has doubled in size during its 27-year history and typically has a waiting list every year.
Housed within the Healey School, it is enjoyed by approximately 280 students in grades K-6. It was developed by active and visionary parents in the early 1980s and, while not for everyone, has been an appealing program for many Somerville families throughout the years, including four current School Committee members, some of whom now appear to be committed to dismantling the program.
Choice is a program that is open to all families in Somerville. It does not cost the city any extra money and any family can opt into the program. Since the program attracts more families than it can accommodate, there is a lottery to determine who enters the program for kindergarten each year.
Although similar to other schools in our city, the Choice program does a few things differently from what typically happens in the Somerville schools. Popular among academics and artists, the program relies on the active commitment of many parents who bring their expertise into the classroom and throughout the school. Parent volunteers have brought so many wonderful things to the Healey School, benefiting both the Choice program and the students who attend the school from the neighborhood, which includes many young people who live in the Mystic Housing Development.
Initiatives from the Choice parents, which have benefited the whole school in recent years, include monthly lunchtime concerts, a community garden, canoe trips on the Mystic River, books for the school library, field trips for the whole school, and much, much more. In the years since we’ve been involved at the Healey, what we have seen has been impressive and extraordinary. Many parents have a “can-do” attitude and make so many amazing things happen for the whole school, a rarity in public schooling anywhere and an inspiration to many. Having these families together in one program encourages them to do more for the school, while debating educational philosophies at the monthly meetings and occasionally trying out new ideas that, if successful, have occasionally migrated to the whole school system.
The superintendent has made a recommendation and the School Committee may decide by the end of June to dismantle the program’s charter and mission in favor of “something better” for the whole school that will be conceptualized and created by the administration over the next year with the help of paid consultants and some interested volunteers. Given the commitment that so many have to the Choice program, we find this decision incomprehensible. Our community is suddenly in crisis and families are fleeing for more clearly defined options.
Why would the powers that be dismantle a longstanding, growing, popular program that parents are happy with and has a waiting list? The answer eludes us. We would feel satisfied if the Choice program remained at the Healey, or was allowed to continue in any location in the city. If this dismantling occurs, it will be a tremendous loss for Somerville — it is heartbreaking and the families who want to keep the program seem to have little input over the decision.
Our hope is that before the arbitrary deadline of June 30, before they make this monumental decision that will affect more than 200 families in Somerville, the School Committee reconsiders what they are doing and really examines the implications, which we believe will negatively impact the Somerville Public Schools as well as the whole city, for years to come.
Judy Schwartz
Dave Leamon
Pembroke Court
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