We are happy to announce that the Innovation School Plan for the Esperanza School of Language and Culture was submitted to Superintendent Shea earlier today.
For easy access in the future, a link to the plan has been posted in the Documentation section of this blog.
Please email us at esperanzaschoolnb@gmail.com to share your feedback. We look forward to hearing your ideas.
NOTE: Clicking the link above will return an error message that states "Sorry, we are having a temporary problem generating a view of the document. Please try again later." While you currently can't view the file online, you can choose "File - Download" to open or save the file to your computer. Alternatively, you can click the small down-arrow on the top left of the screen to download the file.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Innovation school supporters speak out at New Bedford School Committee meeting
The Standard Times - December 12, 2012
By Charis Anderson, Staff Writer for The Standard Times
canderson@s-t.com
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
"As parents, we will not accept the current level of education for our children," said Tammy Rivet, a parent leader with the United Interfaith Action, an organization that has spearheaded the push for innovation schools.
"The fact is we already have 'haves' and 'have nots' in New Bedford," said Marsha Onufrak, a leader in the UIA, pointing to wide variations in class size from school to school, to the differing school sizes, to the discrepancy in available resources from one school to another.
Sandra Cunha, a teacher in the English-language-learner program at New Bedford High, pointed to MCAS and graduation rate statistics, which show ELL and former ELL students struggling at much greater rates than the district as a whole.
The proposed Esperanza School — which would be a two-day [sic], dual-language immersion program where students, both English and non-English speakers, would be taught half in Spanish and half in English — could help those students, said Cunha, who is on that school's design team.
This isn't about providing flippers and goggles to a small group of students, said Cunha, seizing on imagery used previously by an opponent of the schools; rather, she said, it is about providing lifeguards and life jackets to the students in the pool who are drowning.
By Charis Anderson, Staff Writer for The Standard Times
canderson@s-t.com
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
"As parents, we will not accept the current level of education for our children," said Tammy Rivet, a parent leader with the United Interfaith Action, an organization that has spearheaded the push for innovation schools.
"The fact is we already have 'haves' and 'have nots' in New Bedford," said Marsha Onufrak, a leader in the UIA, pointing to wide variations in class size from school to school, to the differing school sizes, to the discrepancy in available resources from one school to another.
Sandra Cunha, a teacher in the English-language-learner program at New Bedford High, pointed to MCAS and graduation rate statistics, which show ELL and former ELL students struggling at much greater rates than the district as a whole.
The proposed Esperanza School — which would be a two-day [sic], dual-language immersion program where students, both English and non-English speakers, would be taught half in Spanish and half in English — could help those students, said Cunha, who is on that school's design team.
This isn't about providing flippers and goggles to a small group of students, said Cunha, seizing on imagery used previously by an opponent of the schools; rather, she said, it is about providing lifeguards and life jackets to the students in the pool who are drowning.
CORRECTIONS:
- The Innovation Plan proposes a two-way dual language immersion program at Esperanza School.
- Sandra Cunha is on the Esperanza School Planning Committee.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Your View: Innovation Schools address the problems of Haves and Have-nots
The Standard Times - December 8, 2012
"Haves and have nots" is a catchy phrase, but let's be real: This is not a district where all students have an equal experience.
Examples of inequality abound in New Bedford schools. The reality is that schools vary greatly in enrollment numbers and in class size. In some classrooms, all the students have textbooks; next door they don't have enough books, so students cannot take them home to do homework. One elementary school has a garden club; the others do not. The Engineering Academy at the high school serves some students, not all.
If anything, Innovation Schools seek to level the playing field. Innovation Schools are about creating a system where students' needs come first.
The money allotted for each pupil follows the student wherever he/she goes. Innovation Schools just take those same dollars and spend them more frugally to meet the needs of their students. They have the opportunity to negotiate for a more efficient use of their funds. The fact is that new funds are not being poured into Innovation Schools. So blocking these Innovation School proposals does not add up to more money for the current schools.
Innovation Schools remain in-district with union staff, an important fact that seems to be overlooked.
Innovation Schools have proved to be worthy models. On Aug. 8, the Massachusetts Office of Education announced that 20 new Innovation Schools across the state were awarded over a half million dollars in implementation grants from Race to the Top and the Gates Foundations. We too can provide hope for a better future for our children, which will have a dramatic impact on the New Bedford economy.
"Haves and have nots" is a catchy phrase, but let's be real: This is not a district where all students have an equal experience.
Examples of inequality abound in New Bedford schools. The reality is that schools vary greatly in enrollment numbers and in class size. In some classrooms, all the students have textbooks; next door they don't have enough books, so students cannot take them home to do homework. One elementary school has a garden club; the others do not. The Engineering Academy at the high school serves some students, not all.
If anything, Innovation Schools seek to level the playing field. Innovation Schools are about creating a system where students' needs come first.
The money allotted for each pupil follows the student wherever he/she goes. Innovation Schools just take those same dollars and spend them more frugally to meet the needs of their students. They have the opportunity to negotiate for a more efficient use of their funds. The fact is that new funds are not being poured into Innovation Schools. So blocking these Innovation School proposals does not add up to more money for the current schools.
Innovation Schools remain in-district with union staff, an important fact that seems to be overlooked.
Innovation Schools have proved to be worthy models. On Aug. 8, the Massachusetts Office of Education announced that 20 new Innovation Schools across the state were awarded over a half million dollars in implementation grants from Race to the Top and the Gates Foundations. We too can provide hope for a better future for our children, which will have a dramatic impact on the New Bedford economy.
Esperanza School Prospectus
In March 2012, New Bedford Public Schools put out a Request for Proposals/Prospectus for Innovation Schools.
In July 2012, the Esperanza Design Team submitted a prospectus for an innovation school. The implementation of a two-way dual language immersion program in the South End of New Bedford would improve academic achievement of both English Language Learners and native-English speakers
In July 2012, the Esperanza Design Team submitted a prospectus for an innovation school. The implementation of a two-way dual language immersion program in the South End of New Bedford would improve academic achievement of both English Language Learners and native-English speakers
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