Latest news with #CounciloftheGreatCitySchools
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
'Relieved': Educators await Trump administration to release $6 billion in frozen funding
Advertisement The Trump administration announced the funding freeze on June 30, a day before the money was supposed to be sent to school districts in both New England and across the nation. It was another move toward the White House's goal to dismantle the Education Department, as President Trump argues that classrooms are teaching left-wing ideology. In Massachusetts, the freeze translated into $108 million withheld, leaving many districts scrambling to ensure they could still provide services during the summer months and the upcoming fall semester, with some cancelling summer programs entirely. In addition to training educators Advertisement Ray Hart, executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools, a nationwide association of urban districts that includes Boston, said in a statement they're 'relieved' about the administration releasing the funds 'for the benefit of schoolchildren throughout our nation.' In Rhode Island, education commissioner Angélica Infante-Green said, 'On behalf of Rhode Island's students, families, and teachers,' it is 'relieved to hear that the congressionally approved education funding is set to be released.' The Education Department 'will begin dispersing funds to states next week,' said Madi Biedermann, a spokesperson for the department, in a statement Friday. Biedermann said the Office of Management and Budget completed its review of the grants and directed the Education Department to release the funding. The move comes after the District of Columbia and 24 states, including Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Maine, 'It is impossible for states to effectively budget for an upcoming school year ... when the president takes the football away from us, like Lucy in a Charlie Brown cartoon,' said Peter Neronha, Rhode Island Attorney General, at a press conference announcing the lawsuit earlier this month. Related : A coalition of school districts and teachers' unions, including the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals, Susan Collins, a Republican senator from Maine, and Ed Markey, a Democratic senator from Massachusetts, were among the politicians who criticized the freeze and demanded the administration release the money. Advertisement 'Every day that goes by without this education funding hurts our students, educators, and communities,' said Pedro Martinez, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department for Elementary and Secondary Education, in a statement Thursday. 'We are still recovering from pandemic learning loss, and these federal funds are directly related to improving student academic achievement.' In early July, Governor Maura Healey said in a statement that districts would be forced to lay off staff, delay or cancel programs, and disrupt learning. 'Our schools were promised this funding, and the Trump Administration needs to deliver it,' Healey said. In a survey by the School Superintendents Association, about three-quarters said they would cut academic programs, and half said they would lay off teachers if funding was not restored. In a statement, the executive director of the association, David Schuler, said he was 'pleased' with the news of the funding being released. Some programs saw an immediate, negative impact following the freeze, including the The program, which has operated in Massachusetts since 1966, aims to address the toll on children's education caused by the frequent moves, as students transfer between different school districts or miss school altogether to work alongside their parents. In Springfield, 9-year-old Ery Perez Gutierrez last summer focused on sharpening his academic skills at Advertisement Ery is among hundreds of children in Massachusetts spending the summer at home because of the funding freeze. President Trump had proposed cutting the Migrant Education Program altogether in the next Last year, the grant served 438 students for summer programs statewide, said Emily Hoffman, director of the program in Massachusetts. The loss of the program at Boland Elementary is 'heartbreaking' and a 'huge step backwards,' as students are going without much-needed services, said Lisa Bakowski, the school's principal, who oversaw the program for the past three summers. Bakowski said the children enrolled in the program are among the most vulnerable in the community. Their parents work in the fields all day and often don't speak English. 'It sickens me that it's become a political issue when it really should never have been,' Bakowski said. 'It's about the betterment of humanity and being able to work to assist and provide for pockets of our community that need it.' Related : Other programs targeted in the freeze weren't immediately impacted. The largest grant frozen, known as Advertisement In previous years, Boston Public Schools used the funding to provide additional support for the district's recruitment efforts and educator preparation, including through an intensive 12-month program that prepares aspiring teachers to enter the classroom at no cost to them. Following the freeze announcement, BPS 'identified temporary one-time funding to maintain these efforts, which will continue in Fiscal Year 2026 despite the funding freeze with the hopes that the funding will eventually be available,' a spokesperson said in a statement Thursday. Massachusetts districts received $27 million in fiscal year 2025 for teacher training, with BPS receiving about Marcela Rodrigues can be reached at
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How did the APS school board score its last quarter of work?
Apr. 21—Albuquerque Public Schools board members might want to hide their latest report card from district parents. During its final April meeting last week, the board performed a quarterly self-evaluation. The evaluation is done using a rubric mandated as part of its framework to improve student outcomes set by the Council of the Great City Schools, a nonprofit organization with which the district has a contract that costs around $60,000 annually. So how did the board score? By the standards of the district it governs, if the board were a high school student, it would have gotten an F. The board is tasked with turning around student outcomes for the largest district in a state that in many metrics has consistently ranked last in the nation for education. APS itself has struggled with absenteeism and student academic performance, lagging behind the state in those metrics, according to the latest statewide monitoring report: the New Mexico Vistas report card. On a scale of 100 possible points among six categories, the board gave itself a 58 for its work from January through March. That marks the lowest score on the evaluation since receiving a 53 for its work from April to June 2024. APS considers grades of 60 or higher — for its students — to be passing. By that metric, since it began doing quarterly self-evaluations in 2022, the board has only given itself a passing grade twice. To open, board President Danielle Gonzales recommended that the board award itself all 35 possible points in the values and guardrails category. That was met with pushback from District 6 representative Josefina Domínguez. "We've lost the community sense of ownership of the goals, feedback from parents, for example," Domínguez said. "That feedback tells me that they don't fully understand our process." Still, a majority of the members agreed on the 35 score and gave themselves the perfect score in the category. On the next category of monitoring and accountability, Domínguez also objected and said the rubric itself was flawed. The board ultimately gave itself 10 of 15 points in the category. So what did the board members agree on the most? Their inability to work together. "For communication and collaboration, perhaps, there was the most consensus here with the score of a one," Gonzales said. The single point the board gave itself in the communication and collaboration category was out of 10 possible points. The board also gave itself scores of a single point out of five on both the categories of unity and trust and continuous improvement.
Associated Press
07-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Dallas ISD Chief Human Capital Officer Robert Abel Receives Distinguished Service Award
TROY, Mich., Feb. 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Robert Abel, Chief of Human Capital for Dallas Independent School District, received the 2025 Distinguished Service Award presented by the Council of the Great City Schools. Sponsored by Kelly Education, the award honors an individual from the management services ranks for their distinguished service in urban education. This year, the recognition occurred at the annual Chief Human Resources Officers meeting in Baltimore, Maryland. With over two decades of experience in educational leadership, Robert Abel has continually driven meaningful change in large, urban school districts, a vital part of the Council's mission to improve student outcomes. Since stepping into his role as Chief of Human Capital in 2021, Abel has achieved significant milestones, including a 44% overall reduction in grievances and an extraordinary 90% decrease in complex Level 3 grievances. Under his guidance, Dallas ISD's teacher applicant pool has also grown by an impressive 14%, showcasing his proactive leadership in building strong educational communities. 'This award recognizes Robert Abel for his outstanding leadership overseeing the human capital management department at Dallas Independent School District,' said Willie Burroughs, the Council's director of management services. 'His contributions have played a crucial role in the success of Dallas ISD by ensuring that the district attracts and retains high-quality educators and staff dedicated to fostering a positive educational experience for all students. It is a privilege to celebrate his remarkable achievements and lasting impact.' 'Robert Abel epitomizes the kind of leadership we strive to recognize—one marked by the profound impact on students and staff, as well as innovative solutions to urban education's most pressing challenges,' said Nicola Soares, President of Kelly Education. 'His achievements are a testament to the power of visionary leadership in creating strong, equitable systems that benefit every level of the school community.' Abel holds a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Texas at Arlington and a Bachelor of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology from Oklahoma State University. About the Council of the Great City Schools The Council of the Great City Schools is the only national organization exclusively representing the needs of urban public schools. Composed of 78 large city school districts, its mission is to promote the cause of urban schools and to advocate for inner-city students through legislation, research and media relations. The organization also provides a network for school districts sharing common problems to exchange information, and to collectively address new challenges as they emerge to deliver the best possible education for urban youth. About Kelly Education Kelly Education powers the future of learning through customized workforce solutions, including hiring and recruiting, business management, professional development, academic, and social-emotional support across the full continuum of education––from early childhood, PK-12, special education, and therapeutic services to higher education, executive search, and beyond. Kelly Education is a business of Kelly (Nasdaq: KELYA, KELYB), a global workforce solutions provider that's always asking what's next in the world of work. Learn more at or connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X.
