The Standard Times - February 3, 2013
By Kate Fentress and Bruce Rose
Kate Fentress and Bruce Rose are
writing on behalf of the New Bedford Education Roundtable.
Relevant Quotes: (Please follow the link above to read the complete article.)
The vision of the Education Roundtable
is of "a community where children are well-educated and prepared
for whatever post-secondary training or education is necessary for
them to become economically self-sufficient and productive members of
our community. The educational experience of these students will be
supported by all community stakeholders, who understand the critical
investment this academic success is in the future of the region."
We believe that a "yes" vote for both the Renaissance Community School of the Arts and the Esperanza School of Language and Culture will demonstrate that real change will happen.
We will look forward to the public
hearing on the matter of the Innovation Schools, as required by the
School Committee in its request for proposals. We would hope that the
School Committee under the leadership of Mayor Mitchell would be more
assertive in ensuring appropriate decorum and a less hostile
reception by the offending parties. This would afford both the School
Committee and the public an opportunity to fully examine and evaluate
all issues of concern regarding these proposals.
Our feeling is that these projects need
a fair shake and that successfully educating students in New Bedford
is far from a done deal. The best practices — such as the two
proposals — can offer valuable lessons about how to better engage
children, which can then be extended to the whole system.
