Time may be a factor; diversity committee decries pace
The annual School Committee discussion of its goals, important in setting overall direction, can trundle along in a dry way. This year’s conversation got a critical lift from those unhappy with progress on cultural competency.
Four women appearing at public participation on Thursday, May 11, let all know that the speed of putting into effect a goal adopted last June did not sit well with them. See goal 2.2 among these targets for 2016-17 >>
Miriam Stein, of the Superintendent’s Diversity Advisory Committee, the group that urged including the cultural goal last year, said she is “disappointed that training for teachers has not been addressed.” Cultural competence is the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with people of other cultures.
Barbara Boltz, a longtime advisory committee member, said the first part of the goal was carried out in 2016-17 — administrators received such training — but she said she saw no plans in place for all teachers.
Committee member Regina Caines noted that the world has a population that is very different from Arlington, saying: “Goals don’t reach fruition if leadership doesn’t … make this happen.”
Pearl Morrison, longtime organizer of the Martin Luther King observance, said she is a retired principal who does not want such training to get lost.
Funding amounts
The School Committee does not respond immediately to comments made during public participation, often waiting until a subsequent meeting. Thus, Vice Chair Kirsi Allison-Ampe said she would make sure the superintendent heard their words. Early in the meeting, Kathleen Bodie and Chairman Jeff Thielman were attending the Ostergren awards dinner.
Two hours later, during discussion of 2017-18 goals, the issue came up. In general, the discussion went this way: Some School Committee asked for a plan so teacher training of cultural competency could occur in the next school year, and Bodie promised a look at one at a meeting in June.
Hesitant to be more specific, Bodie said each public school in town would develop plans appropriate for that school.
She said the Arlington Education Foundation would provide funds to get the process started. A state Department of Education Safe & Supportive School grant of $31,100, the largest awarded for 2017, is helping to pay for the effort. It requires each school to have action plan.
Assistant Superintendent Laura Chesson said each school needs to assess its own needs for cultural proficiency.
“We need to make that effort for all teachers next year,” Committee member Len Kardon said.
Member Jen Susse added she is glad to see that this is an ongoing process and that she understood the length of time it takes.
Time may not be on goal’s side
One issue that might delay such training is teachers’ time. Bodie said she feared cutting into time for professional development.
Later, she received support about that from Julianne Keys, the Arlington Education Association rep who teaches at Ottoson. “I love these goals,” she said. “I’m not sure we have all the days to do this.”
Committee member Cindy Starks, a Lexington teacher, asked about specifics for cultural-competency training? Many may want to participate, “but I want to see the plan.”
Bodie said it is coming next month. “You will have copies, so it will be this [school] year,” she said.
Member Paul Schlichtman added, “We need a desired outcome. We want our teachers to be able to respond appropriately to all students.”
Member Bill Hayner said he agreed “100 percent” with Schlichtman, but had questions about money to pay for reaching the goals, citing the state grant for which the administration had not applied for the high school. He said the process had to be ongoing.
Allison-Ampe wants to see teacher attendance spelled out clearly in the goals.
Pressed by Thielman, Bodie said a report would not be ready by the June 8 meeting. A second June meeting has not been scheduled but could be.
Thielman said it would help him to hear what all principals had to say about the matter.
Bodie called the amount of time involved in such training “extraordinary.”
Goals adopted June 9, 2016
This news summary was published Wednesday, May 17, 2017. Jo Anne Preston, YourArlington freelancer, provided information for this report.
