Latest news with #HolyokeSchoolCommittee
Boston Globe
7 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Holyoke schools to exit state oversight July 1 after decade of receivership
State officials announced the official exit to the Holyoke School Committee Monday night, drawing the gratitude of leaders including mayor and board chair Joshua Garcia. Advertisement 'For a very long time, all we've been looking and waiting for is to be considered a partner in how we improve outcomes, improve our systems, in the district,' Garcia said. 'Receivership is not meant to be a permanent situation.' Related : Local officials have been petitioning the state to regain control of their district since 2023, and their path out has been clear since October, when then-acting education Commissioner Russell Johnston said he was removing the district's 'chronically underperforming' status. 'I just want to cry, but I'm happy,' School Committee member Rosalee Tensley Williams said Monday. 'Words cannot express the way I feel right now.' Advertisement The state school board voted to take over Holyoke in 2015 following years of poor academic results. The local School Committee and superintendent were stripped of their decision-making power, and a state-selected leader was installed. Under Massachusetts law, the state can take control of consistently low-performing districts and appoint a so-called receiver who is charged with executing a turnaround plan. Critics at the time opposed the removal of local control from the majority Latino, high-poverty district, but proponents said it as was necessary to give those students a quality education they deserve. At the time, the district had some of the worst academic outcomes in the state, including the lowest graduation rate, just 60 percent, and very wide achievement gaps by race, income, English learner status, and other measures. Simone Fried, a University at Buffalo education professor who has studied the Holyoke takeover and other state interventions, said there were 'systematic violation of children's rights to education' in Holyoke that required some sort of intervention, but 'it's exciting news' the takeover is ending. Related : 'Takeover was never intended, or should not be intended, to be a permanent solution,' Fried said. 'It seems to me that it's a promising sign that they're able to be at a place where they're able to resume local control.' Ultimately, improvements under state receivership have been very limited. While state officials touted increases in the district's graduation rate — 77 percent last year — and other measures, those gains have largely reflected statewide trends. Beth Schueler, a University of Virginia professor who also studies receivership, said while she has found some positive effects in Lawrence, state takeover had a 'neutral to negative' impact in Holyoke and Southbridge. Her research only analyzed data for school years prior to COVID, when schools were abruptly shuttered, but state absenteeism and test score data indicate Holyoke students were Advertisement In their news release announcing the end of receivership, state leaders also cited various operational changes that took place over the last decade. The district expanded its pre-K program to more than 500 seats, redesigned the high school, expanded career-related offerings, and built a new middle school, set to open this fall. 'While school improvement work will continue in Holyoke, it is time for local officials to take the lead,' Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler said in a statement. 'Community stakeholders have consistently shared their input into the district's decision-making processes, and the School Committee partnered with a Community Advisory Team as part of the capacity-building plan. This experience is a strong foundation for the district's future.' Related : Tutwiler also serves as interim education commissioner; his successor, Stephen Zrike, the district's initial state receiver and now Salem superintendent, agreed improvements had been made in some areas even if there's more to be done. 'People automatically assume with a receivership that it's just about what happens in the classroom, but the system did need a lot of infrastructural support around operations,' he said. 'It worked in some regards.' Holyoke Teachers Association President Nick Cream cheered the end of receivership, but called for the lifting of compensated in part based on their effectiveness as educators, their professional growth, and student academic improvement. Advertisement Cream said the union does not believe it's a full exit of state control until those provisions end. 'If we don't have control over having a say in those things, we're not going to have the outcomes we believe our students deserve and students need,' he said. Christopher Huffaker can be reached at
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State: Holyoke schools on track for July 1 exit from commonwealth oversight
HOLYOKE — Holyoke Public Schools will return to local control on July 1, the state announced tonight. The announcement comes after 10 years state oversight, called receivership, for chronic underperformance. The state made a provisional determination in October that the schools would be ready to re-helm the district if the School Committee completed a plan for rebuilding and sustaining the schools. 'Holyoke has worked hard to regain local control of its schools, and this is a great moment for the city, students, educators and families,' said Gov. Maura Healey in a statement. Education Secretary Patrick A. Tutwiler, who also serves as interim commissioner, said, 'It is time for local officials to take the lead,' It's a proud day for Holyoke, said Holyoke Mayor Joshua A. Garcia, who also chairs the School Committee, in the statement. The commonwealth noted a number of district achievements, including: • an increase in the district's four-year cohort graduation rate from 60.2% in 2014 to 77.1% in 2024, which includes a 32-point gain for English learners and a 31-point gain for students with disabilities over the same time period; • a reduction of the out-of-school suspension rate from 20% in 2013-14 to 9.8% in 2023-24; • an increase in the percentage of students in grades 11 and 12 completing advanced coursework from 39.5% in 2018 to 57% in 2024; • and a gap-narrowing increase in the percentage of Hispanic/Latino students in grades 11 and 12 completing advanced coursework, from 32.2% in 2018 to 54.6% in 2024. 'The Holyoke School Committee and Local Control Subcommittee worked very hard to get to this day, but we know our work is just beginning,' said Yadilette Rivera Colon, vice chair of the School Committee, in the statement. The district has about 4,800 students in preschool through grade 12 and had been in receivership since 2015. Receiver Anthony Soto has led the district since 2021. Earlier this year, the School Committee named him superintendent for the 2025-26 school year, overseeing the transition. The state will continue to support and monitor the district's progress, which has to meet exit assurances that Tutwiler issued April 28, the state said. Exit assurances include professional development for teachers; the creation and use of an early literacy plan; two-way communication with families, including non-English speakers; policies related to teaching and learning time; and educator compensation and evaluation. Visit the Holyoke Public Schools website for more. Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Public forum being held for Holyoke school superintendent search
HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) – The Holyoke School Committee wants to know what residents are looking for in a new superintendent of schools. Holyoke Public Schools is looking for a new superintendent who will lead the district out of state receivership and into local control. They are asking the community what qualities and skills they think are important for the job. Holyoke mayor delivers annual State of the City address The search team is inviting the public to share their thoughts during two in-person and one virtual forum over Zoom. The in-person forums are happening Monday from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Kelly Elementary School, and from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Holyoke High School. Anthony Soto is currently serving as the interim superintendent of schools. He was appointed to this position by a unanimous vote back in January. He has been the state receiver since 2021. Last month, the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education put out a list of exit assurances that will support the district when receivership ends, and they go back to local control on July 1. They will also help guide the district as the school committee searches for a new superintendent to lead during this transition period. The school committee said back in January that stable leadership would be key during this transition. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Holyoke's Devin Sheehan will lead National School Boards Association
HOLYOKE — Devin M. Sheehan, an advocate for public education and a long-serving member of the Holyoke School Committee, will lead the National School Boards Association next year. The association lobbies on behalf of students in public schools nationwide, working to make sure they get a fair and high-quality education. Having attended public schools and advocated for students, Sheehan said he knows the transformative power of public education. 'In this role, I remain deeply committed to advancing and protecting our nation's public schools — standing up for equitable resources, supporting our educators, and ensuring every child has the opportunity to succeed,' he said. 'Together, we will continue to be strong voices for the future of public education." His one-year term as the association's president will run for the 2025-26 school year. The association represents school board members across the United States and the Virgin Islands, according to a statement issued Monday by Holyoke Public Schools. Sheehan, who works for state Sen. Jake Oliveira, D-Ludlow, holds a bachelor's degree from Franklin Pierce University and a master's in public policy from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Sheehan served on the Holyoke School Committee from 2010 to 2022 and was appointed as an at-large representative in June 2024. Over the years, Sheehan took on leadership responsibilities within the Massachusetts Association of School Committees leading to his role as president in 2019. That year, he ran for a position on the board of the National School Boards Association. He takes the president's post in the association at a time of significant upheaval in the federal government. 'To be here now is a challenge, but I have been fighting for so many years I am ready for the challenge to keep federal legislators on their toes to get the resources that students need,' he said. Sheehan will be involved in advocacy and outreach at the federal level, while also helping to train school board members. Sheehan said the board is focusing on ensuring that all students have broadband access through E-rate and on reauthorizing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. He takes the post at a time when the Trump administration is seeking to dismantle the Department of Education. Sheehan said he sees his role as addressing national issues and working with federal legislators. 'Policy changes can occur rapidly,' he said, 'making it crucial to watch and advocate for federal funding.' Sheehan said the board focuses on advocating, securing and monitoring federal funds for supplemental programs provided through the Department of Education, such as universal free school lunch, student protections and educator training. 'Dismantling the federal Department of Education requires congressional action,' he said. '[A] party cannot simply close the department because the federal government provides for students with disabilities and safeguards are needed to ensure every student receives a quality education.' Holyoke Mayor Joshua A. Garcia notes Sheehan's advocacy and roots in the community. 'As schools across the country navigate significant federal changes and evolving challenges, we need steady, experienced leadership more than ever,' Garcia said. 'His proven commitment to students make him the leader we need right now. We're proud to see him representing our community on the national stage.' Sheehan concedes that the association lost credibility in 2021 when it wrote to the Biden administration asking that the Justice Department use the Patriot Act to investigate parents who harassed school board members. Incidents from 2021 are mostly behind the group now, he said. Sheehan brings a deep commitment to public education, a vision for student success and a history of service, the association's executive director and CEO, Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs, said in a statement. Holyoke Public Schools Superintendent Anthony Soto praised Sheehan's commitment to equity and inclusivity. Mildred Lefebvre, an at-large representative of the Holyoke School Committee, is also on the association's board. Sheehan said having two Holyoke committee members on the board is rare. 17 'crucial' AmeriCorps programs in Mass. on the chopping block amid DOGE cuts Holyoke Landing, location of Popeyes and Starbucks, sold Howdy Awards honor 10 for hospitality excellence in Springfield area Mass. tenant union to hold training for disabled Chicopee Housing Authority residents Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Holyoke school committee member elected President of National School Boards Association
HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) – A member of the Holyoke School Committee was elected to serve as President of the National School Boards Association (NSBA) for 2025-26. Devin Sheehan was appointed to this national organization's role because of his many years of experience serving on school boards and committees at the local and regional levels. After serving on the Holyoke School Committee from 2010 to 2022, he was appointed as an at-large representative in June 2024. Deerfield to vote on lowering town election age 'Devin Sheehan's election as president of the National School Boards Association comes at a pivotal time for public education. As schools across the country navigate significant federal changes and evolving challenges, we need steady, experienced leadership more than ever,' said Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia. 'His deep roots in Holyoke, his decades of advocacy, and his proven commitment to students make him the leader we need right now. We're proud to see him representing our community on the national stage.' Sheehan has also been part of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC), and was nominated as president in 2019. He has actively contributed to the NSBA, chairing numerous board committees and regional nominating committees, and being an advocate for educational equity. In his professional life, Sheehan works as the Chief of Staff to State Senator Jake Oliveira. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association. 'It is an incredible honor to serve as president of the National School Boards Association,' Sheehan said. 'As someone who grew up in public schools and has spent my career advocating for students, I know firsthand the power of public education to transform lives. In this role, I remain deeply committed to advancing and protecting our nation's public schools—standing up for equitable resources, supporting our educators, and ensuring every child has the opportunity to succeed. Together, we will continue to be strong voices for the future of public education.' WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
