Outside Assignment #6: Notes
Interviewee: Dr. Maureen Cohen, Ed. D., assistant superintendent of schools for the Mendon-Upton Regional School District
- Attended Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine and got a degree in political science
- First job at Taunton High School as a history teacher and coaching basketball
- Later taught at Framingham (and coached basketball there, too)
- Became assistant principal at Grafton High School
- Started doctorate (at Northeastern) while working as an assistant principal
- Assistant super intendent for two years
- Launched later start time committee (the school she works at currently starts at 7:25 a.m. and ends close to 1:55 p.m.; it is middle and high school)
- Looking to push back secondary school times (to 8 a.m.), not elementary
- Based off research, Circadian Rhythm (due to puberty)
- Grafton Public Schools –> committee (Cohen is head of the committee)
- Menden-Upton starts at 9 a.m.
- 4 tiers of bussing (looking to have 3 tiers instead, now)
- Every year, bus contracts go up 5%
- Hoping to get an override in order to get money for bussing (expensive)
- 9 times greater benefits for students if the change is made (based on studies)
- Want to try to make it work within school budget (towns like Grafton are hard to make this change with voting yes for overrides because everyone is older, no kids or kids are gone and out of school)
- “I am driven by what is the truth.” –> research and studies
- Parents may argue children will continue to stay up late (and some do) because school is starting later, and it isn’t of concern to them
- About 7 years ago, about 25% of staff were cut from Grafton due to the budget situations
- It is a school committee vote to make later start times
- For parents who don’t pay the bus fee and drive their children to school, they will be informed beforehand (a few years?) to work out a child-care plan
- Why people fear change: not informed, it affects them greatly and they need to adjust everything, not communicated well… etc.
On homework:
- Menden-Upton had a homework policy already written, but it was later revised by the school committee (issue bubbled up)
- Re-Thinking Homework by Cathy Vatterott
- New guidelines: based on student (personalized), different learning styles, how much practice they need, understanding of concepts… etc.
- Research conflicts with the issues regarding homework
- Teachers would give homework because they felt they had to (even if not relevant or necessary) due to the time credits
- Summer reading? –> research proves it helps students (Maureen Cohen says she is still in favor of this)
- Shadow a Student Day –> helps educators to better understand their students and how they can help make improvements for them based on their educational experiences/work loads (educators will sit with the student and do the same work they are receiving in class to get a better idea of what their school day is like and what it’s like to be a student at the school)
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