Highlights From Superintendent Finalist Dr. Kelleher Live Blog

Melrose Public Schools superintendent finalist Dr. James Kelleher met with the public and was interviewed by the School Committee on Wednesday.  Below are highlights from Melrose Patch's live blog of the meeting.

These are lightly edited selections from the live blog, a . Questions are in bold and Kelleher's responses start with "JK."

NEASC and Measuring Success

Question about NEASC and combating drugs and alcohols in schools.

JK: I've done two NEASC reviews in my current job. Not a challenge that would take very long to get to. Working with low budget over many years, taking low cost strategies, such as early release days, sub teachers, to bring teams together with a common vision around high school rubrics. That's a big part of the rubrics NEASC is looking for. In a lot of Mass. high schools, concerns about drugs and alcohol. Ongoing conversation with superintendent, principal, always educating parents, working with PTOs and networks to provide speakers and forums for speakers and students. Had parents in community who had personal tragedies and wanted to reach out to students and help. Mandatory events around prom and graduation. Listening to other parents in the community. Supports like all-night part around graduation held by high school. We spend all year planning this massive party, bringing in sand and beach balls to convert our gym into almost a cruise. It's a safe night, we spend about $10K, with parents there all night to manage. Kids are safe, having fun, clear message to parents and community that we don't tolerate drugs and alcohol. On one of most dangerous nights of the year we have a safe alternative. Parents do it with a lot of pride, make a lot of connections.

Carrie Kourkoumelis: Two-part question. You had the opportunity to gain your education in some of country's finest institutions. Wondering if there was a pivotal moment in those experiences that led you to want to devote yourself to a career in public education. Second part, having had a chance to familiarize yourself with Melrose, suggestions you would have pretty quickly to increase rigor in the academic curriculum, particularly in upper grades but across the district.

JK: First question, as a high school student and college student, I was always tutoring kids. It was something I did as a past time when I had free time. I had a really great experience and new that was a match for my personality. In terms of challenges, I read about prior to coming here tonight, think that coming into position I'd be very direct with teachers. I would recommend a period of entry, studying best practices in Melrose, studying concerns, an entry plan. Prior to that, things I can say loud and clear that I've heard. In an unequivocal way, desire of members of the community for more rigor, higher standards for students, maybe more at the MS and HS. That's a vision for me in my current position, achieving higher outcomes. Together we're going to do this, and work on this challenge, work with you as a team. At the middle school scores stand out on NCLB profile that we can make some changes quickly. There's a readiness level among teachers, principals and department heads to tackle that, to have a five year plan, but also have a plan for things we can do immediately to make some progress.

Don Lehman: How do we know when we get to a higher level of achievement. We all know there's more than MCAS. Your metrics for rating a district?

JK: Best feedback is daily feedback on the street from parents. I meet with students formally and informally. That feedback gives me a sense as to how things are going, what issues have receded into the background and new potential issues to take on. In case of NEASC, I'd argue in a couple of years NEASC will start to recede. Hearing about conversations about G&T. I don't know if Melrose any further ahead than any other place in the state, but it is further ahead than where I ma. I've had that conversation on Pi Day; we had student competition, memorized 270+ numbers of Pi. As we reflected, my administrators on this student, talked about what we can do for talented students in our community. Always having a list and moving forward agenda items for the future, agenda items for now. The budget is never a surprise, but always have sense of where you stand, where you'll be.

Leadership

Q: How you work with existing structure, faculty, and how you can address issues and bring out best with everyone and communicate.

JK: Met with dept. heads today on issues that would take a long time and other things that would be quick to implement. I give PSAT for no cost in my district. Really isolating idea of working through relationships, understanding challenges to address, but being savvy to the things we can do now. We have midterms in high schools. We shut down our buildings for a week. I see that as downtime that can be used more constructively. Six months until midterms in June, can we take makeup day and do some team building, event on college expectations, bringing in career parents as speakers. Welcoming other ideas on if we had a day, how would we use it. Maybe have a winter sessions, try different thing. I'm a big fan of hiring in new department heads and teachers with clear expectations for increasing AP tests and offerings in schools. I've done that in my district, it's taken a while, but now we've been contacted as an outperformer for doubling our offerings. We've seen a lot of good outcomes at low costs. We've prioritized AP training and pushed teachers to think about other offerings as well.

Margaret Driscoll: How would you manage up in Melrose for improved outcomes for students?

JK: I'm a big fan of understanding the values and aspirations of School Committee members as both my boss and as representatives of the community. Part of entry plan is meeting individually with Committee members, crafting questions I can ask, understanding some of the challenges, asking some questions I may have, how committee members are run, how to structure subcommittee meetings to solve events, help committee be focused and targeted. Also fan of maintaining relationships by following up regularly. We may have conversation in September, let's have that call again and follow up. Maybe every week for a period of time because you're working with issues. Maybe not forever, but meet every week to talk about issues and challenges. Always work with the press help be advocates for us, provide quotes that help to reflect our vision and us well. There are many times we're helping to fill a newspaper. Bringing in editors from time to time and reporters, helping reporters do their job well. A lot of ways of getting message across. Issues do move quickly in 24-hour cycle, helping to ensure as a group we've ensured focused on our message and our vision and version of that. If crisis we could have done better on, owning that right away, acknowledging how things have gone and what we'll do differently.

Curriculum and Student Outcomes

Q: We rely on trying to differentiate instruction for different types of learners. In the end it depends on the teacher on the classroom meeting those needs. What structural things would you do as a district to help differentiation?

JK: Having a good definition of differentiation, good way to get to that is training for teachers. I had that this year in my district, my high school wanted to bring in cooperated learning structures, a company that provides training on cooperative learning and differentiated instruction. We agreed to bring that in, with common language for differentiation. Number one: Are we all ready for this goal? And two, can we have a common language. It was a big investment of resources of making that commitment. Seeing how that played out, it really made a difference. In my district people changed seating patterns the next day. That sent a huge message for really being onboard with momentum. In this case you get momentum out of a district vision. Look at leveling of students and promotion of differentiation sometimes means less leveling to the degree teachers are skilled and empowered. Support from special educators and other educators in the classroom. It's a pretty complex question, but I am a big fan of providing common language, supports in classroom, not doing a pull out model for math or special needs, it takes away from the idea that the teacher or co-teacher is the expert and has the common skill set.

Working with teachers and administrators to make a common goal. The example of changing classroom seating, changing small groups. Supporting principals and department heads, understanding at the end it is kind of a profession of one. Bringing in teachers who are savvy to differentiation as a top goal. It's complex, as you develop skills in co-teaching. It isn't individual initiatives as it is about teaching and high achievement. There are times in my district when we've not used terms, because it distracts from talking about teaching.

Q: All that requires a lot of supports for teachers. In district size of Melrose, how do you envision the mid-level supports and embeds down to classroom, management structure.

JK: One strength I bring from district with low budget, carving out time and space. Using early adopters to help begin a process that grows slowly to incorporate larger schools and the district. Understanding by design as a curriculum as a model. Start in summer on voluntary basis, teachers come in, work with a consultant, do some piloting, perhaps tie in with teacher evaluations, report out to the buildings. Those early adopters of leading the change over the years pays dividends because it starts that grass roots efforts. That's a model I've been successful with technology. When you're working on a five-year strategic plan, start with some initiatives and adapt as you move along. In my district, $1-2 million doing interesting work around understanding by design, and in areas you might not expect like physical education.

Early Childhood Learning

Q: I'd like to hear about your vision and philosophy for early childhood, pre-K and full-day K.

JK: I've been a curriculum director for 10 years. Spent a lot of time on everything from developing full-day K from scratch. At this point supporting accrediting process for my K. Have them visiting my district this week. At Pre-K level, I do have a program that's very popular in the community, longstanding and well received and accredited. I work closely with our consultants on keeping standards high, putting fees right back into the program to develop curriculum, challenge students on a higher level as they're ready. Recently in my life, I've seen my kids go through pre-K and thought yeah they could've done more. Ready to be challenged at a higher level. Interested in looking at pre-K curriculum and developing it, because it can be vague. Understanding where there is support for a curriculum that is ongoing and not my kid this year, because that can be a challenge as well. Articulating high standards at Pre-K who are ready to take on letters or phonics at a different level than several year. Big part is educating parents on what to understand. Also understanding social work needs of parents at Pre-K level getting through the challenges of developmental differences. Maybe 2-3 kids in the house that are all different. Helping parents to understand it's OK to have challenges with special needs for their children and providing support. And welcoming input from parents on adding rigor to curriculum at Pre-K.

Challenges in Melrose

Q: The loss of kids from middle school to high school?

JK: Understand that's a concern. Our job is to evaluate parents and the cultural norms of the community. When I look at MHS and see it's on warning from NEASC, that's a red flag. So changing some of those concerns for parents. Big proponent of giving PSAT for free, working with dept. heads for clear and consistent expectations. Communicating that to the parents by working with the press about outcomes. So they can see it has progressed. Parents are savvy to that. They understand that outreach we do for student transitioning involves parents early, involves teachers, sometimes give teachers a day off to go to the high school to the day. It's good to get back and see how things have changed, maybe how your perceptions have changed. I think in time you'll see those kinds of steps can help parents and say I might save that money in my checkbook on private school tuition and take advantage of what I can get. The superintendent is a good communicator and understands the public relations aspect of the job. There are many cases where parents have long-seated thoughts about the high school, update website and work through press. Then smaller percentage might choose private for variety of reasons. Also work with clergy and variety of partnerships in the community, leaders at private schools, to stay close and have open communication to get feedback on ourselves. Getting their input on our programs and changes we can make.

Thorp: You spent day in Melrose. Three or four recurring topics that you really identified. And maybe surprised by.

JK: Melrose Schools are wonderful place to work, it's a positive culture. Has led to this place that principals, teachers have a lot of faith in school. Want strong leader with vision but not radical change. A huge piece is people love coming to work in Melrose. Second, Parents are supportive of schools, see changes afoot. The facilities have been supported, knowing that funds are limited. I shared that with principals, there are lot of supports in place I don't necessarily have. I think that's something that's an untapped resource. Perception of the middle school and high school building, a vocal support that will become even more vocal in community. Third perception: There is work to be done on maybe middle school math and English scores and science. Academic rigor throughout the high school. That's not a slight against good work being done now, but need steady set of conversations on how to take data and provide great feedback. Using early release days as a low cost item to work on NEASC, turn around perceptions in community, involve parents in new ways. That's a manageable and achievable goal. I come away with sense that's a doable, not five-year goal, but within a year or six months can be turned around.