What if you disaggregated central and western Massachusetts and clumped them with upstate New York, Vermont and much of New Hampshire? How much are the downstate populations skewing the demographics of Massachusetts and New York?

Vermont, about 17 miles from my house, is the 4th most rural state in the nation. Western Mass shares the Appalachians and the Connecticut River with Vermont. Could there be some kind of tri-state think tank that generates data on the “hidden” country students out here?

The public school choice law is a flawed policy that does not take rural school districts into account. Free-market economic concepts underlie the law that enables parents to choose better-resourced schools for their disadvantaged children. “The money follows the child”, meaning the sending district does not receive funding for local children who opt into a different district.

Unintended consequences: without assistance to improve, the sending district becomes more impoverished, exacerbating a vicious cycle in a context of high-stakes standardized testing. The receiving district becomes more enriched, and dependent on the income that was re-routed away from its poorer neighbors.

Does a good policy encourage unhealthy competition? What do you think?

Daryl’s entire seventeen-year career as an educator has been in Massachusetts public and private schools in the field of physical education. Her focus is on adventure education, using outdoor experience to boost student learning.

She served on the faculty of her high school alma mater, Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School, where Project Adventure began in 1971. Ultimately she became a trainer and educational consultant for Project Adventure, an innovative teaching organization promoting adventure-based experiential programming.

Most recently Daryl was a full-time interim professor of Physical Education and Outdoor Education at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, Georgia.

Daryl holds a Master of Education degree from Salem State College and is pursuing a doctorate in the UMASS Amherst School of Education with a concentration in teacher education and school improvement.

She is one of 14 scholars selected for the 2009 C. Lynn Vendien Professional Prize Award at UMASS. “My hope is that through my studies at UMass Amherst, I might become a professor who will inspire undergraduate students to create vibrant and meaningful classrooms for young people.”

Daryl is a homeowner in Greenfield with her partner Beth Sayers, a faculty member at Greenfield Community College.

Working parents have to piece together childcare for two school vacations (February and April).  How many families have extended family nearby who can take up the slack?   Vacation programs tend to be half a day, without “wraparound care”.  Is anyone paying attention to that?

But April break was lovely, and here’s to happy children.

Change rests with us

Schools project now with county caucus

By Rep. CHRIS DONELAN, Rep. STEVE KULIK and Sen. STAN ROSENBERG

Three years ago, we convened a meeting of Franklin County school officials to talk about budgets and the future of our schools. In 2007, Franklin County was confronted with stagnant state budgets, declining student enrollment, a new funding formula and some local districts with deficits of nearly $1 million.

Three years ago, we warned school officials that the budget situation was likely to worsen, forcing more small rural districts into deficits, forcing cuts in programs and services to kids and harming education in Franklin County. We were also concerned about conversations in Boston about forced regionalization modeled after states like Maine, where minimum school district sizes were established.

Our proposal was to work together to find local solutions to preserve the quality of our schools, having concluded that state aid was likely to decline rather than increase.

The Franklin County Education Project was led by Bob Pura and Linda Dunlavy, two of the most respected leaders in education and municipal government. Every school superintendent was involved and school committee members and municipal officials were invited to participate.

The project was done in two phases. The first identified immediate changes that could be made easily with broad consensus. The result was Franklin County joining an educational collaborative for the first time in many years. This would help in purchasing, special education, technology and professional development. Phase 1 also proposed and implemented a countywide sc hool bus transportation bid, which resulted in over $300,000 in savings for Franklin County schools and laid the groundwork for even greater savings in the future.

In Phase 2, private grant funding was used to hire a respected education consultant to examine the delivery of education in Franklin County and propose changes. The results of the consultant report were not shocking, but confirmation of what many had believed and witnessed — Franklin County Schools spend higher than the state average on administration and less than the state average on teaching and learning. Even before budget cuts, our kids are getting less in the classroom than their counterparts across the state.

Neither the Franklin County Education Group nor its consultant has ever proposed closing a single school in Franklin County. This point bears repeating. The Franklin Coun ty Education Project does not propose closing a single school. What the report does call for is the merging of central offices to reduce administrative costs and functions that overlap among the nine school districts that taxpayers support to educate about 8,000 kids. The Phase 2 report proposes these efficiencies so that the money can be redirected to the small, local schools to enhance teaching and learning.

The report also provides visionary possibilities Franklin County could pursue with the money that is saved. One possibility is connecting our public schools with Greenfield Community College, offering the first ever “K to Grade 14” free public education in the country. Another idea is “themed high schools,” such as designating a high school for performing arts or a high school of science and technology.

This year, school districts and municipalities will be facing the budget crisis we predicted three years ago. The weight of administrative costs in our small schools is going to force cuts in programs, reduction in the teaching force and a threat to the quality of education in our small rural schools. More Franklin County communities should look at the work being done in Orange, where school officials at Ralph C. Mahar Regional, Orange Elementary and Petersham Elementary have worked cooperatively to overcome fear and misinformation and are merging those three small districts into one. The result will be more efficient use of tax dollars and a better education for the children of Orange and Petersham.

This past March, the Franklin County Education Group officially ended its work and passed off the report and its suggestions for new governance to the newly formed Franklin County School Committee Caucus. In essence, every school committee and every community in Franklin County has been empowered with the ability to change our schools and ensure the long-term success and sustainability of quality education in Franklin County. The report is a road map for discussions and suggestions for change; however, these discussions will not take place unless local officials make them take place.

Massachusetts schools operate on a model developed in the 19th century. The needs of 21st-century kids are quite different. It is our sincere hope that every community in Franklin County will engage in this discussion and consider the possibilities that change can bring. The Pioneer Valley is a beacon of a visionary and progressive lifestyle. We need to breathe that same energy and life into our schools.

As we close out the work of this project, we would like to extend our thanks to Bob Pura and Linda Dunlavy, two extraordinary leaders who co-chaired the project. We would also like to thank the many school superintendents, school committee members, municipal leaders and concerned citizens who attended the meetings, offered insights and helped the project along. This project was a both a challenge and a pleasure. Once again, Franklin County is the leader.

Chris Donelan of Orange, Steve Kulik of Worthington and Stan Rosenberg of Amherst are members of the Franklin County delegation in the Massachusetts Legislature.

Yesterday’s event was a stellar gathering of Massachusetts leaders and thinkers including Michael Widmer, President of the Mass. Taxpayer’s Foundation;
Rep. Jay Kaufman, chair of the House Revenue Committee;
and Governor Deval Patrick, keynote speaker.

Not surprisingly, speakers had to stretch to find good financial news. Massachusetts is not hurting the way it was in the last two recessions. The state is investing in tomorrow’s economy, using recovery funds wisely. I learned as a public employee that my family and I are doing “shared sacrifice” (not slipping into poverty as I had feared).

Those of us from poor backgrounds know how to live in hard times. You have to be resourceful. You can’t give up. You have to learn from history and see promise in the future.

After the sessions, local legislators and education leaders met with town finance and municipal leaders to formally transfer their Franklin County Public School Project to the Franklin County School Committee Caucus.

Caucus steering committee members John DeWitt, Keith McCormic and I presented
* the history of the caucus,
* the process we used to develop consensus among most of the 18 school committees in the region, and
* our plans for a second annual education summit November 6, 2010.

The Caucus’ next steps are to build bridges between county school committees and people responsible for town finance. These two groups are traditionally at odds over money. And yet practical solutions have to be found quickly in an atmosphere of crisis.

As Rep. Kaufman noted earlier, the people responsible for providing services lack sufficient authority over revenue. This is one of several under-appreciated facts the legislature should address.

Kaufman posited that local providers should either have more of a say in revenue decisions, or the state should become more involved in providing local service.

It is safe to say local decision-makers would prefer more authority to secure revenue. Who knows best how to allocate resources for local public service?

“EVERYONE in our Town of Greenfield, and beyond, is invited to witness and celebrate the swearing in of all of those who were elected and re-elected at our June 9th election.

Location: Town of Greenfield’s Energy Park (Miles Street)
Day, Date and Time: Wednesday, July 1st at NOON

Rain Location: Greenfield Middle School Auditorium
(same day, date and time)

o Seating is limited, so please bring a chair or blanket.

o There will be a table for the media.

o Greenfield Community Television (GCTV-15) will film the event, but it will NOT be a live telecast. It will be shown in the very near future over a two-week period. (See The Recorder for the GCTV daily cable listing.) It will also be accessible at www.gctv.org

o Two people have been invited from the Recreation Department to collect donations for Greenfield’s Fireworks Extravaganza (July 5th).

CEREMONY

• There will be a short processional
• Judge Laurie MacLeod will administer the Oath of Office to Mayor-Elect William F. Martin
• Mayor Martin will, as his first official act, swear in the other elected and re-elected officials
• Town Clerk Maureen Winseck will present each official with the Certificate of Election
• There will be two guest speakers:
o Town Council President Mark M. Maloney
o Sandra Freed Thomas, Greenfield’s Former Energy Park Director, etc, etc.
• Mayor Martin will then, as his second official act, read and sign a Proclamation
• The Mayor will then deliver his Inaugural Speech
• At the end of the Ceremony, the Dignitaries will form a reception line at the base of The Station, extending towards the exit of the Park

GO GREENFIELD!

Contact: Barbara Tillmanns, 413-773-3065
Janine Greaves (greavesj@comcast.net)

District Court Judge Laurie MacLeod will administer the Oath to William F. Martin as Mayor of the Town of Greenfield

Town Council
Brickett M. Allis
Timothy F. Farrell
Mary-Catherine Sullivan
Tracey M. Sutphin
H. Peter Wood

School Committee
Marcia Day
John Lunt
Keith McCormic

Assessor
Scott A. Cote

Trustee of Soldiers Memorial (Veteran)
William F. Doyle

Trustee of Soldiers Memorial (Non-Veteran)
RuthEllen M. Henry

Trustee of Jennie L. Bascom Education Fund
Priscilla F. Gordon

Trustee of A.K. Warner Trust Fund
Sally M. Ahearn

Elector Under Will of Oliver Smith
Timothy J. Strahan

That was the question behind my campaign statement, that GPS should look into the high per-student costs of out-of-district special ed placements. A local editorial opined that the district should consider what is best for the student, despite the costs. Certainly it seems local special education needs attention. I have heard excellent feedback from parents about the new Director of Special Services, Kathi Titus.

As of yesterday, special ed families nationwide will have more options if they can establish that a district has not provided a free and appropriate public education for their child.

As a Nevada administrator notes, this may not affect districts all that much where the families cannot afford the legal fees to prove the education was inadequate.

My focus was on DSS-initiated placements, more than family-initiated. I need to learn more about how this works, and welcome your comments. Details of these costs can be found on Greenfield’s school district budget page .

Here’s a story and here’s the ruling. Thanks to eduwonk.com for the alert.

Day for School Committee

MODERATOR: Wilson (Wil) Roberts
PANELISTS: Christopher (Chris) Collins
Joan Featherman
John F. Merrigan
Albert (Al) Norman

Each of the following unopposed candidates will introduce themselves:

TRUSTEE OF SOLDIERS MEMORIAL
– VETERAN 3 YEARS
William F. Doyle

TRUSTEE OF JENNIE L. BASCOM
EDUCATION FUND 3 YEARS
Priscilla F. Gordon

TRUSTEE OF SOLDIERS MEMORIAL
– NON-VETERAN 3 YEARS
RuthEllen M. Henry

ELECTOR UNDER WILL 1 YEAR
OF OLIVER SMITH
Timothy J. Strahan

TRUSTEE OF A.K. 3 YEARS
WARNER TRUST FUND
No Candidate

SCHOOL COMMITTEE 3 YEARS
John C. Lunt

The candidates who are opposed will make opening statements, and then the panelists will ask questions:

SCHOOL COMMITTEE ONE FOR 2 YEARS
Donovan P. Eastman

Keith C. McCormic

WRITE-IN CANDIDATE
Michael (Mike) Phillips

SCHOOL COMMITTEE ONE FOR ONE YEAR
Marcia L. Day

Isaac James Mass

The following candidates will make introductory statements (no questions from panelists):

ASSESSOR 3 YEARS
Scott A. Cote

TOWN COUNCILOR AT LARGE 3 YEARS
Timothy F. Farrell

TOWN COUNCILOR AT LARGE 1 YEAR
Tracey Michelle Sutphin

TOWN COUNCILOR – PRECINCT 1 3 YEARS
H. Peter Wood

TOWN COUNCILOR – PRECINCT 2 3 YEARS
Thomas C. McLellan

TOWN COUNCILOR – PRECINCT 3 3 YEARS
Bricket M. Allis

TOWN COUNCILOR – PRECINCT 9 1 YEAR
Mary-Catherine Sullivan

Mayoral candidates will make opening statements, then field questions from the panel:

MAYOR ONE FOR 3 YEARS

William F. Martin

Alfred Siano