The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has placed schools and districts in receivership for years. Proposals have been made to expand the commissioner of education’s school takeover powers even more. The MTA is pushing back against an accountability system that is based on sanctioning educators, schools and districts rather than providing them with support.
The Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993 established a requirement for annual evaluations of schools and districts, as well as the creation of the designations "underperforming" and "chronically underperforming." The basis for placing schools or districts in these two categories has changed over time in response to federal and state requirements.
In 2010, the Massachusetts Achievement Gap Act changed how "underperforming" and "chronically underperforming" schools would be identified, and it specified what actions must be taken in those schools. In combination with federal requirements related to No Child Left Behind, the DESE created an accountability system that placed schools and districts at one of five levels, ranging from Level 1 to Level 5. Level 4 corresponds to underperforming and Level 5 to chronically underperforming.
The total number of Level 4 and 5 schools is limited to no more than 4 percent of all schools or about 70 schools.
In 2016-17, there were 33 schools in Level 4 and four schools in Level 5.
The MTA is interested in hearing from educators, students and parents about their experiences working and learning in Level 4 or 5 schools. Make your voice heard by commenting on issues such an adequacy of resources, staffing, school climate, support services, curriculum and instruction and leadership.
We are against sanctioning educators, schools and districts rather than providing them with support.
An alternative takeover strategy creates a separate zone consisting of one or more schools. Schools in the zone are managed by an appointed Board of Directors, which replaces the elected School Committee. This board has the authority to change some district policies and provisions of collective bargaining agreements.
MTA’s legislative proposals offer a different vision for how to support struggling schools. They include a three-year moratorium on high-stakes testing, community control of school improvement efforts, adequate funding and support for a community-school model.
An EMO is a private organization that is given control of school management, policies and budget.
The use of education management organizations has been part of the DESE strategy for schools labeled underperforming and chronically underperforming since 2010. An EMO is a private organization that is given control of school management, policies and budget. The EMO, not the School Committee, is in charge of the school.
While state takeover and the appointment of a receiver are required for Level 5 schools and districts, the use of a private provider is an option for superintendents of Level 4 schools; superintendents are charged with developing a "turnaround" plan for these schools.
In a number of instances, the commissioner has forced Level 4 schools to select an EMO approach for their school plan, using Level 5 designation as a threat.
Five private providers have been given control of Massachusetts schools or districts. Only one of those providers is currently working with the schools — UP Education Network. Empower Schools does not have control of any school or districts; but, it advises and supports the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership.
| Provider | School | Status |
|---|---|---|
| EdLabs | Five schools in Springfield | Left after one year |
| Blueprint | Paul A. Dever School, Boston | Contract not renewed after three years |
| Project Grad | Morgan Full-Service Community School, Holyoke William J. Dean Vocational Technical High School, Holyoke | Morgan – contract not renewed after one year Dean – contract not renewed after two years |
| UP Education Network | Two district schools in Lawrence One Horace Mann charter school in the Springfield Empowerment Zone One district school in Boston Two Commonwealth charter schools in Boston | All contracts active |
| Collaborative for Educational Services | Dean Vocational-Technical School, Holyoke | Terminated its contract after two years |
| Empower Schools | Advises and supports schools in Lawrence, Salem and Springfield | Current contract to support Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership |
In 2011, Lawrence became the first Massachusetts community to have control of its schools taken away from its School Committee and given to the commissioner of education. The commissioner and Board of Elementary and Secondary Education took over the Holyoke Public Schools in 2015 and the Southbridge Public Schools in 2016. At least 65 percent of students in each of these school districts is economically disadvantaged — and all three districts rank among the 15 with the highest poverty rates in Massachusetts.
Each of the Level 5 districts has an individual (not an organization) serving as receiver.
In addition to these three districts, the commissioner has taken control of two schools in Boston, one in New Bedford and one in Holyoke. In each school, at least 70 percent of the students are economically disadvantaged.
Three of the four Level 5 schools were assigned education management organizations as their receivers. In one school — the John Avery Parker Elementary School in New Bedford — the superintendent was named the school’s receiver.