.@skoczela starts by saying "time has ceased to have any meaning" when referencing the parent survey (that was *three months ago?!?!*)
Yes! The pandemic has "piled up consequences over and over again on the same people"
Technology and language "very clearly influenced" the student connection with the classroom, as were income and race #EnvisionEquity#MAEdu
.@MassINCPolling plans to look at what changes are happening now: internet connection, email access, devices; language connections; impact of all different educational formats #EnvisionEquity
Thomas Anderson, Superintendent, New Bedford Public Schools
"We can put the devices out there...supporting them in using those devices"
"It'd be great" to have more funding to modernize buildings.
How to partner with school committee to ensure buy in on allocation of resources #EnvisionEquity#MAedu
Over to @tk_nagayoshi to speak from the teacher perspective. "We get our energy and our motivation from our kids." #EnvisionEquity
...highlights the uncertainty in every decision, not just in policy and budget, but in everything
"I don't even know what the AP exam is going to look like in the spring...I don't know if my kids are even going to come back in October... #EnvisionEquity
"I don't know if the kids in front of me can or even should be prioritizing their academic work" #EnvisionEquity
Students who are watching younger kids, are essential workers, are having to do work through cell phone data, have family members who have contracted COVID, and so forth #EnvisionEquity#MAEdu
Equip educators with navigating the social-emotional challenges #EnvisionEquity
Treat students "as people first, scholars second" #MAEdu
"You can't start it yesterday and think it's going to be ready today." (Thomas Anderson, New Bedford superintendent) #EnvisionEquity
"Our families need support...find more opportunities...really need that extended support" for families who don't have the means themselves "to get through this year" @MeghanIrons #EnvisionEquity
Ensure policymakers understand "how many compound impacts the same people are facing over and over again" @skoczela#EnvisionEquity
"We're in the vision of people...everything ties back to the classroom" Thomas Anderson
I’m sure that sometimes some of you think I am overreacting to the Boston Globe’s education coverage, but you probably couldn’t frame “how is this school funding reform working this year” WORSE than looking at Belmont, Harvard, and Westford.
I could try to invent one, but it’s an incredible manifestation of whom the Globe perceives its audience as AND how poorly it understands the state school funding system.
So I logged off last night to have dinner with my family and write about how the Globe was wrong about school finance (chapter MMXXIII), and it appears I missed some Discourse on Worcester Public Schools funding.
Y’all were busy!
And so, a thread:
Let me first note that when I teach MA school finance (which is part of what I do for work, for those who might be new), I start in 1647, so there’s some history here.
From a Worcester perspective, let’s sum up by saying that the early colonial law that required towns to have schools once they hit a particular size was violated more than once, resulting in the town being fined.
The reason for that is pretty straightforward: Chelsea is three square miles; Franklin County Regional Tech is 500 square miles. Both are Massachusetts school districts. As you might imagine, they spend WILDLY differing amounts on transportation.
What is different between Fall River--and, indeed, any municipal district in Massachusetts--and their neighboring regionals, is, that while BOTH have mandated state reimbursed transportation, only one of those reimbursements gets funded.
finally watching last week's Joint Ways & Means hearing, and appreciate @Jo_Comerford's question on the balance of one time versus sustained funding #MAEdu
she also did a lovely, polite refocus of her question; good chairing!
Cheers also to Sen @AnneGobi for opening her Q to @MassEducation a pointed: "on behalf of the entire Worcester delegation for your thoughtful and spot-on comments regarding the charter school in Worcester. It was extremely appreciated."
ok, good morning, I have a question (just getting to #MAEdu news from yesterday):
This MEEP claim that gaps have widened over the pandemic is based on...what exactly?
We don't yet have the last year's MCAS data. We don't yet have MA NAEP data.
The report cites 2019 to 2021 third grade reading scores, and then percentage of low income 9th graders passing their classes compared to wealthier peers.
Then enrollment in college, which we know dropped...everywhere?