Transformation of Springfield Level 4 school to charter school advances

Date: 11/20/2014

SPRINGFIELD – The School Committee voted to approve an application made by the UP Education Network that could  – with state approval – transform one of the city’s Level 4 middle schools into a Horace Mann charter school.

The only vote against supporting the application came from School Committee member Barbara Gresham at the Nov. 13 meeting.

Scott Givens, the CEO of UP, shared new Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) scores with the School Committee to illustrate the effects of the UP model can have on a school.

Givens showed the statistics for the former John Marshall Elementary School in Dorchester, now know as the UP Academy Dorchester. In English language arts the proficiency rose from 14 percent in 2013 to 40 percent; in mathematics the score jumped from 13 percent to 60 percent and in science the difference was from 4 percent to 57 percent.

Givens added the school had maintained most of the same students.

If the state accepts the application, the city will be informed by the end of February 2015. To date the school that would undergo the transformation has been named.

The targeted school would fall within “The Empowerment Zone.” The eight middle schools that have been placed together for improvement with assistance for Empower Schools Inc., a company started by Chris Gabrieli, former gubernatorial candidate and the last head of the Finance Board that once governed the city.

Empower Schools have worked with education officials in Lawrence and Salem to turn faltering schools around.

Last month, the School Committee entered into an agreement with Empower Schools and School Superintendent Daniel Warwick said Gabrieli is impressed with the work conducted by UP and the two program would fit together.

Warwick said, “They [Empower Schools] are behind Scott as a partner for us.”

Givens said the educational format of the school could be influenced by the Empowerment Zone and said, “That would be fine.”

Givens, who has appeared before the School Committee twice before, explained how his staff would meet with every parent and every student at the chosen school to explain the school’s format.

School Committee member Clifton McFadden asked if at a point what would be the committee’s options if they felt “uneasiness?” Givens explained the timeline for the approval process. After the submission of the application, there will a public hearing and a detailed review. Until the state approves of the new school in February, the school committee would vote to review and possible rescind the city’s involvement.

Warwick said the city and the Springfield Education Association (SEA) have worked out a special contract for teachers at the middle schools in the Empowerment Zone.

“It’s a great contract for our teachers and out kids,” Warwick said.

Several school committee members had questions about the retention of teachers in the school reorganized by UP. Givens explained all of the teachers would have to apply for their jobs and any qualified educator who does not continue at the school will be re-assigned.

Warwick said the number of vacancies caused by attrition would accommodate the displaced teachers.

Timothy Collins, the president of the SEA, objected to the condition that teachers at the UP school would have to apply for their jobs. He said the agreement for the teachers at the schools in the Empowerment Zones – which would include the UP school – protects them from re-applying.

He charged that a vote in favor of the agreement with UP “eliminates the eight schools in the Empowerment Zone.”

Warwick disagreed and said the matter would be one for the union’s and the city’s attorneys to examine. 

Mayor Domenic Sarno said the UP school would be a “bold and innovative initiative.”