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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.
Boston Globe
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Wanted: An exam school admission system that can stand the test of time
The city has tweaked that system every year over the past six school years, often in response to problems revealed the previous year. Advertisement While this experimentation has been well-meaning, the uncertainty needs to end. An admission system that's this hard to understand and changes in seemingly arbitrary ways isn't transparent. Students and families don't really know what to expect, and the changes are starting to have unintended consequences by souring families on the schools and the district. Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up One can say it shouldn't matter — admission to an exam school shouldn't be of such pivotal importance — but until the rest of Boston's high schools are up to snuff, whether a student gets into an exam school is a make-or-break question for many Boston families. Now, Mayor Michelle Wu and Superintendent Mary Skipper are pushing a new set of changes. The administration has presented the School Committee with three options, all of which would address some of the unfair aspects of the current system. But, crucially, the administration also recognizes that endless tweaks have become a problem in and of themselves. District officials realize they need to 'craft a policy designed to remain stable for multiple years,' as a Advertisement So whether the School Committee members accept one of the three options Skipper gave them, or combine elements of the three plans to come up with their own, the important thing is for the School Committee to pick a plan and stick with it. The problem with the old system is that, while it was enviably straightforward, it was easily gamed: Savvy parents knew which private schools would give their kids straight As and could hire tutors to help kids master the material for the Change began about a decade ago. First, the district changed the test used to one that more closely tracks the BPS curriculum. Then, during the pandemic, it briefly stopped considering the test at all, admitting students solely on grades. As the pandemic eased, it instituted the current system of bonus points and tiers. Students still submit grades and test scores. But then bonus points are added if they meet one of several criteria; by far the most common bonus points are those awarded if a student is applying from a high-poverty school. Students are also no longer admitted based on a citywide competition: They only compete against other applicants from their tier. The district divides the city into four (initially eight) geography-based socioeconomic tiers, each of which is allocated a number of seats based on its population of school-age kids. Advertisement The changes have made the schools more diverse — at a price. One unintended consequence has been that in at least one year, The city responded by putting school-based bonus points on a sliding scale depending on the students' tier — making the system even more complicated and raising questions about how exactly the district is coming up with the bonus points and how empirically valid they could really be if they change this often. There is also some evidence that the policy changes may be pushing families away. Fewer students are applying to exam schools overall, and some who do apply but who don't get an invitation elect to leave the district. In the 2024-25 school year, according to the district, only 54 percent of seventh-grade applicants who didn't get an exam school seat stayed in BPS. Between 60 and 80 BPS students leave the district every year because they don't receive an exam school seat. All three of Wu and Skipper's proposals would end school-based bonus points (while retaining other kinds of bonus points, such as for students who are homeless). Two of three would also create a citywide admission window — something One of the three proposals would change the way seats are allocated to the four tiers. Instead of basing the allocation on the number of school-age kids in each tier, it would be based on the number of applications from that tier — so that the acceptance rate would be virtually the same in each tier. Advertisement According to the district's projections, any of the three proposals would have only a slight impact on the school's racial demographics. Getting rid of school-based bonus points is the most important change the committee can make, because it would do the most to simplify the process and would remove the part that feels the most subjective and arbitrary (Why 10 points? Why 4 points?). Stepping back, there is no perfect way to measure the 'smartest' kids, especially kids in sixth grade, and no admission system that won't leave some applicants disappointed. But as long as the district chooses to operate selective schools at all, the pathways should be clear, predictable, and open to all. The changes Wu and Skipper have suggested would move the district in that direction. But the real achievement will be when the committee doesn't have to consider a new batch of changes every year. Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Raynham voters head to polls today for override election. Why it still matters
Today's $3.9 million override election in Raynham to fund B-R schools is still on — despite the fact that Bridgewater voters shot down the corresponding override in their town on Saturday. Raynham voters are heading to the polls Tuesday, June 24, to decide the fate of a Proposition 2 1/2 override that would add hundreds of dollars to annual property tax bills to avert what B-R Superintendent Ryan Powers has called "devastating" cuts in B-R schools. Bridgewater voters already shot down their override in a special election on Saturday, June 21, with 56% against and 44% in favor. Because it is a regional school district, both towns have to approve overrides for B-R to get the increased funding. However, even though Bridgewater rejected its override Saturday, the Raynham override vote isn't cancelled. Powers said after the Bridgewater election it's still vital for Raynham voters to make their voices heard. "I remain cautiously optimistic that the voters in Raynham will show up on Tuesday to give the support we need," said Powers, who added he hopes the B-R School Committee and town officials can come together after the special town elections to come up with a plan B. Bridgewater election results Bridgewater shoots down $8M override. How town voted, what about Raynham, what next? A special B-R school committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 25, at 7 p.m., in the auditorium of Raynham Middle School, where Powers said they will discuss options for the district. If one town votes for the override, but not the other, Powers said there would be an opportunity for the opposing side to reconsider or put forth a new override vote. 'Absolute destruction' Bridgewater-Raynham teachers speak out ahead of override elections Powers said prior to Saturday's election that dozens of layoffs are on the table, between 30-45, were the overrides to fail, and school officials have said class sizes could reach as high as 45 students. According to assessments done by both towns, the impact on property taxes of the overrides is as follows, if both overrides were to pass: Bridgewater: The annual property tax bill would increase by $926 for the average single-family home, based on an average assessed value of $594,000. : The annual property tax bill would increase by $636 for the average single-family home, based on an average assessed value of $590,000. Raynham's Special Town Election is on Tuesday, June 24, from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. The polling location is Raynham Middle School, 420 Titicut Road. This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Raynham override election is still on and it's today. What to know
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Land shortage prompts Springfield to propose property swap for new school
SPRINGFIELD — Faced with a shortage of available land in the North End, the city is taking a unique approach to find property for a new German Gerena Community School. The city is searching for a five-acre parcel, preferably located within a mile of the existing school on Birnie Avenue. Touring the neighborhood and using a drone has netted no results so far, said Peter Garvey, director of capital asset construction for the city. So, the city will seek landowners in the dense neighborhood interested in swapping their land for the five acres where Gerena School currently stands. It will also consider bids for someone interested in purchasing the school for fair market value and reusing or redeveloping the old school. 'It is a unique way to generate some excitement … to get some property to build a new school,' Garvey said. The current Gerena School building, built in the 1970s, suffers from leaks, flooding and mold. The land swap will be the preferable bid because it will solve two problems: giving the city a place for the new school and reusing the property where the school sits, said School Committee Member Joesiah Gonzalez. With multiple medical facilities located near Gerena School, Gonzalez said he is hoping the request for proposals will catch the eye of one of those businesses. The Massachusetts School Building Authority agreed to begin the process that will give the city 80% of the money to replace the school. The city's school department is in the process of completing a feasibility study on the plan, which is being funded with a $2.5 million bond approved by the City Council in 2024. 'Is there really five acres in the North End of undeveloped land?' asked Peter Murphy, a School Committee member. 'Outside eminent domain, I don't see how we get five acres.' Legally, the best way to begin the search for land is to request proposals for a land swap. If there are no viable responses, then the city can consider alternative routes, said City Solicitor Stephen Buoniconti. The proposal will have an aggressive timeline, with the requests for proposals going out around July 3, visits to the school planned for mid-July and proposals due in early August. If all goes well, the award would be made in mid-August, he said. Any agreement would not release the Gerena property until construction of the new school is completed, which is now to be in 2030, Buoniconti said. 'Springfield is land poor, and I gave my word to the community, we want to keep that school in the North End. We have limited resources, so we are trying to be as creative as ever,' said Mayor Domenic Sarno, School Committee chairman. The quicker a property can be found, the easier it will be to meet the plan of opening a new school in 2030, Garvey said. 'If we have to go out and find land, that is just moving that goal post back, and that's not what we want,' Garvey said. 'Every time that goal post is moved back, then it costs more.' The property up for swap is the five acres with the school on it. Additional land including two adjacent parcels with tunnels that go under Interstate 91 and the railroad tracks and the sports complex near Chestnut Middle School are not being considered in the swap proposal, Garvey said. Business Monday ETC: June 23, 2025 People in Business: June 23, 2025 Holyoke residents worry volleyball complex could devastate local forest 'What do businesses hate?': Mass. employers navigating uncertainty and fear Read the original article on MassLive.
