WORCESTER—The message members of the Worcester School Committee heard on Thursday about the district’s Vision of a Learner initiative is that it has been refined to give students the tools, opportunities, and access to thrive on their career and college pathways.
Superintendent Dr. Rachel Monárrez and her team offered an enthusiastically received presentation that included testimony by some of the scholars via video.
Using as inspiration the Spark Academy at the Wawecus Road Elementary School along with work being done at schools throughout the system, the students said the objective is to “be the change, be the spark.”
Dr. Marie Morse, Dr. Sarah Kyriazis and Chris Kursonis told the committee that what began with “the portrait of a graduate” has evolved into a comprehensive program to make students “future-ready.” A key component of the effort is promoting a “joy in learning.”
Committee members were asked to think about “what sparked meaning” in their own educational experiences when they were five or 15 years old.
Dr. Morse is assistant superintendent of teaching and learning. Dr. Kyriazis is director of educational technology and principal of the Wawecus Road Elementary School. Kursonis is administrative director of college and career readiness.
Nine “Pathway Key Priorities” were identified. These are curriculum and instruction, college prep programs, career guidance and exploration, resource allocation and support services, family and community engagement, technology integration, success tracking, assessment and data, and policy review.
As evidence of the progress that is being made, the district has been able to grow the early college program “by 50%,” the team said. The challenge now is, “How can we do this for all of our students?”
The superintendent recognized Burncoat’s music and dance team’s recent third-place-in-the-nation performance in “game-day live” as “teeing up for us our presentation tonight about the future of a learner.” Coaches and team members were saluted at the start of the meeting for their accomplishments.
Monárrez said in summation that through “intentionality and leadership we are becoming an organization about learning, not just for our children but for our adults.”
Members Molly McCullough, Diana Biancheria, Susan Mailman, Jermaine Johnson and Maureen Binienda all weighed in with congratulations and questions.
Biancheria noted that she worked for some time as a school-to-career coordinator in the district and asked if the number of students in each of the pathways is being tracked, “so we can move funds around to add teachers as needed.”
She added “I am happy to see we have built up to over 30 programs, from the original 12 when I was on the school committee” previously. She asked if any thought has been given to “school choice for the high school years” so that the administration can “widen the doors” for students in one part of the city to access programming elsewhere.
“That is exactly what we want to build,” Dr. Morse said.
Binienda inquired about the status of an EMT program at North High under Chapter 74. Responding, Dr. Kareen Tatum said, “This is not a Chapter 74 program.” He said that the administration is looking into connecting with “a different company” to make the necessary arrangements. The superintendent interjected that there is an age criteria issue in that students have to be 18 before they can take the exam to finish the course.
Binienda also pointed out that guidance counselors “need a lot of training, too. How does an eighth-grade guidance counselor prepare students for ninth grade? What training is being provided for sixth-grade teachers and eighth grade including guidance counselors?’
Monárrez replied that “we too saw that guidance counselors were not working collaboratively across the district” but this will happen, “and we are stressing engagement with families.”
The superintendent’s team was pleased to report having replaced “stock footage” in their video with live testimony from students, as a way to enhance the presentation.
Rod Lee is a career journalist, a veteran of the media scene in Central Massachusetts and the author of seven books including the recently published “Gil Cristopher,” a novel about the difficulties associated with aging. He can be contacted at rodlee1963@gmail.com
