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Sarno's transition team tackles education issues

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor



SPRINGFIELD From inadequate cleaning of schools to poorly designed lunches to over-crowed classes and inflexible curriculum, the Sarno transition team committee on education received a long list of comments at its second meeting on Wednesday night conducted at the Shriners Hospital.

Attended by about 15 people, most of whom identified themselves as teachers in the Springfield school system, the meeting is one of a series to be conducted this month and in January in order to develop a policy paper for Mayor-elect Domenic Sarno in March.

Chaired by former Springfield interim superintendent and assistant school superintendent Teresa Regina, the panel includes Barbara Campanella, the vice president of marketing and external affairs for Western New England College; long-time early childhood educator Sophie Jeffries; former teacher Richard Muse, former teacher and principal Philip Mantoni and educators Al Zippin and Elizabeth Cardona.

Central High School teacher Susan Berry led off the discussion with a list of concerns that included:

the cleanliness of the schools under Edu-Clean, a private firm that replaced school janitors;

the over-testing of students;

the involuntary transfer of administrators from school to school;

violence in schools;

lack of experienced teachers; and

the number of physical plant items such as clocks and sinks that do not work in the schools.

Berry said that teachers were "over-loaded." Class sizes and the number of classes taught put many teachers in the position of having up to 170 students each year, Berry said.

She noted that at Central High School, there are not enough textbooks or seats in some classes for students.

Not all students need a college preparation education, and Berry maintained the curriculum at the city's four largest high schools had become more standardized.

"I liked it when the four high schools had four purposes," she said.

Susan Joel, a professor at Springfield College, is a parent of a student attending the Zanetti Montessori School. She said if she had a magic wand she'd wave it at the Central School Office. She said the administrators there have become "calcified."

Joel maintained the school administration sees Springfield parents as a "captive clientele." School officials know they can do what they want, she said, resulting in "incredibly frustrating, incredibly elitist and incredibly insulting" actions.

Joel noted the poor physical conditions at the Montessori School and how the school's PTO is helping to pay for necessary teacher training rather than the city. She also noted the lack of an adequate space for the children to have physical activities.

Berry asked how many elementary schools have lost recess periods and physical education classes.

Joel said that one problem she has seen is the school department has been successful in winning grants to underwrite programs but then does not have the means to sustain those programs once the grant money is spent.

"There's no long-term investment in programs," she said.

Dr. Stephen Mahoney, the principal of the Renaissance School, said the city needs to develop creative ways to keep good teachers and ways to grow the teaching middle class in the city.

Although Mahoney is concerned about the fate of his two-year-old expeditionary learning school the school needs larger quarters or its grade six through 12 student body might be broken up or kept at a small number -- he said he does have a lot of hope.

When asked what are his three biggest challenges, Mahoney replied that dealing with a plethora of issues children bring to the school is one, while supporting teachers who are meeting the needs of students is another. The third is trying to have students believe in the relevance of school.

The committee's other public meetings are:

Jan. 2 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Forest Park Branch Library, 380 Belmont. Ave.;

Jan. 3 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Urban League, 765 State St.;

Jan. 9 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Indian Orchard Community Building, 117 Main St., Indian Orchard;

Jan. 15 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Sixteen Acres Branch Library, 1187 Parker St.

Jan. 16 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Brightwood Branch Library, 359 Plainfield St.