Somerville School Committee decides to unify the Healey into one school

On June 22, 2010, in Latest News, by The News Staff

Principles
of the Choice Program to serve as foundation for new school community
to be developed by the School Council with the Principal Somerville, MA.

(from the Somerville Public Schools)

Following
more than three months of active discussion and with significant input
from with staff, families and students at Somerville's Arthur D. Healey
Elementary School, the Somerville School Committee decided in a 5 to 3
vote on Monday, June 21, 2010 to unify the Healey School and charge the
School Improvement Council with creating a school redesign plan. This
plan will use the Choice program educational practices and governing
document as a starting point for discussion. In a second action, the
members of the School Committee voted 6 to 2 to define a set of guiding
principles to help the School Improvement Council with their Fall 2010
planning work. "This was a complicated deliberation,"said School
Committee chair Mark Niedergang. "In the end, this decision was guided
by the School Committee's desire to sustain a progressive educational
choice in the Somerville Public Schools. We also wanted to increase
student, family and staff satisfaction at the Healey School, and
student achievement for all youth in the Healey School community. I
have never been more excited about the future of the Healey School, and
I look forward, with great confidence and anticipation, to seeing the
new design that the Healey School Council will develop."

Says
Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi, "Our staff will effectively carry out
the School Committee decisions in order to ensure the Healey School
continues the forward momentum begun by the staff, and stimulated by
the debate over the last three months about the characteristics and
elements the staff, families and students seek in their school." The
School Committee actions called for the District to allocate funds for
a consultant to help shepherd the school redesign process, and the
expansion of the team of advisors helping the School Improvement
Council create the template for the new Healey School. The School
Committee called for a transparent and inclusive redesign process that
brings together faculty, parents/guardians and community members. The
School Committee motion called for the development of a Healey School
design plan by January 15, 2011. Monthly progress reports will be
expected beginning in October 2010. The Healey School welcomes a new
Principal, Jason DeFalco on July 1, 2010. As one of the co-chairs of
the School Council, he will work with the school redesign consultant
and all stakeholders to facilitate the transition planning process.

The
Arthur D. Healey School currently provides high quality instructional
and afterschool services to more than 560 youth in grades K-8. Since
its inception 27 years ago, the Healey School has been home to the
District-wide Choice program, a K-6 progressive, constructivist
instructional program launched in a partnership with Tufts University.
The Healey School also offers an integrated Grade 7-8 program and
specialized classes for students who require special education
instructions in substantially separate classrooms.

For more
information about the Somerville School Committee decision to unify the
Arthur D. Healey School, please contact Tony Pierantozzi at
617-625-6600 x6005 or tpierantzzi@k12.somerville.ma.us.