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Chancellor Marty Meehan welcomed school district leaders from 25 communities to the third annual Chancellor’s Breakfast for Superintendents last week.
“I started this annual breakfast tradition when I became Chancellor to make it clear that partnerships with you and your teachers are central to our work here at UMass Lowell,” he said. “In spite of the difficult 9C cuts we faced last year, we achieved some great successes in our school partnerships.”
In the past year, for example, the Office of School Partnerships, directed by Judith Boccia, Ph.D., was established to coordinate and support programs between all the colleges and public schools in the region. The new Office was reconfigured from the Center for Field Services and Studies (CFSS).
In another example, collaborative proposals with school systems won $4 million in grants from federal and state agencies, and foundations -- grants that support education in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and math), dual enrollment courses and the new Teaching American History project.
Deans of all the University’s colleges attended the breakfast, reflecting the wide scope of UMass Lowell’s involvement with the region’s schools, including a number of programs originating in engineering and the sciences. The Superintendents’ Forum itself, begun in 1997, provides opportunity for school leaders to share ideas and concerns on topics of interest.
Four panelists spoke at the breakfast, introduced by David Troughton, superintendent of North Reading Public Schools.
Chris Scott, superintendent of Lowell Public Schools, reviewed the model for comprehensive education in STEM subjects: sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics. The “STEM Pathway” guide helps teachers visualize how the subjects fit together and knowledge builds, said Scott.
Representing the eight school systems of the Teaching American History grant consortium was Susan Nicholson, assistant superintendent of Andover Public Schools. She described the close working relationship that develops between classroom teachers and academic researchers as they work side by side to develop the program.
Asst. Prof. James Nehring, expert on the theory and practice of school change, challenged the group to consider, “What is the most powerful resource for professional learning available to your faculty and staff?” Participant responses centered around the opportunity for teachers to learn with and from each other, since they have professional knowledge, skills and experience.
Such “professional learning communities” are transforming professional collaboration, said Nehring, especially when school districts make long-term commitments to programs such as teacher study groups.
Interim Dean Anita Greenwood of the Graduate School of Education also emphasized the importance of learning from each other – in this case, learning about the needs of educators and shaping programs to meet those needs.
“You expressed concern about not having enough special education teachers,” said Greenwood, giving an example. “We developed a graduate certificate program so that teachers could develop the required competencies without having to immediately commit to a degree program. Similarly, our certificate program in teaching English language learners meets a need that you identified. … We listen and learn from each other, in order to bring quality education to school professionals.”
The breakfast was held at the University’s new Inn & Conference Center in downtown Lowell. For more photos of the event, visit the University's photo gallery.
