Alice's Views on Schools and Education
Alice believes that children learn best when the curriculum engages them, when their teachers appropriately support them, when the environment allows them to be physically and mentally healthy and when their peer group offers diversity and opportunities for social connections. It is the School Committee’s job to ensure that our school system provides this for every student.
Please click on the following topics to read more about Alice's thoughts
Learning
Students differ in the ways they learn. In all subjects more students will succeed if a variety of ways to access the curriculum material are offered. Memorable projects and experiences should be integrated in each curriculum area allowing students a variety of ways to learn and a variety of ways to demonstrate the knowledge and skills they have acquired.
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| Alice taught weaving to third and fourth graders this past Spring at the King Open School. The photos above were taken in 2009, when she taught weaving in another classroom. |
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Elementary Schools
There is no one ‘works-best-for-all-children-and-their-families’ style of education. Cambridge offers a variety of styles of elementary education. I support this, including the new Montessori Program at the Tobin School. Creating schools where parents/guardians and faculty share a vision of what is best for students can lead to schools where students meet high expectations and where families feel connected and that their involvement is welcomed.
Two critical challenges exist for Cambridge’s system of school choice; one is ensuring that different educational styles do not cause some schools to provide an inferior education. The other challenge is to offer educational options which appeal to a diversity of families so that schools are integrated by choice, not by mandatory assignments.
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Middle School
In the fall of 2011 Cambridge will open four new upper schools for 6th, 7th and 8th graders, each in a shared building with a JK (Junior Kindergarten) through 5th grade school. The Amigos School (Spanish language immersion school) will move to a building of it’s own and remain a JK-8th grade school, while Ola (Portuguese language immersion program) will be a JK-8th grade program in one of the buildings housing an upper school.
This plan presents many challenges. I will work hard to make sure that the voices of parents and guardians are heard and that their concerns are addressed as this year of planning progresses.
It is critical that the teaching teams in each of these new upper schools are active participants in deciding how to best implement this new arrangement. I believe that the most powerful, engaging teaching happens when faculty actively design and adapt curriculum to meet the needs of students they know well.
Students face a developmentally unique time in the years directly preceding high school. I will work hard to make sure this new configuration of schools meets the needs of our 6th, 7th and 8th graders. Including their need for a rich array of after school opportunities.
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High School
The high school has just moved back into a completely renovated facility and this year will undertake the search for and hiring of a permanent principal. Families with prospective students are touring the high school in high numbers. Whether this is because of increased confidence in the high school or the down turn in the economy (or both), the high school will face challenges scheduling more students into appropriate classes. It is critical that not only academic courses be increased if the numbers warrant, but also that elective options increase sufficiently. For many students vocational education courses, art courses, foreign language courses and other electives are what make the high school a place they want to be and a place where they can be successful.
In addition to the wide selection of course options during the school day, CRLS offers a rich array of after school clubs, teams and activities. These offerings extend the school day experience and must be supported because they are a critical part of a high quality, successful high school education.
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Nutrition
Many students eat breakfast, lunch and one or more snacks during the time they spend in school and in afterschool programs. If we want all of our students to have the benefits of good nutrition the schools’ meal program must provide appealing, healthy choices including access to a variety to fresh fruits and vegetables.
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Physical Activity
Physical education and athletic opportunities are important for students at both the elementary and high school level. Students will be better able to focus if opportunities for movement are integrated throughout the school day.
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Recess
Recess is an important part of the school day. It is provides time for physical activity, creative play, social interactions and stress release. Recess is good for students’ physical and mental health. Recess is not an expendable part of the school day. It is important that recess be scheduled in the upper school day for 6th, 7th and 8th graders as well as for younger students.
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Mental Health
It is critical that teachers and other school staff be educated about potential mental health issues that students may be experiencing; both to refer students to available services and to create safe classrooms where all students can thrive.
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Teachers
Teachers are the single most important resource in our schools. They must be supported with relevant professional development, adequate supplies and supportive leadership. All the principals must work to ensure that every teacher is evaluated fairly and on schedule. Principals should be a resource to both experienced and new teachers inspiring them to grow and to improve their practice.
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Leadership
Cambridge has just hired a new Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Jeffery Young. It will be his job to evaluate principals. Just as principals should support teachers, the Superintendent’s role includes being a resource to both experienced and new principals, inspiring them to grow and to improve their practice.
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Special Education
Parent/guardians should not be put in an adversarial role when requesting services for their children. Providing high quality special education services to a student not only supports that individual child’s academic achievement and growth, it also supports the growth and achievement of all the students in our inclusive classrooms.
Cambridge should investigate model programs both in the ‘out of district placements’ where students whose needs Cambridge cannot meet are currently being sent and within other public school districts. To the extent feasible, model programs of the highest quality should be replicated in Cambridge, allowing children appropriate settings within our system. In addition to the benefit for children of not having to travel out of the district, this allows Cambridge more direct oversight of the education these children receive and can reduce tuition and transportation costs.
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Family Involvement
When parents/guardians and schools truly act as partners, students thrive. Schools must create numerous and varied ways to welcome parents/guardians. Every family should be able to find a comfortable role in which they can contribute to their child’s education. Parent/guardian involvement can take many forms, from working on school governance, attending student performances, overseeing homework, organizing or attending school events, participating in parent/teacher conferences to readying students to get on the school bus each morning.
Communication between home and school is the foundation of family involvement. Student-to-student and family-to-family connections and communication also strengthen school communities. This year, for the first time, the school system will create student directories for every school.
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