LAST WEEK THE MASSACHUSETTS BOARD OF ELEMENTARY AND
SECONDARY EDUCATION VOTED TO TAKE THE HOLYOKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
UNDER RECEIVERSHIP.
THE STATE CONTROL.
THROUGH THE CHRONIC ACADEMIC UNDERPERFORMANCE.
WE SPOKE WITH THE MAYOR OF HOLYOKE WHO SERVES AS THE
COMMITTEE CHAIR TO ASK HIM ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE STATE ACTION.
>> THIS COMMUNITY BY AND LARGE OPPOSED THE SEERSHIP, IF YOU
LOOK AT THE PUBLIC HEARINGS, THE ACTIONS BY THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE,
AND THE CITY COUNCIL, AND I THINK THAT THROUGHOUT THIS
PROCESS WE HAVE ALSO RECOGNIZED THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT, AND THE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS COULD BE DOING A BETTER JOB FOR THE STUDENTS, SO
IN THE AFTERMATH OF LAST WEEK'S VOTE BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION,
I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO SEE THIS PARTNERSHIP AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO
IMPROVE OUTCOMES.
>> CRITICIZE MIGHT BE TOO STRONG OF A WORD.
THEY DID NOT THINK THAT YOU WERE FORCEFUL ENOUGH IN YOUR
OPPOSITION TO THE STATE TAKE-OVER, AND THEY POINTED THAT
OUT BEFORE THE BOARD VOTE, WHERE YOU SAID, THE RECEIVERSHIP
COMES, WE HAVE TO MAKE IT WORK BECAUSE THE FUTURE OF THE
SCHOOLS AND THE KIDS IS GOING TO BE UP TO US ONE WAY OR THE
OTHER.
HOW DO YOU RESPOND?
>> YEAH, I MEAN, I AM THE MAYOR OF THE ENTIRE CITY.
I ALSO SERVE AS CHAIR OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE BUT I ALSO, IN
MY CAPACITY, I MEET WITH MANUFACTURERS AND HEAR THEIR
STORIES ABOUT THEIR INABILITY TO EMPLOY QUALIFIED YOUNG PEOPLE.
I MEET WITH FOLKS AT CAREER CENTERS WHO HAVE DROPPED OUT OF
THE HIGH SCHOOL AND ARE UNABLE TO FINE WORK.
AND I AM IN MEETINGS WITH THE POLICE CHIEF, AND OUR CAPTAINS,
TALKING ABOUT WHAT ARE THE DEMOGRAPHIC OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE,
BY AND LANTERN, HIGH SCHOOL DROP-OUTS, SO I SEE THE
RAMIFICATIONS OF THE DATA AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM DAY IN AND
OUT, AND SO TO BE HONEST ABOUT OUR SHORTCOMINGS, IT IS IN NO
WAY A CRITIQUE OF THE EDUCATORS.
IT'S A MERE ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT WE HAVE MORE WORK TO DO.
>> IT'S APPROPRIATE, OBVIOUSLY, TO TOUT THE SUCCESS OF STUDENTS
AND OFTENTIMES, I SHARE MY PERSONAL STORY OF SUCCESS IN THE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS, BECOMING THE FIRST OF MY FAMILY TO GO TO
COLLEGE, AND I CREDIT MY TEACHERS AND MY FAMILY FOR THAT.
I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT NOT EVERYONE HAS THAT SAME STORY.
OR THE SAME PRIVILEGE THAT I HAVE GROWN UP WITH.
AND SO, I RAN FOR THIS POSITION BECAUSE I WANTED ALL STUDENTS,
NO MATTER THE LANGUAGE THEY SPOKE OR NEIGHBORHOOD THEY ARE
FROM, TO HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY, SO IN THAT PIECE IT
WAS, THIS IS A STRONG POSSIBILITY, THE BOARD OF, THE
COMMISSIONER HAD MADE THE RECOMMENDATIONS, AND A FEW DAYS
BEFORE I ATTENDED THAT, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HAVE
A MATURE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE DATA IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND
WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
>> JUST LAST FRIDAY, A COUPLE DAYS AFTER THE STATE VOTE, YOU
MET WITH THE EDUCATION COMMISSIONER, MITCHELL, AND YOU
CAME OUT TO HOLYOKE, AND WHAT CAN YOU SHARE WITH US OF WHAT
YOU LEARNED, YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT WHAT HE'S PLANNING AND HE'S
ENVISIONING AND WHAT YOU ARE -- YOUR OWN RULE WILL BE?
>> WE MET LAST NIGHT FOR THE FIRST TIME.
THERE WAS A LOT OF QUESTIONS BY OTHER SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBERS
AS TO WHAT THE ROLE OF THE BODY IS, MOVING FORWARD, AND THERE IS
A LOT OF QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED.
IT'S BEEN A WEEK TODAY, SINCE THE VOTE, SO WE EXPECT THAT
THERE WILL BE A TIME OF TRANSITION, I APPRECIATE THE
COMMISSIONER COMING UP TO HOLYOKE SO QUICKLY TO MEET WITH
ME, AND I KNOW THAT WE HAD A VERY PRODUCTIVE AND MEANINGFUL
MEETING WITH ALL OF THE TEACHERS AND STAFF, AND I HAVE HEARD,
NOTHING BUT POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM THOSE TEACHERS AT THAT
MEETING IN TERMS OF THE REASSURING OF FOLKS, THAT IF NOT
TRUE, THAT ALL TEACHERS WILL GET FIRED, THAT ALL TEACHERS WILL
HAVE TO REAPPLY FOR THEIR JOBS.
AND WE HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO GO OUT AND TALK TO THE RECEIVER,
JEFF REILLY THERE.
HIS ADMINISTRATION, AND TEAM, AND TEACHERS.
JUST TO SEE HOW THE PROCESS UNFOLDED IN LAWRENCE, AND IF
ANYTHING, WE CAN LEARN FROM THAT PROCESS AND MAKE SURE IT WORKS
FOR THE CITY OF HOLYOKE BECAUSE WE HAVE A UNIQUE COMMUNITY HERE,
A VERY STRONG COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF THE LEVEL OF CIVIC PRIDE, AND
A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE WORKING WELL IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND
I THINK THAT -- I APPRECIATE THE COMMISSIONER'S REMARKS ABOUT
WHATEVER IS WORKING IN HOLE OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO BUILD OFF
THAT AND IMPROVE ON IT.
SO FEARS THAT OUR SPORTS PROGRAMS AND ADVANCED PLACEMENT
AND OUR ARCH PROGRAMS AND EVERYTHING GOOD ABOUT THE
DISTRICT WILL STAY AND BE BUILT UPON, AND I WILL MAKE SURE THAT
THAT IS THE CASE.
I MADE IT CLEAR TO THE COMMISSIONER THAT, YOU KNOW, WE
SUPPORT INDIVIDUAL RECEIVERS, NOT A PRIVATE ORGANIZATION, AND
MANAGING THE ENTIRE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND I THINK THAT WE
NEED TO STAY AWAY FROM PRIVATIZING EDUCATION, AND WHAT
THEY HAVE DONE IN LAWRENCE IS, ESSENTIALLY, APPOINT IN NEW
SUPERINTENDENT WITH THE AUTHORITY OF THE SCHOOL
COMMITTEE AND THE SUPERINTENDENT.
>> THE WHOLE ISSUE OF FAIR, AND WHAT THIS IS, FAIR, AND I THINK
THAT, OF TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS AND SCHOOLS,
ALMOST ANY URBAN LOCATION IN AMERICA TODAY, AND HOLYOKE,
CERTAINLY, HAS MORE THAN I THINK ITS SHARE OF DIFFICULTIES, AND
WE'LL CALL IT POVERTY, NOT TO SAY IF A KID IS POOR THEY CANNOT
LEARN BUT IT'S TOUGH ENOUGH NO MATTER WHAT YOU FACE, BUT IF YOU
ARE COMING TO SCHOOL HUNGRY OR A DIFFICULT HOME SITUATION, THE
DIFFICULTY MULTIPLIED, YOU ARE TESTED AND YOU ARE SCORED, AND
IS WHAT'S HAPPENING FAIR, SAYING THE SCHOOLS ARE NOT DOING THEIR
JOBS, IT'S NOT HAPPENING?
>> I DON'T THINK THAT THE COMMISSIONER OR THE STATE IS,
NECESSARILY, POINTING FINGERS AT ANYBODY IN PARTICULAR.
I THINK THAT THEY ARE LOOKING AT THE DATA, LOOKING AT NOT ONLY
THE STANDARDIZED TESTING BUT TAKE THAT AWAY, AND ASK
YOURSELF, BY WHAT METRICS ARE WE DOING PHENOMENAL.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE CAN SAY VERY CLEARLY THAT BY ANY
METRIC, WE'RE OUTPERFORMING OUR PEERS IN OTHER COMMUNITIES.
NOT TO SAY THAT WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF GREAT STUDENTS, DOING
AMAZING THINGS.
SIMPLY PUT, OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM SHOULD BE THE BIGGEST
EQUALIZER IN OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR SOCIETY.
AND RIGHT NOW, THAT'S NOT DOING -- IT'S NOT SERVING THAT PURPOSE
IN THE CITY OF HOLYOKE, WHEN YOU HAVE ONLY 13% OF OUR THIRD
GRADERS, PROFICIENT IN READING AND 6% GRADUATION RATE, THE
MAJORITY OF THOSE STUDENTS DROPPING OUT ARE POOR STUDENTS
OR STUDENTS OF COLOR, SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE
CITY, AND IN TERMS OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PUBLIC
SAFETY, OR YOU, FROM THAT, INVESTING IN THE SCHOOLS AND
FOCUSING ON THEM WILL BENEFIT OUR COMMUNITY IN THE LONG-TERM.
>> IS THERE ANY REAL ESTATE LISTINGS ANYWHERE?
GOOD SCHOOLS IS ALWAYS IN THERE, AS AN ATTRACTION, AND WHAT'S
YOUR CONCERN ABOUT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE CITY OF HOLYOKE,
OF THIS HAPPENING NOW, WITH THE SCHOOLS?
YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON BRINGING IN BUSINESS, ATTRACTING NEW
RESIDENTS, AND YOU HAVE GOT THINGS LIKE THE GREEN HIGH
PERFORMANCE COMPUTER CENTER THAT DRAW NATIONAL ATTENTION, AND GOT
PEOPLE LOOKING AND SAYING, THIS IS A PLACE OF OPPORTUNITY, THIS
IS A PLACE OF LOW-COST ENERGY, AND THINGS CAN HAPPEN HERE, AND
HOW MUCH OR DO YOU THINK THAT THE SCHOOL TAKE-OVER IMPACTS
THAT?
>> I THINK THAT AT THIS POINT, WE NEED TO CALL IT A PARTNERSHIP
BECAUSE WE NEED TO SEE THIS AS A PARTNERSHIP, NOT ONLY IN THE
SCHOOLS BUT HOW ELSE CAN THE STATE ASSIST HOLYOKE IN TERMS OF
THE FACETS THAT IMPACT THE STUDENTS' ABILITY TO LEARN IN
THE SCHOOLS, AND THAT'S DIRECTLY ADDRESSING POVERTY, AND
DEVELOPMENT AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WHO
NEED THE MOST IN THE CITY.
FRANKLY PUT, WE HAVE THOSE CONCERNS AMONG YOUNG FAMILIES,
ARE THEY GOING TO STAY IN HOLYOKE?
ARE THEY GOING TO MOVE TO HOLYOKE IF THEY HAVE SCHOOL AGED
CHILDREN?
IS THE BUSINESS GOING TO MOVE HERE?
YOU LOOK AT THE DATA AND WE CANNOT MAKE THE ARGUMENT THAT
OTHER COMMUNITIES CAN MAKE, SO I THINK THAT WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE
BEEN VERY SERIOUS ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND OTHER EFFORTS,
AND I THINK THAT THIS, THIS ANNOUNCEMENT HAS SENT A MESSAGE
THAT WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND I THINK THAT
LOOKING BACK, I THINK THAT WE ALL NEED TO HOPE AND EXPECT AND
WISH THE BEST FOR WHOEVER THE RECEIVER IS AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL
LOOK BACK AND REMEMBER THIS AS A TIME IN WHICH THE SCHOOLS BEGAN
THEIR TRANSFORMATION, THAT'S HOW WE NEED TO SEE IT, I THINK.
THE VOTE HAPPENED, THE COMMISSIONER AND THE BOARD HAS
MADE THEIR DECISION, AND AS A COMMUNITY, IT'S TIME TO EMBRACE
THIS AND USE THIS AS A REAL OPPORTUNITY.
>> ALEX, THANKS, COMING IN, AND GIVING US PERSPECTIVE ON THE
SITUATION OF THE HOLYOKE SCHOOLS.
>> THANK YOU.