Holyoke Update – May 6, 2015

Welcome to the Weekly Holyoke Update: This is the first of what will be a weekly update from the Commissioner’s Liaisons and the ESE team that is supporting the receivership in Holyoke. The weekly update will be sent directly to all Holyoke staff members and the Holyoke School Committee and will also be posted on the website. The update will be a place to share information and address questions as the school district transitions to new leadership and new approaches. If there are particular subjects you would like to see addressed in this update, please send an email to [email protected]. For questions about the Holyoke receivership in general, please email [email protected] or call (413) 534-2000, ext. 277.

Commissioner's Meeting with Holyoke Employees: Thank you to all the teachers and staff members who attended Friday's meeting with Commissioner Chester at . It was important to him to meet face-to-face with staff as soon as possible, and he appreciates everyone who made time in their day on such short notice.

Addressing Questions: In the coming days, we will be updating our existing Level 5 districts’ frequently asked questions document to address many of the great questions that came up last week during the meeting with staff and during conversations with other stakeholders The current list of frequently asked questions can be accessed through this link: http://www.doe.mass.edu/apa/sss/turnaround/level5/districts/ and will continue to offer the most detailed information about the Level 5 process overall.

We are also drawing up a one-page fact sheet for community use that will be posted on the Holyoke Public Schools website. Other resources, such as the commissioner's letter to staff, are already posted there.

Meet the Commissioner’s Liaisons: Three staff members from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education are working in Holyoke studying details of the district and its operations and laying the foundation for future changes. Please feel free to contact them with questions or comments in person or through the [email protected] address. They are:

Ventura Rodriguez: Ventura is special assistant to Deputy Commissioner Alan Ingram. A native of Panama, Ventura was a teacher and principal for 15 years before joining ESE. Ventura can also be reached at [email protected].

Deb Lantaigne: No stranger to Holyoke and Western Mass, Deb has been ESE's liaison to Holyoke Public Schools since September 2013. Deb is a former urban teacher and principal. Deb can also be reached at [email protected].

Manuel Monteiro: Manuel was integral to the receivership work in Lawrence and has been with ESE since 2012. His previous positions included work with Public Schools and Boston University.