Monfredo: Report From Early 2000’s Asked for Additional Goals Funding

Sunday, June 02, 2019

John Monfredo, GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER

Year after year education continues to be a hot topic with many ideas expressed on how to improve student learning and provide them with the best education possible. Recently I came across an article that was over a decade old. It was submitted by “Mass Insight Education and Research Institute” as part of the Great Schools Campaign. It was a call for new goals, new funding and new reforms. Does that sound familiar in 2019?

Again, there was a cry, as there is in 2019, for new state money for education and for additional reform. It stated, “Chapter 70 state aid should be adequate, equitably allocated, with predictable increases.” The group called for new reforms statewide … here are a few of the recommendations.

A longer school day: the research is clear that students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds benefit significantly from more time to learn. The state should support lengthened school days and academic years with a special emphasis on models that incorporate the extra time into their core structures and school culture. (I certainly agree with this statement for additional time in school is essential especially for those students in need of additional service. We have a few schools that do have a longer school day but not enough in the Worcester Public Schools. Again, it is budget issue. What we do need is additional funding for a longer summer school program. We need to add on more grade one and two classes to the mix for we have too many children not reading on grade level by the end of grade three)
Pre-school and all day kindergarten: (Most districts do have an all day kindergarten program now but there are still many districts that don’t. I strongly believe that in the Gateway cities we need full day preschool programs as well. More prevention does work but again, then and now it’s a budget issue.)
Effective use of performance data to improve instruction: The report asked for statewide investments in this area that would help educators apply more effectively what they learn from MCAS and other data to the improvement of curricula and teaching approaches. (This idea did take place but in my opinion went too far. What we need is a commonsense approach to testing and use the data to improve schools not penalize them for being low performing districts.)
Selection of teachers: The state’s public and private colleges and universities, together with the appropriate state agencies, should take the lead in establishing more comprehensive, coordinated and rigorous programs to recruit and prepare the best teachers in the country… the creation of a competent teaching force should be a benchmark for public institutions of higher education. (This did not take place on the higher education level for one thing they did not recruit enough teachers of color to enroll in education. Most districts continue to try and find the best and the brightest among teachers of color but recruiting has been difficult. More efforts by the colleges need to take place.)
Remove all school administrators from collective bargaining: (This did take place and they are now accountable to the superintendent.)
Raise the ceiling: Excellence in math and science: Our state with its skills dependent economy can no longer afford to have anything less than world-class schools. Math and science education, in particular must be dramatically improved at all levels in all schools, if our students are to complete successfully in the global economy. (Back to 2019, this issue has improved but more work needs to be done.)
Assisting at risk students who need extra help: The state’s accountability requirement demand that districts provide remediation programs to every child who needs help. (Additional after-school programs need to be implemented but there is a lack of funding. Districts have hired tutors to assist during the day but assistance is needed during the day and all schools should have an afterschool program to assist those students in need of service.)

The summary of this report states, “To say that education reform in Massachusetts is an unfinished agenda is not to imply criticism of past results, it is to promise a renewed commitment and continued progress… Schools must constantly react to what we need and incorporate what we know… If Massachusetts commits itself t the goals, funding and reforms education reform will still be an unfinished agenda ten years from now.” ( I do agree with this summary for our district is constantly reacting to the data and the needs of our students. However, what still needs to happen is the funding mechanism to make education sustainable.)

Here we are about fifteen years from when this report was written. Yes, we are making progress but again as mentioned in the report additional funding must take place and our state needs to take the lead in making it happen. As the saying goes, “ Less talk and more action.”