Always Learning

My Beliefs About Learning

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 17:35:00 +0000

Author Simon Sinek has extensively written and spoken that true leaders must start with why, i.e., being explicit about our beliefs, motives, purpose, etc. to lead a successful organization. I think of this and Will Richardson's call to our MURSD community that we reflect upon what we believe how kids learn most deeply and powerfully. I have several beliefs that I hold deeply, and all of them have been confirmed at multiple points in my 28 years as an educator. So what do I believe?

Learning Is Messy. I was blessed to work for a kind and wise principal who told me this during my first two weeks as a young high school science teacher. He pushed me to always have my kids up and actually "doing" science, conducting laboratory investigations and hands-on activities as much as possible. As a first-year teacher grappling with classroom management, it wasn't always pretty. There was plenty of broken glassware and an occasional item on fire. But I quickly learned that my students were learning more from their inquiry- their own trial and error- than from me lecturing them and disseminating content. I found that the learning progression is almost never linear... there are ebbs and flows that ultimately lead to cognition.

Every Child in Every Classroom Needs a Caring Adult. If you think about a teacher that made a difference in your life, perhaps you will remember someone who inspired you because of the content he/she taught. But chances are you'll remember a teacher who was invested in not only your learning, but also your well-being. You'll remember a teacher who took the time who got to know you as a person and tailored his/her practices so you would be challenged and successful. Relationships are the key to success in our profession! End. Of. Story.

Enthusiasm Goes a Long Way. When I tell people that I was a chemistry teacher, the usual response is something like, "Good Lord! I couldn't stand that subject" or "I just barely got through it." I get it. Learning topics like stoichiometry or balancing reduction-oxidation reactions might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I tried to approach each day teaching chemistry with some gusto. Delivering instruction with energy and enthusiasm is one of the first building blocks in engaging students.

Students Should Pursue Their Passions. The strand that runs through novel reforms such as Genius Hour, Maker Education, Connected Learning, et. al. is that students pursue learning about topics that really spark their interest. Oftentimes their learning is project-based, where students can create new products that may or may not lead to clear answers to complex problems. This type of learning usually is fun and leads to a great deal of pride and investment by students. We should strive to provide these types of choices for students, however...

Kids Need Our Constant Encouragement. I think of students who don't quite know yet what their passions are (particularly our youngest learners). This is where a teacher who is enthusiastic about the content can shape a student's future passions. I understand the recent push to emphasize areas where there is a need for qualified workers (e.g., STEM related fields); however we should always promote the classic liberal education where students may explore all content areas. The arts should never be given the short shrift, as they lead to well-rounded adults.

Our Families and the Community Must Be Our Partners. Our students deserve a consistent message from the home and the classroom. When parents are engaged through active, two-way communication, they can understand our intent for their child's learning. In a similar fashion, we should strive to engage the community to help us in providing meaningful opportunities (e.g., volunteerism, internships, job shadowing, etc.) for student learning. Our relationship must be symbiotic: the community supports inclusive public education and we prepare future productive members of the community.

The Effect of a Great Teacher Is Immeasurable. In looking at traditional means of measuring student achievement (MCAS, AP scores, SAT, etc.), the aggregate of results is generally highly correlated with socioeconomic factors. However, I believe our neediest students - our students who come from disadvantaged homes, those with disabilities, those struggling with physical or social-emotional health issues, or our English learners- are the ones who need us the most! It has been my experience that a high quality teacher is often what makes all the difference in the world, and in several cases, is the best thing in the child's life!

So these are my core beliefs about learning... Am I on point? Or have I missed something? Do they align with your beliefs about learning? If so moved, feel free to comment below!

Nuestros Nuevos Amigos (Our New Friends)

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Tue, 19 Sep 2017 02:33:00 +0000

The MURSD and Santa Teresa student exchange planning teams
in the San Sebastián City Council Chambers w/San Sebastián
Mayor Eneko Goia (center).

Last week I had the incredible pleasure of traveling with a small team of MURSD educators and students to San Sebastián, Spain for the purpose of investigating a two-way student exchange program for Nipmuc students and their counterparts at the Santa Teresa Ikastetxea, a PK-12 school in the beautiful coastal city in the heart of Spain's Basque Region. After a great deal of dialogue and planning with our Santa Teresa colleagues, we are poised to start this exchange during the 2018-19 school year. To say the least, I am very excited about this new opportunity for our students! We will have more specific information to share for students interested in the exchange in the coming months.

So after having some 72 hours to decompress, I've found myself reflecting quite a bit about San Sebastián and Santa Teresa. Here are some of my big takeaways:

It's All About Culture. The MURSD could not have a better partner for an exchange than Santa Teresa. Like the residents of San Sebastián, I found the Santa Teresa staff and students to be exceptionally warm, friendly, and generous. Being a PK-12 school of approximately 500 students, the Santa Teresa faculty know their students well. The staff is very nurturing, as it is clear that they give their students what they need. There is an informal atmosphere (e.g., all teachers are called by their first names) yet it is one of profound mutual respect. There is a culture of expecting kids to do the right thing, and sure enough, they live up to expectations. Although Santa Teresa is a religious school, the teaching of any specific dogma is not the emphasis. Rather, it is clear that teaching to the whole child is what drives the school in its mission.

The Culture of San Sebastián is Pretty Amazing Too. This beautiful city is on Spain's northeastern coast, situated on Bay of Biscay. It is also only twelve miles from the French border, as it is in the heart of the Basque Country, which transverses both Spain and France. In 2016 San Sebastián was named (along with Warsaw) as a European Capital of Culture by the E.U.. This designation is understandable, with the annual International Film Festival and Jazz Festival being highlighted events for the city, along with housing the San Telmo Museo, the largest museum highlighting Basque culture. What the city is also known for is its stunning beauty. The focal point of the city is the expansive La Concha Bay, which encompasses two gorgeous beaches, La Concha and Ondarreta. Along both beaches there is a cobblestone walkway with many restaurants, shops, and high end real estate in close proximity. San Sebastián is also known for its impeccable cuisine, as many restaurants serve pintxos, or small tapas-like dishes suitable for sharing. Being a coastal community, fresh seafood pintxos are a mainstay at most restaurants. Like many moderate-sized European cities, San Sebastián is very manageable. It is clean, safe, and virtually everything is within walking distance.

A section of San Sebastián from Playa La Concha

Multilingualism is the Rule, Not the Exception. The Basque people are remarkably proud of their heritage, culture, and language. While Spanish is spoken is mostly all homes, Basque is commonly spoken on the streets and in the public schools. At Santa Teresa, most courses are spoken in Spanish; however some subjects are taught in Basque. Also noteworthy is the fact that English is taught to all children, starting in preschool (as shown in the video below). The talented English faculty teaches students in an immersive environment, where nothing but English is spoken in their classrooms. As a result, students grasp a basic command of the language by the late elementary/early middle school years. Coupled with the fact that many high school students also elect to take French, the norm is that most Santa Teresa students are proficient in three or four languages. I am certain that this is an enormous factor in the many positive outcomes (% that attend university, number employed in meaningful internships, etc.) that Santa Teresa graduates enjoy.

It's All About Perspective. I should note that the culture among the Santa Teresa staff is also excellent. A snapshot of this can be found each day during the 30-minute school-wide break, which occurs daily in the 11:00 am hour. During this time teachers flood the teachers' room and share coffee, pastries, and conversation in a warm, collegial manner. On at least two days, I was in the room for break, and I had the pleasure of speaking to several teachers in both English and the best Spanish that I could muster. A young economics teacher, John, remarked to me that he felt that some of the teachers may be reluctant to speak some English, because they would prefer to speak it with an American accent rather than their learned British accent. I was surprised about this; but upon reflection, I thought of my own insecurity with speaking Spanish and wanting to get it right and sound "smart" at all times, even when I was way in over my head in Spanish. It appears that some of my reticence was shared by the Santa Teresa staff.

This small anecdote might be the perfect metaphor of why this exchange project is so important for both the MURSD and Santa Teresa communities. The number one goal is to give our students a larger perspective beyond Mendon-Upton, Massachusetts, and our nation. A culturally rich place like San Sebastián will certainly do this for our kids. Conversely, Santa Teresa students are excited to immerse themselves in American culture. They are enamored with Nipmuc student life/traditions (e.g., sporting events, Homecoming, Prom, etc.) that we take for granted. I am confident that our exchange will allow all of us to experience the richness of a new culture. However, after learning and living our counterpart's cultures, it is my hope that all involved will realize this simple conclusion:

Lo que nos une es mucho más que lo que nos divide.

What unites us is far greater than what divides us.

On Cultivating a Growth Mindset

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 01:57:00 +0000

It has been an exciting first week!

It's always great to reconnect with colleagues on that very first day, Teacher Orientation Day. When we meet in the Nipmuc Auditorium as a district in the morning, I first introduce all of the new staff, then I deliver some comments regarding big ideas/themes that the district will be working toward in the coming school year.

This year, I chose to comment on notion of adopting a growth mindset toward all things teaching and learning. Below is a portion of my comments.

While the additional funding is an enormous win, the heart of the matter is still what we do in our classrooms everyday. I do want to touch upon a work that the district leadership team and I read and studied this summer, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. It was written by Stanford research psychologist Carol Dweck and recently, has been given a great deal of attention by educators nationwide because it has enormous implications for teaching and learning. I know that Maureen and our principals will be using its ideas as a theme throughout the year.

In the book, Dweck’s basic premise is this: we approach situations and people in our lives with one of two mindsets: either the fixed mindset or the growth mindset. The reality is that most of us are probably a mix of the fixed mindset and the growth mindset- and the mindset varies based upon the situation.

Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset from jpm66

Dweck writes that an individual with the fixed mindset believes that all traits such as intelligence, abilities, personality, etc. are static… and they cannot be changed. People with a fixed mindset may be very smart and talented, but always wants to look smart… so they have a tendency to always want to prove themselves. Her research shows that this tendency leads to a whole cascade of negative behaviors- such as avoiding challenges, giving up in the face of adversity, not believing in effort, ignoring constructive criticism, and always trying to find excuses or ascribe blame when things go wrong.

Think about it… You may know someone with a fixed mindset. You might even work with someone with a fixed mindset! You may have children in your classroom with a fixed mindset, who come from very fixed mindset parents. What does it actually look like in practice?

In the book, Dweck likes to use famous athletes as examples. If you’re my age or older, you probably remember watching Tennis Hall of Famer John McEnroe play many great matches in the 70’s and 80’s. I remember his matches at Wimbledon and the US Open were must-see TV… to see some great tennis, but also to see his many meltdowns at referees, line judges, and even his opponents. Even to this day, when you Google his name, the word “tantrum” auto-completes! Here’s a brief snapshot of the types of tantrums he used to throw…

Dweck says that McEnroe was the epitome of the fixed mindset in that he had an incessant need to always prove himself to be the best. Look at some of the negative behaviors: finding fault with the judges, expecting them to be perfect- they’re the blame for his poor shot, and so on. She notes that while he experienced a great deal of success, McEnroe admits his playing years were the most miserable years of his life.

In contrast is the growth mindset. With this mindset all traits- such as intelligence- can be developed. Effort is seen as the key element of growth, and thus, there is a tendency to want to learn. The growth mindset results in the types of behaviors that we as teachers want to see: embracing challenges, persisting in the face of setbacks, reflecting on failure, and acting on feedback. All of it hinges on the premise that EFFORT is a PROCESS, and that PROCESS is the KEY TO ACHIEVEMENT.

Dweck uses probably the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan, as the model for the growth mindset. He has the mindset that every successful athlete who has had long-term success has. It says genetics may determine the starting line, but hard work determines the finish line. Not as a surprise, 15 years ago, Nike ran with this growth mindset and made a commercial out of it.

With the growth mindset, failure isn't just accepted; it's expected. When you stretch yourself past your current limits, failure is inevitable. It spawns growth.

These are simple enough ideas to understand, but then I think of our schools and our students. I think of structures and practices- such as tracking and the need to give so many mandated assessments- that lean more toward a fixed mindset rather than the growth mindset. I also think of the statements that our students make in our classes. Take a look at these…. Do any of them look familiar? I know as a high school chemistry teacher, I heard at least 4 or 5 of them on a regular basis… I wonder if kids become more fixed in their mindsets as they become older… Note that all of these statements, even the one positive one, speak to the idea of the student having an innate ability that he/she believes cannot change.

In contrast, look at the same statements from students- now flipped to the perspective of the growth mindset. Note that all of these statements speak to a process… one that involves effort to get to an outcome. As Dweck notes, a growth mindset amongst students is likely to encourage them to develop feelings of empowerment – that they are in charge of their learning and hence are motivated.

Throughout the year I have the honor to go in classrooms at Clough, Memorial, Miscoe, and Nipmuc where the growth mindset is the norm. In these classrooms learning is predicated on risk-taking and mistakes. They are safe learning environments where students are pushed to ask questions, research effectively, collaborate with peers, and present their work in a variety of ways.

It is my hope that together we can build a district where the growth mindset is the norm… for every teacher, for every staff member, for every classroom, for every student. This only can be achieved through tending to our own professional growth… and acknowledging that we all have a lot to learn to get better at our craft. I know as superintendent I still have a LOT to learn, and that my mistakes are plentiful. I am excited for our journey to begin tomorrow- our first PD Day- with an outstanding keynote speaker, Alan November, and then something new… an EdCamp model that will be completely driven by you and your learning needs.

Walking Through the PARCC

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 19:25:00 +0000

Earlier this month I gave a presentation to the Regional School Committee on the proposed field test this spring of a new state assessment known as the PARCC (Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for Colleges and Careers). This new assessment, which will be administered in 18 states plus the District of Columbia, will be taking the place of the MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) tests in English language arts and mathematics. The reason for this change is the conversion to the Common Core State Standards, a new, national set of standards that is replacing our state's existing curriculum frameworks in ELA and math. The PARCC Assessment is aligned to the Common Core State Standards.

Below are the slides that were presented. The presentation really focused on the latest timelines and details that the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is establishing for the transition to the PARCC. Keep in mind, the majority of the slides were produced by DESE, not me:

PARCC Assessment Field Test Update November 4 from jpm66

Since this presentation, there have been articles in the Milford Daily News and the Upton-Mendon Town Crier that I believe accurately capture the discussion and questions that were posed during the school committee meeting. Some of the concerns raised that are the heart of this matter include:

The fact that the MURSD will get ZERO information from this field test. None whatsoever. Thus, no insight on how we've improved the curriculum or how individual or a group of students have grown academically.
The timelines and plans for the PARCC seem to be a moving target. Superintendents were originally told that the 2014-15 school year would the year of PARCC administration for all students in grades 3-11. Now it will be optional; as during next school year all districts will have to choose either MCAS or the PARCC to administer to all students in grades 3-8. Then the PARCC will be the only option in 2015-16. The latest plans also call for the MCAS to be administered to students in grade 10 (a graduation requirement) at least through 2016.
The simple fact that this new assessment is still not "official!" The State Board of Education will be voting to approve a transition plan tomorrow evening (November 19). Under this transition plan, the Board will not decide to formally adopt the PARCC until the fall of 2015. The lack of certainty and clarity is maddening to say the least.
Perhaps the largest concern is the simple amount of time, effort, and resources that will need to go to this latest generation of testing. The PARCC will be administered during two testing windows- one at the half-way point of the year (a performance-based assessment) and an end-of-year assessment in the spring. By what is being presented, the amount of testing will be the following:

Elementary students: 220 minutes of End-of-Year Assessments and 300 minutes for Performance-Based Assessments in ELA and math: Total = 520 min (8 hrs., 40 min)
Middle & HS students: 220 minutes of End-of-Year Assessments and 430 minutes for Performance-Based Assessments in ELA and math: Total = 650 min (10 hrs., 50 min)

This takes high-stakes testing to a new level. Think of the instructional time that is lost in order to administer these assessments!

To be clear, I am all for higher, more rigorous standards in our public schools. I also believe that we must have a mechanism to assess how well our students are meeting these standards and how well our teachers are teaching to these standards. All of us must be held accountable for results. However, the reforms such as the PARCC as envisioned in the federal $4.3 billion Race to the Top (RTTT) program do not represent a reasonable approach to improving student achievement. Much like its precursor legislation, No Child Left Behind, there is far too much emphasis on the testing of children.

Last week I was reminded of this quote from President Obama during a town hall meeting in 2011. When asked about high-stakes testing for kids, he said the following:

"We have piled on a lot of standardized tests on our kids. Now, there’s nothing wrong with a standardized test being given occasionally just to give a baseline of where kids are at. Malia and Sasha, my two daughters, they just recently took a standardized test. But it wasn’t a high-stakes test. It wasn’t a test where they had to panic. I mean, they didn’t even really know that they were going to take it ahead of time. They didn’t study for it, they just went ahead and took it. And it was a tool to diagnose where they were strong, where they were weak, and what the teachers needed to emphasize."

Why does the current national agenda fly in the face of this smart, reasonable perspective? What is good for the president's daughters should be good for all kids, no?

MCAS/Accountability Results for 2013

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Fri, 25 Oct 2013 17:49:00 +0000

Last Monday night our new Director of Curriculum Maureen Cohen and I delivered the annual presentation on the latest round of MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) tests and each school's accountability rating to the Regional School Committee. Here is the "10,000 foot view" in a screencast below:

Not to digress, but I hope you like the format of the "screencast," which was created completely on an iPad using the app Explain Everything. It really is a nice way to add video, audio, and even animation to something like a PowerPoint presentation.

I would characterize this year's MCAS results as positive, but also mixed. I am pleased that our overall proficiency levels in English language arts and mathematics continue to rise, as there was a 3% and 5% increase, respectively, in those tests across all grade levels within the district. While our aggregate scores are showing incremental progress, we must do more to address the learning of our students with the greatest needs.

Under the state's accountability system, schools and districts must not only increase the scores (and meet established performance targets) of all students, but also those of significant "subgroups," e.g., various racial groups, students with disabilities, students from poverty, English language learners (ELLs), etc. As the MURSD has a relatively small amount of students in these subgroups, the State Department of Education mixes the special education, high poverty, and ELL students into a larger subgroup known as "high needs." It is in this subgroup where our district must focus greater attention, as across the various grade levels, we are not meeting the targets.

Below in this post you can access the PowerPoint that was delivered to the Regional School Committee on Monday. It contains the district data for every grade level and every MCAS test. Or if you would like to see the data broken down by each school, please visit our District Dashboard, which has been updated to reflect the 2013 State Assessments.

MURSD MCAS Results & Accountability Ratings for 2013 from jpm66

If you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the comment section below!

Welcome to Harvest for Students Week!

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 23:47:00 +0000

Fall is definitely in the air... and there isn't a better time of the year for the harvest of fresh fruits and vegetables. Hence, the Massachusetts Farm to School Project, which the MURSD just joined, is sponsoring its 7th annual Harvest for Students Week 2013. The week kicks off the larger National Farm to School month (October). Both the national and state projects have the same mission: to encourage healthy food choices by increasing students' exposure to seasonal fruits and vegetables while also supporting local farmers and heightening interest in school meals.

I am excited that the district has joined the Farm to School Project. Actually, I feel as if it is a no-brainer, given what we want to accomplish in teaching kids life-long healthy eating habits and the proud farming tradition of our two communities. Our entree into the program will start with the project's Harvest of the Month campaign, where a new, locally grown fruit or vegetable will be introduced in our four schools' cafeterias each month. With this campaign a different Massachusetts-grown crop will be featured in a meal at least twice per month. The featured crops for the next few months are:

September- tomatoes

October- pears

November- apples

December- kale/collard greens

January- butternut squash

February- carrots

The Farm to School Project will provide us with plenty of promotional material, recipes, etc. to publicize the crops. They also have created partnerships with large local growers who provide participating districts with the produce at cut rates, ones that are typically better than the state's technical bids for food service programs. For example, the pears and apples we will be serving are fresh from Lanni Orchards in Lunenberg. Hence, it's a win-win situation.

Changing habits is never easy, and this is definitely true when introducing new foods to kids. Apples? Probably no problem.... but kale??? This is where our Food Service Director Dianne Braga and her talented managers must meet the challenge. Dianne tells me that they will be coming up with creative, kid-friendly choices that they will sample throughout the months. (She shared with me the recipe for baked kale chips: think of a healthier potato chip that is baked with a touch of olive oil and sea salt!) Whatever the recipe, the staff will first sample it to students before scaling to a full side for a lunch.

Kudos to Dianne and the cafeteria staff for bringing this worthwhile program to the MURSD!

State Senator Richard Moore, MURSD Food Service Director Dianne Braga and I
gave fresh apples, pears, and apple cider to Miscoe 6th graders today.

Devin McCourty & Clough Fuel Up to Play 60!

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 01:10:00 +0000

Patriots All-Pro Safety Devin McCourty
high fives all 464 Clough students!

We learn some of our habits at a very early age. That simple fact is the premise of a 6-year old joint venture from the National Dairy Council and the NFL, Fuel Up to Play 60. The program aims to promote students to take charge in making small, everyday changes at both home and school. The changes are in the areas of healthy food choices and getting exercise, specifically committing to being physically active for at least 60 minutes everyday.

The longitudinal research throughout many years has been very clear: poor nutrition and lack of physical activity are not only root causes of overweight and obesity, they are also factors associated with lower academic achievement. Thus, it is paramount that we find new, tangible ways to instill healthy eating and exercise habits not only into our wellness curriculum but also our everyday operations.

With this program in mind, the wellness team at Clough- school nurse Tara Bellefontaine, PE teacher Dan Hayes, and cafeteria manager Mary Lee Siple, last year decided to enroll Clough in the Fuel Up to Play 60 program. It started with a modest 90 students taking the FUP60 Pledge and based upon that success, they decided to pursue grant funding from the program, seeking the maximum amount, $4000 from their "Playbook" program, where schools must commit to one new nutrition initiative and one new physical activity. In late summer, they got word that not only was their grant application fully funded, but a New England Patriot would be at the school in September for a kick-off event! Clough was 1 of 5 schools in the nation to win this wonderful prize thanks to our students' hard work in submitting their pictures for a the Scavenger Hunt challenge (part of the grant application). Significantly, the $4000 grant will be used for a new salad bar, new, innovative gym equipment, and kick off material to support the program.

The Patriot that visited Clough today was Patriots all-pro safety Devin McCourty. He was an absolute delight, as he shared some fun and inspirational thoughts about his life as a Patriot, his workouts, and nutrition. He took all types of questions, from ,"What do you eat on game days?" (A really big breakfast of eggs, bacon, and French toast.) to, "What was your favorite game as a Patriot?" (It's a tie: when we beat the Lions on Thanksgiving and everyone was watching us as they ate their turkey and the AFC Championship game a couple of years ago... and when we beat the Ravens to get to Super Bowl XLVI...now we just got to win the next one!) to even, "Do you do ballet?"(I'd like to say that I have.... but, umm... no.)

A couple of final thoughts. First, many thanks to Dan, Tara, and Mary Lee for securing the grant and putting all of this together. You did an OUTSTANDING job and I am very proud of your efforts. It was a terrific day for our children at Clough.

Second, it certainly was apropos when Dan introduced Devin and he told the students about his versatility and flexibility, citing how in the past, Devin's role on the Patriots was changed (from his natural position, a safety, to cornerback) for the good of the team. Dan stated that Devin understands how important teamwork truly is, much like the "1 Team, 1 Goal, No Limits" core value at Clough. Devin's comments played off of Dan's fine introduction and it was very apparent that he is a warm, genuine man. It was also evident in the sincere way that he connected with our kids.

Thus... I know that many of you, like me, are die-hard Patriots fans. Based upon my experience today, I would urge you to root even harder for Devin McCourty. In my opinion, this fine young man is the real deal... as he is not only athletically gifted but he is also rich in character. He deserves all the success he will no doubt earn in his promising career.

PE Teacher Dan Hayes introduces Devin McCourty during
today's assembly. Also on stage is Clough nurse Tara Bellefontaine

A hallmark of the National Dairy Council, Devin proudly
wears his milk mustache in front of Clough!

A Través de los Grados (Across the Grades)

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 01:29:00 +0000

This afternoon marked an event that is rapidly becoming a tradition in our district's Spanish Immersion program. Nipmuc students in Nick Pezzotte's Hispanic Civilization, Culture & Literature Honors class traveled to Clough to read to students in Thais Lopez's kindergarten Spanish Immersion class. The high school students, most of whom are sophomores, are veterans of the SI Program and were SI kindergarteners themselves a mere decade ago.

The storybooks the high school students read the kindergarteners were written and illustrated by the students in Spanish (por supuesto). Each book had a fairy tale theme with a distinct moral lesson for the young readers. In either small groups or one on one the high school students proudly read their work in perfectly fluent Spanish. It was truly inspirational to see our students across a wide grade level connecting around learning.

Throughout the years there has been considerable research showing the benefits of pairing older students with younger ones to build skills such reading comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary. The same studies also show that the confidence and self-esteem of both the younger and older learners is also often improved. To be sure, this was a nice event for those reasons; however it was also a celebration of a fine program, one that is true innovation in our district.

We need to do this more in our district: namely creating opportunities where meaningful learning connections can occur among our students across different ages all four schools. So many of our students at the high school and middle school have so much to offer as models for their younger counterparts. This event is a great starting point and can serve as a model.

¡Felicidades y gracias, Sr. Pezzotte y Srta.Lopez!

Meaningful Math

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 18:11:00 +0000

Last Thursday I was doing some classroom visits with Nipmuc Principal John Clements and we couldn't help but notice a true conversation piece that was erected in the library media center. It looked like this:

Standing 8 feet tall, it certainly was an impressive sight. Math teacher Rob Messick and his two classes of sophomores in Fundamentals of Geometry constructed this 3-D figure, known as Sierpinski's pyramid, over the past week and a half. They carefully cut thousands of equilateral triangles and used plenty of scotch tape to construct the repeating geometric pattern of a tetrahedral (4-sided) pyramid.

When Mr. Clements and I went into the library the students were admiring the fruition of their efforts. They enthusiastically answered questions about the pyramid, sharing with us the fact that the figure was perfectly symmetrical and that the base pattern kept repeating in an exponential fashion (each unit referred to as a "stage"). The students were able to tell that this figure had five stages and if they were to construct a sixth stage, it would be 32 feet in height. They shared that if this pyramid was 100 stages, it would be thousands of light years tall. They were also able to cite the volume of open versus closed spaces in the figure based open the volumes of each successive stage they created.

It turns out that Sierpinski's pyramid contains plenty of higher level mathematical concepts, including tessellations, fractals, exponential magnitude, and symmetry to name just a few. These concepts clearly speak to higher order thinking, i.e., where students must analyze, predict, integrate, and synthesize difficult content so it makes sense. Here is a animated visual showing the repeating various stages Sierpinski's triangle:

To put it in perspective, here is the mathematical algorithm that goes with this repeating pattern:

The area of the Sierpinski Triangle approaches 0. This is because with every iteration 1/4 of the area is taken away. After an infinit number of iterations the remaining area is 0.

The number of triangles in the Sierpinski triangle can be calculated with the formula:

N=3^k - 1

Where n is the number of triangles and k is the number of iterations.

Okay, not the absolute most difficult math here... but without a visual cue, probably not the most fascinating either. What Mr. Messick was successfully able to facilitate was true project-based learning for his students. He gave them a challenge (they had no idea what the final outcome of their construction would be) and allowed them to discover the mathematical concepts as they constructed the figure, guiding their hypotheses as they progressed. This type of learning is the most impactful for students because they will truly understand because they are engaged in hands-on learning. As the Chinese proverb states:

I hear and I forget

I see and I remember

I do and I understand

I am confident that Mr. Messick's understand this content and will not forget this project for some time!

A Fitting Tribute

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 17:02:00 +0000

Last Friday there were many heavy hearts at Nipmuc as a group of well over 150 teachers, staff, administrators, parents, and members of the Class of 2012 gathered in the school's courtyard to commemorate the life of Jack Street on the one year anniversary of his tragic death. The program featured opening comments by Principal John Clements and an outstanding reflective prayer from classmate Matt D'Innocenzo where they recalled Jack's gentle nature, great sense of humor, and his great passion for life. A highlight of the program was when Class of 2012 President Dan Consigli unveiled the class gift to Nipmuc, a beautiful bench (pictured above) made from Jack's skis and dedicated in his honor. The bench will be permanently installed in the Nipmuc courtyard in the spring.

Another highlight was the performance of the original song, "Memories and Milestones" by Jack's classmate David Byer. The lyrics are the following:

Even though I couldn’t find it, I was told to cherish the small
And now that it’s gone I can see it all

I’ll shed a tear and I’ll say a prayer
In hopes that you find all you dreamed of up there
Cause even though we’d never know, it’s the little things that mean the most
You were always so happy, just being you
There’s not a thing we could do, to ever change you
So please rest easy while back home you are not lost
In our prayers, and in our thoughts

Even though I couldn’t find it, I was told to cherish the small
And now that it’s gone I can see it all

Memories and milestones are going to trickle down my cheek
When there’s only silence is when you’ll hear us weep
But these won’t be tears of sorrow, just tears that show you
How grateful we all are that we were blessed just to know you

Even though I couldn’t find it, I was told to cherish the small
And now that it’s gone I can see it all

Yeah I can see it all, yeah I can see it all
Yeah I can see you here, with that smile
The one we all know and love, the smile that’s now above
But know your smiling at better days, and you’re smiling in a better place

This touching song may be heard here:

A common theme that was touched upon Friday afternoon was the strength of community, and how the unspeakable pain of the past year was eased a bit by students and community members being there for Street and Murphy families... and one another. May that comfort and sense of community continue for the Jack's family. Most of all, may Jack's memory continue to be alive and be a sense of joy to all in our community.

Memorial's Kindness, Caring & Compassion

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 19:52:00 +0000

Amy Griswald of the United Parish Food Pantry and Nipmuc teacher David
Antonelli address the Memorial Student body during Friday's assembly

The Memorial Elementary School community is teaching its students in a very real way that charity begins at home.

It is with this spirit that the school kicked off its latest fundraiser, one that hopefully will raise some much-needed resources for the United Parish Food Pantry in Upton.

The concept is simple: During Wednesday through Friday of this week, all Memorial students are asked to bring in spare change to donate to their class donation can. On Friday afternoon, Memorial students can wind the day down by relaxing anywhere in the building (gymnasium, hallways, etc.) with their favorite book. Meanwhile, Principal Deb Swain will tabulate the final tally and will announce which classroom raised the most money for the pantry.

Significantly, all shopping for the food pantry will be done by students in Nipmuc's STAR (Success Through Alternative Resources) Program. Program teacher David Antonelli will supervise this effort. As a key component of the program is teaching students key life skills, this partnership is a win-win for all involved.

This initiative is part of Memorial's Rachel's Challenge Program, as evidenced by the flourishing Kindness, Caring & Compassion Club. The school has done some fine work in this area, as all specialists in the school teach carefully-crafted lessons on making good choices and pro-social behaviors to all students. Memorial's 4th grade teachers and students are spearheading this partnership with United Parish and the Nipmuc students.

Credit is also due to the Memorial PTO, who not only wants to promote a love of reading but clearly sees the importance of connecting with the community. As Principal Swain remarked, "The community has been so good to us, as evidenced by helping us with projects such as Box Tops for Education. We want to continue to give back to the community and for our kids to see it in a first-hand way."

Keep up the fine work!

Memorial students intently listen to Principal Swain about
the Food Pantry fundraiser

MURSD's 2012 MCAS Results & Accountability Status

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 02:45:00 +0000

Last Monday night I gave to the Regional School Committee a presentation on how our students did on the latest round of MCAS (Massachusetts Common Assessment Program) tests in English language arts, mathematics, and science. As you probably know, these high-stakes tests are administered each spring to all students in grades 3-8 and 10.

Below is the slideshow that I presented in approximately a half hour. To be clear... I realize that an 86-slide PowerPoint is less than ideal! However, there is a great deal of data and so much that is new with regard to how the state is now classifying schools and districts, it merits some degree of explanation.

MURSD 2012 MCAS Results & Accountability Status from jpm66

A few thoughts on the actual results. They were mixed, as at some grade levels and tests there was growth and at others there were declines from the 2011 results. You will note that I only presented the last four years of results, even though we have been administering the MCAS well over 10 years and over that time span the MURSD has made some tremendous gains. I presented only the last four years because under the state's new accountability system, only the results of the past four years are used to determine a school and district's classification. If you look at our district's aggregate performance (all 1,443 students that were tested in 2012) over that four-year span, it is static in ELA (78% proficient or higher) and has increased by 3% in mathematics (from 64% to 67% proficient or higher). Additionally, we showed significant growth in science testing, as the results of the tested grades of 5, 8, and 10 showed respective gains of 11%, 7%, and 5% in that four-year span.

An enormous change this year is the new accountability system where new targets have been presented for all schools due to the state's recent waiver from No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Instead of incremental targets toward the goal of 100% proficiency in 2013-14, the state now is using a system known as PPI or the Progress and Performance Index. This complex metric gives each school and district a rating of 1-100 using multiple measures, including our aggregate scores on the MCAS, our aggregate student growth percentiles (SGP) (a measure of how much a student has grown from the previous year), the district's dropout rate, and the district graduation rate. To be considered on target, each school and district must have a PPI value of 75 or higher. For 2012, the MURSD has a PPI of 77. However, under this new system, all of the significant subgroups (e.g., students with disabilities, disadvantaged students, English language learners, etc.) must also have a PPI value of 75. For the MURSD, our high needs subgroup has a PPI value of 73.

Based upon this new system, the district (and each school) must work to close the "proficiency gap," i.e., the difference in performance between all students and those in the high needs subgroups, by at least half by the year 2017. Thus, for each school, the performance targets for each school and the district on a whole have been very clearly laid out for all MCAS testing from this coming spring to 2017.

Based upon the four-year performance, the new system classifies each school from Level 1 (the best in Meeting all Targets) to Level 5 (needing the most assistance). Clough has been labeled as a Level 1 school while Memorial, Miscoe, and Nipmuc have been classified as Level 2 (Working to Meet all Targets). The system deems that the district must be classified as the same as its lowest school, hence the MURSD is a Level 2 district. As the slides also indicate, the MURSD outperformed all of the districts in the Blackstone Valley using the new PPI metric and is in the middle of the pack when comparing it to similar demographic and sized districts. While there is variability for the reasons of Memorial, Miscoe, and Nipmuc having their classifications of Level 2, the fact remains that we must do more in the MURSD to meet address the learning of our students with the greatest needs.

We have much complex work ahead within our four schools, and in all four schools in may look different. It starts with disaggregating this wealth of data to better inform how well our curriculum and instruction are actually working. At the elementary levels we must ensure instructional fidelity to the well-established reading and mathematics curriculum. At both the elementary and secondary levels we must carefully examine how we are delivering special education services, and possibly change the model to ensure that all students are getting the appropriate grade level content they need.

The MCAS is only one measure of our performance, but it is an important snapshot. I would like to see more robust gains, but in light of the programmatic and staffing cuts that the district has sustained during a good portion of that four-year span, the results are not unexpected. I know that our teachers- the heart of our operation- are committed to a district-wide culture of continuous improvement.

The district can and will do better.

August 11th Volunteer Day at Inman Pond

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 02:18:00 +0000

Here's a GREAT community service opportunity that can really make a difference in improving the delicate ecosystem in a corner of Mendon.

Lycott Environmental has finished the mechanical removal of the invasive non-native water chestnut weeds from Inman Pond in Mendon. The Town of Mendon is now organizing a volunteer day on Saturday, August 11th for people to get out on the pond to hand pull about a 1/2 acre of the weeds left on the pond. Inman Pond is a beautiful pond tucked away on the Meadow Brook Woods conservation land in Mendon. A photo of Inman Pond is above. This is a great community service opportunity to get out on the water and appreciate the lovely pond and the wildlife habitat it supports.

Lycott Environmental staff will educate and train people on the water chestnut weed removal. They will also provide jon boats for people to use in the water. If people have canoes they would like to bring, they could also be used. The shifts for volunteering will be from 8-11 am and 11 am - 2 pm. All people will have to sign a volunteer liability form (please see below). All people under 18 need to have a parent or guardian also sign the form. Please bring the form the day of the event. Children over 13 years of age can participate.

Please email or call with any questions. Anne will be coordinating the volunteer schedule. Mark Reil will also be there there at Inman Pond on August 11th at the beginning of the clean-up.If interested, email or call Mendon Community Preservation Committee Chair Anne Mazar (annesmazar@gmail.com or (508) 280-8826) with the following information: name, telephone number, email, shift you would like to work, and if you will be bringing a canoe.

Thoughts on the FY13 MURSD Budget

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 19:02:00 +0000

Tomorrow (Monday, March 19) marks the annual Open Budget Hearing for the Mendon-Upton Regional School District Budget for the 2012-13 school year. It is at 7:00 pm in the Nipmuc Auditorium. If you cannot make it, it will be streamed live on the Town Hall Streams website. On that same site you may also watch an archived video of the forum.

The Regional School Committee will be voting to certify an operational budget of $27,834,228 for fiscal year 2013. This conservative budget represents an increase of $187,719 or 0.68% over the current year's operational budget of $27,646,509. With this very modest increase, there will be no request for a Proposition 2 1/2 override from either community.

The creation of the FY13 budget was a collaborative process that began last August, when the Regional School Committee began meeting with the Boards of Selectmen and Finance Committees from both town. These monthly meetings, known as "Multi-Board Meetings," have been a positive development in that both school and town representatives have been engaging in regular, meaningful dialogue about each side's needs and potential revenue, for FY13 and beyond.

Our goals for the proposed FY13 MURSD Budget were the following:

To stabilize the district- educationally and financially- while we collaboratively build a new strategic plan to guide our programming over the next five years.
To create a level services budget, i.e., to keep the existing programs and staff that we have in place, ending the cycle of cuts that the district has suffered over the past four years.
To develop a budget that is conservative and mindful of the current revenues that are available at the state and local levels.
To work collaboratively with both towns in order to end the divisiveness that has existed in recent years.

I strongly believe that the proposed budget successfully meets all of these goals.

While I am very confident that we will continue to improve teaching and learning in our district, I caution that the FY13 budget is about stabilization, not growth. I am excited to commence the strategic planning process this spring as the feedback I have received from parents and staff alike is that they want our district to be competitive and forward-thinking. Our district must forge forward with new programs for our children, such as universal full-day kindergarten, more STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) offerings at all levels, and expanded opportunities for career exploration. A new strategic plan will enable our district to craft a vision of how we will expand our programming, with specific goals and objectives. These goals and objectives will guide our budgeting for FY14 and beyond.

Below is the PowerPoint presentation that I will deliver at the Open Budget Hearing.

MURSD Open Budget Hearing Presentation March 19, 2012

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Here is the Proposed FY13 Budget Handout that will be shared at the Open Budget Hearing:

If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to post them in the comments section below or as always, feel free to e-mail me.

The NCLB Waiver...What Does It Mean for Us??

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 14:56:00 +0000

Last month it was announced by the US Department of Education that Massachusetts, along with nine other states, has been granted a waiver from certain provisions of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). This 2001 landmark federal law has been criticized by some for its “one size fits all” approach to school accountability. Under NCLB all public schools and districts must meet the same prescribed targets for student proficiency in annual MCAS testing in English language arts and mathematics. These targets, known as “adequate yearly progress” or AYP, have progressively become more difficult to achieve since 2002 as the goal of NCLB is 100% proficiency by all students by the year 2014.

NCLB requires schools to meet the AYP targets for not only the aggregate of the tested student population but also for each of the major subgroups, i.e., students of various racial/ethnic groups, students with disabilities, low-income students, and English language learners. The statistically significant subgroups in the MURSD are students with disabilities and low-income students. As the years have progressed, our schools have met the AYP targets for the aggregate performance; however, have fallen short on the special education subgroup recently. Keep in mind that the AYP targets are the same as the targets for each of the subgroups.

Concomitantly, the closer we have gotten to 2014, the more challenging the AYP targets have become. For example, for 2011 the state’s CPI (composite performance index) target for ELA and mathematics MCAS were 95.1 and 92.2, respectively. These figures equate to approximately 85-90% of all students and all students in each subgroup scoring proficient or better on each of the tests. This is challenging work and these targets just may be too far reaching given the amount of time since NCLB was enacted. This sentiment is verified by the fact that 82% of all schools and 91% of all districts across the Commonwealth did not meet their AYP targets in 2011. (In the MURSD, only Nipmuc achieved AYP in 2011.)

So is NCLB’s punitive system of labeling schools as “failing” based upon meeting these targets fair? Or even realistic? In my opinion, the answer is no.

Under this new waiver schools will be classified by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education individually rather than using absolute AYP targets. The classifications will look at how many students in the aggregate achieved proficiency, how many students actually improved their performance from year to year (using SGP or Student Growth Percentiles), and how much the achievement gap between the aggregate and various subgroups has been closed. The new classifications for ach school and district will be one of the following:

Level 1 On track to college and career readiness
Level 2 Not meeting gap closing goals
Level 3 Focus: Lowest performing 20% of schools (including schools with the largest gaps)
Level 4 Priority: Lowest performing schools
Level 5 Priority: Chronically underperforming schools

Over the coming months we will receive more details, as these changes will be implemented starting during the 2012-13 school year. While our goal in the MURSD will remain proficiency for ALL students, this new accountability system that judges schools based upon student growth and progress in closing gaps in performance is certainly welcome news.

School Funding Basics- Regional Transportation

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 20:06:00 +0000

Happy New Year! May 2012 be a healthy, happy, and prosperous for you and your family!

The below PowerPoint will be presented to the School Committee tomorrow night, January 9. It is the latest in my series of monthly short presentations on essential elements of the MURSD Budget. As student transportation is a considerable expenditure (approximately $1.2 million) and there are many specific caveats regarding state funding to the region, getting the facts out to the public is critical. As always, please comment below if you have any further questions.

School Funding Basics- Regional Transportation

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The Type of Schools We Need

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 22:42:00 +0000

“Our kids need to have multiple opportunities in rigorous coursework so they can get into good colleges and be competitive in the workforce,” stated an impassioned mother at one of my Superintendent Meet & Greet coffee hours last week. Other parents around the table concurred: we all want the absolute best for our kids, giving them rich academic content and skills so they can succeed in a 21^st century global economy.

But is that what is happening across our country? Is it happening in the Mendon-Upton Regional School District?

Critics of the educational status quo often point to the latest results of the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) Assessment, an internationally benchmarked test given every three years to 15-year-old students in 65 economically developed nations. The 2009 data show that US students ranked 17^th in reading, 30^th in mathematics, and 23^rd in science. Furthermore, economists and policy analysts predict that upwards of 3 million jobs, particularly those in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields cannot be filled by employers due to a lack of qualified candidates. In fact, during one of the most recent Republican presidential debates, the candidates sparred over the specifics of opening our borders to the most gifted foreign students to bolster American innovation.

All of this is sad but true. But what does it mean for our schools?

Plain and simple, we need to do things differently.

We need to shift the paradigm of how we educate our kids. In many ways the schools our children attend today are in the same mold as the ones we attended… and the ones our parents attended… and our grandparents… and our great-grandparents. I say this as the structure of schools (grade levels, the length of the school day, curriculum organized by discrete content areas, etc.) has largely remained unchanged since the late 19^th century. While these structures served most well for an industrial, manufacturing-based economy, this is no longer the case.

I want to be very clear. I believe that we do a fine job in delivering an essential set of academic skills and content to our children. In the MURSD we do this very well while also tending to the many developmental needs of kids. However, today’s economy demands so much more of our graduates. In additional to the classic skills (the ability to speak and write effectively, problem solve, and critically think), workers must have the ability to create, collaborate, adapt, and oftentimes, innovate. They must have basic new literacies, such as financial literacy and informational literacy, to make sound judgments. The key is that ALL of our kids must have these competencies (commonly referred to as “21^st Century Skills”) to succeed today in even the most basic of entry-level jobs.

The good news is that we know what works. There is a plethora of current research and best practices to access to about creating new structures and learning opportunities, particularly through the use of technology, to extend learning beyond the boundaries of the school walls and the school day. These new opportunities speak directly to student acquisition of 21^st century skills.

Such a vision is bold, but it is what I am hearing we want for our children as I connect with parents at events such as the coffee hours. In the coming months I look forward with having conversations with all stakeholders about the future of our school district as we will start a comprehensive strategic plan to guide us over the next five years. It is my hope that together we will craft a common vision on how our schools will give all of our students what they need.

May you and your family have a wonderful holiday season. And here’s to a bright 2012!

School Funding Basics- Special Education & "Circuit Breaker" Funding

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:05:00 +0000

The below PowerPoint was my second in a series of presentations that I gave to the Regional School Committee regarding the basics of how the school budget is funded. This presentation focuses on how special education services are funded at the state and national level. It also focuses on a specific funding stream from the state, known as "circuit breaker" funding, that is a partial reimbursement for the expenses for out-of-district placed students. As the presentation captures, this important program has not kept up with the ever-increasing costs associated with the education of our students with the greatest needs.

School Funding Basics: Special Education & Circuit Breaker Funding

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There's No Business Like Snow Business...

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:39:00 +0000

Roses in full bloom in November?
Landscaping in front of Bertucci's Restaurant, Warwick, RI
Taken on Saturday night, November 26, 2011

I should note that as I write this posting, it is 63 degrees Fahrenheit outside, the sun is shining, and I hear the squeals of happy 5th graders on the playground equipment outside of my office window. So... no time like the present to address plans for snow days!!

At its meeting last Monday night, the Mendon-Upton Regional School Committee approved a contingency plan (posted below) in the event that we have numerous snow days this coming winter. This plan was necessary due to the fact that we started the year with three cancellation days due to Hurricane Irene and as of today, we are ending the school year on Tuesday, June 19, 2012. As we received a fairly good response rate from parents and staff to an online survey regarding potential make-up days, we have used that data to craft the below plan.

A few thoughts: As you look at the plan, please realize that we covered every potential possibility regarding number of snow days and when they could occur. Therefore, there is a "by date" column in the plan. Over the past ten years the MURSD has had 0-3 snow days each year; the only exception was last year when school was cancelled 7 days (5 snow days plus 2 roof clearing days). Thus, odds are that the first row in the contingency plan is the most likely possibility this school year.

However, let's review what we've seen locally in the past twenty months: historical flooding, tornadoes and microbursts, an Atlantic coast hurricane, and record-setting snowfall. I could easily do a post or two on my thoughts on the mounting evidence of global climate change- call it the high school science teacher in me- but I'll save that for another day. The fact remains that there is empirical evidence that our planet is warmer, hence there is more moisture in the atmosphere, hence more precipitation. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if we do get another stormy winter, much as the Old Farmer's Almanac is predicting. I certainly hope that's not the case and our winter ahead is a quiet one.

May we all have many sunny days in the 50's ahead of us!

School Funding Basics- State Funding 101

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 01:47:00 +0000

The way we fund our school district's budget is very complex, and as we all know in recent years, increasingly more difficult. I am well aware of the fact that in years past, the Regional School Committee and district administration have made many efforts to explain various terms, regulations, and mandates that dictate both revenues and expenditures. As there are so many aspects of this, it would be difficult to cover and explain all of it in one session. Hence, School Committee Chair Heather Applegate recently had the idea to use the next two or three months (before the budget season gets into full gear) to explain some aspects of school funding to the public. A great idea!

Hence, below is the brief 8-slide PowerPoint presentation that I gave at last Monday night's School Committee meeting. This presentation is the first in a series that I will be giving. As the cover slide notes, it is on the basics on the funding we receive from the state through its Chapter 70 Program. In my presentation I was also careful to detail between the terms "foundation budget" and "net school spending," two terms that very much detail the minimum we (and every district in the Commonwealth) must spend on education. I hope my presentation is clear... If you have any questions, please post them below.

School Budget Basics- State Funding 101

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Also, here are the handouts I provided Monday night:

The FY2012 Foundation Budget for the Mendon-Upton Regional School Budget-

The trend for Chapter 70 Funding for the Mendon-Upton Regional School District over the past ten years-

If you are very ambitious, please visit the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education website's page on Massachusetts Foundation Budget and the most recent FY2012 Net School Spending Requirements.

School Committee Vacancy Announcement

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 20:09:00 +0000

The Mendon-Upton Regional School Committee is in need of an interim representative to fulfill the responsibilities of school committee representative for the town of Upton to the Mendon-Upton Regional School Committee until the next town election on May 7, 2012. Interested individuals are invited to send a letter of interest, noting your background and any related experiences, to:

Mendon-Upton Regional School Committee
150 North Avenue
Mendon, MA 01756
Attn: Heather Applegate, School Committee Chair

or to:

Blythe Robinson, Town Manager
Board of Selectmen's Office
1 Main Street, Box 1
Upton, MA 01568

Please include your name, address, phone number, and email address (if you have one). Please respond by Friday, November 18. The appointment vote will be held in early December. Questions regarding responsibilities of the committee, meeting schedule, etc. may be directed to Heather Applegate, School Committee Chair, at (508) 529-9005.

In the End, Only Kindness Matters

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 18:33:00 +0000

When I sat in last week's Rachel's Challenge parent presentation at Memorial Elementary School, it was the third time I had experienced to the multimedia presentation. And for the third time, I witnessed many openly weeping at the emotionally-charged story of 17-year old Rachel Scott, the first victim of the April 20, 1999 Columbine High School shooting. It is understandable, given the tremendous loss of Miss Scott, who by all accounts was an extraordinary young lady who treated all with acts of kindness and compassion.

That's the chief aim of Rachel's Challenge: to perpetuate Rachel Scott's legacy to schoolchildren worldwide by presenting the story of her brief and prophetic life (she often told her family and friends that she felt that she would die young but would make a big difference in the world). The presentation details Rachel's many acts of kindness and compassion- particularly to those who were different or disabled- and her thoughts from the six diaries she kept in her short life. During the presentation students are invited to accept "Rachel's Challenge," five simple credos to live your life by. They are:

Look for the best in others.
Dream big.
Choose positive influences.
Speak with kindness
Start your own chain reaction of kindness.

Simple advice, no? All of us- not just kids- sometimes need these reminders...

As I have been involved with this program for the past three years, I am often asked if it is an anti-bullying program. It isn't per se, as there is no formal curriculum that deals specifically with social skills and/or situations. However, at the heart of bullying in schools is an examination of a school's climate and culture. This program, with its emphasis on promoting prosocial behaviors between peers and students and staff and making explicit connections to kids and the community through community service, is undeniably beneficial to school climate.

I look forward to seeing the Kindness and Compassion Clubs (the formal structure for promoting the five challenges) at Clough and Memorial begin their work. In a society where there is often so division and lack of civility, it is great to see a program that stresses the basics in what we want in all of our kids: kindness and compassion.

Many thanks to physical education teachers Chrissy Horn and Dan Hayes, Clough Principal Jan Gallagher, Memorial Principal Deb Swain, and the Mendon-Upton Education Foundation for bringing Rachel's Challenge to the elementary level. Great work!

The National Debt for 6th Graders

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 01:44:00 +0000

If we are to be competitive with emerging economies of the world (see China and India), our schools must speak to what has come to be known as "21st century skills." These are skills that are absolutely critical for a student to be successful in postsecondary education and more importantly, the workforce. Some of these skills are absolutely not new: effective communication, critical thinking, problem solving, and analytical thought are key ones. However, according to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, a national non-profit that advocates for a new direction of school reform, equally critical are 21st century interdisciplinary themes such as global awareness, environmental literacy, civic literacy... and get this- financial, economic, business, and entrepreneurial literacy. This clearly has a lot of implications for how and what we teach kids, particularly around the standards of "understanding how to make appropriate personal economic choices" and "understanding the larger role of the economy on society."

These thoughts ruminated in my head as I read a piece in a recent morning faculty bulletin from Miscoe Hill Principal Ann Meyer. It was a simple exercise for kids and adults alike to put the national debt in perspective. It read like this:

Below is a nice simple view of the financial problem in the U.S. It is also the reason why Standard & Poor downgraded the U.S. credit rating:

U.S. Tax Revenue: $2,170,000,000,000
Federal Budget: $3,820,000,000,000
New Debt: $1,650,000,000,000
National Debt: $14,271,000,000,000
Recent Budget Cut: $38,500,000,000

Okay, so all of those zeroes make us glaze over! So let's make this problem a little simpler... and pretend that the federal government is a family of four and they have a household budget and expenses. With that said, let's remove eight zeroes from the figures!

Annual family income: $21,700
Money the family spend: $38,200
New Debt on the Credit Card: $16,500
Outstanding Balance on All Credit Cards: $142,710
Recent Budget Cut: $385

Interesting perspective, no? I was curious if a child... say a middle school student... could understand this analogy. Thus, I put my own middle schooler, my 11-year old daughter Molly, to the the test. Here she is pondering the facts of this financial dilemma:

I asked her to write out the above bullet points of the fictitious family of four and then answer the following questions: 1) What do you think of this? and 2) What would happen to this family?

After some thought, Molly's comments to me included the following:

"I don't get it... how can you spend more money than you make??"
"This family really didn't cut much from their budget.... ya think??"
"Dad, do you think that this family would lose their house? I do."

Out of the mouth of babes....

If this analogy on the national debt doesn't drive it home neatly for you, there's always comedian Bill Maher's plate of food analogy.... Enjoy!

9/11... Ten Years After

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:48:00 +0000

Today was a solemn day that was filled with many emotions: sadness, heartache, anger, fear, resignation, and hope to name but a few. For most, the ten year anniversary of September 11, 2001 is a moment in time to pause and reflect on the tremendous loss of life not only on that tragic day, but also on the sacrifice of so many servicemen and women in two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq over the past decade. Today also marked the official unveiling of a local memorial that is stirring.

Fire Lt. Michael Zarella of the Mendon Fire Department has made it a life passion over the past five years to plan and construct a formal memorial to his 348 colleagues on the FDNY that perished on 9/11. The fruit of his labors was seen today, as this moving memorial was dedicated in the front lobby of the Mendon Fire Station. The hallmark of the exhibit is a 10 foot steel beam that was once part of the World Trade Center. The beam is twisted and ripped, complete with shredded bolts and attached concrete, all reminders of the towers' stunning collapses. On the wall behind the beam are the names of all of the fallen FDNY first responders. Also on the wall is a flat screen television that displays over 1600 images from that fateful day and the immediate aftermath.

During today's dedication, I was very impressed with Michael Zarella. He is bright and articulate, and his passion for this important project clearly shines through. He spoke with authority in describing his journey over the past five years in successfully obtaining the 1500 lb beam for this memorial. He retold the story of his two emotional visits to Hangar 17 of JFK International Airport, the official repository for all of the World Trade Center remains. Because of the thousands of hours he has put into research and fact-finding, his knowledge of the events of 9/11, the recovery of the WTC artifacts, and the many anecdotes of the first responders is impressive.

We are blessed to have this new memorial and Lt. Zarella as resources in our community. As this memorial is a permanent fixture, it should be viewed by all... particularly our young people. It is a fact that nearly half of our students in our schools were not even alive when 9/11 occurred. Our students at Nipmuc were very young- anywhere between Pre-K to grade 2. Their memories may be hazy at best. I will be recommending to our principals and teachers that they bring our students to this fine memorial where appropriate. It will reinforce and teach to our students this recent defining moment in our nations' history.

May we all never forget.

Come on, Irene!!

jmaruszczak@mursd.org (Joseph Maruszczak) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:25:00 +0000

New Clough Principal changes the sign signaling the start of school once again...

Okay, this is not how I imagined the first three days of the 2011-12 school year would go! To say the least, it was maddening to cancel school due to the damage and loss of power because of Tropical Storm Irene (yes, it lost its Category I hurricane status by time it hit Mendon-Upton). Never in my life have I logged as many hours speaking to local officials- police, fire, DPW, and our friends at National Grid- to get a handle on the safety conditions in both towns as well as a sense of when power would be restored to Miscoe Hill Middle School. The more people I spoke to, the stronger sense of the severe damage- particularly in Mendon- I got.

The power loss wore on our nerves. Living over the border in Rhode Island, I got my power back Tuesday morning at 2 am... and I know I was one of the lucky ones. Each day when I went to my office (which is attached to Miscoe Hill) I felt frustrated without electricity, Internet, phones, or running water. Last week was one of those rare, sustained reminders of how we take so many of life's conveniences for granted. Perhaps adding to the surreal feeling was the fact that every day post-Irene was a gorgeous, sunny day in the 80's. How could we be having these cancelled days??!!

I know many of our parents felt the stress of the situation as well. I may be a new superintendent, but I don't think that I will ever receive as many requests from parents asking me to cancel school as I did last week. They told stories of lack of running water (and hence, no showers, etc.) and just the general stress from the lack of amenities. For some, it was real tough going...

But as it often is in life, much good can come from bad. I've heard many stories of families coming together during all of the unexpected "down time," bonding while doing fun and silly things. I know that I had the opportunity to play Scrabble and Monopoly with both of my daughters for two consecutive nights... that's probably the first time that's happened in years! I also went to sleep on Sunday and Monday nights after reading in bed by candlelight... the dreamer in me ignored my eyestrain and postulated that this must have how it was in the 1800's and earlier. I kind of liked that feeling!

However, what makes me feel the best is the way that people come together during a crisis. A casual glance at one's Facebook feed told the story of families reaching out to others with offers of shelter, food, and showers. One of our moms in the district wrote me an e-mail describing the challenges of the days after the storm, but then she closed the correspondence with this insight: "...community members are reaching out to each other. Those with power are welcoming those without into their homes for showers, charging phones and such, getting water (many are on wells without power), and just some conversation. We have a friend's medication in our fridge for her and send them home with ice for their cooler and refreshed after long awaited showers....It may not be the start of the year that people are accustomed to, but I think it just may be the start of the year that we needed. Something that brings us all together, realizing the important things about community... I hope this stays with us... as we go forward."

I hope the same too! Here's to September 6 and beyond!