Wednesday, March 10, 2010
School Reform in Boston Long Overdue
Dr. Carol Johnson is taking very bold, dramatic action to turn around under-performing schools in Boston. She has spent two years listening, observing, meeting with parents, teachers, community groups, business leaders, and students. She has been thoughtful, careful, strategic. And now she is ready to lay down the law. Generations Incorporated fully supports her.
At the end of the day, too many students are not getting the education and the opportunity that they need and deserve. For any community, especially Boston, this is a shame. MCAS scores have improved but are still low. Nearly 70% of 4th graders are not proficient in English Language Arts. We are failing as a community in this regard.
The Superintendent, Mayor Menino, and leaders from across the Commonwealth led the effort for education reform at the State House. Superintendents now have authority and flexibility to turn around the lowest performing schools. Last month, Massachusetts submitted its application for the highly competitive Race to the Top (RTT) funding now available from the US Department of Education. If we are one of the winners, more resources will become available. Be sure that rigid accountability will accompany the dollars.
Two months ago Dr. Johnson released her Acceleration Agenda, a plan to improve the performance of schools and the students who attend them. There are ten Boston public schools that are considered Level 4 schools, meaning that that for several consecutive years the schools failed to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Dr. Johnson has set her agenda on these schools, with a bend toward lasting change for the entire district. Most of Boston’s schools do meet AYP and work with the same population of students as the schools that do not. So it’s not the kids.
Every child deserves an effective teacher. Thankfully, most of Boston’s teachers are great. But when students are not challenged or motivated, they won’t learn. Professional development is important in every school, but greater accountability is needed in the very institutions that train teachers. A great article from the New York Times Magazine talks about teaching and learning. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/magazine/07Teachers-t.html The relationship between the two is not a complex one. Where are the methods courses of old? Successful schools have effective teachers.
School leaders need skills in 2010 that would never have been required even a few years ago. They need to be motivators, change agents, risk takers. They need to be creative, innovative, resourceful, and community- minded. The responsibilities are endless, and yet the authority is limited because of collective bargaining. Successful schools have strong and effective leadership.
Parents are not off the hook. The Department of Student and Family Engagement has developed incredible new supports for families, including Parent University. The response by parents has been phenomenal. Until now, there have been no best practices for family engagement. Principals need to set the tone, and teachers must make the time for parents, including those who don’t speak English. Parents want to help their children, but they need to know how to help. Students are assessed many times each year, but parents are not usually given the explanation about what the scores mean. It only takes a few parents to push the pedal of engagement before others will follow. Successful schools have strong parent engagement.
Students are also not off the hook and most don’t want to be. Especially those who can make their own decisions about whether to pay attention, do their homework, participate in class. In order for students to achieve, they need to be inspired to do so. They need clear and strong methods of instruction and a non-negotiable code of student behavior. At the same time, they need access to arts, sports, and other “non-academic” activity. Successful schools have strong student engagement and opportunities for development in many areas.
Everyone in Boston has a responsibility to make sure kids get the best education. My hope is that our District will become a beacon, drawing students and families back into the schools. Every school will achieve excellence, every student will have the opportunity for the finest education. But it’s going to take a lot of work. Do we as a city have the courage and the will?
Dr. Johnson is the leader we need right now in Boston to make this a reality. We are lucky to have her. I urge everyone to support her so that all children in our public schools can have a great education.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Live to be 100?
Dr. Thomas Perls, Director of The New England Centenarian Study wants to help you get there, healthy & happy. Learn more about his work in this recent Time Magazine article, click here to read it. Dr. Perls will be speaking on March 25th at the Social Innovation Forum’s breakfast: “Healthy Aging: Fostering Vibrant Lifestyles Among Adults 60+.” Generations Incorporated is the 2010 Social Innovator in Healthy Aging.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Social Issue Breakfast: Healthy Aging: Fostering Vibrant Lifestlyes Among Adults 60+
Title: Social Issue Breakfast: Healthy Aging: Fostering Vibrant Lifestyles Among Adults 60+
Description: Join us for a Social Issue Breakfast sponsored by the Tufts Health Plan Foundation, featuring guest speaker Dr. Thomas Perls, Associate Professor of Medicine and Geriatrics at Boston University, and Generations Incorporated Executive Director Mary Gunn.
To RSVP and to receive event location details, please email rsvp@rootcause.org, or call 617.649.1518
Start Time: 08:00
Date: 2010-03-25
End Time: 09:30
