O’Connell Calls For ‘Listening Session’ on North High Issues

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Patrick Sargent, GoLocal Worcester Contributor

Brian O'Connell

Worcester School Committee member Brian O'Connell is calling for a 'Listening Session,' to be held at North High due to the recent events at the school the past few weeks.

At the next School Committee meeting on February 5, O'Connell will propose to the committee to convene a 'listening session' at North. The session will be an attempt to listen to any and all input and advice of North High's staff, students, parents and other members of the Worcester community to raise interests and concerns regarding North. Also, the session will serve to address any issues of policy and/or budget concerns that the School Committee should address.

O'Connell said, "Recent developments at North – and concerns which the North staff have been expressing throughout this year – make this session timely, topical and vital.North’s enrollment has grown substantially in recent years – especially in 2013-14 and 2014-15 - making it one of Worcester's’s larger schools. This has resulted in larger classes, increasing demands on staff members. In turn, this gives them less time to walk the school corridors and to notice, and address, disciplinary issues which a larger student body can provoke in any school."

John Monfredo, School Committee member and GoLocal Worcester MINDSETTER™, said "The intent is a good one for it would certainly give all those involved at North High a chance to express what needs to get done to move North High forward. It's a good school that has had lots of negative publicity lately and perhaps it could be beneficial."

As GoLocal Worcester reported, North High was victim to its fourth bomb threat of the school year last Tuesday. Following the bomb threat, a large fight broke out on the third floor of the school. Two teachers were assaulted, and an assistant principal was spit on, and two students were arrested for Assault and Battery and Disruption of School Assembly. A third student was arrested only for Disruption of School Assembly.

"Recent incidents at North require our attention as well. Bomb threats, food fights, and student assaults, on staff and on other students, are by no means unique to North, or to Worcester. However, they need to be addressed in a way which reaffirms an environment of safety and security for students and staff at North. Incidents which place the North community, and its members, at risk, in understandable apprehension of their own safety, need to have clear disciplinary consequences for their perpetrators," said O'Connell.

Last Friday, 599 North High students were absent from school, apparently due to another threat at the school.

O'Connell said, "Staff and students’ concern as to safety is paramount. The wholesale absence of North students from school last Friday is unprecedented in the Worcester public schools, in number and in scope. Whether or not it was exacerbated by inflammatory messages on radio and/or social media, it is an extraordinary cry for help, from students who clearly seek to preserve North as a safe environment for school activities and academic work."

Monfredo suggests a possible addition to O'Connell's 'listening session. Monfredo said, "I suggested that a committee led by the principal with students, community members, safety officer, police meet to discuss what needs to be done and have a plan for future action."