Josh Amaral

As I’ve been meeting and talking with concerned citizens in New Bedford about our schools, I’ve noticed most of them ask the same question: “What’s the biggest problem in our schools?” — It’s a logical question. The kind of question those who solve problems well ask frequently. The thought is if you can cut to the heart of the issue, everything else will fall in place.

Two months ago I might have said student accountability. We promote too much failure. Our ninth grade classes might be closer to seventh grade learning levels.

One month ago I might have said it’s our English Learners. They make up a sizeable percentage of our students and seem to have the least success. As people ponder our atrocious dropout numbers, I point out that if 500 students drop out, 300+ of them are likely ELL students. We don’t have a dropout issue as much as we have an ELL one.

But as we hear more and more about this budget crisis, the more I realize that it is the most important issue. Seemingly every day the Standard Times has a new article to backup my point. The tragedy isn’t that the city will have to use it’s free cash to bail out the schools — it’s that we don’t even have the budget flexibility to make the changes we already know we need to make.

Last week we heard that the high school would not be changing from it’s four class, 83 minute block schedule next year despite all the research and work that’s gone into preparing a switch to a seven class, 46 minute day(which I’m not sure is the answer either, but it’s closer to where we need to be than the 4-83 plan).

This week we hear about the district implementing changes to the way ELLs are educated, but they remain hindered in incorporating dual language immersion programs, among other changes, because of the budgetary issues.

The schools have a number of problems. Some of them we know and don’t know how to fix, but for the most part, there are known solutions. It’s a matter of implementing them, and the budget crisis is in the way. We can (and I’m sure will) talk about all the wonderful changes we’d like to implement, but until we tackle the budget and find some stability it’s all for naught.

Just read a Whaling City Watch post about… myself. Pretty surreal.

I thoroughly appreciate the endorsement. I’m also eternally grateful to Rep. Antonio Cabral for his overwhelming praise at the Labor Breakfast at White’s this past weekend. Speaking to a crowd highlighted by Senator Elizabeth Warren was a thrilling start to what I hope is an excellent and victorious campaign.

I want to represent New Bedford and improve the New Bedford Public Schools. Doing so without input from the community is impossible. If you’ve got any thoughts I should be aware of — issues that should be addressed in my campaign — or events you’d like me to attend, please contact me.

The School Committee voted 4-3 Monday night in favor of the Renaissance School, which will be co-located in the Gomes School building. They voted 4-3 against the Esperanza School that wanted to set up shop in the Roosevelt School building.

I was not expecting a split vote, but then again, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I’m not sure how to react now, either. As you know, I was not in favor of either proposal.

While I appreciate the careful consideration the School Committee put into their decision, I think they got it wrong on the Renaissance School. Their vote seemed to be dependent on some flawed assumptions of the quality of the existing Gomes School. I feel terribly for the faculty of that building who fought so hard to see that their school would not be divided.

Whether we agree with the decision or not (fair to say we don’t), I think it’s important we focus on what we can do in the future to improve education for the children of New Bedford. There are ways to provide more art, music, and physical education to all of the students in our city. If we can find the energy to fight for those causes just as hard as we did against these innovation schools proposals, we can render the vote tonight inconsequential. We’ll find a way to get these services and an overall better quality education for all.

I can only speak for myself, but my hope is that we’ll continue to band together and work towards a better future, even if some of our elected leaders seem to be a little… misguided in doing so. I guess that’s why I’m running, right?

I’ll be writing another letter to the Standard Times this week. Stay tuned.

Tonight at 6pm at Keith Middle School, the School Committee will vote on the two innovation school proposals.

It’s been a long road and it appears to be coming to a head tonight. The proponents have touted the features of the schools, clearly believing they’re in the best interest of the district. The opponents, such as myself, have argued that they are not. Again, I remain unsure that these schools are best for our children.

We’re creating (or at the very least, exacerbating) a divide between haves and have-nots, giving some more art, music and other services that other students don’t get. We’re experimenting with a dual-language program that has quite a few question marks about it’s co-location and potential enrollment. All of this will use funds off the top of the NBPS budget, which is in crisis after the discovery of a near five million dollar shortfall.

As I’ve written increasingly lately, I’m extremely open to change. I’m very progressive. I want new and better things for the students of New Bedford. But I’m only interested in these changes if they are clearly positive, responsible, fair for all, and supported by all of the stakeholders.

The vast teacher opposition to these proposals should speak volumes. It does to me. They see the issues in our schools first-hand, daily. They’ll see the ripple effect of these new schools, if approved, coming across the whole district, and they don’t want that because they feel it isn’t in the best interest of the students. Why don’t we listen to them? Why, instead, are these proposals forced upon everyone despite much dissent?

We’ll see what happens tonight. To be honest, I’m glad it’s coming to an end. This has been a divisive issue for a long time and that has definitely inhibited the progress in our aching school district. Whether approved or not, we need to come to a consensus on how to move forward and successfully make needed change to improve our schools together.

The Standard Times article today mentioned disgraceful online content. While I suspect that’s a shot at Whaling City Watch, I’ve made every effort to be reasonable and respectful on my own site. I believe the innovation proposals are legitimate, just inexpedient. But you can be the judge.

Here’s all of my innovation schools articles:

The Flaws in the Renaissance Proposal, Reviewing the Esperanza School Proposal, Friday Food for Thought, A Rallying Cry, Impact, Innovation Presentations: Esperanza, Renaissance, Public Hearing #1, My Public Hearing Comments, Public Hearing #2, My Letter to the Standard Times

See you tonight.

My letter appears in the Standard Times today, April 4th.

The innovation schools debate in New Bedford has taken an interesting turn. With the vote on the plans fast approaching, public sentiment appears to have shifted toward the opposition of the schools. We’ve been told time and time again that the community supports the proposals, but the vast number of opponents at the public hearings were heard loud and clear. As the process nears the end of the road, I wonder what’s in store for the future of New Bedford education.

Let me be clear. I do not support the Esperanza and Renaissance innovation schools proposals. I just fear that voting against them will serve as a vote of confidence to a stagnant, underwhelming school system. I worry that not constantly working toward change and improvement on our own will lead to more unwanted charter schools. I’m terrified — not that we’re creating a perception that we don’t want change — but rather that the perception might be true.

Again, let me be clear. My fears do not justify voting for the two flawed proposals. As currently constituted, they will prove to be harmful to the progress of the district. But if we’re prepared to give a flat “no” to an attempt at progress, we should be just as prepared to propose new solutions to nearly 30-year-old problems.

With that in mind, I think that along with a “no” vote on the current innovation iterations, we should send out another “request for proposals.” The innovation proponents can go back to the drawing board and work collaboratively with the opposition to find real solutions to the issues in their plans and try again. New groups can propose their version of a successful school if they’d like. I’d hope they choose to work in concert with all teachers, administrators and community leaders in their process this time.

Better yet, we should reinvigorate all New Bedford public schools by trying new ideas that benefit all of our students, not just a choice few. We should find our own partnerships, our own “innovative” thought processes that will enable us to provide an exceptional education to all of our children. We should increase accountability. We should increase community involvement and parent engagement. We should be able to provide music and art and foreign language study to everyone. Let’s not give up on that ideal.

Saying no to these two innovation schools isn’t saying no to progress. It’s saying no to something we aren’t completely sure will work.

It’s not that we shouldn’t encourage and welcome change. We need to. We’re obligated to. Everyone admits we need to do things differently. But we have to figure out smart, equitable ways to do so, and I sure hope we do. I support our public schools, and I’d like to be able to support “innovative” thinking that is in the best interest of our system.

The debate over innovation schools in New Bedford is nearing it’s conclusion. After two meetings reserved for public comment, let me just say: I’m very impressed by the educators in our city.

Just a few weeks ago, the battle against innovation schools, which I believe are flawed and unnecessary, looked very one sided. The proponents had mobilized an astonishing number of people and received the endorsement of several influential people and organizations throughout the area. Those in vocal opposition could have rode around together in a Prius — comfortably.

But here we are at the beginning of April, and educators and concerned community members came out en masse to support teachers and oppose the flawed proposals. Our testimony should serve as a wake-up call to those trying to push these proposals down our throats.

I know much of our criticism has been deflected as “propaganda” or “misinformation” by the proponents, but I urge them to really look at this situation objectively. We all want the same thing — student success in our district. We’ve keyed in on some glaring issues in the proposals, and we shouldn’t be written off as obstructionist just because we’ve voiced our opinions. In fact, the other side hasn’t countered those opinions with any answers of substance — something that should be telling.

But though I think we’ve won the public debate, I’m sad for two reasons. For one: Our win means nothing if the School Committee votes for the schools anyway. And two: An opportunity for actual innovative thinking in New Bedford has been wasted. Innovation schools are supposed to bridge the gap between regular public schools and the full autonomy of charters, allowing for union teachers and regular district oversight in more dynamic schools. That wasn’t what was proposed. Instead, we got proposals marked by a lack of compromise (or even dialogue) and littered with uncertainty.

Just to be clear — as I said in my comments at the hearing — I think the people responsible for the proposals are good people who put a lot of work into proposals they thought, and likely still think, are steps toward a noble goal. I commend the time, effort, and energy that went into them — I’m sure it wasn’t easy. Facing criticism hasn’t been easy, either.

My ultimate goal is to help the two sides find a common ground. No, I don’t think we should open these two innovation schools, though if they wanted to go answer some of the questions surrounding their schools and try again next year, I’d say give them a shot. If they want to sit down with district leadership and ask to try out what they proposed on a smaller footprint — say 50 students instead of 250 — maybe we could give it a try. Let’s sit down and figure out how to double music and art in the district for everyone while remaining cost neutral. Let’s come up with a plan to involve parents in their children’s education at every school, not just one half of one of them.

We can do it together, but biases and personal agendas stand in the way. The public has spoken against these schools, and their sentiment is deafening. The proponents should go back to the proverbial drawing board, and the district as it currently stands should not grow complacent, either. A “no” vote on innovation schools is not a pat on the back for NBPS — but a sign that we’re looking for collaborative, smart change — not hasty, forceful band-aids on top of decades-old wounds.

Public Hearing on Innovation Schools in New Bedford, April 1, 2013.

Distinguished school committee members, thank you for the opportunity to speak this evening.

My name is Josh Amaral. I’m a life-long New Bedford resident and a product of the New Bedford Public Schools. I graduated New Bedford High in 2011 at the top of my class. I’m now at Umass Dartmouth studying political science. I consider myself one of the “lifelong learners” New Bedford tries to create.

You see me here at every school committee meeting, and at education and community events throughout the city. I’m here tonight to testify against the two proposed innovation schools.

I’ve been thinking about how to approach speaking tonight – and I think I finally got my thoughts together to make a well-reasoned argument in just three minutes and… maybe just a few gracious extra seconds Mr. Shea.

 Many community members, particularly the people in my corner, will express their displeasure with the proposals. I thought I would echo some of their sentiments, charging the designers with segregation, inequality. I thought about mentioning the very real possibility that these proposals could result in good teachers losing their jobs, whether we’d like to admit that or not. I considered likening the innovation schools to Global Learning Charter or the recently approved City on a Hill – both of which have an established track record of failure. But none of these fit what I’m feeling. Some of it bothers me greatly, don’t get me wrong, but that’s not the road I want to take.

 Heck, some of the items in the proposals are sorely needed attempts at solutions to problems that have long plagued the district – poor family engagement and community outreach, a lack of English language learner support, art, music, additional before and after school programs – the partners are great – NorthStar, the Symphony Orchestra, the CEDC, BCC, UMD, …other… acronyms… all could be helpful to a district that really needs help.

 But when you look at the proposals, objectively, I don’t think they can be approved. There are too many unanswered questions – just some of which were uncovered last week – an over-reliance on grants, less than market value salaries, retrofitting and transportation concerns, unnecessary autonomies. I have trepidation telling the people who put their time and effort into the proposals – good people with the best of intentions – that the proposals are kind of.. unrefined, but they are. I’m sorry. I’m a progressive and I don’t like the idea that I’m blocking an attempt at progress, but I don’t think this is the right move for New Bedford.

 Look at the divide these schools have caused. Factions of parents, teachers, officials, all fighting with eachother. Marlene Pollock, Jack Livramento, Sandra Cunya, and Jen Clune – these people aren’t supervillains out to ruin the schools. Dr. Fletcher, Lou St. John, Eddie Johnson, myself, all of the exceptional educators who are here this evening, who I support and thank dearly – we’re not bad people either. We’re all here trying to make change that benefits everybody.

 Look at some of the people testifying – many of whom couldn’t tell you one really good reason why we should approve or deny these schools. They’re just here because they’re concerned about their children, their jobs, their community. They’re concerned about the schools, and someone told them to show up to voice their concerns and they did.

 Let that serve as a referendum on the state of our school district. The job of the public schools is to meet kids where they’re at, and develop them forward. Frankly, we’ve sucked at doing that and this is the result.

 So we can take to podiums blaming the union, the teachers, blaming proposals, elected officials, media, eachother, but stop for a second and look around at all the people who are here. See the energy in this room for our schools? We need to channel that and harness our ideas into one, collective vision – no divides with innovation, charter, public. How successful can innovation schools be when there’s this much resistance? We all need to come together – parents, educators, officials, businesspeople, nonprofits, clergy, students, alumni – and do this thing together. The innovation schools are a step in the wrong direction.

 Tenemos que hacer esto juntos. We have to do this together.

 Thank you.