Beginning last month, BevCam began streaming the monthly School Committee meetings live on their website, and also archiving them so citizens can view at their leisure. The live feed and archive can be accessed here. Last night's meeting was just posted to the archive today, and as the first meeting of the new session, covers many topics of interest to the school community.
BevCam is also streaming and archiving City Council meetings, and other government events such as the recent inaugural ceremonies. You can follow BevCam on Twitter (@bev_cam) to keep up with their coverage and posting schedule.
This is a welcome step in making it easier for the public to follow the happenings within the district, and city government, and helps compensate somewhat for the lack of coverage by the region's print media.
For now, the coverage only includes the monthly meetings at City Hall, but we have encouraged BevCam to consider streaming some of the Commitee of the Whole meetings, where more of the details of issues are discussed, and which are more difficult for the public to attend. This could be particularly valuable during budget season.
Ironically, at last night's meeting, one committee member, David Manzi, took time to criticize BevCam for reducing its airing schedule of the meetings on its television channels, and none of the members appeared to be aware of this additional, and more convenient, viewing option that now exists on the web.
City Council members themselves have also embraced online media this session, with two of the new members, @BrettWard6, and @JaSizz, providing regular Twitter posts about city issues and meeting updates, and Council President Paul Guanci establishing an official Facebook page where he has been posting notices and agendas of upcoming meetings and other items of interest to the public.
The district and School Committee have been more reluctant to embrace social media as a method of communications, although the city maintains a Twitter feed at @beverly_ma and occasionally posts school notices. We hope that the district will follow their lead.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Why is the District Soliciting Outside Students?
This notice on the Beverly Citizen top news listing this week caught our attention:
Since the beginning of this year, we have heard from several parents at various schools about classes that started the year in the mid to upper 20s, and have since increased further due to students moving into the district.
Furthermore, it has been stated repeatedly that there is a space crunch at most of the elementary schools, as well as Briscoe, and even the new high school. One of the selling points in the recent discussion of moving the 5th graders to the middle school was to alleviate the overcrowding at the elementary schools.
With the turmoil in the schools in Salem, we imagine that Beverly would be an attractive option for Salem parents, especially when other neighboring districts such as Manchester have recently shut the door to outside students altogether.
It's an encouraging sign that many Beverly students who had previously choiced out have decided to return to Beverly schools due primarily to the opening of the new high school. But what does the district gain by seeking further non-Beverly students?
As with many school isssues, the answer appears to be money. The district receives funding from a student's home district for every student it accepts. But we wonder if the full cost (including any potential SPED services) of these students has been weighed, especially when state regulations require that once a student is accepted under the school choice plan, that the district owns them until high school graduation.
UPDATE: School Committee President Maria Decker contacted us to explain the reasoning further. She said that the district does receive funding from a student's home district, and tries to select students for particular grades and schools where there is room, and can move them between schools as availability dictates. The extra funding and students can, she says, in some cases allow the district to add a section of a particular grade, and therefore lower the overall class size in those grades. She also confirmed that the home district is responsible for any future SPED costs for students we accept.
While this might be a reasonable explanation on a current year basis, it seems that the additional students could easily become a burden in future years, (Decker confirmed that once the district accepts a student, we "own" them until graduation) especially in a district that continually struggles to maintain reasonable class sizes, and in buildings that have been described by the Superintendent herself as "bursting at the seams."
1/19 UPDATE: This issue was discussed in some detail at this week's School Committee meeting, which can be viewed in BevCam's streaming archive.
The Beverly Public Schools has openings for non-resident students, through the School Choice program beginning in August 2012. Available choice schools include the elementary schools; Ayers Ryal Side, Centerville, Cove, Hannah, and North Beverly in grades 1-5. In the secondary schools there are openings in the Briscoe Middle School for grades 6-8 and Beverly High School for grades 9, 11 and 12.While we are aware of the school choice program, we found this type of "advertisement" puzzling, given that one of the overriding criticisms of the Beverly Schools is the ever increasing size of classes, and the fact that many of our own students who open-enroll to other Beverly elementary schools have been routinely shifted back to their "home school" in recent years in an effort to limit classes.
The schools offer: Modern, state of the art facilities, fine arts, sports and technology programs, a newly renovated high school, One to One Laptop Program at the high school level, after-school programs in the elementary schools.
If you are interested, submit a letter of application/request that includes the following: Student(s) name, name of parent/guardian, address, telephone, date of birth, prior school attended, grade (if elementary level which elementary school).
Since the beginning of this year, we have heard from several parents at various schools about classes that started the year in the mid to upper 20s, and have since increased further due to students moving into the district.
Furthermore, it has been stated repeatedly that there is a space crunch at most of the elementary schools, as well as Briscoe, and even the new high school. One of the selling points in the recent discussion of moving the 5th graders to the middle school was to alleviate the overcrowding at the elementary schools.
With the turmoil in the schools in Salem, we imagine that Beverly would be an attractive option for Salem parents, especially when other neighboring districts such as Manchester have recently shut the door to outside students altogether.
It's an encouraging sign that many Beverly students who had previously choiced out have decided to return to Beverly schools due primarily to the opening of the new high school. But what does the district gain by seeking further non-Beverly students?
As with many school isssues, the answer appears to be money. The district receives funding from a student's home district for every student it accepts. But we wonder if the full cost (including any potential SPED services) of these students has been weighed, especially when state regulations require that once a student is accepted under the school choice plan, that the district owns them until high school graduation.
UPDATE: School Committee President Maria Decker contacted us to explain the reasoning further. She said that the district does receive funding from a student's home district, and tries to select students for particular grades and schools where there is room, and can move them between schools as availability dictates. The extra funding and students can, she says, in some cases allow the district to add a section of a particular grade, and therefore lower the overall class size in those grades. She also confirmed that the home district is responsible for any future SPED costs for students we accept.
While this might be a reasonable explanation on a current year basis, it seems that the additional students could easily become a burden in future years, (Decker confirmed that once the district accepts a student, we "own" them until graduation) especially in a district that continually struggles to maintain reasonable class sizes, and in buildings that have been described by the Superintendent herself as "bursting at the seams."
1/19 UPDATE: This issue was discussed in some detail at this week's School Committee meeting, which can be viewed in BevCam's streaming archive.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Decker to Lead School Committee
As many had expected, Marie Decker was elected this week by the School Committee to be its president for the next two years. She has served as vice president for the past several years. Paul Manzo was elected vice president, and newcomer Matt Kavanagh chosen as secretary.
The roles were confirmed at Tuesday's inauguration, which saw Mayor Scanlon sworn in for a record ninth time; Paul Guanci return to the role of City Council President; and four newcomers: Jason Silva, Scott Dullea, Brett Schetzsle, and Scott Houseman join the council.
Both local newspapers have coverage (here and here) of the inaugural, which was something of a lovefest for Scanlon, and a rundown of the new faces and roles in city government. The Salem News editorial page, which has also seemed to become a champion of Scanlon and all things Beverly, weighs in with an editorial titled "More of the same a good thing."
And BevCam, which has begun streaming city government meetings, covered the event live, and has it archived here.
We wish Maria and all the new and returning leaders well over the next two years as they seek to continue to build on the generally positive strides the schools and the city have made over the past several years, while managing the always challenging fiscal environment.
We will update the elected officials contact list as soon as we have the new information.
The roles were confirmed at Tuesday's inauguration, which saw Mayor Scanlon sworn in for a record ninth time; Paul Guanci return to the role of City Council President; and four newcomers: Jason Silva, Scott Dullea, Brett Schetzsle, and Scott Houseman join the council.
Both local newspapers have coverage (here and here) of the inaugural, which was something of a lovefest for Scanlon, and a rundown of the new faces and roles in city government. The Salem News editorial page, which has also seemed to become a champion of Scanlon and all things Beverly, weighs in with an editorial titled "More of the same a good thing."
And BevCam, which has begun streaming city government meetings, covered the event live, and has it archived here.
We wish Maria and all the new and returning leaders well over the next two years as they seek to continue to build on the generally positive strides the schools and the city have made over the past several years, while managing the always challenging fiscal environment.
We will update the elected officials contact list as soon as we have the new information.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Council, Committee OK Middle School Statement
The City Council tonight, following a similar vote last week by the School Committee, unanimously approved a resolution allowing the city to submit a Statement of Interest for a new middle school to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). While the statement will mention the city's hopes to make the school a 5-8 model, and locate it at the site of the Memorial Building, the vote does not bind the city to any particular structure or timetable. The statement will be worded primarily to discuss the issues with Briscoe that make it unsuitable for sustained use as the city's middle school, and state that the city wishes to work with the MSBA on a plan for its eventual replacement.
Most members of the Council were mainly interested in assuring that this was just the first step in the process, and that it did not lock the city into any particular plan.
Mayor Scanlon, in discussing the process that would occur if the MSBA accepted this initial step, gave a timeline that seemed even more distant than previously stated, saying that if all goes as planned, construction could "begin in 2017, and the school could open in 2019."
The MSBA application period is narrow ending on January 11, and if the city misses this opportunity, it could be years before there is another, further delaying any potential building project.
Both last Wednesday's School Committee meeting, and tonight's City Council meeting where the statement was discussed and voted on were streamed live on BevCam's website, and are available for viewing in their online archive. BevCam plans to do this for all future City Council and School Committee meetings that are held at City Hall, making it much easier for citizens to view these meetings at their convenience.
12/20 UPDATE: Today's Salem News has more on the vote.
Most members of the Council were mainly interested in assuring that this was just the first step in the process, and that it did not lock the city into any particular plan.
Mayor Scanlon, in discussing the process that would occur if the MSBA accepted this initial step, gave a timeline that seemed even more distant than previously stated, saying that if all goes as planned, construction could "begin in 2017, and the school could open in 2019."
The MSBA application period is narrow ending on January 11, and if the city misses this opportunity, it could be years before there is another, further delaying any potential building project.
Both last Wednesday's School Committee meeting, and tonight's City Council meeting where the statement was discussed and voted on were streamed live on BevCam's website, and are available for viewing in their online archive. BevCam plans to do this for all future City Council and School Committee meetings that are held at City Hall, making it much easier for citizens to view these meetings at their convenience.
12/20 UPDATE: Today's Salem News has more on the vote.
Friday, December 9, 2011
State Weighs in on Middle School Plan
Today's Salem News reports that the state is warning Beverly not to get too far ahead of them in developing a plan for a new middle school:
A state official is warning Beverly not to develop a "wish-list mentality" in its quest to build an expanded new middle school that would include fifth-graders.
Massachusetts School Building Authority Chief of Staff Matthew Donovan said officials should not be pitching a plan to build a more expensive school before they even know if the city qualifies for state aid.
"They come to us and tell us what the problem is, not the solution," Donovan said. "Don't come to us with a whole reconfiguration plan."
Donovan's criticism comes as Beverly is preparing to submit a "statement of interest" to the Massachusetts School Building Authority by a Jan. 11 deadline for communities seeking state aid for school building projects.
Donovan told the News that communities should not be developing their own plans independently, a practice that contributed to massive cost overruns in the past and shut down the state's previous school building assistance program.
"The former program ran up $11 billion in debt," Donovan said. "Cities and towns were doing their own thing and leaving the bill to the state. Now we build the most cost-appropriate schools."Mayor Scanlon, says he plans to include the concept of a 5-8 school in the city's application to the MSBA but said it is nonbinding.
"To submit a lengthy statement of interest and not express your best current thinking is inappropriate," Scanlon said. "It seems to me they ought to understand as much as they can about our thinking. We're trying to be as informative with the MSBA as possible."While the Committee has stated that the Statement of Interest can be amended later, its been vague on how specific the description of the school's structure will be in the statement. The News states that Wednesday's vote will be to "endorse the statement of interest," but quotes Committee President Annemarie Cesa as saying "a vote on whether to officially adopt the fifth-grade middle school plan is still a ways off."
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Middle School Model Debated at Forum
Last night in the cafeteria of the 90-year-old Briscoe Middle School, the School Committee held a public forum to present the reasoning behind its proposal to make the eventual replacement to Briscoe a 5-8 school, rather than the current 6-8.
The audience of about 50 included most members of the City Council, who will have to vote later this month on a Statement of Interest to the State for funding a new building. While the statement will not bind the city to any particular model, it will suggest that 5-8 is the city's preferred direction.
The meeting opened with a presentation by Committee Vice-President Maria Decker, who led the subcommittee that researched and recomended the 5-8 plan. The presentation provided a thorough summary of the process and research that led them to this model, and the benefits of the plan, as well as discussing all the possible alternative approaches, and why they were rejected.
Today's Salem News has more on the meeting:
The committee members sat with the audience and listened to near universal support for a new middle school, but a mix of support and concern for adding 5th graders to the model, and responded to their questions.
The audience of about 50 included most members of the City Council, who will have to vote later this month on a Statement of Interest to the State for funding a new building. While the statement will not bind the city to any particular model, it will suggest that 5-8 is the city's preferred direction.
The meeting opened with a presentation by Committee Vice-President Maria Decker, who led the subcommittee that researched and recomended the 5-8 plan. The presentation provided a thorough summary of the process and research that led them to this model, and the benefits of the plan, as well as discussing all the possible alternative approaches, and why they were rejected.
Today's Salem News has more on the meeting:
The project would cost about $40 million, according to School Committee member Maria Decker, but the price tag would go up 10 or 15 percent if the building were to include fifth-graders.After the presentation, members of the audience questioned the committee on various aspects of the plan. The format was less formal, and seemingly more effective, than the usual budget forums where audience members speak at a podium, and the committee listens, but does not respond from the stage.
Decker, who chaired the subcommittee that has recommended the grade five-through-eight model, cited several advantages to moving fifth-graders out of the elementary schools and into the middle school. Fifth-graders would benefit from the technology that would be included in a new building and would have access to more courses and extracurricular activities, she said.
The move would also free up space at the elementary schools, which are so crowded that science rooms are being used for non-science instruction. The change would also create more room for preschool and full-day kindergarten classes and allow some special education students to stay in Beverly rather than being sent to more costly out-of-district programs.
The new middle school would be divided into a lower school for grades five and six and an upper school for grades seven and eight.
The committee members sat with the audience and listened to near universal support for a new middle school, but a mix of support and concern for adding 5th graders to the model, and responded to their questions.
Most of the concern centered around mixing 10-year-olds with 14-year-olds. Even though the plan calls for physical separation of the 5th and 6th graders from the 7th and 8th graders, some still were worried about times when the grades would mix, such as on the bus, and in the cafeteria.
Briscoe Middle School Principal Matthew Poska, who also served on the subcommittee, acknowledged many of the audiences concerns, but suggested that the long window before the school would come online, gives the district plenty of time to work out these types of details.
One audience member spoke strongly against spending additional money for a larger middle school building to alleviate overcrowding at the elementary schools, when a nearly new elementary school (McKeown) a block away sits idle due to budget constraints. The school is currently being leased to the Northshore Education Consortium as an alternative secondary school, and the district now counts on its rental income, as well as seeing it as a way to keep Beverly students that need such services closer to home.
The full committee plans to vote on the proposal at its meeting next Wednesday, and seem likely they will support it. The City Council plans to vote on December 19th.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Wednesday Community Meeting on Middle School
Reminder to all parents that there will be a community meeting tomorrow
night in the Briscoe cafeteria to discuss the proposed new middle
school, specifically the plan to make the new school a grades 5-8 model,
rather than the current 6-8. The meeting starts at 7:00 pm.
Those of you who follow this website regularly know most of the details of the plan, (see previous six posts) but it is still news to much of the community. To bring everyone else up to speed, the proposal originally grew out of last year's facilities subcommittee, part of the administration's Strategic Planning Committee.
The report, which was completed last spring recommends the following middle school structure:
When it appeared that the School Committee planned to vote on the plan last month, before it was ever reported in the press or widely known in the community, we were able to persuade them to put off the vote for a few weeks in order to hold this community meeting.
There are two documents that give more details of the plan. The most recent is the officially released summary of the plan that the district put out two weeks ago. This summary outlines the proposed school structure, and details the rationale and benefits of the plan.
A second more detailed document is the original facilities report. While we were given this report by the School Committee, it has not been officially released by the district, in part because it contains other recommendations, such as the conversion of Hannah School to a Pre-K and Kindergarten school. The committee and administration have stated that this part of the recommendation is not being considered "at this time."
But this document also details six other structures that were considered before deciding on this one, as well as presenting many more details of the research behind the proposal. We feel it is important information for the public to have in analyzing the proposal.
When the concept of a 5th grade at the middle school was included in last year's survey, less than 40% of the public supported the idea. While we believe that result was largely because the concept was new, and presented with little context, the result underscores how important it is for the public to fully understand, and ask questions about the plan.
While none of these changes are expected to happen for at least five years, parents of current upper elementary and middle school students are in a unique position to offer their persective on how they believe their children, who are that age now, would adapt to such a plan. And parents whose children are just starting their elementary years could be the first group to attend the new school.
If you are in either of these groups, please try to attend Wednesday's meeting.
Those of you who follow this website regularly know most of the details of the plan, (see previous six posts) but it is still news to much of the community. To bring everyone else up to speed, the proposal originally grew out of last year's facilities subcommittee, part of the administration's Strategic Planning Committee.
The report, which was completed last spring recommends the following middle school structure:
The proposed long-term solution is based on where we as a district want to go, with a solid foundation in educational principles. The school committee and administration support the following:
It was put on the front burner in the past month, as the district began working toward a January deadline to submit a Statement of Interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) for funding assistance on the new school. In order to complete the proposal, the district needs to know the approximate size and structure of the school.
- One grade 5-8 middle school at expanded, updated Memorial, subdivided into a Lower Middle School of 2-person teams for grades 5 and 6, and an Upper Middle School of 4-person teams for grades 7 and 8.
When it appeared that the School Committee planned to vote on the plan last month, before it was ever reported in the press or widely known in the community, we were able to persuade them to put off the vote for a few weeks in order to hold this community meeting.
There are two documents that give more details of the plan. The most recent is the officially released summary of the plan that the district put out two weeks ago. This summary outlines the proposed school structure, and details the rationale and benefits of the plan.
A second more detailed document is the original facilities report. While we were given this report by the School Committee, it has not been officially released by the district, in part because it contains other recommendations, such as the conversion of Hannah School to a Pre-K and Kindergarten school. The committee and administration have stated that this part of the recommendation is not being considered "at this time."
But this document also details six other structures that were considered before deciding on this one, as well as presenting many more details of the research behind the proposal. We feel it is important information for the public to have in analyzing the proposal.
When the concept of a 5th grade at the middle school was included in last year's survey, less than 40% of the public supported the idea. While we believe that result was largely because the concept was new, and presented with little context, the result underscores how important it is for the public to fully understand, and ask questions about the plan.
While none of these changes are expected to happen for at least five years, parents of current upper elementary and middle school students are in a unique position to offer their persective on how they believe their children, who are that age now, would adapt to such a plan. And parents whose children are just starting their elementary years could be the first group to attend the new school.
If you are in either of these groups, please try to attend Wednesday's meeting.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Press Finally Reports on 5th Grade Plan
Today's Salem News belatedly reports on the plan to move 5th graders to the middle school. The front-page story doesn't add much in the way of new details to what has been reported on this site (see previous 5 posts), or the summary that was posted earlier this week on the district website, but it explains some of what the administration says are the academic and structural benefits of the plan to the community at large.
[Superintendent] Galinski said several Massachusetts school districts have a grade five-to-eight middle school configuration, including Swampscott. She said the move would allow for "more appropriate social/emotional programming" for fifth-graders as they enter puberty, and for sixth-graders to be paired with fifth-graders who are more like them.
"Sixth-graders are not like seventh- and eighth-graders," she said.
School Committee Vice President Maria Decker, who chaired the committee that recommended the proposal, said the change has many advantages, including allowing fifth-graders to participate in extracurricular activities like band and chorus and providing them with daily science instruction.
The move would also free up space at the elementary schools, which Galinski said are "bursting at the seams." That would create room for the expansion of special education programs and allow some students to stay in Beverly rather than being sent to more costly out-of-district programs, she said.
"We'd have to build the building bigger (to accommodate fifth-graders), but in general there would be cost savings if we could bring students back from special education placements," Galinski said.
The plan also has an unlikely supporter in George Binns, a vocal critic of recent city and school district policies including the new high school:
"To my thinking, fifth-graders would do better with subject-oriented teachers than with the generalists you tend to have in the elementary schools,"
Binns, a former teacher and school committee member, served on the subcommittee that drew up the plan.
The story also discusses the other controversial recommendation in the original facilities report—the conversion of Hannah School to an Early Childhood Center (ECC)—but repeats the administration's earlier assurances that this part of the plan is not currently being considered "at this point":
The facilities committee has also recommended turning Hannah School into an early childhood center for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classes and redistricting elementary students among the four remaining elementary schools. But Galinski said only the middle school proposal is being considered at this point.
"There are many concerns around closing elementary schools," she said. "That's not even a discussion item right now. We do need a middle school. That's the most imminent project."
Aside from the concerns about the rushed process that we have covered ad nauseam over the last couple weeks, the most often expressed concern we have heard within the community centers around busing of 5th graders with 7th and 8th graders.
There will be a community meeting December 7th at 7:00pm in the Briscoe cafeteria, and the school committee now plans to vote on the plan a week later.
There will be a community meeting December 7th at 7:00pm in the Briscoe cafeteria, and the school committee now plans to vote on the plan a week later.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
District Releases "Summary" of Middle School Plan
Nearly a week after the School Committee had planned a vote to approve a grade 5-8 alignment as the future middle school model for the city, the district has released a condensed version of the facilities report, the first public airing of the plan. The 4-page summary outlines the recommendation of the subcommittee, along with the rationale for choosing this model, but lacks the detail into the other models that were examined; any discussion of changes to the lower elementary program; or the frank description of Briscoe's condition that were contained in the original Facilities Subcommitee Report that we posted last week.
In a letter of introduction to the report on the district website, Superintendent Galinski writes:
While many community members we have spoken with seem inclined to support the plan, most agreed that the speed at which it was being pushed toward a vote with an absence of public notice was troubling, as was the resistance, among some committee members, for allowing the public time to digest and comment on the report. We commend Committee President Annemarie Cesa for hearing our concerns, and slowing down the process enough to allow the public an opportunity to weigh in and understand the reasoning behind the recommendation, and its implications.
The two newspapers that cover the city have yet to mention the plan.
In a letter of introduction to the report on the district website, Superintendent Galinski writes:
Although there were recommendations for elementary configurations in the [original] report, the only configuration that is being considered at this time is a middle school configuration for grades 5-8. The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) has opened a window of opportunity to submit "statements of interest" (SOI) for districts who wish to conduct building projects in the future. The window will be opened until January.The report's recommendation reads as follows:
The proposed long-term solution is based on where we as a district want to go, with a solid foundation in educational principles. The school committee and administration support the following:
The letter also states that the School Committee will hold an informational meeting on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 7:00 PM in the Briscoe cafeteria to give community members a chance to ask questions and share concerns about the plan with the Committee.
- One grade 5-8 middle school at expanded, updated Memorial, subdivided into a Lower Middle School of 2-person teams for grades 5 and 6, and an Upper Middle School of 4-person teams for grades 7 and 8.
While many community members we have spoken with seem inclined to support the plan, most agreed that the speed at which it was being pushed toward a vote with an absence of public notice was troubling, as was the resistance, among some committee members, for allowing the public time to digest and comment on the report. We commend Committee President Annemarie Cesa for hearing our concerns, and slowing down the process enough to allow the public an opportunity to weigh in and understand the reasoning behind the recommendation, and its implications.
The two newspapers that cover the city have yet to mention the plan.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Media Drops the Ball on School Coverage
One of the explanations by the School Committee as to how a plan as consequential as the middle school realignment could have progressed to the brink of a vote with so little public awareness is that the newspapers no longer attend their meetings.
President Annemarie Cesa has stated that she invited both the Salem News and Beverly Citizen to all three committee meetings this week, as well as several earlier Committee of the Whole meetings at which the plan was discussed. They attended none, and have yet to write a word about the plan.
And while the monthly public meetings at City Hall are televised by BevCam, it's the working Committee of the Whole, and Finance & Facility meetings at which much of the discussion about major initiatives such as this are worked out. These meetings, while public, are held in a small meeting room at the Memorial Building that isn't at all inviting for public attendance, and are not televised. And the public is rarely aware of the agenda, unless it specifically affects their school or program.
In the past, these meetings were generally covered by the newspapers. Until recently the Salem News had a reporter dedicated to the schools that attended most meetings, and would have followed up on a plan such as this much sooner. That position was eliminated several years ago for budgetary reasons. Since then the general Beverly reporter (who is reportedly on unpaid furlough himself this week as a cost-savings move) has covered any school stories that come to the paper's attention, as well as just about every other story in the city.
The Citizen's reporting has been spotty for years, sometimes missing stories completely.
The situation is not unique to Beverly. Dan Kennedy, a nationally-recognized media critic and blogger who resides in Danvers has written often of the sorry state of community newspapers, and specifically the repeated cuts by the parent companies of both the Citizen and the Salem News. Just this week, Kennedy posted the story of James Craven, a laid off Gatehouse Media (the Citizen's parent company) reporter, who blogged a farewell diatribe on the newspaper's website that summed up the effects of repeated cuts to local media on public awareness of local government:
Going forward, the Committee needs to acknowledge that the mainstream media no longer has the resources to cover the schools as they once did, and find their own methods to better communicate to the public.
The story got out when we posted it, because this website is well connected to the community's social media structure. We post a story, share it with our network and on Twitter, and within hours, those sources have shared it further, and it is public knowledge. But we never aimed to be the voice of the school district or a breaking news source, but rather a way for the community's views on school issues to be shared.
At Wednesday's School Committee meeting, Cesa brought up our suggestion of a committee or district Facebook page, and most committee members seemed resistant to the idea. But we were pleased to hear Assistantant Superintendent Maryellen Duffy later state that the Boston Public Schools were having good results with their Facebook page. They use the site for sharing, not just school committee news, agendas, and meeting times, but all type of information about the district and its schools.
Beverly has a high school that is aspiring to be a technological leader, and doing a pretty good job of it. The school's athletic department has made very effective use of social media over the past year, sharing game information, scores, and photos. The high school administration is embracing it as well. There is no reason the school committee and district administration can't too.
Many in this community care deeply about our school system and want to be involved. But we don't always have the time to ferret out information or attend every working school committee meeting. In the age of social media, and with a diminished mainstream press, the district needs to embrace the technology that exists for getting news out, and encouraging public awareness.
President Annemarie Cesa has stated that she invited both the Salem News and Beverly Citizen to all three committee meetings this week, as well as several earlier Committee of the Whole meetings at which the plan was discussed. They attended none, and have yet to write a word about the plan.
And while the monthly public meetings at City Hall are televised by BevCam, it's the working Committee of the Whole, and Finance & Facility meetings at which much of the discussion about major initiatives such as this are worked out. These meetings, while public, are held in a small meeting room at the Memorial Building that isn't at all inviting for public attendance, and are not televised. And the public is rarely aware of the agenda, unless it specifically affects their school or program.
In the past, these meetings were generally covered by the newspapers. Until recently the Salem News had a reporter dedicated to the schools that attended most meetings, and would have followed up on a plan such as this much sooner. That position was eliminated several years ago for budgetary reasons. Since then the general Beverly reporter (who is reportedly on unpaid furlough himself this week as a cost-savings move) has covered any school stories that come to the paper's attention, as well as just about every other story in the city.
The Citizen's reporting has been spotty for years, sometimes missing stories completely.
The situation is not unique to Beverly. Dan Kennedy, a nationally-recognized media critic and blogger who resides in Danvers has written often of the sorry state of community newspapers, and specifically the repeated cuts by the parent companies of both the Citizen and the Salem News. Just this week, Kennedy posted the story of James Craven, a laid off Gatehouse Media (the Citizen's parent company) reporter, who blogged a farewell diatribe on the newspaper's website that summed up the effects of repeated cuts to local media on public awareness of local government:
The late Philip Meyer put it best when he observed that the decay of newspaper journalism creates problems not just for the business but also for society. The problem is basic: to make democracy work, citizens need information.
The end result, if you will, is that as news staffs are cut, the responsibility for staying informed will fall more to you – the reader. If a reporter cannot be at a Harbor Commission meeting, a Finance Commission meeting or even a meeting of the City Council, then you – Joe Citizen – will have to be there.
No more watching Dancing with the Stars, taking time to read a good book or spending time with the youngsters. After work, you will have to head for those civic meetings where decisions are made that might change your life, because, if you do not go – who will?But blaming the media or the community for the lack of awareness of this plan is a bit of a dodge on the committee's part. If they truly wanted broad public input into this plan, there were many methods at their disposal to get it out: district website, connect-ed, or issuing a press release (which some press outlets would have printed verbatim).
Going forward, the Committee needs to acknowledge that the mainstream media no longer has the resources to cover the schools as they once did, and find their own methods to better communicate to the public.
The story got out when we posted it, because this website is well connected to the community's social media structure. We post a story, share it with our network and on Twitter, and within hours, those sources have shared it further, and it is public knowledge. But we never aimed to be the voice of the school district or a breaking news source, but rather a way for the community's views on school issues to be shared.
At Wednesday's School Committee meeting, Cesa brought up our suggestion of a committee or district Facebook page, and most committee members seemed resistant to the idea. But we were pleased to hear Assistantant Superintendent Maryellen Duffy later state that the Boston Public Schools were having good results with their Facebook page. They use the site for sharing, not just school committee news, agendas, and meeting times, but all type of information about the district and its schools.
Beverly has a high school that is aspiring to be a technological leader, and doing a pretty good job of it. The school's athletic department has made very effective use of social media over the past year, sharing game information, scores, and photos. The high school administration is embracing it as well. There is no reason the school committee and district administration can't too.
Many in this community care deeply about our school system and want to be involved. But we don't always have the time to ferret out information or attend every working school committee meeting. In the age of social media, and with a diminished mainstream press, the district needs to embrace the technology that exists for getting news out, and encouraging public awareness.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Council Also Questions Transparency of Process
At a sparsely attended (estimated at less than 20 people) joint City Council/School Committee meeting last night at the high school, Council members appeared as surprised as we were about the 5-8 middle school plan they were handed. Council President Mike Cahill sharply criticized the openness of the process; Pat Grimes seemed incredulous that they were just finding out about this report now when it was completed last Spring; and Jim Latter focused on the additional cost of building a four-grade middle school vs. a three-grade building, asking "will this increase capital costs by 33%?"
Prior to the meeting, School Committee President Annemarie Cesa informed us that she would delay tonight's vote by a couple weeks in order to allow the public a chance to digest the proposal, and schedule a public forum or focus group. She stated last night that a focus group would be tentatively scheduled for December 6, and a vote a week later.
Score one for the power of social media, and thanks to everyone who shared yesterday's post, and helped convince the Committee to slow down and open up the process. Based on the City Council's reaction last night, we think they may have put the brakes on any rushed vote, anyways.
The poor attendance last night was due in large part to the fact that there was virtually no public notice of the meeting by either the School Committee or the City Council. It was on the School Committee's meeting list, which is on a PDF three levels deep on the district website and often inaccurate (no mention of this past Monday's meeting). And we could find no mention of it on the City's website at all. There were also at least two PTO meetings that conflicted, and a meeting at City Hall about the downtown parking garage that some councilors attended instead.
We look forward to having at least two new City Council members, Brett Schetzsle @BrettWard6 and Jason Silva @JaSizz, who are adept at social media to teach city government some better methods of communications.
11/17 UPDATE: At Wednesday night's School Committee meeting, the middle school plan was discussed some more. It's clear that the committee has backed off a bit from their aggressive timetable, and will include time for community input, although they still want to meet the January deadline for submission to the MSBA.
President Cesa and Superintendent Galinski also attempted to clarify the elementary school aspects of the plan that we posted last week. They say that the Early Education Center is not on the table at this point, if ever. While it was part of the discussion and recommendation of the subcommittee, it was not "moved forward" by the administration as a proposal. The current discussion, and vote, will look solely at changes to the middle school model. There will be benefits to the elementary schools from this part of the plan, they say, by freeing up space in each of the elementary buildings. But any restructuring of the Pre-K-K grades is not under consideration.
Still, many in the community feel that to fully weigh the benefits and risks of changing the middle school structure, any future changes proposed to the entire Pre-K-8 model must be considered at the same time.
Prior to the meeting, School Committee President Annemarie Cesa informed us that she would delay tonight's vote by a couple weeks in order to allow the public a chance to digest the proposal, and schedule a public forum or focus group. She stated last night that a focus group would be tentatively scheduled for December 6, and a vote a week later.
Score one for the power of social media, and thanks to everyone who shared yesterday's post, and helped convince the Committee to slow down and open up the process. Based on the City Council's reaction last night, we think they may have put the brakes on any rushed vote, anyways.
The poor attendance last night was due in large part to the fact that there was virtually no public notice of the meeting by either the School Committee or the City Council. It was on the School Committee's meeting list, which is on a PDF three levels deep on the district website and often inaccurate (no mention of this past Monday's meeting). And we could find no mention of it on the City's website at all. There were also at least two PTO meetings that conflicted, and a meeting at City Hall about the downtown parking garage that some councilors attended instead.
We look forward to having at least two new City Council members, Brett Schetzsle @BrettWard6 and Jason Silva @JaSizz, who are adept at social media to teach city government some better methods of communications.
11/17 UPDATE: At Wednesday night's School Committee meeting, the middle school plan was discussed some more. It's clear that the committee has backed off a bit from their aggressive timetable, and will include time for community input, although they still want to meet the January deadline for submission to the MSBA.
President Cesa and Superintendent Galinski also attempted to clarify the elementary school aspects of the plan that we posted last week. They say that the Early Education Center is not on the table at this point, if ever. While it was part of the discussion and recommendation of the subcommittee, it was not "moved forward" by the administration as a proposal. The current discussion, and vote, will look solely at changes to the middle school model. There will be benefits to the elementary schools from this part of the plan, they say, by freeing up space in each of the elementary buildings. But any restructuring of the Pre-K-K grades is not under consideration.
Still, many in the community feel that to fully weigh the benefits and risks of changing the middle school structure, any future changes proposed to the entire Pre-K-8 model must be considered at the same time.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Committee Set to Vote on 5-8 Middle School Model
After discussing the proposed 5th-8th grade middle school model before about 15 audience members at last night's monthly working meeting, the School Committee seems intent on voting to approve the plan at its public meeting this Wednesday.
Discussion of the plan, which was proposed by the Strategic Planning Facilities Subcommittee last Spring, has become more urgent as Mayor Scanlon has begun to work toward a January deadline to submit a "statement of interest" to the Massachusetts School Building Authority.
While Scanlon says that the statement is not the final word on what the school's structure will be, he says that the committee should aim to get "as close as possible" to what they think they want the school to be.
Two of the members of the subcommitteee, Briscoe Principal Matt Poska, and Ayers Principal Susan Charochak answered some of the committee's questions about the academic and social benefits and/or risks of moving 5th graders to a middle school environment.
Poska explained that the plan would be to separate the 5th & 6th grades from the 7th & 8th grades in two smaller school environments within a single building. He pointed to his hometown of Swampscott as an example of another local community that uses the 5-8 model.
From the report:
Vice President Maria Decker, who led the subcommittee that proposed it, was the most aggressive in pushing for the plan's quick approval. David Manzi also stated that he had heard enough, and was "ready to vote."
But while most other members seemed generally supportive of the plan, they were a bit more cautious. Kris Silverstein and Karen Fogarty said they wanted to be sure that all the other options had been fully considered, and that the relevant academic and social questions had been asked.
They wondered about teacher certification, loss of unstructured time (recess) for 5th graders, the loss of the Elementary Enrichment Center for 5th graders, and the general adaptability of 10 year-olds transitioning to this environment.
Paul Manzo and Mayor Scanlon discussed the added benefits of freeing up space in the elementary schools, which have become maxed out since the closing of McKeown in 2008, and suggested that it would make it easier to equalize class sizes and other perceived inequities across the district. And Committee President Annemarie Cesa reminded members that they needed to be mindful of the community's involvement in the plan.
But Decker seemed dismissive to other members of the committee or the audience who questioned any of the report's findings, asked to discuss how the structure of the elementary schools would figure in, or suggested that the community was not fully aware of the plan.
Silverstein attempted to tie together the other aspects of the overall report, which also recommended converting one of the elementary schools (most likely Hannah) to an early education center. She was rebuffed by Decker, who stated that "only the middle school is on the table tonight."
Decker said that the plan had been discussed at PTO meetings since last winter, so it should not be a surprise to the community. Early on in the meeting, she stated that this was the "final" meeting to discuss the plan.
But most in the audience, many among the most active members of the school community, said they were surprised that the plan was this close to being voted on and becoming the official direction of the district. And several active PTO members (including two PTO presidents) have said that they had either not heard about the plan at their meetings at all, or in a very cursory manner, not as any type of accepted action plan.
While the plans for a new middle school became a major topic during the recent election, to our knowledge there was never any discussion of the school's structure. And press reports on the middle school plan have made no mention of any change from the current 6-8 model.
The report has not even been officially released by the district, and the first glimpse most members of the community had of it, was when we posted it last Friday on this website.
Despite this, Cesa says the Committee plans to vote on the plan at their meeting this Wednesday (7pm at City Hall, and televised live on BevCam). The City Council would also need to vote on the matter before the proposal is submitted to the state.
The plan will be discussed at tonight's joint City Council/School Committtee meeting at the high school at 7pm, which will be televised live on BevCam. Community members may have an opportunity to ask questions.
The report itself is well documented and the plan may indeed be the most sustainable and academically beneficial structure for the district moving forward. But some members' view that discussion of the plan among themselves, and within the limited audience of a few PTO meetings is the same as broad notice to the community is troubling.
Please take some time to read and become familiar with the report, and if you have any questions or concerns about the plan, contact your school committee representative right away.
11/15/11 UPDATE: Annemarie Cesa has informed us that she will delay the vote in order to allow time to organize a focus group or other opportunity for the community to discuss the proposal. She has tentatively scheduled that for December 6th with a vote planned for the following week.
Discussion of the plan, which was proposed by the Strategic Planning Facilities Subcommittee last Spring, has become more urgent as Mayor Scanlon has begun to work toward a January deadline to submit a "statement of interest" to the Massachusetts School Building Authority.
While Scanlon says that the statement is not the final word on what the school's structure will be, he says that the committee should aim to get "as close as possible" to what they think they want the school to be.
Two of the members of the subcommitteee, Briscoe Principal Matt Poska, and Ayers Principal Susan Charochak answered some of the committee's questions about the academic and social benefits and/or risks of moving 5th graders to a middle school environment.
Poska explained that the plan would be to separate the 5th & 6th grades from the 7th & 8th grades in two smaller school environments within a single building. He pointed to his hometown of Swampscott as an example of another local community that uses the 5-8 model.
From the report:
With four grades, the larger middle school is more cost effective, while the smaller school aspect (lower and upper divisions) allows for academic, social, and behavioral benefits. The upper/lower configuration allows for improved social/emotional support for adolescent students; it enables them to be in daily contact with adults who know the pre-teen/teenaged student well, take an interest in them, and provide them with both academic and emotional support. This model provides a balance between a nurturing environment and academic rigor.Superintendent Galinski said she believes that 5th graders have more in common with 6th graders than they do with 4th graders.
Vice President Maria Decker, who led the subcommittee that proposed it, was the most aggressive in pushing for the plan's quick approval. David Manzi also stated that he had heard enough, and was "ready to vote."
But while most other members seemed generally supportive of the plan, they were a bit more cautious. Kris Silverstein and Karen Fogarty said they wanted to be sure that all the other options had been fully considered, and that the relevant academic and social questions had been asked.
They wondered about teacher certification, loss of unstructured time (recess) for 5th graders, the loss of the Elementary Enrichment Center for 5th graders, and the general adaptability of 10 year-olds transitioning to this environment.
Paul Manzo and Mayor Scanlon discussed the added benefits of freeing up space in the elementary schools, which have become maxed out since the closing of McKeown in 2008, and suggested that it would make it easier to equalize class sizes and other perceived inequities across the district. And Committee President Annemarie Cesa reminded members that they needed to be mindful of the community's involvement in the plan.
But Decker seemed dismissive to other members of the committee or the audience who questioned any of the report's findings, asked to discuss how the structure of the elementary schools would figure in, or suggested that the community was not fully aware of the plan.
Silverstein attempted to tie together the other aspects of the overall report, which also recommended converting one of the elementary schools (most likely Hannah) to an early education center. She was rebuffed by Decker, who stated that "only the middle school is on the table tonight."
Decker said that the plan had been discussed at PTO meetings since last winter, so it should not be a surprise to the community. Early on in the meeting, she stated that this was the "final" meeting to discuss the plan.
But most in the audience, many among the most active members of the school community, said they were surprised that the plan was this close to being voted on and becoming the official direction of the district. And several active PTO members (including two PTO presidents) have said that they had either not heard about the plan at their meetings at all, or in a very cursory manner, not as any type of accepted action plan.
While the plans for a new middle school became a major topic during the recent election, to our knowledge there was never any discussion of the school's structure. And press reports on the middle school plan have made no mention of any change from the current 6-8 model.
The report has not even been officially released by the district, and the first glimpse most members of the community had of it, was when we posted it last Friday on this website.
Despite this, Cesa says the Committee plans to vote on the plan at their meeting this Wednesday (7pm at City Hall, and televised live on BevCam). The City Council would also need to vote on the matter before the proposal is submitted to the state.
The plan will be discussed at tonight's joint City Council/School Committtee meeting at the high school at 7pm, which will be televised live on BevCam. Community members may have an opportunity to ask questions.
The report itself is well documented and the plan may indeed be the most sustainable and academically beneficial structure for the district moving forward. But some members' view that discussion of the plan among themselves, and within the limited audience of a few PTO meetings is the same as broad notice to the community is troubling.
Please take some time to read and become familiar with the report, and if you have any questions or concerns about the plan, contact your school committee representative right away.
11/15/11 UPDATE: Annemarie Cesa has informed us that she will delay the vote in order to allow time to organize a focus group or other opportunity for the community to discuss the proposal. She has tentatively scheduled that for December 6th with a vote planned for the following week.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
District Considering 5-8 Middle School Structure
The district is reportedly looking closer at a plan that would ultimately move 5th graders to the middle school, when a replacement for Briscoe is built.
The proposal originally grew out of the facilities subcommittee recomendation [READ THE REPORT], which was part of the Strategic Planning initiative. It was also the subject of one of the questions in last year's Budget Shortfall Survey.
The discussion is being fast-tracked now, as the city is looking at a January deadline for submission of a "statement of intererst" to the MSBA (Massachusetts School Building Authoriy) to get on the list for state funding for the project. In order to put together the statement, the school's configuration and size must be determined. Mayor Scanlon has estimated that the project could begin in as soon as 4 years.
The topic will be discussed in detail at Monday night's School Committee of the Whole meeting at Memorial at 7pm. The middle school project will also be a topic at Tuesday night's Joint School Committee/City Council meeting that will take place at the BHS auditorium at 7pm.
As this is a potentially major restructuring, we urge community members to take an early interest in the discussions to assure that the move is academically—as well as fiscally—sound.
Here is some research on various middle school models, including the proposed 5-8.
11/11 UPDATE: We have just posted the full Strategic Planning Committee Facilities Usage report that was completed last spring. This is the report that will be discussed at Monday night's meeting, and recommends the 5-8 middle school model in addition to other structural changes that include the long talked-about Early Childhood Center for preK-K. Its an interesting and well-documented report, but contains some frank and troubling details about the condition of Briscoe. Take some time to read it.
The proposal originally grew out of the facilities subcommittee recomendation [READ THE REPORT], which was part of the Strategic Planning initiative. It was also the subject of one of the questions in last year's Budget Shortfall Survey.
The discussion is being fast-tracked now, as the city is looking at a January deadline for submission of a "statement of intererst" to the MSBA (Massachusetts School Building Authoriy) to get on the list for state funding for the project. In order to put together the statement, the school's configuration and size must be determined. Mayor Scanlon has estimated that the project could begin in as soon as 4 years.
The topic will be discussed in detail at Monday night's School Committee of the Whole meeting at Memorial at 7pm. The middle school project will also be a topic at Tuesday night's Joint School Committee/City Council meeting that will take place at the BHS auditorium at 7pm.
As this is a potentially major restructuring, we urge community members to take an early interest in the discussions to assure that the move is academically—as well as fiscally—sound.
Here is some research on various middle school models, including the proposed 5-8.
11/11 UPDATE: We have just posted the full Strategic Planning Committee Facilities Usage report that was completed last spring. This is the report that will be discussed at Monday night's meeting, and recommends the 5-8 middle school model in addition to other structural changes that include the long talked-about Early Childhood Center for preK-K. Its an interesting and well-documented report, but contains some frank and troubling details about the condition of Briscoe. Take some time to read it.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Scanlon Holds On; Kavanagh Takes Ward 4
Mayor Scanlon beat off his toughest challenge in years to beat City Council President Mike Cahill by just over 350 votes tonight.
The final tally was Scanlon 5468, Cahill 5115. The margin of victory of 52% to 48% was nearly identical to the results of the poll we conducted over the past two weeks, indicating that the school community's views were very much in line with the city as a whole.
In the other closely watched race for Ward 4 School Committee, Matt Kavanagh, who was heavily favored by school activists, soundly defeated Michael Gendre 1140 to 698.
And the City Council will have a dramatic new look this year, with several promising newcomers. The new council looks like this:
Council President: Paul Guanci
At Large: Jason Silva and Scott Dullea [both new members]
Ward 1: Maureen Troubetaris
Ward 2: Wes Slate
Ward 3: Jim Latter
Ward 4: Scott Houseman [new member]
Ward 5: Don Martin
Ward 6: Brett Schetzsle [new member]
The Beverly Citizen has the full numbers and details here.
Congratulations to Mayor Scanlon on his victory, and to Mike Cahill and his campaign manager Julie DeSilva, a great friend of this website, for running a positive and inspiring challenge.
11/9 UPDATE: Today's Salem News has more election coverage on the Mayor's race and City Council races and the Citizen has a full report.
The final tally was Scanlon 5468, Cahill 5115. The margin of victory of 52% to 48% was nearly identical to the results of the poll we conducted over the past two weeks, indicating that the school community's views were very much in line with the city as a whole.
In the other closely watched race for Ward 4 School Committee, Matt Kavanagh, who was heavily favored by school activists, soundly defeated Michael Gendre 1140 to 698.
And the City Council will have a dramatic new look this year, with several promising newcomers. The new council looks like this:
Council President: Paul Guanci
At Large: Jason Silva and Scott Dullea [both new members]
Ward 1: Maureen Troubetaris
Ward 2: Wes Slate
Ward 3: Jim Latter
Ward 4: Scott Houseman [new member]
Ward 5: Don Martin
Ward 6: Brett Schetzsle [new member]
The Beverly Citizen has the full numbers and details here.
Congratulations to Mayor Scanlon on his victory, and to Mike Cahill and his campaign manager Julie DeSilva, a great friend of this website, for running a positive and inspiring challenge.
11/9 UPDATE: Today's Salem News has more election coverage on the Mayor's race and City Council races and the Citizen has a full report.
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