WORCESTER ScHOOL COMMITTEE

CANDIDATE RESPONSES

Read the responses submitted by this year’s candidates for Worcester School Committee.

Responses to questions will be posted weekly. Please check back regularly.

QUESTION 3

If elected, what actions, specifically, would you take to address understaffing in the WPS? Please prioritize the staffing shortages you would address.

400 word maximum submissions permitted.

*Currently serving on the school committee.

**SUSAN M. MAILMAN* | AT-LARGE**

Staffing shortages cut across all industries and certainly education has been impacted in a big way. Worcester Public schools have found the shortage of licensed practitioners across disciplines as some of the most challenging positions to fill, including those positions in ESL and Special education, but shortages with licensed bus drivers and even skilled trades people and many other professions remain. As building maintenance is a high priority of mine and the whole school committee, the shortage of trained maintenance personnel impacts our ability to succeed with our goals. There are robust and strategic strategies put in place to recruit in new ways. The current school committee has been at the table negotiating almost every contract across the district. The wages and benefits negotiated in these most recent agreements put our educators at the top of the wage and benefit scale across the region, certainly a real tool in the tool belt for recruiting. As school committee members I feel we have a responsibility to continue to advocate at the state and federal levels to make sure we can maintain this new bar that’s been set and to utilize our networks to be part of the solution.

**TRACY O’CONNELL NOVICK* | AT-LARGE**

I think it’s important to note that this is a question that’s not entirely under School Committee purview, as the number of any group of staff we employ is not under School Committee purview in Massachusetts.

The large influence we have on this question is in the district budget, but our allocation authority is at the cost center level, which is fairly broad.

We do negotiate collective bargain agreements, so ensuring that our salary schedules are competitive with, not only neighboring districts, but also with any field with which we compete, is part of our purview. That has been a question, as evidenced by our recent settlements with our unions, a question that the School Committee has been quite active in. I’d particularly note the alacrity with which we moved regarding bus driver pay when moving transportation in house. That is also an example, one I’ve encouraged administration to pursue, in providing for the necessary education and training in house to those interested, which is a larger extension of “grow your own” efforts than previously seen.

The climate of work matters, too, which is where supports like the recently launched Q teams, supporting work in schools, is important.

MAUREEN F. BINIENDA | AT-LARGE

Overall there is a shortage of teachers across the state and in Worcester Public Schools. We need teachers in specific subject areas, and we need to diversify our educator workforce to be reflective of the community we serve. The shortage areas across the state and especially in the Worcester Public Schools are:

● Severe Disabilities in Special Education

● English as a Second Language

● STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)

● World Languages

● School Psychologists, particularly those that are multilingual

I am committed to prioritizing the following actions:

● Focused Recruitment for Specific Subject Areas

● Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives

● Educational Leadership Development

● Chapter 74 Early Childhood Programs Expansion

● Diverse Teacher Recruitment

During my 46 years in the Worcester Public Schools, I initiated and expanded programs to address this shortage and diversified the teacher workforce:

The Worcester Future Teachers (WFT) Program: Teaching experiences for high school students are provided through interactive experiences in partnership with Worcester State University. Reaching students early, giving them hands-on experience to explore early career paths such as teaching will serve to identify and attract teachers earlier in the pipeline.

The Journey into Education and Teaching (JET) : JET intentionally invests in the paraeducator-to-teacher pipeline through individualized assistance, mentorship, and access to financial resources. Expanding this program to more participants, helping paraeducators navigate the process will deliver dedicated well trained teachers.

Aspiring Principals Program with Worcester State University: Worcester State University Center for Effective Instruction provides educational leadership courses and administrative practicum experiences to WPS staff who are seeking administrator positions. Providing a pathway for advancement not only inspires other teachers but creates the space for advancement throughout the entire system.

Expand recruiting efforts for Teachers of Color, World Language and ESL teachers: WPS needs to continue to build relationships within the community, tap into our current diverse staff to help recruit teachers and help us retain all our teachers. We should take every opportunity to acknowledge and appreciate the incredible work our staff do every single day.

To address our teacher shortage, I welcome the opportunity to work with the committee and administration to expand existing programs and build on the momentum to attract, train and retain the very best teachers. Programs such as these and many more innovative and out of the box thinking, creating the space for ideas and collaboration is what we need in the Worcester Public Schools.

**MOLLY O. McCULLOUGH* | DISTRICT A**

Addressing understaffing in the WPS is crucial to maintaining a high-quality educational experience. Things that we are already working on and can continue with are:

Assess Staffing Needs: Conduct a thorough assessment of staffing needs across all schools and departments within the district. Prioritize areas with the most critical shortages.

Recruitment and Retention: Develop targeted recruitment strategies to attract and retain qualified educators and support staff.

Collaboration with Universities: Establish/reestablish partnerships with local universities and colleges to create pipelines for new educators entering the profession. Enhance student teaching and internships within the district.

Use of Substitute Teachers: Implement a proactive substitute teacher recruitment and training program to ensure there are enough substitute teachers available to cover classrooms when regular staff members are absent and work on cultivating substitutes into full time teachers, as applicable.

Streamline Hiring Processes: Expedite and simplify the hiring processes to reduce delays in filling vacant positions.

VANESSA ZULEYMA ALVAREZ | DISTRICT B

Addressing understaffing in Worcester public schools is crucial to ensuring quality education and support for all students and their families. If elected to be part of the Worcester Public School Committee, here are some specific actions to prioritize and address understaffing. First, this candidate would begin by conducting a thorough assessment to help identify the specific areas with the most critical staffing shortages. Conducting this assessment would include but not limit to gathering data on the number of students, current staff, current job openings, and the areas where the shortages take place. Then this candidate will reflect and learn about prioritizing and filling positions that are most essential for day-to-day, focusing on the academic success of students. To ensure this is successful this candidate will familiarize herself with the budget and discuss it with other district school committee members. This can help with allocating resources appropriately and respectfully. This candidate will advocate for competitive salaries and benefits to current and future educators and staff. In addition, implementing a system that consistently reports staffing shortages, may help with addressing gaps and planning/developing a solution.

Addressing understaffing is an ongoing process that requires collaboration between the School Committee, district administrators, educators, and the community. By prioritizing the areas of needs and taking actions, the Worcester Public School Committee can work toward resolving staffing shortages and ensuring a high-quality education for all students.

**JERMOH V. KAMARA* | DISTRICT c**

WPS needs a strong Pipeline for educators and unfortunately, much of this work falls on the district alone.

While I do think it needs to start in the district under the role of the Chief Equity Officer, I think this is where the Worcester Community can support a system-wide effort to “grow our own educators”. Nonprofits such as the “Teachers’ Lounge, Breakthrough Greater Boston, are a few great examples of what we are lacking in Worcester.

ALEJANDRO GUARDIOLA, JR. | DISTRICT D

Worcester Public Schools has significantly added to its staffing levels this year to meet increased enrollment. This year’s school budget included funding for 75 new teachers including over 30 paraprofessionals, as well as 20 wrap-around coordinators, 49 transportation employees, and more. At the district level we are also adding a number of family and community engagement directors and a new college and career readiness director which are long overdue in my opinion. The school budget is the largest it has been in years thanks to the Massachusetts Student Opportunity Act’s increased funding formula, and this has allowed us to plan for the future with our staffing levels.

Hiring of new staff in the district is up this year as well. The district hired 219 new teachers and 89 new paraeducators, up from 206 and 32 new hires last school year, respectively.

I would still like to see more school psychologists. We only brought on 23 new school adjustment counselors, psychologists, and wrap-around coordinators in total this year, which I think could be a bit higher given what I have heard from teachers and parents. Mental health needs in our schools are at a high level, especially when you consider the social and emotional effects that the pandemic had on our students.

NELLY MEDINA | District E

If elected, my actions would prioritize addressing staffing shortages in the WPS by focusing on recruitment efforts, streamlining the hiring process and expediting the hiring process to reduce delays in filling vacancies., collaborating with local institutions, implementing retention initiatives, assessing substitute policies and best practices, and conducting regular needs assessments such as support for ESP's and Paraprofessionals, including stipends and training to pass the MTEL.

**Jermaine lamont johnson* | District f**

I have been a huge advocate for addressing the staffing shortage in the Worcester Public Schools. I will say that the new contract signed between the WPS and EAW will make our district a more attractive district to work for. Also the work that the superintendent is committed to and addressing our staffing issues. I also have had numerous conversations with Superintendent on address the recruitment of teachers and appointment to administration positions with more staff that mirror our student population. This year we have made many of those hires, and promotions and this will continue moving forward. We need to ensure we are offering our para educators the opportunity to grow professional and become teachers I have participated in the Worcester Futures teachers program with our students in the Worcester Public Schools to help recruit them into the field of education and hire them once they complete the college degree.

QUESTION 1

What do you think are the most significant strengths of the district? What are the most significant areas of concern?

QUESTION 2

Worcester continues to struggle to meet the needs of English language learners and to recognize the value of proficiency in more than one language. What steps do you think the Committee and District need to take to address this inequity?

QUESTION 4

Many of our schools are housed in inadequate or antiquated buildings with infrastructure inadequate to the needs of 21st century learners. What steps would you take to begin to address this issue?