School Comm. looks ahead to 2005
Published on October 20th, 1999
STONEHAM, MA - The School Committee talked about the future — strategic planning, enrollment projections, designing curricula to meet state frameworks and, again, the possibility of taped meetings — at the Oct. 14 meeting.
The goals of the school system are hammered out every five years by a group of parents, teachers, administrators and a School Committee representative working together as a Strategic Planning Committee. The previous plan covers through 1999. The new committee will focus on 2000-2005.
At the Oct. 14 meeting the following committee members were announced: ex officio member Superintendent Dr. Joseph Connelly, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Keroack, administrator James Andreottola, administrator Maureen Soley, Central School teacher Marlene McArdle, Central School teacher Maureen McQuinn, Robin Hood School teacher Alice Reilly, parent Philip Bassett, parent Gary Khebonian, parent Carol Nocella and School Committee representative Jeanne Craigie.
The staff implementing the new plan will remain the same, in number at least.
School department estimates predict no net change in teaching personnel as a result of enrollment in 2000. But personnel could be distributed differently.
"We may need one more teacher at the secondary level and one fewer at the elementary level," Connelly said.
Connelly said this does not mean the staff could not expand in 2000, but any additions would be for what he termed "enhancement purposes," not immediate need.
Part of the focus of all teachers in the Stoneham system will be the implementation of unified curricula designed to provide students with the knowledge which the state has decided all Massachusetts pupils should learn. The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment Systems (MCAS) exam tests students on this body of knowledge. And, as of 2003, students must pass the exam to graduate from high school.
At this point the state frameworks are not complete for most subjects. But English has been finalized, and in response Stoneham has developed a curriculum.
Pat Norelli of the English department briefed the committee on the new curriculum at the Oct. 14 meeting.
The school department plans to send copies of the new curriculum plan home with students. Also teachers can discuss the new curriculum with parents at parent-teacher conferences.
On Oct. 14 the School Committee also debated briefly with Terri Ghannam of Green Street, petitioner of an article to televise School Committee meetings on cable.
"More people will be involved if the meetings are on TV," Ghannam said.
Ghannam's article goes before Town Meeting Oct. 25. But the School Committee questions the authority of Town Meeting to alter School Committee procedure.
"If Town Meeting votes to televise meetings, we are under no obligation to do so," Craigie said.
In an earlier vote, Craigie supported televising meetings, but a motion she made failed with two votes for, two votes against and one abstention. Craigie and Mary Carey voted to televise. Marie Christie and Mary Pecoraro voted not to tape meetings. And Stephen Gucciardi, acting as chairman on the motion made by Craigie, abstained from breaking the tie.
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