Candidate for Medford School Committee
candidate email: ronvining@hotmail.com
website: www.ronvining.us
phone number: 781-396-0011
Candidate for Medford School Committee
candidate email: ronvining@hotmail.com
website: www.ronvining.us
phone number: 781-396-0011
While at the grocery store, community events or via the phone / email, I am asked similar questions quite frequently...
Depending on their child’s age, I begin by explaining how wonderful our newly constructed elementary and middle schools are as well as by describing the great lengths that I, and other members of the school committee, have taken to upgrade Medford High School.
Starting with no charge early childhood education (kindergarten), the selling points for Medford’s Public Schools run the full gamut. Not only is the price right (tuition free, with minimal fees) but Medford has low class sizes (though I would like to see them even lower), certified teachers, diverse course offerings, honors curriculum and strong vocational programs. In addition to the academics, Medford focuses on the whole child in a multicultural setting (Medford is approximately 30% non-white) with state of art labs, libraries and facilities for our after-school and enrichment programs (art, music, drama, sports). Add to this, over 70% of our graduates go directly to college and 100% are placed in their vocational trade.
A child with some form of physical, social / emotional or developmental disability will find that the Medford Public Schools are fully equipped to meet their needs with counseling, therapy and instruction by highly qualified staff. Medford offers diagnostic testing for proper class placement as well as assistive technology and progress tracking. With the recently approved Second Step initiative, Medford will be better prepared in addressing and curbing a whole host of social and behavioral issues within the schools as well.
In addition to SPED programs, the Curtis Tufts and Fulton Schools provide services that many public systems cannot match. In fact, nearby school districts pay tuition to Medford to attend our alternative programs.
Medford also offers a wide array of English Language Learner (formerly bilingual education), early intervention, after-school, weekend and summer programs to address just about every need a child and / or their parent may face in relation to their child’s development.
The choice of Medford Public Schools over private institutions is quite clear!
Medford co-sponsored a recent Massachusetts Gifted and Talented Planning Summit and is applying for a grant this year to expand its current programming. In addition to Medford High School being fully accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, we offer more than twelve advanced placement courses and honors programs across a wide variety of academic disciplines. This is more than most districts in the state. A greater percentage than ever have also scored high enough to earn college credit in these courses.
We should always strive to elevate academic progress toward the highest common denominator of all students. What cannot be achieved in classroom is offered through a number of enrichment and after school programs.
With class sizes among the lowest in the state, two students per computer ratios, steadily increasing MCAS scores and professional development programs which attract and foster the highest quality teaching staff (98% meet Federal standards), Medford’s public school system is one that not only matches but exceeds the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ curriculum frameworks.
As mentioned previously, Medford has one of the best computers-to-student ratios in the Commonwealth with 2 students for each computer. In addition to having “smart rooms” which allow teachers to utilize technology in the classroom, approximately 98% of our classrooms are connected to the internet. There are also a number of computer labs in our schools to offer options in and out of the classroom for teachers and students.
Not only is our technology (computers & labs) relatively new, but our teachers have attended many professional development programs to aid them in best integrating technology into their lesson plans. Through special grants, we have more than 50 project-based lesson units which feature technology, with more on the way.
In the future, we should also look into further integrating technology into the arts curriculum. While this will not only cut down on the cost of some supplies, it will further enhance the computer skills of our students.
Additionally, we now have excellent technology staff on hand at all times to keep the equipment up and running properly throughout the school year.
At its introduction, the MCAS test was not presented as a device that would stand between a student and his / her diploma. The test was designed to gage student progress and equalize curriculum / standards from school district to school district by focusing on basic English, math and science / technology subjects.
Initially, the test was not being utilized as intended and as a result, many school districts were just teaching students how to pass the test. By doing so, MCAS scores were increasing yet, core academic fundamentals, such as writing and elevated math, were decreasing.
As an educator (Adjunct Professor at Suffolk University for over ten years), I witnessed this decline first-hand and was so disheartened by it, that I ran for, and became an elected member of, the Medford School Committee in 2003. Prior to, and since becoming a school committeeman, I have been quite vocal by utilizing the “bully-pulpit” of the office to lean on the MA Department of Education (DOE) to offer new, more thorough, testing mechanisms and methods of evaluation.
Though MCAS has had a positive effect by forcing school districts to increase most academic standards, it is not perfect and should not be used as the sole device for measuring teacher, student and school system performance.
A child’s academic achievement should not be measured by just one school year or instructor from a high stakes test. Children develop (physically, mentally, socially and academically) at various paces and it is unfair to base everyone’s progress at the same rate. What about the academically gifted student who has anxiety issues with standardized testing (how many of us froze up when it was time to take the SAT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT)?
We should not allow data driven results to force us to water down our curriculum. For example, the school committee recently learned from the MA DOE that World History would not be on a future MCAS test, but American History would be. This leaves us with a choice, spend class time glossing over World History so that our students will do well on the American History portion of MCAS, or teach both fully and run the risk of our school district scoring low on this statewide, standardized test.
Support is growing for a “value added” mechanism which would measure school district / teacher / student competence and achievement in multiple ways over time so as to assign complete failure or success prior to graduation. This is critical as family structures continue to change, bilingual students increase and more SPED students are identified.
I will continue to work to see to it that our teachers are not pressured to teach just for the MCAS test but are rewarded for preparing students to apply the core fundamentals in the real world. I will also push for more innovative ways to administer and measure progress.
As I oppose the MCAS being used as a road block to graduation, my colleagues on the school committee and I, have worked closely with the school administration to increase academic standards to address the core areas that the MCAS test addresses as well as develop a number of in-school, after-school and weekend tutoring programs to help those students which require more work to excel on MCAS.
Do we want to see our scores increase each year? Yes! However, we should not fall into the trap of believing that higher or lower scores equal better or lesser educational standards in the Medford Public Schools or elsewhere.
Thanks to the leadership of the Medford’s Superintendent of Schools, his staff (administrators, program directors, principles) and the high caliber of our teachers, I believe that Medford is becoming the model for schools amongst our surrounding communities.
Just look at: The Medford Family Network, Curtis Tufts / Fulton Schools, Community Partnership for Children, S.T.A.R.S. (School Threat Assessment and Response System), Whole Child initiatives such as the IMove healthier foods school lunch program / after- school programs, TriTec technology collaborative, SOLVED vocational collaborative, D.A.R.E, Partnerships with Tufts / Suffolk Universities as well as with private industry, Teacher Mentoring programs, professional development of our teachers, district wide licensure and accreditation.
As MCAS scores are directly connected to socio-economic realities throughout the Commonwealth, Medford fairs quite well considering we are truly a mix of both urban and suburban demographics. Though we may not realize it due to the vast amount of open / green space (thanks to our precious natural resources such as Wrights Pond, Middlesex Fells / Brooks Estate / Park System / Mystic River, Lakes), Medford is a more urban than not, suburb of Boston. Oddly when it comes to funding, the State disproportionately funds us by treating us like a suburb without considering the urban issues we face. When one contrasts Medford’s demographics to our neighbors, we do quite well. To compare average scores from one district to another is not fair without careful consideration of the community’s makeup.
It would be virtually impossible to exclude the role of religion in the discussion of literature, history, law and current social / world events. Upon graduation, students will encounter a variety of interpretations of religion and they should be prepared for, not sheltered from this.
What role should religion play in our public schools? Some incorrectly use the “establishment clause” in the United States Constitution as justification to remove all established religious expressions in any form from our public buildings, schools and curriculum.
However, this clause implicitly calls for the freedom of religion, not freedom from religion in the public square. Even if the U.S. Constitution did not mandate the separation of Church and State, it would be improper for any public body or official to mandate, establish or advocate for a specific religious sect, denomination or practice. Is it proper to stop one from saying the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag, or from having student led prayer and deny those individuals their rights? Presenting of historical impacts, facts, concepts and theories of religion within the discussion / framework of appropriate academic subject matter is the role of academia.
What is most interesting about this debate is that those who oppose theology / religion in any form within the public marketplace of ideas or within public school classrooms are often the very same people who speak the loudest when it comes to being tolerant of their own viewpoints.
Neither as an individual citizen nor as an elected member of the Medford School Committee, have I ever attempted to impose my ideology, personal religious beliefs or political positions on anyone! I have and will continue to advocate for, and bring to the floor of debate, the viewpoints of everyone, even those whom I may differ!
It is my belief that students should be exposed to diverse and multiple religious constructs and customs of varying cultures. As long as there is no public endorsement or avocation of any one religion, it is my opinion that it can play and educational role in our classrooms when appropriate to the course subject matter.
Fulfilling a campaign promise, thirty days after the 2003 election, I hosted a city-wide educational summit to hear from concerned citizens, parents, teachers and students about the positive and negative aspects of our schools. Unfortunately, “mother nature” wanted to attend, and we were hit with blizzard-like conditions forcing me to end the live event early. Fortunately, the event had been so well publicized and my “action forms” distributed throughout the schools, community and via www.RonVining.us, so that I was able to receive useful feedback from teachers, parents and students. It is my hope to offer an expanded forum later this school year which would include school administrators and my colleagues on the school committee.
Shortly after being sworn in as a member of the school committee in 2004, I began a program of meeting with the Superintendent and members of the Central Administration along with each school principal and various teachers in conjunction with visiting each of Medford's schools for approximately three-six hours so that I could better assess the Medford School System's human and physical assets. This program has continued as I visit each of the schools and speak with students, teachers and administrators on a recurring basis.
Though well intentioned, candidate claims that it is necessary to have children in Medford’s public schools in order to be in touch with what is going on, are erroneous. Due to my coming from a large family, Medford’s schools have a number of “Vinings” dispersed throughout the system. As a result, I am briefed from both the student and parent perspective quite frequently.
In addition to the above, I regularly attend school events throughout the year, be they sporting, musical or dramatic performances, judging talent shows, academic fairs, award ceremonies, workshops, anti-bullying or anti-drug lectures.
For my second term, I will begin an “office hours” styled program which will be held in each of the schools on a rotating basis. Once TV3 is fully operational, I intend on producing and hosting a community news / issues program with a strong focus on education and Medford’s public schools.
As an elected member of the Medford School Committee, I make it my business to stay on top of the conditions of our facilities as well as to be informed about the ever changing needs of parents, students and teachers.
When I voted on the FY06 budget this past June, neither I, nor my colleagues, anticipated paying an extra $50.00 or more at the pump just to commute to / from work. Fortunately, my colleagues and I had the foresight to lock in fuel transportation costs for our 18 public school buses last year by signing onto a cleaner burning fuel / reduced emissions program. We also upgraded to a computerized energy management system to ensure that we were best maximizing our resources.
Severe weather and use patterns can quickly drain a line item, but we were forced to level-fund the fuel / and utility lines in order to fund educational lines such as teachers, librarians, academic programs, educational supplies and security. Though district wide energy consumption has been reduced by conservation measures and by the consolidation into new, more energy efficient schools, our overall energy costs have escalated beyond anyone’s expectations. Compounded to this is the fact that we are unable, due to the fact that the majority of our buildings are new, to develop a proper benchmark for all school buildings as it takes up to five seasons for one to set a market-proven average to gauge what our average utility / fuel consumption should be.
Beyond practical conservation measures, and hoping that we have a warmer winter this year than last, there is little that can be done to offset these out-of-control energy costs. When you consider the fact that the Medford Public Schools have endured unjust hits from both the Federal and State government to the sum of a $16,357,339 over the past four years alone on just Charter School funding and reductions in Chapter 70 local aid, we will be unable to absorb these costs without emergency State aid in the short term.
In addition to consolidation, conservation and locking in fuel costs, my colleagues and I implemented the school bus advertising program to help offset transportation costs and are looking to other public / private partnerships to help reduce the burden to the Medford taxpayer and school system. In the long term, I am in favor of putting alternative fuel sources in place such as solar and wind energy mechanisms on our school buildings and grounds. This will reduce our financial burden as well as enhance the curriculum of our students by integrating some of our efforts into their coursework.
Under Massachusetts’ Education Reform Law, school committees have little to no input in regard to attracting, hiring and retaining specific teachers and administrators. That being said, I and the other members of the Medford School Committee do have the ability to set and approve salary increases, overall policies and procedures in this realm.
All of Medford Public Schools’ teachers are properly licensed and meet CORI standards. Ninety-eight percent of which are considered highly qualified by Federal and State standards. In addition to offering state of the art facilities to work in, we offer competitive salaries, have very little turn over and offer new teacher mentoring, extensive licensure and professional development programs for the enhancement of skills.
As the racial makeup of the community continues to diversify, we are working hard to better reflect this increased diversity in our hiring across the school district. Although the current hiring system allows for school principals to make recommendations to the Superintendent and / or organize their own screening teams, district level decisions are also made to ensure equity across the system.
Whenever I hear rumors or receive calls from parents who are concerned that a highly qualified teacher, principal or administrator is considering leaving the Medford Public School System, I will call that individual, sit with them, listen to their concerns and personally try to persuade them to stay.
