LAST SPRING, THE COMMISSIONER OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION FOR THE STATE, NAMED DR.
STEPHEN ZRIKE, RECEIVER CHRONICALLY UNDERPERFORMING
HOLYOKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
IT'S A CONTROVERSIAL MOVE TAKING CONTROL AWAY FROM THE SCHOOL
COMMITTEE AND THE SUPERINTENDENT.
A CONNECTING POINT CORRESPONDENT, CAROLEE MCGRATH,
SAT DOWN WITH DR.
ZRIKE TO TALK ABOUT HIS PLANS FOR IMPROVING
THE EDUCATION SYSTEM.
>> IT IS A LONG COME WITH A LOT OF, I THINK, GUIDANCE ON THE
DIRECTION FOR THE DISTRICT OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
IT'S A LOT OF THE WORK IS, A LOT OF THE DIRECTIN ARE THINGS THAT
HAVE ALREADY STARTED, OR HAVE BEEN PART OF THE DISTRICT'S
DIRECTION, BUT IT'S ACCELERATED, AND THEN THERE IS NEW IDEAS.
I THINK JUST A COUPLE HIGHLIGHTS AROUND IT, I THINK THAT THE PLAN
SPEAKS TO WHAT'S WORKING AND.ING TO EXPAND IN SCALE AND FIX
WHAT'S NOT.
THAT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE, BUT WE WANT TO IMPROVE ON THE AREAS
WE'VE BEEN STRUGGLING, AND I THINK THAT IT SPEAKS TO TIME,
AND THE USE OF TIME AND EXTEND, THE DAY, MAKING A FULLER DAY BUT
OPPORTUNITIES FOR A TEACHER, THE TEACHERS TO HAVE MORE TIME TO
PLAN AND COLLABORATE FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
IT SPEAKS TO PARENT ENGAGEMENT, AND REPAIRING SOME RELATIONSHIPS
THAT MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED, WITH FAMILIES OVER THE YEARS, AND IT
SPEAKS TO THE SECONDARY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE, VERY, VERY LOUDLY
ABOUT THE SIX TO 12, AND HOW DO WE ENSURE OUR STUDENTS ARE TRULY
ON A PATH TO COLLEGE AND CAREER, AND IT SPEAKS TO YOU KNOW, I
THINK IT SPEAKS TO WHAT WE DEFINE AS QUALITY INSTRUCTION
FOR ALL KIDS, AND IN THE PLAN, SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE
HIGHLIGHTS IN, YOU KNOW, IN A LENGTHY BUT VERY, I THINK,
THOROUGH AND STRONG DOCUMENT THAT HAS CLEAR OUTCOMES FOR US,
THAT WE HAVE TO REPORT ON, AND REGULARLY, AND WE HAVE TO BE
RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE SEE
PROGRESS.
>> AND WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT FOR A TIME LINE?
>> WELL, THERE FIRST PLAN IS A THREE-YEAR PLAN.
AND SO, CLEARLY, THIS WORK IS, IS OUR DIRECTIVE AND OUR
GUIDANCE FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS, AND I THINK THAT THE
COMMISSIONER HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR THAT THE WORK WILL CONTINUE AS
LONG AS IT NEEDS TO, AND I DON'T THINK THAT THERE IS A FINITE END
DATE TO THIS.
AT SOME POINT, WE CERTAINLY WANT TO BRING THE SCHOOLS BACK TO THE
CITY, AND THAT'S THE INTENTION, AND THAT'S THE DIRECTION THAT
I'VE BEEN GIVEN, AS WELL.
BUT, IT'S HARD TO PUT A FINITE TIME LINE.
IF YOU LOOK AT LAWRENCE, THE OTHER DISTRICT, THEY ARE MOVING
INTO YEAR FOUR, AND RENEWED OR ISSUED A SECOND TERM PLAN FOR
THE ENSUING YEARS, SO, BUT IT'S HARD TO SAY, EVERY DISTRICT IS
DIFFERENT.
BUT, CHANGE TAKES A LONG TIME, AND HOLYOKE'S CHALLENGE DIDN'T
HAPPEN OVERNIGHT, AND AN IMPROVEMENT IS NOT GOING TO
HAPPEN YOU KNOW, WITHIN JUST A FEW YEARS.
>> SO, YOU HAVE CHALLENGES, OF COURSE, THAT YOU ARE DEALING
WITH, THE MAJORITY OF KIDS, ARE CONSIDERED LOW INCOME.
>> RIGHT.
>> AND YOU HAVE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS.
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DEAL WITH THOSE CHALLENGES?
ARE YOU MOVE FORWARD?
>> THEY ARE CHALLENGES THAT WE -- THAT OUR SCHOOLS HAVE TO
WRESTLE WITH, BUT, I WON'T, AND ALLOW THOSE TO BE EXCUSE, AND I
THINK THAT OUR PERFORMANCE IS, WHILE I THINK IT'S ALWAYS A
CHALLENGE, TO SCHOOLS WITH OUR DEMOGRAPHICS TO BE LEADING THE
PACK IN THE STATE, IT CERTAINLY -- WE COULD BE DOING A LOT
BETTER, AND WHEN YOU COMPARE OUR DISTRICT TO LIKE COMMUNITIES, WE
ARE LAGGING IN ALMOST EVERY INDICATOR, AND YOU KNOW, I,
ACTUALLY, SEE TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL FOR US TO BE, TO BE A
LOT FURTHER ALONG, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE SEEN SOME EXAMPLES
OF URBAN COMMUNITIES, THAT HAVE SIMILAR DEMOGRAPHICS TO US, AND
OUTPACING US, AND HAVE HIGHER GRADUATION RATES, STRONGER
LITERACY PERFORMANCE, AND BETTER RESULTS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE
LEARNERS, AND AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ALL THESE
COMMUNITIES STRUGGLE WITH, BUT I THINK THAT HOLYOKE HAS NOT QUITE
HAD THE SUCCESS THAT SOME OF THOSE COMMUNITIES HAVE HAD OVER
THE LAST FEW YEARS.
>> WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT A LONGER DAY, SO KIDS START
TYPICALLY WHAT, 8:00?
WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO COME IN AT 7:00 AND STAY UNTIL 4:00?
>> I DON'T KNOW THAT BECAUSE I THINK -- WE'RE GIVING SCHOOLS
THE AUTONOMY TO DESIGN THE PLANS, AND I THINK THAT WE NEED
TO BE RESPECTFUL OF WHAT THE EDUCATORS IN THE BUILDING THINK
IS BEST FOR THE STUDENTS, AND THE FAMILIES SOMEWHERE A ROLE IN
PROVIDING INPUT.
IT CAN'T JUST BE A LONGER DAY FOR THE SAKE OF EXTENDING EVERY
CLASS, I THINK THAT THAT'S NOT GOING TO MAKE THE EXPERIENCE
BETTER FOR KIDS.
WE HAVE TO BE, I THINK, BOLDER AND MORE AGGRESSIVE ABOUT, AND
MORE EN RICHING, FULLER EXPERIENCES FOR CHILDREN.
THE KINDS OF EXPERIENCE I WANT FOR MY CHILD, WHICH IS BEYOND
JUST, YOU KNOW, MORE SEE TIME IN LITERACY AND MATH.
THAT WILL HAPPEN BUT, I THINK, THAT THEY NEED TO BE TAUGHT
SOCIAL STUDIES AND SCIENCE CONTENT AND TECHNOLOGY AND ARTS,
AND, AND OTHER COMPUTER SCIENCES, IS AN AREA THAT OTHER
DISTRICTS HAVE FOUND TO BE REALLY ENGAGING, AND A WAY TO
PREPARE KIDS FOR THE WORKFORCE, AND A LOT OF STUDENTS THAT ARE
MOTIVATE -- MOTIVATED BY STEM.
IT CAN'T BE MORE OF THE SAME, OTHERWISE IT WILL NOT BE
BENEFICIAL TO OUR STUDENTS.
>> HE TALKS A BIT ABOUT REALLY ENGAGING PARENTS.
HOW ARE NOT FOR IS THAT -- WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THAT
COMPONENT IS, OF COURSE, IF PARENTS ARE INVOLVED, KIDS HAVE
A BETTER CHANCE TO SUCCEED.
HOW DO YOU GO PARENTS' INVOLVEMENT AND HOW DO YOU, YOU
KNOW, MAKE THAT CASE TO THEM, THAT LOOK, WE'RE REALLY INVESTED
IN THIS?
>> YEAH, I MEAN, I TRIED REALLY HARD IN MY EARLY STAGES TO GET
OUT THERE TO LISTEN TO PARENTS.
I THINK THAT WE MAY HAVE LISTENED, BUT WE DID NOT REALLY
LISTEN TO WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY, AND MANY OF OUR FAMILIES, ON ALL
ENDS OF THE SOCIOECONOMIC SPECTRUM HAVE HAD VOICE CONCERNS
ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS, THAT ARE LEDGE, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE
HAVE ADJUSTED TO THOSE IN TAKING THAT FEEDBACK TO HEART.
WE ACKNOWLEDGE IT, AND MAYBE WE ACKNOWLEDGED IT, BUT I DON'T
KNOW THAT IT'S MADE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WAY THAT WE PROGRAM IT
AND THE EXPERIENCE OUR KIDS HAVE.
THAT'S -- IT HAS TO START THERE, AND I THINK NO ME AS A LEADER,
TO BE VISIBLE AND ACTIVE WITH FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITY, IN
THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, IN THEIR -- IN THE PLACES THAT THEY FEEL
COMFORTABLE, SAFE, THAT'S A PRIORITY FOR ME BECAUSE THAT'S
WHERE YOU GET THE BEST INFORMATION.
AND THEN I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO TAILOR OUR SCHOOL, OUR SCHOOLS
HAVE TO BE NIMBLE ENOUGH TO ADJUST.
PARENTS WANT CHOICES.
REGARDLESS OF THEIR SOCIOECONOMIC LEVEL, THEY KNOW
THEIR CHILDREN HAVE DIFFERENT PROFILES AND LEARNING NEEDS, AND
WE HAVE TO CREATE A SYSTEM THAT GIVES THEM THOSE CHOICES.
RIGHT NOW, IF YOU ASK, MANY OF THE FAMILIES, IF THEY HAD
CHOICES, THEY WOULD GO ELSEWHERE.
IF THEY HAD THE RESOURCES, IF THEY HAD -- IF THERE WERE
WAITING LISTS, THEY WOULD CHOOSE ELSEWHERE SO WE HAVE GOT TO
PROVIDE A BETTER PRODUCT THAT THEY LOOK AT AND SAY, FOR MY
CHILD WHO HAS THIS PROFILE, IS A SCHOOL THAT HAS A SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY FOCUS, IS THE RIGHT CHOICE.
RIGHT NOW, THE ONLY OPTION THAT WE HAVE, WHICH IS WIDELY
POPULAR, IS A DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM THAT WAS WATCHED BY THE
PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION, WHICH IS AN EXCELLENT YOU KNOW, MODEL
FOR -- NOT ONLY DOES IT HELP E.L.L.s, BUT A LOT OF NATIVE
ENGLISH SPEAKERS WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO BE BILINGUAL SO
OPTIONS LIKE THAT ARE RESPONSIVE TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS.
>> WHAT ABOUT FOR TEACHERS.
THERE'S BEEN UNCERTAINTIES, AND PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT HAPPY ABOUT
THIS, AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE STATE GO, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
>> PEOPLE ARE NOT SHY ABOUT SAYING THAT AT TIMES.
I'VE BEEN VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE TEACHING STAFF IN HOLYOKE.
MANY WANT TO ROLL UP THEIR SLEEVES AND BE PART OF THIS, AND
I TRIED, JUST LIKE I SPOKE ABOUT ENGAGING WITH FAMILIES, WITH THE
TURNAROUND PLAN, I HAVE THEM GOING OUT TO EVERY SCHOOL AND
HAVING PEOPLE TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PLAN BECAUSE, THEY
LEGITIMATELY HAVE QUESTIONS AND, YOU KNOW, AND CONCERNS AND
SKEPTICISM ABOUT ASPECTS OF IT, AND EVERYBODY WANTS TO KNOW HOW
IT WILL IMPACT THEIR WORK.
FOR US, THAT LEVEL OF DIALOGUE HAS BEEN REALLY IMPORTANT, AND
SO, WE'VE BEEN VERY CLEAR, IF YOU ARE COMMITTED TO THE
HOLYOKE, WHICH MANY ARE, WE WANT YOU TO BE PART OF OUR TEAM AND
TO STAY.
WE DON'T SEE A LINE OUT THE DOOR OF PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO GET
INTO BE TEACHERS, AND SOME OF OUR VERY BEST ARE SOME OF THE
BEST IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS.
IF YOU CAN TEACH IN HOLYOKE AND BE SUCCESSFUL, YOU CAN BE
SUCCESSFUL IN ALMOST ANY OTHER DISTRICT.
>> AND GOING FORWARD, THOSE PERFORMANCES WILL BE TIED, THE
SALARIES WILL BE TIED TO THE PERFORMANCES?
>> THE PLAN IS, THE TURNAROUND PLAN CALLS OUT OF A COMPENSATION
SYSTEM THAT WOULD REWARD INDIVIDUALS FOR PERFORMANCE.
WE HAVE NOT DESIGNED THAT, WHILE THERE ARE MODELS THAT WE'RE
LOOKING AT, IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, AND WE'RE VERY
INTERESTED IN HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE UNION IN
PREPARATION FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR.
>> AND LAST QUESTION, WE KNOW THAT SCHOOLS ARE DATA DRIVEN,
AND VERY CONCERNED ABOUT TEST SCORES, AND OBVIOUSLY, HOLYOKE
IS.
IS THAT WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE FOR THE EIGHT-YEAR-OLD WHO
GOES TO SCHOOL, TEST, TEST, TEST, DATA WALLS, IS THAT --
THAT'S, THAT SOUNDS PRETTY DAUNTING.
>> IT CAN'T BE THAT, AND YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT REALLY HASN'T
WORKED FOR HOLYOKE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT -- THAT'S BEEN A LOT
OF THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING, IS PREPARING -- TEACHERS
HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD TO PREPARE FOR MCATS, AND TEACHING
TO THE TEST, IN MY OPINION, ISN'T WHAT WORKS.
PROVIDING AN EN RICHING EXPERIENCE WHERE KIDS ARE
ENGAGING IN A HIGH LEVEL CONTEST IS, NOT ONLY IS GOOD FOR STUDENT
LEARNING, BUT A -- BUT WILL ENSURE THAT THEY PERFORM WELL ON
HIGH STAKES AND THE STANDARD-BASED ASSESSMENT.
>> DR.
ZRIKE, YOU HAVE A LOT OF WORK AHEAD OF YOU.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
I APPRECIATE IT.