The Boston Globe - March 8, 2012
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/north/2012/03/08/innovation-schools-slated-for-gloucester-haverhill-lynn-malden-and-somerville/5g70rD3CKM6nqEk5PqqahP/story.html
© 2013 The New York Times Company
Innovation schools are catching on
New schools slated for Gloucester, Haverhill, Lynn, Malden, and Somerville
By Steven A. Rosenberg, Globe Staff
[Note from Esperanza School Blog Writers - This article is almost a year old and therefore contains dated information about the status of specific innovation schools. It is being posted to inform readers about innovation schools in general and what they are achieving with students in Massachusetts.]
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
Since the Paul Revere became the first innovation school in Massachusetts more than a year ago, educators from across the state have made it one of their first stops as they try to find a better way to teach and prepare students to enter society. The schools were created by Governor Deval Patrick two years ago to give educators flexibility inside the classroom. Similar to charter schools, the innovation schools are allowed to set their own curriculum, schedule, and calendar, and choose their own staff.
While the schools are still funded by their home districts, policies are set by a governing board - staffed by educators, administrators, and parents. Schools also can raise money for programming, take on corporate partners and create educational collaboratives, and set their own budgets. The program requires approval from the district School Committee and the school’s teachers’ union.
As charter schools have spread throughout the state - and focused on changing everything from traditional curriculum to the hours students spend in school every day to boost academic achievement - some urban public schools have faced increased pressure to change the way they teach. Many district superintendents, such as Revere’s Paul Dakin, say innovation schools allow for a better learning environment for teachers and students.
At the Paul Revere school, teachers helped craft the curriculum, restructured their schedules to allow for an extra eight hours of extracurricular activities a week while remaining within the guidelines of the union work week, and have introduced an Open Circle time in the classroom.
In just one year, the school has also seen success with MCAS scores. Last year, it outperformed the state average on six of the seven tests.
“Our commitment to providing every student in our school district with the support and structure to succeed both academically and in the real world is a charge that we take very seriously,’’ said [Somerville Superintendent Tony] Pierantozzi. “While we have seen incremental improvements in many areas, we understand that incremental change may not be enough. We must be willing to move beyond the boundaries of what we know, and explore opportunities that might lead to exponential growth. The Innovation Schools initiative provides exactly that type of opportunity.’’
