Communication to the North Adams School Committee

The proposed North Adams school committee position statement on gun safety (adopted at the Feb 5 meeting) is a two-part statement. The first part urges congress to adopt legislation banning the sale & possession of military assault weapons, banning the sale and possession of high capacity magazines and requiring every gun buyer to pass a criminal background check. Military assault weapons and high-capacity magazines are potential risks to the safety of school children - less of them increases the safety of school children - universal criminal background checks increases the safety of school children – it’s not the answer to everything, but it's an important piece of increasing the safety of children. Anything that potentially increases the safety of school children I am for.

The second part of the position statement addresses the NRA endorsement of staffing armed guards at all schools. That more guns and more armed guards equals increased safety of school children. North Adams has a full-time community police officer on site serving as first responder and providing a number of other student safety-related services. Having a police presence on site is very different than having armed guards at the doors of all our schools. What the NRA proposed would expand the use of armed officers and make greater use of not just police officers, but armed volunteers - including retired police officers and reservists - to patrol school grounds. It would include NRA volunteers to help guard children. I don’t believe that adding more guns and more armed guards in the schools is the best strategy for making the schools safer, but in fact would do just the opposite. The position statement does not say schools should not have armed security personnel. What it does say is that it is our position is that this is not the most effective strategy for protecting our children. The most effective strategy is what North Adams is doing; including securing facilities by locking all doors during school in session times, having a community police officer on site serving as a first responder, having a sound emergency plan in place with a fully-trained staff, and having a direct communication protocol in place with our local emergency service providers.

Decisions for effective strategies for school safety should be made at the local level by school committees and this position supports that local decision process. If the position statement is approved, the next step would be sending it to our legislators to urge their support of legislation on gun safety – to Rep. Cariddi, to Sen Downing & to US Rep Neal. Leave the politics to the legislators –speak for the school children by supporting legislation that increases the safety of school children. Don’t stand back and do nothing.

On behalf of the nearly 1600 school children we’re responsible for in North Adams, I ask for your support of adoption of the proposed school committee position on gun safety. (approved 5-2 at the Feb 5 School Committee Meeting)

Addressing the Middle Grade Issues

A major transformation is about to take place in the North Adams School District, and in my view, it will represent the most significant and most important change in the academic and social environment for children in North Adams in several decades.

I am not naïve enough to think that everyone agrees with me on this. But let me tell you, both as a parent and as a member of the school committee, why I feel this way.

Let me first say that North Adams has had a very good middle school with many great teachers. There are established middle school “best practices” in the world of education, and Conte has adopted all of them. And as evidenced by the over 400 students in Wednesday night’s “North Adams Arts Jamboree” at MASS MoCA, middle school students contribute to the creative talent in the North Adams School District.

My two children attended Conte several years ago and both did just fine; in fact, they did very well. Some of their best teachers in the North Adams School District were at Conte, and are still there.

I attended the parent meetings as we considered the closing of Conte Middle School. I heard some impassioned commentary from elementary school children’s parents who felt sadness that their children would not get to benefit from the increased socialization environment of a middle school. And many expressed concerns of losing many of the middle school programs that could only be provided in a middle school. Both concerns are genuine by those who expressed them. But in my view, neither is justified.

For the past two years, I have had the benefit of looking at substantial research and anecdotal evidence regarding middle schools and other grade configurations. The new North Adams School District grade configuration will be K-7 and 8-12, instead of the original plans of a K-8 9-12, a change that the current economic challenges have forced the school district’s hand to move forward on. But whether converting a school district grade configuration to a K-8 or K-7, the benefits supported by the research are the same. And I believe the new K-7 8-12 has several benefits for the 8th grade students over the original K-8 plan, but that discussion is left for another op-ed, if given the opportunity.

Converting from middle schools to K-8’s has been happening throughout the country, including many cities and towns in New England. Holyoke, Boston, Everett, Malden, Somerville, Hartford, Providence, Bristol, CT, New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Denver, San Diego are some of those.

Headlines in national newspapers have noted the growing move away from the middle school, including the Wall Street Journal (“Middle School Goes Out of Fashion”), the Boston Globe (“Boston Shifts to K-8 Schools to Help Students In Middle”), USA Today
(“Middle School Getting Edged to the Back -- Low Scores, Parents' Concerns Propel a Move to K-8 Model."), the New York Times (“Taking Middle Schoolers Out of the Middle” and “Why Middle Schools Are Being Questioned”) and ABC News (“Do Middle Schools Face ‘Bermuda Triangle”).

According to the Mass Department of Elementary & Secondary Education, the 2008 MCAS Adequate Yearly Progress Reports show that 75% of all Massachusetts middle schools are identified for improvement, corrective action, or restructuring. This compares to 25% of high schools and 45% of elementary schools. I share the view of many that MCAS should not be a sole indicator of our children’s education, but those numbers are supported by many other indicators of academic performance of middle school students.

Whether converting a school district grade configuration to a K-8 or K-7 the grade configuration offers many research-supported and real-life benefits to children, including:

Parental involvement continues strong. Families develop strong and continuous connections to the school. Parents of younger kids tend to be a lot more active than middle school parents, and the schools retain the benefit of experienced, active parents as younger siblings come in. I cannot overemphasize the importance of a parents influence in a child’s life. You cannot expect any school system, public or private, to take the place of a parent. Your child’s social and academic development is a team effort.

With the kids having long-term relationships with teachers & the school, students experience less anxiety about entering the middle grades.

Middle grade students in a K-7 or K-8 school behave differently than in a middle school. Many older students develop leadership skills and responsibility, and experience the value of helping others, being mentors for the younger children. Many take on the role of protector and role model as opposed to having to establish new reputations upon entering a middle school.

Students have a more seamless transition between their primary, intermediate, and middle grade programs. The continuity of K-7 or K-8 schooling reduces feelings of anonymity that may be experienced in middle school, which in a middle school can lead to negative coping mechanisms including fighting, bullying, displaying a "don’t care" attitude, or self-destruction.

Research indicates that in many cases, students in a K-7 or K-8 environment at each grade level achieve higher levels of academic growth over time.

K-7 & 8-12 models eliminate one transition and student achievement levels do not drop as is typically seen during transition years.

K-7 schools can give at-risk students, in particular, greater opportunities at success by building relationships with staff over a longer course of time. Research shows that at-risk students are the most to benefit from eliminating the extra transition of a middle school.

A K-7 school can incorporate a distinct, rigorous, and developmentally appropriate middle grades curriculum. In North Adams, the laptop initiative, physical education, foreign language, band, chorus & after-school programs can and would continue in the new grade configuration.

Research indicates students in a K-7 or K-8 school show higher self-esteem, less victimization by other students, greater levels of participation in extracurricular activities, and healthier adolescent development.

K-8 schools across the country display higher attendance rates and fewer disciplinary problems.

I could give several specific examples of families choosing to live elsewhere to avoid having their child go through the middle school experience in North Adams. I feel this was more a perception issue than anything specific about Conte, but unfortunately perception is reality for many people.

I am also well aware that there are many who looked forward to the middle school experience for their children. Many children do fine and often thrive in a middle school environment. There are cities and towns throughout the state and the country that have successful outcomes with their middle schools. Yet, in spite of a quality middle school with adopted “best practices” and a whole host of quality programs and quality teachers, for whatever reason – and I’ve listed several – North Adams and a middle school has not been a good fit.

The new grade configuration is not a magic bullet. But it is a major step in the right direction. Change in grade configuration has been in discussion for nearly two years. We have outstanding school administrators, exceptional principals and incredibly dedicated and professional teachers that have the ability to make this new grade configuration the best that it can be. Trust them. Support them. And parents, be there for your children, all the time.

In addressing the middle grade issues, we address the overall student academic performance of the school district, the transition issues, the behavior issues, the attendance rates, and the dropout rates. In short, we give a child the best opportunity for strong academic and social growth and give them the chance for a better future. Help make it happen.

Regulatory Overkill for Massachusetts Schools

Massachusetts has established the nation’s most regulatory climate for public schools. According to the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, there are 15 separate elements to the state’s set of regulatory, assessment, accountability and accreditation systems . Superintendents in each district must submit to 106 reporting deadlines every year.

Here's what Massachusetts School Systems are faced with each year: (note that MCAS is only one of fifteen):

1. No Child Left Behind where, right now, there are 54 ways (minimum) for every school and district to be declared “underperforming.”
2. MELA-O (MA English Language Assessment- Oral), and
3. MEPA (Massachusetts English Proficiency Assessment).
4. MCAS General Testing in Math and Language Arts at several grades and on several topics.
5. Audits from the successor entity to the Education Management Audit Council whose functions have been moved to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
6. Department of Education Assessment/Accountability Implementation (described in regulations rushed to approval two weeks before the 2006 election). Coordinated Program Reviews which include seven audits:
7. Special Education Program Audits to measure compliance with the Massachusetts special education statutes (“Chapter 766”) and the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provisions.
8. Civil Right Audit
9. English Language Learners Audit;
10. Safe and Drug Free Schools Communities Act;
11. Nutrition and Food Services;
12. Title I Program Review (General and NCLB).
13. Chapter 74 Vocational Program Audits
14. Accreditation (an 18 month process) by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
15. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

School Committee's Position on the GIC

With all the concerns and confusion in regard to the GIC (Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission) over the past few weeks, the North Adams School Committee feels it important to make clear its position on the GIC, specifically as it relates to health coverage for the North Adams School District’s faculty and staff. A letter detailing our position was sent on January 22 to the North Adams Teachers Association and all school district union presidents with a request that they share this information with their board members and their membership.

The North Adams School Committee has independently reviewed the GIC current and anticipated health insurance offerings, and after having done so, it is our opinion that the GIC alternative is worthy of consideration in evaluating its health insurance coverage and the costs associated with this coverage. However, it is the position of the North Adams School Committee that this is not the right time to make a change to the GIC. The reasons for this position are the following:

There is a direct correlation between the premium charged by a health insurance plan and the out-of-pocket costs. The greater these out-of-pocket co-pays and deductibles, the lower the premiums can be set. There is clear evidence that lower premiums of the GIC are offered at the expense of higher out-of-pocket expenses, in regard to co-pays, co-insurance and deductibles. This can potentially be of considerable expense to the individual and family.

There is a requirement to lock in a contract with GIC for either a three-year or six-year term. With GIC, you relinquish local control of health benefits and costs over a multi-year period.

Blue Cross Blue Shield, the current and long-time health insurance provider for the city and the school district, is not part of the GIC health insurance offering. One of the primary stated reasons Blue Cross Blue Shield has chosen not to be involved is because of the GIC physician tiered system of handling out-of-pocket insured expenses. The GIC rates individual physicians on a tiered rating system of excellent, good or “standard”. An insured will pay more if your physician is rated among one of the lower ratings (80% are within the lower ratings of the GIC). Even some of the insurance providers within the GIC refuse to abide by this tiered system, and the implications of this are unknown.

The GIC likely makes financial sense for some cities and towns and not for others. It cannot be ignored that there have been many cities, towns and unions that have chosen not to go with the GIC for their own reasons. This includes the Chief Financial Officer of the city of Lowell who has said that the GIC would cost the city more money to receive fewer benefits. The town of Nahant’s own analysis showed there would be no savings if it joined the GIC. The Hampshire County Insurance Group says they may lose between $12.8 million and $18.5 million over three years if it joined the GIC. In Newburyport, town officials determined that the GIC would cost $100,000 more than a comparable Blue Cross Blue Shield plan.

The GIC does not track claims experience by member community. Without access to municipality-specific claims experience, one cannot accurately assess how claims are running versus the rates being charged that municipality and its employees by the GIC. Even worse than making it impossible to make an informed decision as to whether or not the GIC is a good deal for a given municipality over time, the lack of specific claims data effectively will render it impossible for a municipality to obtain competitive price quotations, or perhaps any quotations at all, from outside insurance carriers as those carriers also will be unable to assess the risk. This may make it impossible for us to go back to Blue Cross Blue Shield or to another insurance carrier if we want to do so. There are independent insurance consultants that strongly advise caution in considering the GIC because of this claims experience-tracking issue.

The primary driver of health insurance rates is the claims history of the group. Contrary to Blue Cross Blue Shield and many other insurance carrier options, the GIC has no apparent wellness plan built into its insurance offerings. An estimated 80% of insurance premium rate changes for any insurance product are due to insurance claims. The fewer the claims, the lower the premiums. It is believed by some independent insurance analysts that with no wellness program, the GIC insurance premiums are destined for significant increases over time.

The GIC health plans do not offer an Employee+1 option; only individual or family plans. For those who have Employee+1 plans with Blue Cross Blue Shield (which is many of the North Adams faculty and staff), you would have to choose a family plan with the GIC or only cover yourself individually.

Next to wages, health insurance is the largest cost of the total compensation package of its members, and decisions to make significant changes to insurance coverage and/or insurance carrier offerings need to be made carefully and with all the independent information that is available. As Dolores Mitchell, Executive Director of the GIC, has stated publicly, the local option to join the GIC is not a panacea. It is the position of the North Adams School Committee that there are too many unknowns to make such a major move to the GIC.

AYP Results Confirm Middle School Concerns

The release of the 2008 MCAS Adequate Yearly Progress Reports shows that 75% of all Massachusetts middle schools are identified for improvement, corrective action, or restructuring. This compares to 25% of high schools and 45% of elementary schools.

Boston Globe Reports on the Failing of Middle Schools

(The following Boston Globe report refers to 2007 data - see the post above for the updated 2008 results)

Two-thirds of the state's middle schools are not meeting federal standards for raising standardized test scores, about twice the rate of elementary and high schools, according to a Globe analysis of state data.

The findings are raising questions about the best teaching practices for students wading through the turbulent years of puberty, first crushes, and short attention spans.

More broadly, the data suggest middle schools may have been largely overlooked as the state has focused on other education priorities such as ensuring all elementary students can read and helping high school students pass the MCAS, a series of tests required for high school graduation.

According to the Globe's analysis, more than 200 of the state's 305 middle schools have fallen short of performance goals established under the federal No Child Left Behind Act for at least two years.

Last fall, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education designated about 80 middle schools for restructuring, up from about two dozen middle schools the previous year. Restructuring, the most dire designation for schools under federal law, could set the stage for a state takeover, although Massachusetts has generally partnered with schools to improve achievement.

The afflicted middle schools are not only in Boston, Lowell, and other communities, but also in a host of suburban districts such as Stoneham, Plymouth, and Newton, bewildering school leaders, even as they change teaching methods, textbooks, and staff.

"Middle school students' motivations are different, and the MCAS is not high stakes for them like it is for high school students," said Theresa Craig, coordinator of curriculum and professional development for Middleborough Public Schools, which has a middle school in restructuring. "If middle school students are having a bad day, it totally throws off their test scores."

State Education Secretary Paul Reville said improving middle schools is a significant issue confronting the state, especially as it tries to address the state's high school dropout problem. Students having difficulty in high school, he said, generally begin falling off track in middle school.

"The state should pay more attention to the middle school level," Reville said. "Often, middle school is a critical transition for students from the more protective environment of an elementary school to the more complex social and academic challenges of a secondary school."

Class of 2008

Of the one hundred and thirty-six seniors who graduated from Drury High School in June, 2008, one hundred and thirteen went on to higher education. That's 83% of the graduating class. Three students will enter the military and thirteen will enter the work force.

In the North Adams School District, success in learning and moving forward to higher education is achievable for those who make the effort and have the all-important support at home.

Now We Know - It's A No

The word from the Department of Education is that eight schools out of 37 applicants have been approved for funding for the Extended Day Initiative - and North Adams is not among the eight. There's only $4.5 million in additional funding this time around. Our submitted plan alone for three elementary schools and Conte Middle School would require $1.5 million in funding.

This is what we feared and what we warned about the first time around. Now, we wait until next year. But our time may have passed. We will probably see the Extended Day in North Adams someday - but it may not be until it's mandated and underfunded.

We Don't Know Yet

May 23rd came and went. That was the date we were to hear whether North Adams would be included on the D.O.E. recommended list for funding of the Extended Learning Day. There were conversations but no commitments made. So we don't know yet. What we do know is that the available funds this time around are much more limited than last year - and the number of school districts applying for funding is much higher than last year. Getting ELT funding for all four schools (Brayton, Greylock, Sullivan and Conte), given the limited funding, is an increasing concern. For the elementary schools, it has to be all three. So it may come down to the elementary schools - or the middle school - or no school. We should hear something within the next couple of weeks. Final word on funding may not be until July.

Teachers Say Yes to Extended Day

On May 5, the North Adams Teachers Association voted by a large margin (~85%) in favor of the Extended Learning Time (ELT) for the 2008-09 School Year. The next step in the process is notification from the Mass Department of Education of which school districts will be recommended for ELT funding - on May 23. Then, if included in this group, we will await the final word on which school districts will actually receive state funding. This time around, there are many more school districts submitting proposals and the expected funds available will be much more limited that that offered a year ago.