Winter 2012 (PDF) - Springfield Public Schools
Winter 2012 (PDF) - Springfield Public Schools
Winter 2012 (PDF) - Springfield Public Schools
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<strong>Springfield</strong>EducatorFallFinal_<strong>2012</strong>_Cushing Connector <strong>2012</strong> 1/8/2013 1:30 PM Page 1<br />
VOL. 4, NO. 3 WINTER 2013<br />
SUPER<br />
MAN<br />
Back row from left, Balliet<br />
School teachers Michelle<br />
Liberto and Juliana Bondor,<br />
Principal Shadae Thomas,<br />
<strong>Springfield</strong> Superintendent of<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> Daniel Warwick and<br />
Zone One Chief <strong>Schools</strong><br />
Officer Veta Daley visit<br />
Liberto’s second-grade class.<br />
PHOTO: SEAN BROWNE<br />
Warwick has<br />
spent lifetime<br />
preparing for<br />
this position<br />
BY PAUL HALLORAN<br />
BY PAUL HALLORAN<br />
As school districts across the state and nation try to devise<br />
teacher-evaluation systems that accomplishes their goals while<br />
earning the approval of teachers unions, <strong>Springfield</strong> has planted<br />
the SEEDS for an effective evaluation tool.<br />
The <strong>Springfield</strong> Effective Educator Development System<br />
(SEEDS) was put into place at the Level 4 schools last school<br />
year and implemented district-wide this fall. It was developed<br />
collaboratively by <strong>Springfield</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> (SPS), the<br />
Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) and the <strong>Springfield</strong><br />
Education Association (SEA).<br />
As of <strong>2012</strong>, school districts in Massachusetts were required to<br />
When you discover that Daniel Warwick<br />
has spent almost four decades in<br />
<strong>Springfield</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>, you might be<br />
surprised to learn he is only 58. Then when<br />
you hear the energy and passion in his<br />
voice as he discusses his plans for<br />
improving the district, you come away<br />
thinking he sounds more like 38.<br />
“We worked on a strategic plan four<br />
years ago and I updated that plan and<br />
outlined goals in four areas,” Warwick<br />
said, listing improving student<br />
achievement, improving the graduation<br />
rate and lowering the dropout rate, meeting<br />
state benchmarks and improving<br />
attendance as four priorities.<br />
“I delineated clear strategies when I<br />
See WARWICK Page 13 LEVEL 4<br />
SEEDS planted for effective teacher evaluation<br />
have a formal teacher evaluation system in place, as a condition<br />
of the state’s receiving federal Race To The Top funding. Many<br />
districts were forced to scramble to get an evaluation system in<br />
place by the end of the 2011-12 school year.<br />
“The timelines from the federal and state government were not<br />
realistic,” said SEA President Tim Collins. “We worked hard to<br />
get something up and running by the end of the school year.”<br />
The fact that educators were involved in the planning process<br />
is significant. “This system was designed for evaluations to be<br />
done ‘with’ teachers and not ‘to’ them,” Collins said. “Our goal<br />
at the district level is to have it be what is says: an effective<br />
educator development system.”<br />
See SEEDS Page 3<br />
INSIDE:<br />
COLLEGE<br />
SPORTS<br />
P.4-5<br />
P.8-9<br />
P.16
<strong>Springfield</strong>EducatorFallFinal_<strong>2012</strong>_Cushing Connector <strong>2012</strong> 1/8/2013 1:30 PM Page 2<br />
2 - THE SPRINGFIELD EDUCATOR <strong>Winter</strong> 2013<br />
Committed to making college the goal for all students<br />
A few weekss ago, I sat<br />
immersed in work at my<br />
computer when out of the<br />
corner of my eye, I<br />
caught a glimpse of a<br />
large manila envelope<br />
that a member of my<br />
cabinet had left on my<br />
desk for me. A teacher<br />
DANIEL WARWICK had sent it inter-office<br />
mail to her. Affixed to<br />
the envelope was a note that simply said: “Thought<br />
you might enjoy these!”<br />
Inside was a packet of drawings created by a<br />
kindergarten class at Beal School. Each drawing was<br />
a letter to the student’s parents, asking their parents<br />
for help in making sure that they would get to go to<br />
college when they graduated high school. Several of<br />
the kindergarteners promised to “be good” in<br />
college. Some asked their folks to “help them get<br />
money” to go to college. A few said they wanted to<br />
read big books in college or play college sports.<br />
Others explained that they simply had to go to college<br />
because they wanted to be a doctor or lawyer. One<br />
child said he wanted to go to college so that he could become<br />
president of the United States.<br />
Just two weeks before opening that envelope, I had stood<br />
on the front steps of City Hall flanked by hundreds of school<br />
children, college presidents, pastors, priests and rabbis,<br />
educators, legislators, business owners, community leaders,<br />
college mascots, reporters and news crews, community-based<br />
organizations, concerned citizens, parents and many other<br />
Balliet School second-grader David Jesus shows <strong>Springfield</strong><br />
Superintendent Daniel Warwick what he's working on in class.<br />
PHOTO: SEAN BROWNE<br />
Kindergarten students such as Jack want to go to college.<br />
caring adults. We had gathered in support of a city-wide<br />
initiative called College? YES!, which was aimed at<br />
inspiring and supporting college goals for our students and<br />
their families.<br />
The package of kindergarten letters that I unexpectedly<br />
received on my desk recently is further proof of what I<br />
already knew: that the College? YES! initiative was a<br />
worthwhile endeavor with unprecedented participation and<br />
Superintendent is man<br />
with a (5-year) plan<br />
BY PAUL HALLORAN<br />
The <strong>Springfield</strong> Promise is a<br />
plan devised by<br />
Superintendent Daniel<br />
Warwick to promote a culture<br />
of equity and proficiency,<br />
raising the bar and closing the<br />
achievement gap. The premise<br />
is that if there are effective<br />
principals and teachers in<br />
every school, they can create a<br />
learning environment<br />
characterized by respect and<br />
accountability, in which all<br />
students can graduate collegeand<br />
career-ready.<br />
Warwick set forth goals for<br />
significant improvement on<br />
MCAS testing district-wide: In<br />
English Language Arts, the<br />
goal is for 74 percent of<br />
students to score proficient or<br />
advanced by 2017, up from 41<br />
percent last year. In math, the<br />
goal is 62 percent, up from 27<br />
percent last year; and in<br />
science, 59 percent up from 21<br />
percent.<br />
Warwick’s plan also sets a<br />
goal of a 90-percent<br />
graduation rate in five years,<br />
up from 52 percent last year.<br />
The goal is to reduce the<br />
dropout rate from 11.7 percent<br />
success.<br />
Those of us who work in the school district are<br />
lucky enough to see the fruits of that initiative<br />
every day. But for many of the businesses and<br />
organizations that participated, the weekend-long<br />
event may seem to have been just that – just a<br />
weekend activity, which existed in a vacuum. Let<br />
the letters that landed on my desk reassure you of<br />
the substantial impact your efforts have made on<br />
so many of our students. As a city, we have<br />
collectively begun to root college aspirations in<br />
the minds of even our youngest students. The<br />
children who wrote these letters to their parents,<br />
for example, will enter first grade, sixth grade,<br />
ninth grade, and become high school seniors<br />
believing that college is a viable, reasonable next<br />
step post high school graduation.<br />
Be assured that our schools have built a great<br />
deal of college aspiration momentum. Robust<br />
conversations continue. Special assemblies<br />
highlight career options. The college message is<br />
plastered throughout many hallways, classrooms<br />
and bulletin boards.<br />
We continue to expand our capacities and we are<br />
racing to meet self-imposed improvement goals because we<br />
are committed to creating a district where all students<br />
graduate college and career ready.<br />
And we thank the <strong>Springfield</strong> community for sharing in<br />
that commitment.<br />
Daniel Warwick is superintendent of schools. Reprinted<br />
from The Republican.<br />
to 5.9 percent in five years.<br />
“Strategies need to change,”<br />
Warwick said. “The common<br />
theme is the importance of the<br />
quality of instruction.”<br />
Warwick’s plan calls for:<br />
training and evaluating<br />
educators based on a clear<br />
vision of strong instruction;<br />
implementing a rigorous<br />
curriculum built on common<br />
standards with common<br />
assessments; deploying data<br />
that is timely and accurate to<br />
make decisions; and<br />
strengthening social, emotional<br />
and academic safety nets and<br />
supports for all students and<br />
families.<br />
In addition to improvement<br />
on standardized testing, The<br />
<strong>Springfield</strong> Promise envisions<br />
schools with world-class<br />
learning environments that<br />
produce 21st-century leaders<br />
and the district attracting<br />
highly effective teachers and<br />
principals who want to work in<br />
a high-performing district.<br />
“We expect kids to achieve<br />
at every level,” Warwick said.<br />
“We have to put in the<br />
strategies and supports to help<br />
them do that.”<br />
CITY OF SPRINGFIELD<br />
DOMENIC J. SARNO, MAYOR<br />
SCHOOL COMMITTEE<br />
MAYOR DOMENIC J. SARNO, CHAIR<br />
CHRISTOPHER COLLINS, VICE CHAIR<br />
BARBARA GRESHAM<br />
DENISE M. HURST<br />
PETER MURPHY, ESQ.<br />
ANTONETTE PEPE<br />
NORMAN ROLDAN<br />
ARIANA WILLIAMS,<br />
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE<br />
PUBLISHED BY:<br />
SPRINGFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS<br />
DANIEL WARWICK, SUPERINTENDENT<br />
WWW.SPS.SPRINGFIELD.MA.US<br />
SUBMIT STORY IDEAS TO:<br />
AZELL CAVAAN<br />
CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER<br />
SPRINGFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS<br />
1550 MAIN ST.<br />
SPRINGFIELD, MA 01103<br />
TEL: 413-787-7575<br />
CAVAANA@SPS.SPRINGFIELD.MA.US<br />
PRODUCED BY:<br />
GRANT COMMUNICATIONS<br />
CONSULTING GROUP<br />
781-598-8200<br />
GCCG@GRANTGROUP.COM<br />
WWW.GRANTGROUP.COM
<strong>Springfield</strong>EducatorFallFinal_<strong>2012</strong>_Cushing Connector <strong>2012</strong> 1/8/2013 1:30 PM Page 3<br />
THE SPRINGFIELD EDUCATOR <strong>Winter</strong> 2013 - 3<br />
Martinez urges students<br />
to set the sky as the limit<br />
Asst. superintendent is passionate about learning<br />
When Assistant Superintendent Lydia E. Martinez speaks<br />
about <strong>Springfield</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> and its students, a broad<br />
smile shines across her face.<br />
“I am passionate about learning. I am passionate about<br />
kids taking ownership of their own education and just<br />
watching them grow. Having them want to come to school to<br />
learn, that is my biggest goal. I know that our students can<br />
achieve,” said Martinez, her eyes gleaming.<br />
Martinez grew up in the North End neighborhood,<br />
attending <strong>Springfield</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>. During an 18-year<br />
career in <strong>Springfield</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>, she has worked her way<br />
through the ranks, rising to the No. 2 position in the district.<br />
She uses her story as proof for students that hard work pays<br />
off.<br />
“I tell kids all the time to set the sky as a limit, and if they<br />
fall in the clouds they’re going to be OK,” she said.<br />
After graduating from the former <strong>Springfield</strong> Technical<br />
High School in 1983, Martinez became a first-generation<br />
college student, completing her undergraduate studies at<br />
Westfield State University in three years, earning a<br />
bachelor’s degree in business management. She earned a<br />
master’s degree in education with a minor in Spanish from<br />
Elms College and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate studies<br />
from Westfield State University. Currently, she is a doctoral<br />
candidate at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.<br />
“I wanted to show myself and my family that I could<br />
make it,” said Martinez. “It doesn’t matter where you came<br />
from, it’s where you go, and school is the first place to start.”<br />
In 1996 Martinez began her tenure in the <strong>Springfield</strong><br />
<strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> as a teacher at Forest Park Middle School, a<br />
position she held for six years. There, she also completed a<br />
half-year principal internship. In 2003, she became assistant<br />
principal at the High School of Science and Technology. A<br />
year later, she was appointed principal at Chestnut<br />
Accelerated Middle School, where she served for four years.<br />
From 2008-09 she worked as Senior Administrator for<br />
Leadership Continuum.<br />
Prior to becoming assistant superintendent, Martinez was<br />
a Chief <strong>Schools</strong> Officer for Zone 3, overseeing student<br />
achievement and student interventions at Chestnut, Duggan,<br />
Forest Park, Kennedy, Kiley, STEM, Van Sickle and South<br />
End middle schools. In 2011, she also served<br />
as Chief <strong>Schools</strong> Officer of The <strong>Springfield</strong><br />
Renaissance School and Central, Commerce,<br />
Science and Technology, and Putnam high<br />
schools.<br />
She relishes all of the varied roles she has<br />
experienced in the district. “It has always<br />
been about the kids and about making sure<br />
they have good opportunities and good<br />
experiences in schools. I am here to serve<br />
them,” said Martinez.<br />
Martinez credits much of her success to<br />
early lessons learned at the hands of Carol<br />
Fazio, former principal of Forest Park Middle<br />
School, whom Martinez considers a personal<br />
mentor.<br />
“She saw potential in me and took me<br />
under her wing,” said Martinez. “She gave me<br />
leadership opportunities and guided me into<br />
becoming an administrator.” She also credits<br />
Mildred Barend and the late Chief Master<br />
Sargent Henry B. Palmer for believing in her<br />
when she was young and for helping her get<br />
into college.<br />
Her openness to receiving good advice has<br />
guided her to offer it whenever she can –<br />
especially to students. The crux of that advice<br />
is always simple and straightforward: Success<br />
starts in school and you must try your very<br />
best.<br />
“I want students to understand that education is<br />
what is going to open the doors in their future. Come to<br />
school and just try. Give it a real shot. It’s OK not to know<br />
in the beginning, that’s what learning is all about,” she said.<br />
It’s a message that has rung true for her family; her sister,<br />
brother and two nieces are all teachers. “We are a true<br />
family. We are always together,” Martinez said. “We help<br />
each other out.”<br />
Martinez’ parents both live in <strong>Springfield</strong>, as do three of<br />
her four siblings; the other also lives in Western<br />
Massachusetts.<br />
Lydia Martinez with Emma Valerio at the College? YES! rally.<br />
When she is not at her job, Martinez likes to read, hike<br />
and to travel with her family. Though she loves to get away,<br />
she’s always happy to come back home.<br />
“I chose to stay in <strong>Springfield</strong>. I want to be here. I love the<br />
city, I love the students and I look forward to learning from<br />
Superintendent Warwick. His passion for our students and<br />
city are contagious and refreshing. I believe in his vision and<br />
know that with his leadership, we are headed in the right<br />
direction,” she said.<br />
SEEDS planted for effective teacher evaluation<br />
SEEDS: from Page 1<br />
Kathleen O’Sullivan, Senior<br />
Administrator for Educator Effectiveness<br />
for SPS, said the district and the union<br />
modified a contract developed by the state.<br />
“It was fully negotiated between the union<br />
and <strong>Springfield</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>,”<br />
O’Sullivan said.<br />
The primary difference between SEEDS<br />
and previous evaluation tools is that<br />
teachers now play a much more active role<br />
in the evaluation process. “There is a real<br />
collaboration,” O’Sullivan said. “It’s a<br />
huge change in the way of doing business.<br />
We have to do it right; so much depends<br />
on it.”<br />
“This is a dramatically improved<br />
system,” said Superintendent Daniel<br />
Warwick. “We all recognize this is about<br />
improving instruction and outcomes for<br />
kids. The union has been a great partner.<br />
We’re not going to improve the system<br />
without the teachers. They have had a real<br />
voice in the process.”<br />
SEEDS consists of a 5-part evaluation<br />
cycle that includes:<br />
Self assessment and student learning<br />
goals – Teachers will assess themselves in<br />
the context of the needs of their students<br />
and identify support they might need.<br />
Professional goals – Teachers identify<br />
what professional development they might<br />
need to meet student learning goals.<br />
Principals, evaluators and teachers work<br />
together to meet professional goals that<br />
drive student learning goals.<br />
Implementation – Unannounced<br />
evaluations are conducted and the<br />
evaluators provide feedback based on a<br />
rubric of what proficient teaching is.<br />
“There’s no gray area,” O’Sullivan said.<br />
“Teachers know exactly what the<br />
expectations are, and evaluators give<br />
feedback to help them become proficient.”<br />
Formative assessment – Teachers are on<br />
either a 1- or 2-year cycle. Halfway<br />
through the cycle, an evaluator meets with<br />
the teacher to check on progress. The<br />
teacher presents evidence of what he or<br />
she is doing to meet goals.<br />
Summative assessment – The teacher<br />
meets with the evaluator to examine<br />
performance in six areas that he or she is<br />
evaluated on – the four standards in the<br />
rubric, student learning goals and<br />
professional goals. The teacher receives an<br />
evaluation of: exemplary, proficient, needs<br />
improvement or unsatisfactory.<br />
“We are taking a holistic approach,”<br />
O’Sullivan said, noting that the evaluator<br />
may be any administrator. “Our message is<br />
that we want to make a teacher’s best<br />
better. We have great teachers, but<br />
everybody can grow (in the profession).”<br />
Collins said teachers are cautiously<br />
optimistic that SEEDS will accomplish its<br />
goal.<br />
“We need to do it right so there is a<br />
serious level of confidence on the part of<br />
the evaluators and the teachers that this<br />
will help improve the quality of teaching.<br />
We will be reaching out to evaluators and<br />
teachers to find out what’s working and<br />
what’s not working. We’re all working<br />
hard to see it accomplish what we want.<br />
We want to take strong teachers and make<br />
them stronger, and take developing<br />
teachers and help them develop into good<br />
teachers.”
<strong>Springfield</strong>EducatorFallFinal_<strong>2012</strong>_Cushing Connector <strong>2012</strong> 1/8/2013 1:30 PM Page 4<br />
4 - THE SPRINGFIELD EDUCATOR <strong>Winter</strong> 2013<br />
Level 4 schools show<br />
dramatic gains<br />
Gerena Community School Principal Diane Gagnon and assistant principal Cynthia Escribano<br />
kept their word and let students throw cream pies at them after MCAS improvement.<br />
Gerena School first-grader Melliant Figueroa works at her desk.<br />
PHOTOS: SEAN BROWNE<br />
BY MEAGHAN CASEY<br />
Bearing huge grins and cans of<br />
whipped cream, students at German<br />
Gerena Community School gathered in<br />
early October to put the finishes touches<br />
on dozens of cream pies – not in attempt<br />
to show off their recipe for success, but<br />
to reap its rewards.<br />
The students were celebrating gains in<br />
proficiency on the <strong>2012</strong> MCAS and were<br />
presented with a rare opportunity to<br />
throw the pies in the faces of their<br />
principal, Diane Gagnon, and assistant<br />
principal, Cynthia Escribano. Gagnon<br />
said she promised the pie-throwing party<br />
to students if they demonstrated<br />
improvement, and they did. Two years<br />
after being named a Level 4 school by<br />
the Massachusetts Department of<br />
Elementary and Secondary Education<br />
(DESE,) the percentage of Gerena<br />
students scoring proficient or higher, all<br />
grades combined, has increased by 14<br />
percentage points in English Language<br />
Arts (ELA) and 15 percentage points in<br />
math.<br />
“We’re proud of our results and it was<br />
a great way to celebrate,” said Gagnon.<br />
“A promise is a promise and this is one<br />
that I was more than happy to deliver<br />
on.”<br />
In March of 2010, the DESE identified<br />
Gerena and nine other <strong>Springfield</strong><br />
schools as Level 4 schools, declaring<br />
they stood in immediate need of<br />
improvement. Since then, the state<br />
department has awarded the district more<br />
than $13 million to implement<br />
improvement strategies in those schools.<br />
Gerena was one of four of the district’s<br />
Level 4 schools that have met their threeyear<br />
improvement goals in just two<br />
years. The other three with the greatest<br />
combined two-year gains were Homer<br />
Street Elementary School, up 30<br />
percentage points in ELA and up 39 in<br />
math; Zanetti Montessori K-8 School, up<br />
18 in ELA and up 27 in math; and<br />
Brookings Elementary School, up 12 in<br />
ELA and up 19 in math. They were<br />
among the top 10 Level 4 schools<br />
statewide to show improvement, joining<br />
Burke High School and Orchard Gardens<br />
School in Boston, Murkland Elementary<br />
School in Lowell, Harrington and<br />
Connery elementary schools in Lynn and<br />
Union Hill Elementary School in<br />
Worcester.<br />
“I am extremely proud of our teachers,<br />
principals and administrators who<br />
dedicated hundreds of hours to think<br />
through the urgent needs of their school<br />
and, most importantly, implement new<br />
ideas, practices and difficult changes to<br />
address those challenges,” said<br />
Superintendent Daniel Warwick. “Just as<br />
significantly, I am proud of our students<br />
and their families for not only adjusting<br />
to the changes but actively partnering<br />
with the district to make our plans<br />
successful.”<br />
Warwick credited the addition of an<br />
extra 45 minutes of learning time every<br />
day and the way teachers analyze student<br />
performance from test to test, unit to<br />
unit, day to day. Gagnon agreed,<br />
explaining that like many other Level 4<br />
schools, the Gerena School has increased<br />
its ELA block to 150 minutes and its<br />
math block to 90 minutes, and the<br />
extended day affords an additional 45<br />
minutes for an intervention block,<br />
targeting math, reading and science. The<br />
school has also rolled out a highly<br />
specialized program that blends the<br />
Montessori model with Cornerstone<br />
Literacy’s framework and arts<br />
integration.<br />
“We were the first school to write our<br />
own, state-approved, blended<br />
curriculum,” said Gagnon. “It’s rigorous<br />
work, but nothing is better than seeing<br />
the students make progress. We’ve sat<br />
down with every child and gone over<br />
their progress so that they can better<br />
understand their strengths, weaknesses<br />
and next steps. The teachers have been<br />
an integral part of that process and the<br />
entire redesign plan. They’re serving on<br />
the redesign team and on various<br />
committees and have committed many,<br />
many hours to professional<br />
development.”<br />
Zanetti has adopted a similar approach,<br />
blending the Montessori and Cornerstone<br />
models. Both Zanetti and Gerena were<br />
named Cornerstone Anchor <strong>Schools</strong> and<br />
are serving as local exemplars of best<br />
practices, organized and supported to<br />
strengthen literacy and, thereby, other<br />
elementary instructional practices,<br />
district-wide.<br />
“Teachers are saying they are better<br />
trained and prepared to teach literacy,<br />
and they enjoy the professional<br />
development,” said Zanetti Principal Tara<br />
Christian Clark.<br />
Zanetti has also introduced a new<br />
program, Becoming a Writer. In focus<br />
groups, teachers reported that the<br />
program has helped to create consistency<br />
across grade levels, build a community<br />
of writers, and develop students’ writing<br />
skills across all genres of writing. Clark<br />
also pointed to the school’s safe and<br />
supportive learning environment as a<br />
factor for student success.<br />
“The relationship between our teachers<br />
and students is respectful,” Clark said.<br />
“On an everyday basis, our faculty<br />
members represent high expectations,<br />
Continued on next page
<strong>Springfield</strong>EducatorFallFinal_<strong>2012</strong>_Cushing Connector <strong>2012</strong> 1/8/2013 1:30 PM Page 5<br />
THE SPRINGFIELD EDUCATOR <strong>Winter</strong> 2013 - 5<br />
Continued from previous page<br />
positive behavior and open lines of<br />
communication. Our students respect that<br />
and they respect themselves, their peers<br />
and their environment. We’ve also<br />
expanded our wrap-around services,<br />
connecting with organizations like the<br />
Boys and Girls Club, and we remain<br />
committed to dealing with our students’<br />
social and emotional needs.”<br />
The DESE praised all of the district’s<br />
Level 4 schools for managing services<br />
provided by external partners and<br />
strengthening their “capacity to manage<br />
key partnerships in ways that further<br />
enhance focus and impact, rather than<br />
detract from their central focus.” In the<br />
2011-<strong>2012</strong> academic year, the district<br />
engaged the following external partners:<br />
Focus on Results to assist Level 4<br />
schools in developing instructional<br />
leadership teams; The Achievement<br />
Network to conduct regular ELA and<br />
math assessments, analyze the data<br />
results, and set instructional goals to<br />
address identified gaps in student<br />
learning and performance; and<br />
Organizational Health Inventory to<br />
measure the quality of school climate<br />
based on 10 factors that impact student<br />
performance. The elementary schools also<br />
contracted with City Connects to provide<br />
school-based intervention, prevention,<br />
and enrichment services to students and<br />
families.<br />
“Collaboration is so important, because<br />
it’s letting the students know that their<br />
families and communities care,” said<br />
Brookings Principal Terry Powe.<br />
As part of Brookings’ family and<br />
community engagement efforts to<br />
promote literacy, students have<br />
participated in vocabulary parades and a<br />
fairy tale ball, and Powe herself came to<br />
school dressed as one of her favorite<br />
literary characters to read to students. The<br />
school has partnered with Hasbro, hosted<br />
a Men and Women of Color series and<br />
invited in guest speakers, such as author<br />
Keshawn Dodds, to inspire students.<br />
Nancy Laino, school improvement<br />
specialist at Homer Street Elementary,<br />
said she too believes much of the credit<br />
for higher scores goes to discipline,<br />
establishing a safe environment, and<br />
having consistent routines, behaviors and<br />
procedures throughout the building.<br />
Laino also stressed the importance of<br />
professional development and best<br />
practices, and the district’s mentoring<br />
program that matches students with<br />
experienced teachers. In focus groups,<br />
Homer Street teachers reported to the<br />
DESE that instructional leadership team<br />
members make frequent informal<br />
classroom visits and both informal and<br />
formal feedback is provided to teachers<br />
as often as twice weekly, but at least once<br />
a month.<br />
Brookings School kindergartener Michael Anderson works on his writing during class.<br />
Fourth-grader Carlos Rivera shows<br />
Brookings School Principal Terry Powe his<br />
math work.<br />
Fourth-grader Kiana Rios works at her computer station in the Gerena School's<br />
computer lab.<br />
Classroom volunteers Vargen Ramos, left, and<br />
Caroline Collazo work with Brookings School<br />
kindergartener Miguel DeJesus.<br />
DeBerry<br />
joins list<br />
of Level 4<br />
schools<br />
DeBerry Elementary School was added<br />
to the list of Level 4 schools this year.<br />
Superintendent Daniel Warwick said the<br />
designation will provide an unparalleled<br />
opportunity for the district to acutely<br />
address issues that continue to impact<br />
improvement efforts at DeBerry.<br />
“DeBerry School has a rich history and<br />
enjoys strong community support. Still, the<br />
school continues to struggle,” said<br />
Warwick. “Now, we have an opportunity to<br />
realize accelerated academic<br />
improvement.”<br />
Currently, there are nearly 300 students<br />
enrolled at DeBerry. Of that, 96.1 percent<br />
are low-income, 15.7 percent are students<br />
with disabilities and 25.3 percent are<br />
students speak English as a second<br />
language. Warwick said the DeBerry<br />
School has the benefit of drawing on the<br />
experience of schools previously<br />
designated as Level 4 schools, including<br />
Brookings, Gerena, Homer and Zanetti<br />
elementary schools, all of which have<br />
shown dramatic gains in the past two years.<br />
“The state has more than proven its<br />
commitment to the children of<br />
<strong>Springfield</strong>,” said Warwick. “Its inclusion<br />
of DeBerry School is further proof of its<br />
support of turnaround efforts here in our<br />
district and support for our promise to<br />
build a culture of equity and proficiency<br />
for all of our students.”
<strong>Springfield</strong>EducatorFallFinal_<strong>2012</strong>_Cushing Connector <strong>2012</strong> 1/8/2013 1:30 PM Page 6<br />
6 - THE SPRINGFIELD EDUCATOR <strong>Winter</strong> 2013<br />
Music to their ears<br />
Kiley Middle School music teacher Rachel Ryan directs some of the 120 students who take part in chorus.<br />
Rachel Ryan brings<br />
chorus program to life<br />
at Kiley Middle School<br />
BY MEAGHAN CASEY<br />
The hills and the garden – the TD Bank<br />
Garden, that is – came alive with the sound of<br />
music on Dec. 5.<br />
The Marcus Kiley Middle School chorus,<br />
under the direction of music teacher Rachel<br />
Ryan, sang the National Anthem at TD<br />
Garden in Boston when the Celtics hosted the<br />
Minnesota Timberwolves. Ryan, who is in her<br />
first year as a full-time teacher, having<br />
substituted at Kiley last year, submitted an<br />
audition tape on behalf of her students earlier<br />
this fall and was thrilled when they were<br />
selected.<br />
“The kids were so excited,” said Ryan, who<br />
brought more than 70 Kiley students to<br />
perform.<br />
Ryan’s own interest in music began in<br />
kindergarten and intensified when she was a<br />
fourth-grader, after joining chorus. She<br />
was active in school musicals at<br />
Westborough High School, where she<br />
graduated in 2007, and she continued to<br />
act and sing throughout college. She<br />
graduated from Westfield State University<br />
in 2011, earning degrees in music<br />
composition and music education. During<br />
those four years, she performed at the<br />
famed Carnegie Hall and the Pittsfield<br />
Colonial Theatre, as well as in Prague.<br />
Though performing and composing are<br />
passions of hers, Ryan also knew she had a<br />
calling to teach. When a more permanent<br />
position at Kiley opened up, she was eager to<br />
accept it.<br />
“I loved working at Kiley, and I loved the<br />
freedom the position offered to design my<br />
own music program,” said Ryan, who has<br />
breathed new life in a chorus program that<br />
Kiley Middle School music teacher Rachel Ryan.<br />
just began last year.<br />
Ryan, whose great grandfather was a<br />
musician, was always encouraged to pursue<br />
her musical dreams. Though her parents did<br />
not have backgrounds in the arts, Ryan’s<br />
brother followed a similar path to her and is a<br />
music teacher at a high school in North<br />
Carolina, where he also directs the high<br />
school choir.<br />
Outside of the music department, Ryan<br />
coaches volleyball – a sport she played in<br />
high school and college. She recently<br />
completed the fall season as an assistant<br />
coach at Bay Path College in Longmeadow,<br />
and will coach the Kiley boys team this<br />
spring.
<strong>Springfield</strong>EducatorFallFinal_<strong>2012</strong>_Cushing Connector <strong>2012</strong> 1/8/2013 1:31 PM Page 7<br />
THE SPRINGFIELD EDUCATOR <strong>Winter</strong> 2013 - 7<br />
An exterior view of Putnam Vocational-Technical Academy.<br />
PUTNAM PRIDE<br />
New high-school building<br />
provides state-of-the-art resources<br />
for vocational students<br />
BY MEAGHAN CASEY<br />
This school year marked the beginning of a new era, said Principal Gil Traverso, on the<br />
opening of the $114-million Roger L. Putnam Vocational-Technical Academy. Unveiled in<br />
August, the new facility is providing state-of-the-art technology and training to 1,600<br />
students and faculty.<br />
“It’s amazing,” said Traverso. “I can’t say enough. It’s been a breath of fresh air for our<br />
students, parents, teachers and the community.”<br />
The 308,000-square-foot building was constructed on the football field adjacent to the<br />
former vocational school, which was originally built in 1938 on the same 16-acre parcel.<br />
Some of the materials and features of the old school were preserved and incorporated into the<br />
new school and its design, such as the main interior doors and a stone pediment that reads<br />
“<strong>Springfield</strong> Trade School.”<br />
“The old building had a lot of character,” said Traverso. “But after a series of additions, it<br />
lent itself to isolation, with students traveling back and forth between nine different wings. In<br />
the new building, there’s more of a sense of community and collaboration.”<br />
Though slightly smaller than the former facility, the new school was built to meet the<br />
requirements of the Collaborative for High Performance <strong>Schools</strong> (CHPS) program and<br />
includes standard and special needs classrooms, food service facilities and administrative<br />
offices and conference rooms. Unique program areas include hands-on labs and shops for 25<br />
vocational programs in the following clusters: transportation; construction; manufacturing,<br />
engineering and technology; agriculture and natural resources; hospitality and tourism;<br />
business and administrative services; health services; arts and communication; and<br />
information technology.<br />
The hospitality, tourism and culinary arts suite includes a full kitchen, café and hotel mockup,<br />
while the horticulture, landscaping and arboriculture program is equipped with a<br />
greenhouse. The manufacturing program offers students the opportunity to work with all new<br />
machinery, such as virtual welders and plasma cutters, and the auto body shop has state-ofthe-art<br />
spray booth technology. There is also a dental suite, a child care section and an<br />
expanded robotics lab, and the marketing and finance department will be unveiling a bank in<br />
the coming weeks.<br />
The construction project was funded by the Massachusetts School Building Authority<br />
(MSBA), and the school is being supported by the Roger L. Putnam Technical Fund and<br />
other private citizens and corporate partners.<br />
Putnam freshman Dariaan Liriano works on a computer<br />
during a business information management class.<br />
“Our mission is to advance the employment skills of Putnam students, preparing them for<br />
future success in skill-based vocations upon their graduation,” said York Mayo, chairman of<br />
the Putnam Technical Fund. “The fund facilitates this by accessing, attracting and acquiring<br />
the resources, equipment and leading-edge tools needed to effectively train the next<br />
generation of highly-skilled technical workers.”<br />
The estimated $125-million construction project was completed under budget at $114<br />
million and ahead of schedule. The MSBA agreed to transfer the savings towards the cost of<br />
renovating and expanding Forest Park Middle School, which is slated to reopen in September<br />
2013.<br />
State Treasurer Steven Grossman, who serves as chairman of the Massachusetts School<br />
Building Authority joined Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and many other officials for Putnam’s<br />
ribbon cutting on Aug. 15, which was followed by a tour of the building.<br />
“The new school is a testimony to investing in the future, and represents a partnership of<br />
educational leadership and business leadership,” said Grossman.<br />
Putnam automotive technology instructor Dan Adamczyk, right, watches as freshman Alexi<br />
Rivera helps move the car jack under a car.<br />
From left, Putnam freshmen Kiana Crus, Saturn Rosario and Adianez Lopez-Andujar watch as<br />
robotics and automation instructor Warren Schoonover operates a student-made robot.<br />
PHOTOS: SEAN BROWNE
<strong>Springfield</strong>EducatorCenterFallFinal_<strong>2012</strong>_Cushing Connector <strong>2012</strong> 1/8/2013 12:44 PM Page 1<br />
8 - THE SPRINGFIELD EDUCATOR <strong>Winter</strong> 2013 THE SPRINGFIELD EDUCATOR <strong>Winter</strong> 2013 - 9<br />
COLLEGE?<br />
YES!<br />
BY MEAGHAN CASEY<br />
If college is the question, the answer should always be yes.<br />
That’s the message city and school officials in <strong>Springfield</strong> are<br />
hoping to promote with “College? YES!,” a city-wide effort to<br />
inspire college aspirations. On Oct. 26, Mayor Domenic J.<br />
Sarno, Superintendent of <strong>Schools</strong> Daniel J. Warwick and<br />
Patricia Spradley, chief parent and community engagement<br />
officer, joined a number of college presidents and throngs of<br />
current and future college graduates and supporters kicked off<br />
the initiative with a rally on the steps of City Hall. A questionand-answer<br />
session for eighth-graders followed the rally, which<br />
was a jump-start to a full schedule of weekend-long events. The<br />
goal of the weekend was to ensure that college was a topic of<br />
conversation in every school, on every athletic<br />
field, on television and in social media, in<br />
every neighborhood, in supermarkets and hair<br />
salons, and from the pulpit of houses of<br />
worship.<br />
“The event was part of a strategic plan to<br />
focus on college, from pre-K all the way<br />
through to high school,” said Spradley. “When<br />
students don’t have the exposure, it’s often<br />
hard for them to develop the college-ready<br />
behaviors and beliefs they need. At the end of<br />
the weekend, we wanted them to really<br />
believe that college is an option for them.”<br />
In the classrooms, educators created ageappropriate<br />
college-themed lessons,<br />
programming and events. Local businesses<br />
showcased displays and allowed staff to wear<br />
College? YES! t-shirts. Coaches also donned<br />
the College? YES! shirts and incorporated a<br />
positive college-themed message into their<br />
games and practices. College students fanned<br />
out across the city, hosting campus tours and<br />
sessions on how to apply to college.<br />
Community organizations created special<br />
sessions and programs around the topic of<br />
college awareness. Houses of worship integrated the college<br />
message into sermons and youth programs. A double-decker bus<br />
filled with cheering supporters toured the city on Saturday,<br />
stopping in many neighborhoods along the way and grabbing<br />
the attention of many with loudspeakers, flash mobs,<br />
cheerleaders and noisemakers.<br />
Pledge cards were also distributed at various locations<br />
throughout the city during the course of the weekend. Students<br />
pledged to reach their full potential by attending school,<br />
working hard, graduating and pursuing college or other higher<br />
education options. Adults pledged to encourage and support the<br />
child and partner with them to ensure they reach that potential.<br />
Spradley said the kick-off event was just the beginning of a<br />
more intensive push to engage students and families in the<br />
college planning process. The <strong>Springfield</strong> Parent Academy is<br />
offering a number of resources and free courses specifically<br />
designed to support the College? YES! campaign. The courses,<br />
which have been offered throughout the fall and will continue<br />
through the spring, are designed to inform students and parents<br />
about several important parts of the college process, such as<br />
financial aid, how to write effective college essays, the role of<br />
community colleges and how to decide on the right career.<br />
“This is really about capacity-building,” said Spradley. “We<br />
as adults need help too, and we need to not be afraid to ask for<br />
help. I put four kids through college and every single time I<br />
needed help filling out the FAFSA. We have created a vehicle<br />
through the <strong>Springfield</strong> Parent Academy so that all of our<br />
parents can fully support their children.”<br />
Above: Mayor Domenic Sarno; background image: Patricia Spradley<br />
Upcoming courses:<br />
<br />
How to Complete the FAFSA<br />
Western N.E. University student Nelson Reynoso<br />
Thursday, Feb. 14<br />
High School of Science & Technology<br />
Thursday, Feb. 21<br />
Putnam Vocational/Technical Academy<br />
State Rep. Cheryl Coakley-Rivera<br />
Assistant Superintendent Lydia Martinez and Superintendent Dan Warwick<br />
<br />
Transitioning Students with Special Needs<br />
from High School to College<br />
Thursday, Feb. 28<br />
High School of Commerce<br />
March 2013<br />
*Times: to be determined.<br />
Please check <strong>Springfield</strong>ParentAcademy.com<br />
Luora Webb<br />
of <strong>Springfield</strong>,<br />
the oldest<br />
living Mount<br />
Holyoke<br />
College<br />
graduate<br />
*Location, date and time: to be determined.<br />
Please check <strong>Springfield</strong>ParentAcademy.com<br />
Description: If you are the parent of a<br />
special-needs child, you may never have<br />
imagined that college was a possibility. With<br />
all the academic and social challenges facing<br />
college students, along with the cooking,<br />
cleaning, and other life skills needed to live<br />
independently, any parent might doubt that<br />
their child is ready for the experience. This<br />
course has been designed to help you<br />
motivate your child about attending college,<br />
and provide you with the information to<br />
make the transition successful.<br />
Description: Completing the FAFSA can<br />
be a challenging task. This offering will<br />
provide one-on-one assistance while<br />
actually filling out the forms. Participants<br />
must bring social security numbers, W2<br />
for students and parent (if applicable) and<br />
proof of any type of benefits (if applicable).
<strong>Springfield</strong>EducatorFallFinal_<strong>2012</strong>_Cushing Connector <strong>2012</strong> 1/8/2013 1:31 PM Page 10<br />
10 - THE SPRINGFIELD EDUCATOR <strong>Winter</strong> 2013<br />
Choosing the<br />
right college<br />
is daunting task<br />
BY ARIANA WILLIAMS<br />
For many years, I thought<br />
buying a car was one of the biggest<br />
challenges I would face as a high<br />
school student. Ideas such as<br />
picking the right car, gas mileage<br />
and insurance made me think that<br />
putting everything in place to<br />
actually own and operate a car<br />
called for a lot of self-motivation,<br />
research and perseverance. I was<br />
right, but now I’ve entered into<br />
another stage of high school that<br />
requires that much concentration<br />
and more – the college application<br />
process.<br />
I believe anything can be made<br />
easier with a little patience and<br />
self-confidence, but the process of<br />
getting into college has really<br />
taught me what those things are all<br />
about. I have applied to the<br />
University of Connecticut, Elms<br />
College, Central Connecticut State<br />
University, Fitchburg State<br />
University and American<br />
International College. I would like<br />
to double-major in nursing and<br />
psychology.<br />
Actually, just figuring that out<br />
required quite a bit of selfreflection.<br />
I knew I had to pursue a<br />
career that I would enjoy and that<br />
would also challenge me and offer<br />
room for continued growth. I<br />
decided on nursing and psychology<br />
because they represent a nice blend<br />
of two things I very much enjoy —<br />
helping people and science.<br />
Once I narrowed down my<br />
major interests to two fields, I felt I<br />
had a stepping stone for the college<br />
application process. I then<br />
researched schools and started<br />
filling out applications for the ones<br />
that interested me based on their<br />
location, academic programming<br />
and the size of the school.<br />
Along with filling out<br />
applications, I had to write essays<br />
and gather many documents. At the<br />
same time, I had to think about<br />
scholarships. This was one of the<br />
most frightening aspects of the<br />
process because I’ve always had a<br />
fear that paying for college was<br />
going to be difficult and leave me<br />
in debt after graduation. I do not<br />
like debt so I have been working<br />
very hard to find scholarships that<br />
I am eligible for and to fill out<br />
those applications. It’s been a very<br />
demanding process, and I’ve had to<br />
stay focused on my grades during<br />
all of this.<br />
If I could tell every high school<br />
student just one thing it would be<br />
to never give up. I get discouraged<br />
from time to time as I’m sure<br />
many of my peers do, but I never<br />
let it get me down. Next year, I<br />
hope to be going to my dream<br />
college, financially stable and<br />
ready to take on some of the best<br />
years of my life. I am happy to put<br />
in the hard work now because I<br />
know it will pay off later.<br />
Ariana Williams is the student representative to the <strong>Springfield</strong><br />
School Committee.<br />
Radio Disney hosted a celebration at Freedman Elementary in recognition of its many upgrades.<br />
Green initiatives highlight<br />
school building improvements<br />
It may not be easy being green –<br />
at least according to the late Jim<br />
Henson – but the momentum of<br />
going green is on the rise.<br />
More than 30 school buildings in<br />
the <strong>Springfield</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> are<br />
now operating more efficiently and<br />
ecologically thanks to upgrades<br />
that have included the following:<br />
basic energy management systems,<br />
air handling unit replacements,<br />
boiler replacements, steam trap<br />
replacements, radiator valve<br />
replacements, motors and variable<br />
frequency drives, vending miser<br />
installations, lighting fixture and<br />
control upgrades, pipe insulation,<br />
attic insulation, pool covers and<br />
advanced energy management<br />
systems to control power demands.<br />
The upgrades have resulted in more<br />
than $1.5 million dollars in savings<br />
to the city’s utilities budgets.<br />
“It has been a rewarding<br />
experience seeing first-hand the<br />
positive results of installing new<br />
boilers, EMS systems, new roofs<br />
and windows over the past four<br />
years,” said Superintendent of<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> Daniel J. Warwick. “An<br />
improved learning environment has<br />
a positive impact on teaching and<br />
learning.”<br />
The following schools have<br />
received improvements: Beal<br />
Elementary, Boland Elementary,<br />
Bowles Elementary, Bridge<br />
Academy Elementary, Brightwood<br />
Elementary, Brookings Elementary,<br />
Chestnut Accelerated, Deberry<br />
Elementary, Dryden Elementary,<br />
Duggan Middle School, Ells<br />
Elementary, Glickman Elementary,<br />
Harris Elementary, Indian Orchard<br />
Elementary, Kiley Middle School,<br />
Lincoln Elementary, Lynch<br />
Elementary, Pottenger Elementary,<br />
Sumner Elementary, Van Sickle<br />
Junior High, Warner Elementary,<br />
Walsh Elementary, Washington<br />
Elementary, White Street<br />
Elementary and Zanetti<br />
Elementary.<br />
“We’ve used every opportunity<br />
during the upgrade phase to<br />
educate students about energy<br />
conservation and how energy<br />
efficient improvements enhance the<br />
climate and environment,” said<br />
Gloria Williams, principal of<br />
Freedman Elementary School.<br />
In September, Radio Disney<br />
hosted a “Rockin’ Recess”<br />
celebration at Freedman in<br />
recognition of its many upgrades,<br />
including new air conditioning and<br />
windows and a new roof and<br />
boiler. The school was chosen by<br />
Columbia Gas, which is providing<br />
the city more than $1 million<br />
dollars in rebates towards this<br />
initiative. The event was hosted in<br />
collaboration with Columbia Gas,<br />
<strong>Springfield</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> and the<br />
Department of Parks, Buildings<br />
and Recreation Management.<br />
“It is a great pleasure to thank<br />
Columbia Gas in recognizing the<br />
school district for their important<br />
role in successful conservation<br />
measures,” said Mayor Domenic<br />
Sarno. “Our schools across the city<br />
are healthier and more efficient in<br />
providing a quality educational<br />
environment for our youth and<br />
teachers.”<br />
“This project has provided longterm<br />
benefits to our school<br />
buildings,” said Patrick Sullivan,<br />
director of the Department of<br />
Parks, Buildings and Recreation<br />
Management. “The energy<br />
efficiencies are improving the<br />
learning environment in the<br />
classrooms and we have seen a<br />
direct result in a reduction in the<br />
asthma rates in our schools. We<br />
will continue to work with<br />
Columbia Gas in improving the<br />
delivery of energy-efficient<br />
services to all of our schools.”
<strong>Springfield</strong>EducatorFallFinal_<strong>2012</strong>_Cushing Connector <strong>2012</strong> 1/8/2013 1:31 PM Page 11<br />
Superintendent adds to leadership team<br />
Superintendent of <strong>Schools</strong> Dan Warwick has<br />
appointed a former Chicopee principal whose<br />
leadership transformed an elementary school<br />
from Level 3 to Level 1 in two years to the<br />
position of <strong>Springfield</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> Chief<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> Officer.<br />
A former <strong>Springfield</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> teacher,<br />
Jordana Harper-Ewert rejoined the <strong>Springfield</strong><br />
district as Chief <strong>Schools</strong> Officer of Zone 1<br />
(elementary schools) on Jan. 2. In the position,<br />
Harper-Ewert has oversight of Balliet, Bowles,<br />
Boland, Brightwood, Dorman, Dryden, Ells,<br />
Freedman, Gerena, Glenwood, Homer, Indian<br />
Orchard, Liberty, Lincoln, Lynch and Pottenger<br />
elementary schools.<br />
Special education teacher Kelly Crevison works with her students at the Van Sickle School.<br />
Crevison found her calling at Van Sickle<br />
BY PAUL HALLORAN<br />
Jordana Harper-<br />
Ewert<br />
Harper-Ewert served as a principal with Chicopee <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong><br />
since 2007. Under her leadership, Litwin Elementary School<br />
progressed from Level 3 to Level 1 in two years, with students<br />
meeting improvement targets in every category for the first time in<br />
six years, and with student growth realized in every subject, grade<br />
and group, particularly Special Education. Prior to her tenure in<br />
Chicopee, Harper-Ewert worked as an elementary teacher in the<br />
Kelly Crevison was a college administrator for four years while<br />
studying for her master’s degree, but she never wavered on her true<br />
calling.<br />
“I always knew I wanted to be a teacher,” Crevison said. ”When I<br />
was a little girl, I would always play school with my dolls.”<br />
Crevison is in her sixth year as a special education teacher at Van<br />
Sickle Middle School, and she could not be happier.<br />
“I was in my first year as a history teacher and my principal (Cheryl<br />
DeSpirt) told me there was a job that she thought I would like in<br />
special education,” Crevison recalled. “I thought about it and it was a<br />
like a light bulb going on in my head.”<br />
Crevison has 29 students in her seventh-grade inclusion class at Van<br />
Sickle – 15 special education students and 14 English Language<br />
Learners (ELL).<br />
“I love the middle school age,” she said. “You try to lead them in<br />
the right direction and be a positive role model. I like the 1-on-1<br />
interaction.”<br />
The job is not without challenges. “You have to teach grade-level<br />
concepts on a level they will understand,” Crevison said. “You<br />
Veta Daley<br />
Amherst <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>,<br />
Greenfield <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> and in<br />
the <strong>Springfield</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>.<br />
The Chief <strong>Schools</strong> Officer<br />
vacancy was created with Lydia<br />
Martinez, former Chief <strong>Schools</strong><br />
Officer for Zone 3 (middle<br />
schools), was promoted to the<br />
position of Assistant<br />
Superintendent.<br />
Veta Daley, formerly Zone 1<br />
Chief <strong>Schools</strong> Officer, has been reassigned<br />
to Zone 3 and will now<br />
also serve as Mentor for Chief<br />
<strong>Schools</strong> Officer. Daley has served in an administrative leadership<br />
role for the past six years, working as a school improvement, area<br />
improvement and chief schools officer. She served as principal of<br />
Rebecca Johnson Elementary School for nine years, as principal of<br />
Kennedy Middle School for five years and as vice principal at<br />
Duggan Elementary School for two years. She began her tenure at<br />
<strong>Springfield</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> as a teacher at Forest Park Middle<br />
School.<br />
incorporate visual presentations to get across ideas and concepts.”<br />
A native of Delmar, N.Y., Crevison came to <strong>Springfield</strong> to attend<br />
Western New England University. A psychology professor suggested<br />
she pursue a career in special education, which led to her taking a job<br />
at the New England Center for Children in Southborough, a school for<br />
children with autism.<br />
Crevison taught at NECC for a year, and then went to Vermont to<br />
teach migrant workers through a program at the University of<br />
Vermont. She also taught at a Montessori School in Western Mass. for<br />
two years.<br />
Crevison went to American International College as an assistant<br />
director of admissions while studying for a master’s in special<br />
education. At AIC, Crevison worked with inner-city youth who were<br />
first-generation college students. She set up tutoring, guided them<br />
through the financial aid process and monitored their progress.<br />
After one year as a history teacher at Van Sickle, Crevison found a<br />
home in special education. “The kids completely mesmerize me with<br />
the caliber of their work,” she said. “They make it all worthwhile.”<br />
Crevison and her husband, Jason, enjoy traveling throughout New<br />
England to visit friends and family. They do not have children, but, as<br />
she is quick to point out, “I have 29 children – my students.”<br />
THE SPRINGFIELD EDUCATOR <strong>Winter</strong> 2013 - 11<br />
<strong>Springfield</strong><br />
students get<br />
head start<br />
on college<br />
BY PAUL HALLORAN<br />
Thanks to a partnership with <strong>Springfield</strong><br />
Technical Community College (STCC),<br />
<strong>Springfield</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> students have the<br />
opportunity to get a head start on their college<br />
education.<br />
STCC offers a program – open to all<br />
Massachusetts residents – in which high<br />
school seniors can take college courses, either<br />
on campus or online, and receive transferable<br />
college credit. There is no charge for the<br />
courses, but students are responsible for<br />
getting to campus and buying their books.<br />
STCC receives partial reimbursement for the<br />
tuition from the state.<br />
There are two summer sessions, a fall and a<br />
spring session each year, according to Louisa<br />
Davis-Freeman, Dean of Admissions at<br />
STCC. Students are eligible to take the<br />
courses starting the summer before their<br />
senior year, meaning they can take a<br />
maximum of four courses.<br />
“Students can take one or more college<br />
courses and transfer the credits,” said Davis-<br />
Freeman, who estimated that more than 150<br />
students participate each session, from as<br />
close as <strong>Springfield</strong> to as far as Worcester.<br />
One out of every three students takes the<br />
courses online. In this year’s spring session,<br />
there were approximately 25 <strong>Springfield</strong><br />
<strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> students enrolled.<br />
“Students take the same courses as STCC<br />
students and attend the same classes,” Davis-<br />
Freeman said. “Whatever grade they earn,<br />
they keep.”<br />
Students must get approval from their high<br />
school guidance office and apply through the<br />
admissions office at STCC.<br />
“We feel as a community college part of<br />
our responsibility to the community is to have<br />
open access,” Davis-Freeman said. “In some<br />
instances, this program encourages students<br />
who may not be considering it to go to<br />
college. They realize they can be a<br />
competitive applicant even before they get out<br />
of high school.”<br />
Other students want to take specific courses<br />
that are not offered at their high school, such<br />
as Arabic, civil engineering and fire science.<br />
“It really is a great deal,” Davis-Freeman<br />
said, noting that 40-50 percent of the students<br />
that take the courses end up enrolling at<br />
STCC. “Taking college courses in high school<br />
makes them better students.”<br />
Founded in 1967 and located on 35 acres of<br />
the <strong>Springfield</strong> Armory National Historic Site,<br />
STCC is the only technical community<br />
college in Massachusetts. It offers a variety of<br />
career programs in disciplines including:<br />
biotechnology, IT security, laser electro-optics,<br />
nursing, robotics, sonography, and<br />
telecommunications. STCC has an enrollment<br />
of more than 8,500 day, evening, weekend<br />
and online students.
<strong>Springfield</strong>EducatorFallFinal_<strong>2012</strong>_Cushing Connector <strong>2012</strong> 1/8/2013 1:31 PM Page 12<br />
12 - THE SPRINGFIELD EDUCATOR <strong>Winter</strong> 2013<br />
NEW PRINCIPALS<br />
New principals, from left, Daniel W. Rossi, Marisa Mendonsa, Robin Bailey-Sanchez, Superintendent Dan Warwick, Rhonda Y. Jacobs, Wedad Saada and Michael Calvanese.<br />
Daniel W. Rossi, principal of Chestnut Accelerated<br />
Middle School, previously served as principal of New<br />
Leadership Charter School. He is also an adjunct faculty<br />
member at Antioch University of New England in Keene,<br />
N.H., where he teaches a summer graduate seminar for<br />
aspiring principals entitled The Equity Challenge for<br />
Leaders. From 2009-10, Rossi worked as an English teacher<br />
at New Leadership Charter School and academic tutor for<br />
the College Internship Program in Lee. Rossi began his<br />
teaching career as an English teacher in New York City, and<br />
later served as director of the Satellite Academy High School<br />
and the Harvey Milk High School, both in New York City.<br />
Wedad Saada, principal of the High School of Science<br />
and Technology, served as principal of Lawrence High<br />
School last year. From 2006-10, she worked as assistant<br />
principal at Lawrence High. Prior to that, Saada served as<br />
assistant principal in Haverhill and Chelsea. Saada began her<br />
career in education in 1990 as an elementary art teacher in<br />
Dracut and worked as a high school English Language Arts<br />
and MCAS teacher in Chelsea from 1993-2003.<br />
Michael Calvanese, principal of STEM Middle<br />
Academy, previously worked as the academic coordinator of<br />
Sabis International Charter School. His teaching career<br />
began in 2002 as a middle school math teacher at Sabis.<br />
Lynda Bianchi, principal of Walsh Elementary School,<br />
worked as principal of William Elementary School in<br />
Pittsfield from 2008-10. Prior to that, she worked as an<br />
elementary teacher in the Adams Cheshire School District.<br />
From 1986-2000, she worked as a science specialist in<br />
Pittsfield <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>.<br />
Rhonda Y. Jacobs, principal of <strong>Springfield</strong> Alternative<br />
<strong>Schools</strong>, served as assistant principal at <strong>Springfield</strong> <strong>Public</strong><br />
Day Middle School for the past five years. Prior to that, she<br />
served as assistant principal at Central High School. From<br />
1996-2006, she served as an adjustment counselor for the<br />
<strong>Springfield</strong> Academy for Excellence (SAFE) schools. She<br />
also worked as a crisis intervention clinician for Psychiatric<br />
Crisis Services in <strong>Springfield</strong> and served as an adolescent<br />
unit supervisor for the Department of Social<br />
Services/Department of Children and Families. Her<br />
experience also includes employment as a psychotherapist at<br />
the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to<br />
Children and as the director of Family and Community<br />
Support at the Gandara /W.W. Life Center in <strong>Springfield</strong>.<br />
Marisa Mendonsa, principal of Duggan Middle School,<br />
served as assistant principal at Duggan last year. From 2006-<br />
11, she worked at the <strong>Springfield</strong> Renaissance School,<br />
serving in various capacities, including teacher, chairperson<br />
of the governing board and team leader. She has also worked<br />
as a seventh-grade teacher in Northborough, Amherst and<br />
Reading public schools.<br />
Christopher Sutton, principal of Kiley<br />
Middle School, served as assistant<br />
principal at Duggan Middle School for<br />
two years and assistant principal at Kiley<br />
Middle School for four years. Prior to<br />
that, he served for a year as a Project<br />
LEAD intern at Kiley. His experience also<br />
includes working as the Twilight<br />
administrator for the High School of<br />
Chris Sutton<br />
Science and Technology and as a math<br />
teacher at that school. Sutton began his<br />
teaching career as a math teacher at<br />
Rebecca Johnson School in 1996. He also worked as a math<br />
teacher at Van Sickle Middle School.<br />
Robin Bailey-Sanchez, principal at Liberty Elementary<br />
School, was an assistant principal at Brunton Elementary<br />
School last year, Rebecca Johnson School from 2010-11 and<br />
Homer Street School from 2009-10. She also served as an<br />
administrator at White Street School. From 2005-08, she<br />
served as principal of Brookings School, where she was<br />
assistant principal from 2004-05. She also served on school<br />
improvement planning teams, student council advisor and<br />
chairperson of the social studies department. She has also<br />
worked as a professional development presenter. Her career<br />
with <strong>Springfield</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> began in 1995 as an<br />
elementary school teacher.<br />
Principal re-assignments for this year include:<br />
Deborah Beglane, former principal of Indian Orchard<br />
School, was appointed to Beal Elementary School.<br />
John Doty, former principal of Walsh Elementary School,<br />
was appointed to Brightwood Elementary School.<br />
Jennifer Montano, former principal of Liberty<br />
Elementary School, was appointed to Indian Orchard<br />
Elementary School.<br />
Alyson Lingsch, former principal of Kiley Middle School,<br />
was appointed principal of Milton Bradley Elementary<br />
School.<br />
Shalimar Colon, former principal of Brightwood, was<br />
appointed principal on special assignment, second language<br />
acquisition.<br />
Kathleen O’Sullivan, former principal of STEM, has<br />
been appointed Senior Administrator for Educator<br />
Effectiveness.<br />
Thomas O’Brien, former Boland School Principal, is<br />
serving as Senior Administrator of Human Resources.<br />
Nancy Ross, current assistant principal at Boland, is serving<br />
as acting principal at that school following O’Brien’s<br />
departure.
<strong>Springfield</strong>EducatorFallFinal_<strong>2012</strong>_Cushing Connector <strong>2012</strong> 1/8/2013 1:31 PM Page 13<br />
THE SPRINGFIELD EDUCATOR <strong>Winter</strong> 2013 - 13<br />
BY MEAGHAN CASEY<br />
Mission accomplished<br />
<strong>Springfield</strong> graduate has successful<br />
career as Air Force officer, pilot<br />
The sky was never the limit for Lt. Col. Juan<br />
Galindez, a commercial pilot and retired U.S. Air<br />
Force veteran.<br />
“From as long as I can remember, I always wanted<br />
to fly,” said Galindez.<br />
Born in Puerto Rico, Galindez moved to<br />
<strong>Springfield</strong> at a young age. He attended Brightwood<br />
Elementary, Chestnut Middle School and the former<br />
Technical High School, graduating in 1982.<br />
“I have fond memories of the teachers at every<br />
<strong>Springfield</strong> school I went to, and always had at least<br />
one teacher who mentored me and pushed me to my<br />
limits, challenging me not accept mediocrity.”<br />
Galindez went on to earn a degree in aerospace<br />
engineering at Boston University. After BU, he<br />
entered the military and went to Sacramento, Calif.<br />
for basic navigational training. He spent two years at<br />
Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany and was<br />
deployed to Bahrain during Operation Desert Storm.<br />
He was later stationed in Columbus, Miss. for pilot<br />
training before returning to Germany, to Ramstein<br />
Air Base, which serves as the headquarters for the<br />
U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE). He spent three<br />
years there, flying C-9A medical airliners.<br />
Following his time abroad, Galindez was relocated<br />
to New Jersey for six years and then went on to<br />
work for United Airlines out of Chicago for three<br />
years. After the attacks of Sept. 11, he moved to<br />
Westfield, Mass. to finish his military career at<br />
Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee. He served<br />
in Afghanistan and Iraq and participated in a number<br />
of humanitarian missions, including one in 2008 in<br />
which a 10-person aircrew delivered 155,000 pounds<br />
of food to citizens in war-torn Georgia. Galindez and<br />
his crew also came to the aid of victims of Hurricane<br />
Katrina and other national and international<br />
disasters.<br />
“I looked forward to those missions,” said<br />
Galindez. “When you join the military, you have to<br />
have a desire to serve your country, and there’s<br />
nothing more rewarding than getting supplies to<br />
people who need them when a national emergency<br />
comes up. You know you’re helping them directly.”<br />
Galindez retired from the military in August and is<br />
still working as a commercial pilot and living in<br />
Westfield.<br />
“I’ve lived, flown and worked everywhere in the<br />
world, but there’s nothing like being back home in<br />
New England,” he said. “In this line of work, you<br />
gain a greater appreciation of what we have in this<br />
country and how lucky we are to live here.”<br />
Galindez has remained active in the <strong>Springfield</strong><br />
community, participating in speaking engagements at<br />
Chestnut Accelerated Middle School and at various<br />
high school events.<br />
“I always encourage the students to stay in<br />
school,” said Galindez. “An education opens so<br />
many doors. I also encourage them to find something<br />
that interests them and apply themselves 100-<br />
percent. The effort they put in will reap benefits.”<br />
Superintendent sets<br />
example with contract<br />
As the person in charge of<br />
<strong>Springfield</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong>’ 4,000<br />
employees, Superintendent Daniel<br />
Warwick is leading by example<br />
when it comes to his<br />
compensation and benefits<br />
package.<br />
Shortly after being named<br />
superintendent, Warwick agreed<br />
to a contract that will pay him 23<br />
percent less than the previous<br />
superintendent – eliminating a<br />
$15,000 annuity and $7,800<br />
automobile allowance, and<br />
providing him with only earned<br />
sick days.<br />
“Employee sick time has been<br />
an issue in the district,” Warwick<br />
said. “I wanted to set an example<br />
for what we are looking for from<br />
the rank and file.”<br />
Warwick will accrue 1¼ sick<br />
days per month, provided he does<br />
not use any sick days that month.<br />
The maximum he can earn in a<br />
year is 15; the previous<br />
superintendent received 18.<br />
“I’ve taken almost no sick days<br />
in my career,” Warwick said. “We<br />
know there are huge gaps in<br />
student learning when the teacher<br />
is out. We’re asking the union and<br />
administrators to look at a<br />
combination of earned and<br />
automatic sick time.<br />
Warwick’s base salary is<br />
$198,500, down more than<br />
$58,000 from the salary earned by<br />
the former superintendent last<br />
year. He will receive an annual<br />
two percent cost-of-living raise<br />
and up to an additional three<br />
percent based on performance.<br />
“I am not receiving any benefits<br />
that are not given to other staff,”<br />
Warwick said. “It’s a completely<br />
transparent contract. There are no<br />
hidden perks. I’m not motivated<br />
by money. This contract is fair<br />
and reasonable.”<br />
— PAUL HALLORAN<br />
Superintendent well-prepared for job<br />
WARWICK: From Page 1<br />
applied for the job,” he added. “As a long-term<br />
employee, I didn’t want anyone to think that I was<br />
coming into this endeavor in a haphazard manner. I<br />
actually put a plan together that could work to move<br />
the system forward.”<br />
“In order for that to happen, everything revolves<br />
around improving the quality of instruction – in every<br />
classroom, for every student, every day,” Warwick<br />
said. “The strategies are built around that. We’re<br />
developing a new curriculum, and training<br />
administrators and instructional coaches to work with<br />
the staff to improve instruction for students.”<br />
The district is taking a 21st-century approach,<br />
investing in improving data systems and “using realtime<br />
data to make good instructional decisions for<br />
kids,” Warwick said.<br />
When Warwick was named superintendent in June,<br />
it marked the crowning achievement in a career that<br />
began in 1976 when he was hired as a substitute<br />
teacher fresh out of Westfield State University. He<br />
taught special education for 10 years, served as a<br />
master teacher for two years and was supervisor of<br />
special education from 1988-91. Warwick served as<br />
principal of Glenwood School for 13 years,<br />
overseeing its transformation from an<br />
underperforming school to a national Blue Ribbon<br />
School his final year there.<br />
After seven years as an assistant superintendent and<br />
a year as deputy superintendent, Warwick was primed<br />
to take the top spot when Dr. Alan Ingram resigned at<br />
the end of the 2011-12 school year.<br />
“I wanted to be superintendent here,” he said. “I<br />
was offered opportunities in other communities but I<br />
didn’t pursue them. My goal was to be superintendent<br />
in <strong>Springfield</strong>.”<br />
That makes sense considering Warwick’s history in<br />
the city, not only as a career educator, but also a<br />
lifelong resident.<br />
“I have great passion for this city,” he said. “My<br />
mother (Eileen) was an Irish immigrant who came<br />
here at age 27 on borrowed money from County<br />
Kerry and settled in the Hungry Hill neighborhood.<br />
She worked in the cafeterias in the public schools. My<br />
father (James) and my brother were firefighters. I was<br />
a first-generation college student and the first in my<br />
family in America to graduate college.”<br />
Warwick wants to make sure every <strong>Springfield</strong><br />
student has the same opportunity.<br />
“We are working to improve instruction so that kids<br />
will graduate college- and career-ready,” he said.<br />
Assistant Superintendent Lydia Martinez has been<br />
in the district for 16 years and has seen and<br />
experienced Warwick’s effectiveness first-hand.<br />
“Dan is an amazing leader,” Martinez said. “The<br />
depth of his knowledge is incredible. He is gentle,<br />
people-oriented and friendly. I aspire to be like him. I<br />
know that working with him will take me to the next<br />
level. He is really challenging me.”
<strong>Springfield</strong>EducatorFallFinal_<strong>2012</strong>_Cushing Connector <strong>2012</strong> 1/8/2013 1:31 PM Page 14<br />
14 - THE SPRINGFIELD EDUCATOR <strong>Winter</strong> 2013<br />
<strong>Springfield</strong> DIRECTORY <strong>Schools</strong><br />
Elementary<br />
<strong>Schools</strong><br />
Balliet<br />
Shadae Thomas, Principal<br />
52 Rosewell St., 01109<br />
413-787-7446<br />
Beal<br />
Deborah Beglane, Principal<br />
285 Tiffany St., 01108<br />
413-787-7544<br />
Boland<br />
Nancy Ross, Acting Principal<br />
426 Armory St., 01104<br />
413-750-2511<br />
Bowles<br />
Thomas Mazza, Principal<br />
24 Bowles Park, 01104<br />
413-787-7334<br />
Bradley<br />
Alyson Lingsch, Principal<br />
22 Mulberry St., 01105<br />
413-787-7475<br />
Brightwood<br />
John Doty, Principal<br />
471 Plainfield St., 01107<br />
413-787-7238<br />
Brookings<br />
Terry Powe, Principal<br />
Hancock St., 01105<br />
413-787-7200<br />
Brunton<br />
Martha Stetkiewicz, Principal<br />
1801 Parker St., 01128<br />
413-787-7444<br />
DeBerry<br />
Mary Worthy, Principal<br />
670 Union St., 01109<br />
413-787-7582<br />
Dorman<br />
Rhonda Stowell-Lewis, Principal<br />
20 Lydia St., 01109<br />
413-787-7554<br />
Dryden Memorial<br />
Diane Brouillard, Principal<br />
190 Surrey Rd., 01118<br />
413-787-7248<br />
Ells<br />
Lisa Bakowski, Principal<br />
319 Cortland St., 01109<br />
413-787-7345<br />
Freedman<br />
Dr. Gloria Williams, Principal<br />
90 Cherokee Dr., 01109<br />
413-787-7443<br />
Gerena<br />
Diane Gagnon, Principal<br />
200 Birnie Ave., 01107<br />
413-787-7320<br />
Glenwood<br />
Martha Cahillane, Principal<br />
50 Morison Terr., 01104<br />
413-787-7527<br />
Glickman<br />
Martha Kelliher, Principal<br />
120 Ashland Ave., 01119<br />
413-750-2756<br />
Harris<br />
Shannon Collins, Principal<br />
58 Hartford Terrace, 01118<br />
413-787-7254<br />
Homer<br />
Kathleen Sullivan, Principal<br />
43 Homer St., 01109<br />
413-787-7526<br />
Indian Orchard<br />
Jennifer Montano, Principal<br />
95 Milton St., 01151<br />
413-787-7255<br />
Johnson<br />
Darcia Milner, Principal<br />
55 Catharine St., 01109<br />
413-787-6687<br />
Kensington<br />
Margaret Thompson, Principal<br />
31 Kensington Ave., 01108<br />
413-787-7522<br />
Liberty<br />
Robin Bailey-Sanchez, Principal<br />
962 Carew St., 01104<br />
413-787-7299<br />
Lincoln<br />
Kristen Hughes, Principal<br />
732 Chestnut St., 01107<br />
413-787-7314<br />
Lynch<br />
Linda Wilson, Principal<br />
315 No. Branch Pwky., 01119<br />
413-787-7250<br />
Pottenger<br />
Valerie Williams, Principal<br />
1435 Carew St., 01104<br />
413-787-7266<br />
Sumner Avenue<br />
James McCann, Principal<br />
45 Sumner Ave., 01108<br />
413-787-7430<br />
Talmadge<br />
Stefania Rascilla, Principal<br />
1395 Allen St., 01118<br />
413-787-7249<br />
Walsh<br />
Lynda Bianchi, Principal<br />
50 Empress Ct., 01129<br />
413-787-7448<br />
Warner<br />
Dr. Ann Stennet, Principal<br />
493 Parker St., 01129<br />
413-787-7258<br />
Washington<br />
Deanna Suomala, Principal<br />
141 Washington St., 01108<br />
413-787-7551<br />
White Street<br />
Deborah Lantaigne, Principal<br />
300 White St., 01108<br />
413-787-7543<br />
K-8 School<br />
Zanetti<br />
Tara Christian Clark, Principal<br />
474 Armory St., 01104<br />
413-787-7400<br />
Middle <strong>Schools</strong><br />
Chestnut Accelerated<br />
Daniel Rossi, Principal<br />
355 Plainfield St., 01107<br />
413-750-2333<br />
Duggan<br />
Marissa Mendonsa, Principal<br />
1015 Wilbraham Rd., 01109<br />
413-787-7410<br />
Forest Park<br />
Medina Ali, Principal<br />
Grade 6<br />
91 School St., 01105<br />
413-787-7420<br />
Grade 7<br />
34 Kopernick St., 01151<br />
413-787-7421<br />
Grade 8<br />
1015 Wilbraham Rd, 01109<br />
413-787-7422<br />
Kennedy<br />
Bonnie Osgood, Principal<br />
1385 Berkshire Ave., 01151<br />
413-787-7510<br />
Kiley<br />
Christopher Sutton, Principal<br />
180 Cooley St., 01128<br />
413-787-7240<br />
South End<br />
Timothy Allen, Principal<br />
36 Margaret St.,01105<br />
413-750-2442<br />
STEM<br />
Michael Calvanese, Principal<br />
60 Alton St., 01109<br />
413-787-6750<br />
Van Sickle<br />
Cheryl DeSpirt, Principal<br />
1170 Carew St., 01104<br />
413-750-2887<br />
6-12 School<br />
Renaissance<br />
Dr. Stephen Mahoney, Principal<br />
1170 Carew St., 01104<br />
413-750-2929<br />
High <strong>Schools</strong><br />
Central<br />
Thaddeus Tokarz, Principal<br />
1840 Roosevelt Ave., 01109<br />
413-787-7085<br />
Commerce<br />
Charles Grandson IV, Principal<br />
415 State St., 01105<br />
413-787-7220<br />
Putnam<br />
Gil Traverso, Principal<br />
1300 State St., 01109<br />
413-787-7424<br />
Sci-Tech<br />
Wedad Saada, Principal<br />
1250 State St., 01109<br />
413-750-2000<br />
Alternative<br />
SAFE schools<br />
Rhonda Y. Jacobs, Principal<br />
413-335-5127<br />
Dr. Mary Anne Morris, Chief of Pupil<br />
Services<br />
413-787-7176<br />
<strong>Springfield</strong> <strong>Public</strong> Day Elementary<br />
Lisa Pereira, Assistant Principal<br />
34 Nye St., 01104<br />
413-886-5100<br />
<strong>Springfield</strong> <strong>Public</strong> Day Middle<br />
Linda Singer, Acting Asst. Principal<br />
118 Alden St., 01109<br />
413-787-7261<br />
<strong>Springfield</strong> <strong>Public</strong> Day High<br />
Anna Gagnon, Acting Principal<br />
90 Berkshire St., 01151<br />
413-787-7036<br />
Liberty Prep. Acad.<br />
Michael Ellis, Assistant Principal<br />
334 Franklin St., 01104<br />
413-750-2484<br />
Early College High School<br />
Dwight Hall, Assistant Principal<br />
Holyoke Community College<br />
413-552-2176<br />
Gateway to College<br />
Vivian Ostrowski, Acting Dir.<br />
Holyoke Community College<br />
413-552-2370<br />
Balliet Middle School<br />
Sarita Graveline, Asst. Principal<br />
111 Seymour Ave., 01109<br />
413-787-7284<br />
<strong>Springfield</strong> High School<br />
Matthew Bean, Asst. Principal<br />
140A Wilbraham Ave., 01109<br />
413-787-7285<br />
Student Attendance Resource<br />
Center<br />
Francisco Anelo, Asst. Principal<br />
140A Wilbraham Ave., 01109<br />
413-552-6495<br />
Students encouraged<br />
to Drop Back In<br />
BY MEAGHAN CASEY<br />
<strong>Springfield</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> is doing everything in its<br />
power to help students who have dropped out of school to<br />
drop back in.<br />
The district launched an online credit recovery program<br />
in 2010 to help students get back on track towards<br />
graduation, recognizing that 14 percent of those who were<br />
dropping out were seniors – most of whom did not have<br />
enough credits to graduate on time. Through the program,<br />
students have been able to attend night school, make up<br />
classes online, or attend Saturday or summer school. As a<br />
result of online credit recovery, 167 students with<br />
recovered credits graduated in 2011 and 182 graduated in<br />
<strong>2012</strong>.<br />
“It was a successful intervention, but it was only meeting<br />
the needs of the students that were still enrolled,” said<br />
Yolanda Johnson, the district’s Director of Student Support<br />
Services. “We wanted to find ways to proactively engage<br />
students who had already dropped out, and expand nontraditional<br />
methods to help them recover credits.”<br />
The idea for Drop Back In – more formally known as the<br />
High School Completion Program – emerged this fall as a<br />
result of the district’s re-engagement efforts. Students are<br />
able to visit the program, located in an existing site at 140<br />
Wilbraham Ave., between the hours of 7:20 a.m. and 2:20<br />
p.m. If the student expresses commitment to complete high<br />
school and meets the requirements to re-enroll in SPS, then<br />
an academic plan is developed to outline the path towards<br />
graduation as well as participation in the MCAS. A fulltime<br />
teacher is present for MCAS prep and academic<br />
guidance, though most of the coursework is completed<br />
online. A counselor is also at the site to help with postsecondary<br />
planning.<br />
“It’s self-paced,” said Johnson. “So if students are<br />
motivated and attend regularly, students can complete their<br />
course work in a timely manner. Or, students can pace<br />
themselves accordingly if they’re trying to balance a job or<br />
parenting commitments.”<br />
There is capacity for 50 students at the site, and so far,<br />
32 students who had dropped out within the past two years<br />
have enrolled. Once they earn their credits, they will be<br />
able to participate in spring graduation ceremonies should<br />
they choose. “We want them to still have the same<br />
milestones and memories that our traditional high school<br />
students would experience,” said Johnson.<br />
For more information or to enroll, please contact Linda<br />
Lasorsa at 413-787-7183.
<strong>Springfield</strong>EducatorFallFinal_<strong>2012</strong>_Cushing Connector <strong>2012</strong> 1/8/2013 1:31 PM Page 15<br />
THE SPRINGFIELD EDUCATOR <strong>Winter</strong> 2013 - 15<br />
AROUND SPRINGFIELD public SCHOOLS<br />
United in Hope<br />
Superintendent Daniel Warwick was the<br />
special guest for United in Hope:<br />
Celebrating Education, an event that<br />
took place on Dec. 2 at the High<br />
School of Commerce. The superintendent<br />
discussed his blueprint for<br />
improvement: The <strong>Springfield</strong><br />
Promise.<br />
Students participate in electoral<br />
process<br />
As the nation headed to the polls on<br />
November 6, students were also<br />
focused on democracy in the form of<br />
everything from mock elections to<br />
musical tributes to the voting process.<br />
From Sci-Tech to Central, high school<br />
students across the district cast votes<br />
in their schools. At Brightwood, students<br />
learned and performed a getout-and-vote<br />
to inspire the adults in<br />
their lives. Proving that you are never<br />
too young to cast your first ballot, elementary<br />
students at Zanetti,<br />
Washington and other schools also<br />
voted for their favorite presidential<br />
candidate during mock elections.<br />
Humanics in Action Day <strong>2012</strong><br />
As more than 2,000 <strong>Springfield</strong> College<br />
students, faculty and staff fanned out<br />
across the City of <strong>Springfield</strong>, several<br />
public schools became grateful beneficiaries<br />
of the college’s day of community<br />
service. At Sumner Avenue<br />
School, cultural heritage was celebrated,<br />
pen pals were established,<br />
and the joy of reading was shared.<br />
Other Humanics in Action Day activities<br />
across the district included everything<br />
from playground to building<br />
spruce-ups.<br />
Change in School Uniform Policy<br />
The wearing of leggings and jeggings by<br />
middle and high school students while<br />
in school has been disallowed by a<br />
recent vote of the School Committee.<br />
Leggings are skin-tight clothing covering<br />
the legs. Jeggings are leggings<br />
that look like jeans. Black or tan<br />
tights may be worn under knee-length<br />
skirts and knee-length shorts. These<br />
measures have been taken to help<br />
create school environments that promote<br />
respectfulness and consistency.<br />
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS<br />
Beal<br />
Beal School students learned valuable<br />
lessons during National Fire<br />
Prevention Week in October.<br />
Members of the <strong>Springfield</strong> Fire<br />
Department shared lifesaving tips<br />
on preventing and surviving a fire.<br />
Students were even treated with a<br />
rare opportunity to hold a working<br />
fire hose and sit in the driver’s seat<br />
of a fire engine.<br />
Bowles<br />
Just in time to help dress the<br />
Thanksgiving Day table, more than<br />
300 Bowles students spent a morning<br />
at McCray’s Farm in South<br />
Hadley, where the pumpkins were<br />
plump and plentiful.<br />
tion builds upon the commitment of<br />
<strong>Springfield</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Schools</strong> and the<br />
community to support efforts that<br />
drive the development of early literacy<br />
competency among <strong>Springfield</strong><br />
children. Last summer, the community-wide<br />
campaign to promote literacy<br />
by third grade, an initiative<br />
led by the and Irene E. and George<br />
A. Davis Foundation, won<br />
<strong>Springfield</strong> recognition as an All-<br />
America City by the National Civic<br />
League.<br />
Kensington<br />
Representatives of Walmart gave several<br />
parents of students who attend<br />
Kensington School $50 gift cards.<br />
The adults were grateful for the<br />
store’s generosity in support of education<br />
and anxious to stock up on<br />
new school items for their children.<br />
Walk, stopping to visit students in<br />
their neighborhoods and homes and<br />
welcome them back to school. They<br />
walked every street in their boundary<br />
and even visited churches, playgrounds,<br />
grocery stores, restaurants<br />
and clinics. Families and students<br />
greeted the teachers with<br />
smiles and gratitude.<br />
MIDDLE SCHOOLS<br />
Kennedy<br />
Everything from sled-dog racing to<br />
topics related to sustaining nature<br />
and wildlife were lessons of the day<br />
recently for students at Kennedy<br />
Middle School. Real-life sled dogs<br />
helped bring the message to life for<br />
students. The visit, made possible<br />
by Hill Town Wilderness Adventures<br />
of West Chesterfield, was the first<br />
step in a project that will include<br />
student writings and videos for use<br />
at the agency.<br />
Van Sickle<br />
Students at Van Sickle Middle School<br />
got a hands-on lesson about fossils<br />
in the Old Stone Age during a<br />
recent trip to the Beneski Museum<br />
of Natural History at Amherst<br />
College. Included in the many activities<br />
of the day was the opportunity<br />
for students to handle animal skulls<br />
and a human skeleton, analyzing<br />
teeth and bones to determine survival<br />
traits and species as part of<br />
their study of the lives of early<br />
humans.<br />
Pakistan, spoke with students<br />
about such topics as Abrahamic<br />
religions, the presidential election,<br />
international relations and the politics<br />
of the Middle East.<br />
DISTRICTWIDE<br />
Tune in to SPS 15<br />
Be sure to tune into SPS 15, channel<br />
15 on the Comcast Local<br />
Government Access channel, and<br />
catch an episode of SPS Spotlight.<br />
The show features a different<br />
school every month.<br />
Family Literacy Month<br />
The Patrick-Murray administration<br />
proclaimed November <strong>2012</strong> to be<br />
the Commonwealth’s 16th annual<br />
Family Literacy Month in recognition<br />
of the pivotal role that parents<br />
and family members play in the<br />
educational success of their children.<br />
Anti-Bullying Road Race<br />
The third annual Joseph Walker-<br />
Hoover Anti-Bullying Back-to-<br />
School Road Race, which took<br />
place on Sept. 13 in Forest Park,<br />
drew a crowd of nearly 600 participants.<br />
Dryden<br />
Fifth-grade students enrolled in<br />
Matthew Karsten’s math class<br />
recently showcased their numerical<br />
prowess when they participated in<br />
a national Mathletics competition.<br />
The students came in second among<br />
all Massachusetts classes that participated<br />
in the contest and first<br />
among Massachusetts elementary<br />
schools.<br />
Dryden students collectively attained<br />
a 93.1 percent CPI in math on the<br />
<strong>2012</strong> MCAS test. Its fourth-grade<br />
class earned the second-highest<br />
math scores of all fourth-graders<br />
across the state.<br />
Ells<br />
Students and staff at Ells Elementary<br />
School recently received $3,000<br />
worth of school supplies to support<br />
teaching and learning thanks to a<br />
generous donation by Target<br />
Stores. Superintendent of <strong>Schools</strong><br />
Daniel J. Warwick said the dona-<br />
Lynch and Freedman<br />
A member of the world-famous<br />
Harlem Globetrotters recently paid<br />
fun-filled and message-laden visit<br />
to Lynch and Freedman elementary<br />
schools. Globetrotter Cheese<br />
Chisholm brought a bullying-prevention<br />
message to students, with<br />
a focus on action, bravery and compassion.<br />
The Globetrotters<br />
designed the program in coordination<br />
with the National Campaign to<br />
Stop Violence.<br />
Rebecca Johnson<br />
Students at Rebecca Johnson are<br />
excited about reading. More than<br />
200 students completed forms to<br />
obtain city library cards at the<br />
school this past fall.<br />
White Street<br />
A week before school started, White<br />
Street School students and families<br />
received a surprise visit. Teachers<br />
and staff went on Neighborhood<br />
ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS<br />
<strong>Public</strong> Day<br />
The imaginations of four seniors from<br />
<strong>Springfield</strong> <strong>Public</strong> Day School put<br />
the school front and center in an<br />
October scarecrow contest. The<br />
seniors created two scarecrows<br />
using only instruments and bike<br />
parts. Aptly named “Music Man”<br />
and “Bicycle Woman” the winning<br />
entries earned the school a $650<br />
prize. Engineers of the artistic<br />
scarecrows were students Luis<br />
Rodriguez, Robert Henderson,<br />
Ernesto Ocasio and Josian Perez.<br />
Randall’s Farm sponsored the annual<br />
contest.<br />
Renaissance<br />
Author and reporter Ethan Casey<br />
spoke with Renaissance seniors and<br />
freshmen as a stop on his journey<br />
across America. Casey, who has<br />
written extensively on Haiti and<br />
Superintendent Daniel Warwick was the special guest for United in<br />
Hope: Celebrating Education.
<strong>Springfield</strong>EducatorFallFinal_<strong>2012</strong>_Cushing Connector <strong>2012</strong> 1/8/2013 1:32 PM Page 16<br />
16 - THE SPRINGFIELD EDUCATOR <strong>Winter</strong> 2013<br />
T H E S P R I N G F I E L D E D U C A T O R<br />
SPRINGFIELD’S FIELD OF DREAMS<br />
All schools benefit from new turf at Berte Field<br />
BY PAUL HALLORAN<br />
They did build it and they have come – to the new Fred Berte Field at <strong>Springfield</strong><br />
Central High School.<br />
Thanks in large part to a grant from the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, <strong>Springfield</strong><br />
students are playing football, soccer and field hockey games on a new artificial surface<br />
at Berte Field.<br />
The FieldTurf surface was installed by Georgia-based FIELDS at a cost of<br />
approximately $1.5 million. The Ripken Foundation provided $1.1 million and the<br />
MassMutual Financial Group donated $130,000. The city contributed $200,000 from its<br />
capital project fund and the school budget.<br />
“Pat Sullivan (Director of Parks, Facilities and Recreation Management) and Mayor<br />
(Domenic) Sarno) did an unbelievable job with this project,” said Central Principal<br />
Thaddeus Tokarz.<br />
With the amount of use it gets, Berte Field was a logical candidate for an artificial<br />
surface. Last fall, it was used by the Central, Putnam, Sci-Tech and Commerce football<br />
programs, as well as <strong>Springfield</strong> Cathedral. The field is also used for soccer and field<br />
hockey, and will host outdoor track meets in the spring.<br />
“It’s nice not having to go outside every period and check the puddles (when it<br />
rains),” Tokarz said. “This makes it much easier.”<br />
Athletic Director Mike Martin said the field represents a wise investment on the part<br />
of the community. “You can get so much more usage out a turf field,” he said. “This will<br />
be cost saving in the long run.”<br />
Construction on the field began right after last school year ended and it was completed<br />
in time for the Central-Putnam football game on Sept. 7.<br />
“The kids love it,” Tokarz said. “We have the same surface as professional stadiums.<br />
It is probably used more than any field in Western Mass.”<br />
Central High School PE teacher<br />
Yvonne Percy watches her<br />
students do mountain climbs<br />
on the schools new track and<br />
field.<br />
Students play a pick-up football<br />
game on the new field.