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Date: 11/23/2021
HOLYOKE – Holyoke High School Alumnus, teachers and other program partners have been wrangling with the effects of the June 2021 School Committees’ decision to restructure the Ethnic Studies program. During the School Committee meeting on Nov. 15, they voiced their concerns and expressed the decision’s impacts.
Nick Cream, a grade 10 US History/Ethnic Studies teacher at Dean High School, voiced his support for the program and the need for a director position that was dissolved and replaced with a department head for the program.
He stated that the program “serves 1,000 Holyoke Public Schools students from seven to 12th grade. And over the years curriculum has been built and revised to expand under the leadership of the program director. That person was able to get additional support from teachers with ethnic studies back backgrounds, local community leaders and universities.” He said, "that without the director position, the caseload of work is more for the department” and that there were “concerns with what [was] promised and what is happening in reality."
Adding to this, Danielle Hayes, who now assumes the role of the new department head, has been a teacher for nine years and has taught in Holyoke for four, voiced that the promises by the School Committee to reduce workloads haven't come to fruition. She said, "There are seven periods in a teacher's day, and at the height of the school level, all teachers teach five different sections – you have two off, and one for prep and one for meetings, there are 45 minutes to ‘reset.’" – this is the time allotted to fulfill her duties as the department head. She also noted that the workload as the head “was a full-time job when there was a director in that position and that the reality is just that the capacity for this program to survive has been diminished.”
Superintendent Anthony Soto responded to her statement and said, “I don’t think the solution is to rely on one person – I don’t think that the solution is automatically to add [a] director position. I fully expect my team to work with you [and] anybody else who wants to see this program improve.”
Joel Arce, Ph.D. candidate at UMASS Amherst and representative of Holyoke Ethnic Studies Community Advisory board, referenced the June 21 School Committee meeting decision about restructuring the program and said, “There have been significant challenges to coordinating dual enrollment coursework for students. Another example is that ethnic studies teachers have been unable to receive sufficient individualized care teaching and classroom support that’s specific to ethnic studies curriculum, due to the loss of the director of this program. There have been significant challenges to coordinating dual enrollment coursework for students.” he said.
After much back-and-forth debate on how the program will proceed, Soto stated, “Thank you for everyone who spoke tonight on behalf of the ethnic studies program. I don’t think that there is any doubt that we all believe that this ethnic studies program is a good program, and I've said from the beginning that I want to support all of these issues that have come up tonight.”
He acknowledged that there was a “miscommunication on these matters.” However, he said they responded to concerns about the teaching loads by reducing the seven periods a day down to four, with one being a prep period.
He emphasized that “It’s going take a team of people because this program has been led by and developed by one person and when that person is no longer here, this is part of the reason why I want to make it a collaborative team effort.”
Hayes then extended an invitation to the School Committee to continue the discussion at an upcoming Community Advisory Board meeting on, Nov. 18 at 4 p.m.
The dual-language task force, established in February was the next topic on the agenda. The task force is co-led by the Multistate Association for Better Bilingual Education, Northeast chapter. Member of the task force, Valerie Anier, explained they “are currently working on informing the middle school expansion for dual-language and also develop what our program models and language allocation are across gridlock.”
She explained that they are researching how dual-language programs look and work across the country and in Massachusetts. “But, our focus right now is on the middle school – next year our focus will be on what opportunity do we have to provide our incoming dual-language students in the high school?” she commented. As more data is collected through research and by speaking with families in the community, the task force will present its findings to the superintendent in the spring.
Soto then presented the COVID-19 metrics update stating, that in the 54 days of school, some cases “possibly resulting in school transmission” were at 34. In the past two weeks, there were 32 cases – 26 students, six staff. He said that these are “lower than a month ago, and things appear to be trending in the right direction.” However, he added that vaccination rates continue to trail other states. He noted that they are working with the Holyoke Health Center to get COVID-19 vaccinations up, especially now that children ages 5 to 11 are eligible to receive it.
Soto stated that they have a target of Dec. 9 to start a clinic, however dates and the location of where it will be are still being worked out.
Addressing the behavioral health issue, Soto noted, “There’s a heightened level of behavioral issues that we’ve seen, not just in Holyoke but across the nation.” Therefore, he reported that started the school year by increasing the number of counseling supports available in each school. He stated, “We made sure that every single school had at least one adjustment counselor in every K to eight school.” In addition, in the high schools, he said they implemented a new curriculum called Trails that each school is required to deliver.
He added that they also have a “district-wide Behavior Support Specialist. And as of last week, they have already done 60 observations and consults, providing feedback to schools and their support teams, so that strengthens that support at each of the schools.” he reported.
The School Committee voted in agreement on a motion for the Dean property transfer. They agreed to transfer the parcel of property on St. Vincent Avenue in lot A – a 100 feet by 100 feet parcel of property, and in lot B – a 60 feet by 100 feet piece of property to the city of Holyoke. The Dean property transfer will also be on the agenda for Nov. 30 meeting with the Joint School Committee and City Council, said Mildred Lefebvre, vice-chair of Ward 1.
To watch the Holyoke School Committee meeting in entirely, head over to https://boxcast.tv/channel/ja5gitxp5jbuywlacgzd