Thursday, December 9, 2010
Principal’s service to nation inspires students
On Dec. 7, 2010, the City of Springfield awarded Margaret C. Ells School Principal Dr. Jose Irizarry the 2010 Daniel O’Sullivan Award. The late Daniel P. O’Sullivan was a Vietnam veteran and former director of the city’s Code Enforcement Department. The award named in his honor recognizes veterans employed by the City of Springfield who demonstrate courtesy and fairness towards their employees and colleagues.
Dr. Irizarry has served in the US Army Reserves for nearly 30 years and is currently a First Sergeant with Detachment 1 3,200 Strategic Intelligence Group at Fort Devens, Massachusetts which is part of the New England Reserve Intelligent Support Center. He served during Operation Iraqi Freedom as an advisor to the Iraqi army and has earned multiple military awards, including a Bronze Star, National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal and others. I was especially moved during his acceptance speech when he spoke of the boxes and boxes of stuffed animals Ells students had collected and sent overseas as gifts to youngsters less fortunate than they.
I am very proud to count Dr. Irizarry among those City of Springfield employees whose selfless contributions protect the very freedom we as Americans enjoy every day.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving
Monday, November 8, 2010
An unforgettable act of bravery
Frederick was being honored for his actions in coming to the aid of a fellow student recently when he noticed that student was sorely outnumbered (seven to one) in a fight that had erupted before school.
It is easy for a student, and even adults, to utter the right words, participate in the politically correct forums and even speak the popular language of the day. But the true measure of a person is weighed by their actions. Frederick Rivera acted in a way that was heroic, selfless, and admirable. It was heartwarming to see the pride that was so evident in the faces of Frederick’s family as Mayor Sarno presented him with a plaque at the School Committee meeting last week. The honor belongs to not only to Frederick but also to his family because as the mayor stated “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” But Frederick’s bravery has made an impression on more than elected officials and relatives. During the School Committee meeting, Student Representative Daniella Brown, also a student at Sci Tech, said Frederick’s actions have resonated throughout the school and have helped build a more positive school culture.
As I watched and read the news reports that followed the School Committee ceremony in Frederick’s honor, I was filled with pride. More than that, his actions should give us all pause to ask ourselves what would have done.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Students shine when adults give their time
At Bowles, Freedom Credit Union pledged to start a bank account - with $5 in it - for every Bowles student. The program has been linked to strong academic performance and good character; and the lessons that this new partnership will teach Bowles students about financial literacy are priceless. I'm grateful to Mayor Sarno and Congressman Neal for joining us for the launch of the exciting program at Bowles.
During a recent visit to Boland School, I quickly noticed that student progress there is visible to anyone who enters that building. The educators there have done a fantastic job of posting important information such as attendance and proficiency rates up on the walls for all to see - without identifying students - of course. It's a small exercise, but a giant leap toward school improvement - and one that all schools within our district have initiated.
At all three schools, the engagement of teachers was palpable as energy filled the rooms and the smiling faces of students greeted me around every corner.
Monday, October 25, 2010
SPS wins International Award for Budget Excellence
I know that budget documents aren’t always “exciting” documents to read, but I urge you to take a glance at the SPS 2010-2011. It has been online since May, following the School Committee’s adoption of it... If you haven’t yet had a chance to read through it, it is accessible at www.sps.springfield.ma.us/AboutOurDistrict.asp.
The budget overcomes a $16 million deficit yet protects classroom funding and class size. In addition, it emphasizes the school district’s mission to improve student achievement; and increases student allotment to schools from $75 to $85 per student. The 2010-2011 budget also includes funding that reinstates middle school sports, enhances reading enrichment programs as well as sustains all costs related to student safety and security.
Again, I offer very proud congratulations to the men and women of the SPS Budget and Finance Department. Your hard work has allowed all of us to shine!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Week's events give strength and encouragement
Early in the week, I attended the Broad Prize announcement in New York City. The superintendents in attendance heard first hand some of the best and most promising practices currently taking place at five high performing school districts. These five districts were finalists for the Broad Prize, and as such they will share $2M in college scholarship dollars for their students. The example of Eli and Edie Broad in sharing their family's wealth to improve opportunities for urban public school students has affirmed my world view as to the possibilities of what we all can do individually and collectively in making a difference.
Later in the week, Mayor Sarno hosted a college awareness event to celebrate Springfield Promise, a college access program. During the event, several speakers, including SPS graduates now enrolled in college, shared their stories of leadership, perseverance, determination and hope with the Commerce High school students and others in attendance. My message to students was simple: dream big, set goals, work hard, stay focused and know that education does pay off.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet Ms. Susan Taylor, editor emeritus of Essence magazine and founder of the National Cares Mentoring Movement. Ms. Taylor was the keynote speaker at the 2010 Through Her Eyes Girls Conference here in Springfield. Her entire message was powerful, yet what resonated most with me was her reference to Ghandi and his need to take time for himself in order to love others well. Her candor, ability to connect with the audience, offering of hope and encouragement of the human spirit was awe inspiring.
All three events helped shape the aspirations and educational opportunities of young people. As we continue the journey of improving our school system, it is important to remember, excellence is not achieved overnight; rather it is built one day at a time!
Monday, October 18, 2010
SPS: Dressed for success
Recently, the School Committee amended the uniform policy to include very specific sweatshirt and cardigan options for high school students. This change was based largely on feedback from school administrators. The School Committee’s ongoing commitment to the SPS school uniform policy is part of the reason school districts throughout the region turn to us for advise, counsel and suggestions on this issue.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Community responds to new program
The journey that has taken the Parent Academy from a concept to a reality has been an amazing one, filled with stories of commitment to and belief in the mission of the academy.
The fact that more than 400 people have already signed up is proof positive that our community was ripe for this unprecedented opportunity, which we believe will help strengthen our parents, our families, our students and our community. It has been made possible only through the hard work of many community organizations and will flourish only with parental engagement.
Once again, congratulations to all involved! To learn more about the Springfield Parent Academy and its free offerings, log on to www.SpringfieldParentAcademy.com.
Monday, October 4, 2010
College Month
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Grants represent state, federal confidence in SPS
· Race to the Top - $13.7 million - The grant is designed to help school districts fund innovative programs, turn around poor-performing schools and improve graduation rates. Massachusetts is one of nine states and the District of Columbia awarded Race to the Top funding and Springfield received the region’s largest award. Among innovative ways the school district is planning to spend the money include extended school days, after-school programs, and the development of a special corps of teachers assigned to low-performing schools
· Teacher Incentive Fund - 5-year, $26.8 million grant to be shared by Springfield and Boston – The grant is designed to fund teacher incentives and to help retain and attract educators in Springfield’s 10 underperforming schools. Under the grant, all staff in a school that meets certain goals will receive additional pay. The grant will also help fund targeted professional development and a new teacher evaluation system.
· Education Jobs Grant - $5.3 million – The grant is designed to help cover salaries for an estimated 100 Springfield Public Schools teachers.
· Magnet School Assistance Program - $3.8 million a year for the next three years - The grant is designed to help strengthen students' knowledge and confidence in core academic subjects and with marketable vocational skills. The following schools, and their proposed themes, will utilize the funding. Springfield Central High School (Advanced Studies and the Arts); Springfield High School of Science and Technology (STEM Academies and 21st Century Communications); Van Sickle Middle School (Middle Years International Baccalaureate Program and 21st Century Global Communications); and STEM Middle Academy (STEM and Expeditionary Learning).
· Strategic Planning Grant - $150,000 - The grant is designed to allow administrators to implement the work processes necessary to help address the priorities identified in the district’s 3-year Strategic Plan. Strategic Grant Partners, a Boston-based pro bono consulting firm, provides the grant t in partnership with the District Management Council, an organization that provides strategic insights and practical solutions to the most pressing challenges facing school system leaders nationwide.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Community engagement at its best
Monday, August 23, 2010
Back to School… And there’s plenty to do!
Click Here - Back to School Message from the Superintendent
Thursday, August 12, 2010
From sports and music to humanity, Tisdale inspires
This was one of the most moving testimonials I've ever seen.
For me Wayman's story is personal because of my ties to Oklahoma and affiliation with the University of Oklahoma as an alumnus (Wayman loved OU). He was a phenomenal basketball player whose lore is legendary. Although I've never met Wayman, his story tugged at my heart. More importantly, his legacy as a great human being and infectious smile has application in all our lives.
I also had a chance to meet the film's producer, Brian Schodorf who indicated that he hopes the film will be released soon. I'm optimistic that we will be able to share Wayman's story with some of our 26,000 students. I'd encourage all of you to look for the documentary of "The Wayman Tisdale Story." It is awe inspiring and you won't be disappointed!
P.S.: The annual NBA Hall of Fame enshrinement event is Friday evening at Springfield's Symphony Hall. I'll be there...
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Board’s vote will help close achievement gap
Our district will aggressively pursue all professional development opportunities related to the new frameworks so that can ensure that our curriculum is of high quality and aligned to the new standards by the start of the 2012-2013 school year.
Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester is to be commended for creating the opportunity to improve the state’s already high standards. We are fortunate to have Commissioner Chester at the helm leading the statewide effort to advance the quality of education for all students across the Commonwealth.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Keeping summer safe means keeping tabs on kids
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Graduation: an inspiration, celebration and awesome time of year
The graduation season is one of my favorite times of the school year because it affords me the chance to see firsthand the fruits of our labor. I’m always inspired by the student speeches and this year was no exception. The following is just a snippet of what most in attendance would easily describe as awe inspiring remarks from a few of our graduates:
• Central’s Jeff Barcher (co-salutatorian) athlete and scholar spoke with much conviction on the power of resiliency developed from a great education in an urban center that sets he and his classmates apart from their suburban peers. Jeff will be attending the Commonwealth Honors College at the University of Massachusetts to which he received a Presidential Scholarship;
• Commerce salutatorian, Monalisa Leung spoke passionately about the quality of education she received as an International Baccalaureate (IB) student and the influence of her parents as she prepares to attend the University of Pittsburg to study molecular biology and Chinese; and
• Putnam valedictorian, Andy Yang captured everyone’s heart in sharing his beliefs about the importance of “attitude” and the power of expectations on future success. Although Andy had a scholarship opportunity to attend an ivy league school, he chose the University of Massachusetts in Amherst
While there is still much work to be done with respect to our graduation rates, dropout issues, student proficiency and closing the achievement gap, the Class of 2010 brought home the bacon. For our five high schools across the city, this year there were 1,180 graduates and 75 percent of whom plan to attend college; they have garnered over five million dollars in scholarship awards (double the amount from the previous year). Renaissance, our Expeditionary Learning Program had 100% of their graduates accepted into colleges.
Good things are happening in Springfield and I’m honored to serve as your superintendent with great hope for our future!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
SPS Strategic Plan is a living, breathing document
We reviewed the strategic priorities that were developed during that process, which center around academic achievement, school safety, staff qualifications, parent and community partnerships, resources and funding, leadership and communication. And the school district shared data as it relates to our progress in these priorities and student achievement overall.
Representatives from the business, faith-based, community, early education, higher education, Springfield Public Schools and others, were present to share their ideas and thoughts for moving the district forward.
The meeting further evidenced the depth of community support for Springfield Public Schools. The strategic plan is a living document that I frequently jokingly say is meant to be battered and bruised. By that, I simply mean it isn’t a document that looks pretty and sits on a shelf. It is to be continually revisited and edited to reflect the promise of increased student achievement. Yesterday was another leap in that direction and I thank everyone involved for their participation.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Partnerships Inspire
I have said all along that the Level 4 status of 10 of our schools presents this district with an unprecedented opportunity to access resources in a new, bold way. It is clear that the Springfield community is willing to support this work. That is a critical component because we know the school district cannot do it alone. If you’d like to know more about the purpose of the Level 4 Stakeholders meeting, please click here to read a media release on the topic.
Following that great event was another event that I found to be just as powerful and inspirational – a second session of Center for Reform of School Systems (see March 22 blog entry). The conversation was lively and rich and, as always, centered on how we can function in ways that will best serve students and parents.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Keeping up the pace...
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Archbishop Desmond Tutu Inspires
The Medical Knowledge Institute is an international non-profit organization based in the Netherlands supporting healthcare prevention through education and information. They believe that basic medical education is a human right and one of their strategies is to provide access to medical training using a trainer of trainer’s model to build capacity in local healthcare workers, residents of townships and rural communities, particularly in developing countries.
Part of Reverend Tutu’s activities while in Springfield included an interactive session with secondary and college students on the campus of American International College. He also received an honorary degree at the inaugural lecture and convocation held at Symphony Hall that was open to the public. The culminating event was a reception and dinner program in his honor. His remarks throughout the day were awe inspiring, offered hope and encouragement, and affirmed the potential of the human spirit.
Both American International College and the Medical Knowledge Institute were founded on the principle of education as a tool to empowerment while sharing a commitment to making a difference in the lives of those who need help the most. For our students and the community at large to have had an opportunity to interact and engage with an inspirational leader of Reverend Tutu’s world renowned stature was powerful and certainly has the potential to transform lives.
I’m honored and proud to serve in Springfield!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
April 1st is U.S. Census Day
Monday, March 22, 2010
Governance Team Training: An Investment in Student Achievement
Thanks in part to the generosity of the Springfield Business Leaders for Education, this past weekend members of the school committee and I spent considerable time training on team building and collaboration with Don McAdams from the Center for Reform of School Systems (CRSS). The mission of CRSS is to teach school board members and superintendents how to transform their districts to deliver high student achievement through governance.
The training was conducted Friday evening through Sunday afternoon and held off-site at Cranwell Resort in Lenox, MA. While the setting was certainly tranquil and relaxing, it was also conducive to working on the tough issues of governance. We spent considerable time going deep in our understanding of governance solutions to high performance through team building, collaboration, core beliefs and commitments. More importantly, the training was action oriented in that each module ended with critical discussions and the beginnings of a work plan to make actionable the implementation of promising practices of governance policies, reform leadership, and acknowledgement of the school effect as a lever to school achievement.
This was the first installment of nine sessions to be completed over the next 18 – 24 months. As we move forward with our reform work of Springfield Public Schools, I’m confident that our work with CRSS will serve to accelerate performance, improve student achievement and help to close the achievement gap.
Monday, March 15, 2010
SPS partners with District Attorney for Bullying Prevention Seminar
Springfield Public Schools and the Office of the District Attorney will feature Dr. Robin D’Antona, a renowned expert and author on bullying, at the upcoming seminar. School districts throughout Hampden County have been invited. In addition to the legislative topic, Dr. D’Antona will speak about the many other facets of bullying, including prevention and intervention.
Springfield Public Schools is pleased to forge this community partnership with the Office of the District Attorney to address a topic that will help school districts maintain nurturing and safe environments for our children.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
SPS raises more than $13,600 to help Haiti
Our efforts as a school district are made even more relevant and significant by the fact that children under the age of 18 make up nearly 50 percent of the 10 million population of Haiti.
Our students dug into their pockets and piggy banks to help children whom they will never see or get to know. Checks from faculty and staff members flowed in. We have demonstrated a powerful act of kindness and humanity and the best part is that we did it together, as a team!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Level 4 means working together for kids
The “level 4” designation provides districts with new tools, including the flexibility to change staffing and work conditions. While some unknowns regarding this legislation still remain, one thing is certain for Springfield Public Schools: we will continue to work closely with SEA to ensure that any staffing changes are transparent, equitable and with the least disruption to our system. Springfield Public Schools has no interest in following the drastic Rhode Island model of a blanket discharge of teachers and other educators.
We will take this opportunity to provide additional resources to our most needy schools and we will work to ensure we make effective changes that will have the most positive impact on our students in way that accelerates their improvement. We will work hard and we and we will sustain a rapid pace because when it comes to our kids, every minute counts.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Grant funds efforts of union, school district and community
We were selected out of a pool of national applicants based on a plan and commitment between the teachers union and SPS to work together with a focus on professional development and parent and community involvement.
Winning this prestigious grant represents great progress in the building of trust, teamwork and mutual respect between the SEA and SPS administration.
I am looking forward with great optimism to the opportunity to build on this relationship and work together toward the single goal of advancing the academic achievement of all our students.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
G.R.E.A.T work students!
Congratulations to all our students who have completed the six-week Gang Resistance Education and Training course at Balliet and Rebecca Johnson schools. These students are now leaders amongst their peers, modeling the kind of behavior that shuns gang involvement.
These students have learned skills that should be valued by all of us, such as conflict resolution and self empowerment.
The Gang Resistance and Education Training (G.R.E.A.T) program is a partnership between
Launched last year, the G.R.E.A.T. program is founded on the mutual commitment of law enforcement and educational agencies to provide children with skills to combat the stresses that set the stage for gang involvement; provide students with accurate knowledge about gang involvement; provide students with the skills necessary to resolve conflicts peacefully; and help them understand the need to set goals.
During a graduation ceremony at
These students have stepped up to do their part in helping to keep our schools safe. How will you step up? Here are some simple ways you can help:
- Get involved with your child’s school. Parental involvement helps schools promote a sense of community
- Familiarize yourself with and tell your children about Springfield Police Department’s new Text-A-Tip initiative.
- Work to build open, on-going communication with your child.