Time To Change the Worcester School
Committee
A way to
change the Worcester School Committee for the better is change the Worcester
City Charter to include district school committee members. The districts would
be based on the four City high schools quadrant. Another requirement would be
that these district school committee members have a child in the Worcester
public schools.
The Worcester School Committee consists today
of sincere and knowledgeable people. Unfortunately they do not vigorously
represent the student population of the Worcester Schools.
It is no
secret that the Worcester School District student population is becoming more
poor, more foreign born, and with more students with dark skin. The Worcester School Committee has not become
representative of them.
The last
Latina on the School Committee is Hilda Ramirez. The last school committee
member, that I recall, with children in the Worcester School District is Tracy
O’Connell Novick. Both ladies were defeated after they vigorously defended
students against the adverse impact of the racist school to jail policies.
The
Worcester School Committee is entirely White and without children in the
Worcester School district. For the most part they are the same people who hired
a favorite daughter, principal from South High School, to be Superintendent of
Worcester Schools. This was a disappointment as the then acting Superintendent
was Latino, spoke Spanish, and had a Doctorate. The present Superintendent has
none of these qualities.
At the last
election Dante Carparretto was elected to the School Committee replacing a Tea
Party sympathizer. Although a good man Dante has no children in the Worcester
Schools.
Presently
the Worcester City Charter requires that school committee candidates run an election
throughout the entire city which allows the more affluent voters an advantage
over the poorer, foreign born, or dark skin populations.
Many White parent
just send their children to public grammar schools and afterward to the parochial
high School. Many Black and Latino parents do the same. The Public high schools
populations consist to a larger extent that the elementary schools low income,
foreign born, special needs, and dark skin students. Which means that they are
underrepresented at the decision making levels of government.
There are
several pockets of voters who have no children in public schools and seem
intent on restricting public education and promoting racist school to jail
policies. The Tea Party and especially a right blogger have harmed the public
school systems.
A similar
system of district representation is working well in Worcester City Council
where there are Black, White, and Latino Councillors. The district representation allows all parts
of the City a voice in government.
