Brief Week in Review
- 3 finalists were announced for the Commissioner of DESE position. While I’m still doing some investigatory work into the backgrounds of the candidates, I will say that MA may have a female Commissioner of DESE for the first time ever. The women candidates are not from MA and neither is our first female senator, Elizabeth Warren. Now, I do not believe that a person must be from MA to be the next Commissioner, but I do want to know why more women from MA aren’t in the running. I honestly think that MA does not do a great job of cultivating internal talent. Our tax dollars will pay a recruitment agency over 90K to fill this important role. I have to wonder if we could have found a candidate ourselves. I’m working on this. Anyway, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education is interviewing three finalists at a public meeting on Jan. 26 at the Omni Parker House in Boston and are inviting groups to submit questions. It should be an exciting week ahead.
- How do you feel about board membership? A MA mom weighs in! Saritin Rizzuto and Lauren Baker joined Beth Anderson at a board meeting/strategic planning session for Phoenix Academy. Saritin commented that it is so wonderful to serve on the board because it is a productive group of over 20 people where everyone has a distinct role and something to contribute. She further explained how wonderful it was to meet some of the students and for them to see a woman of color on the board. Saritin is very active in countless organizations and boards but really wants to lend her time to boards that are productive and allow for others to be inspired by her presence at the table of mostly white people. Please feel free to share how you feel about board memberships.
- Parent engagement. I’m feeling great about my daughter’s teacher. The newsletters, the app that takes pictures of my daughter’s projects and are sent to me during the day, the 2- sided folder for what to keep, sign, and return, the differentiated instruction for me, a single mom trying to stay organized, and countless other supportive actions that make me feel engaged in my daughter’s learning. I’d love to know how other parents feel. The teacher evaluation system considers community and parent engagement. The Basics: Engagement: Welcomes and encourages every family to become active participants in the classroom and school community. Collaborates with families to create and implement strategies for supporting student learning and development both at home and at school. Communication: Engages in regular, two-way, and culturally proficient communication with families about student learning and performance. More on educator evaluation here. I’d love to hear more about teacher strategies used to engage parents. Feel free to drop me a line.
- Don’t mess with Texas or Canada! This week I met with executives from an educational consulting company in Texas and I spoke with a teacher from Canada. Please tune in next week for my perspective pieces to hear more.
Have a tip or question? Would you like me to publicize an educational event? Drop me a line at massedpolicywatch@gmail.com.
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