Innovation amid caution gets Mullaney's backing

WORCESTER—While the Worcester School Department plan to restructure its large secondary and high schools into smaller academies has the potential to radically raise student achievement, the effort should be watched closely by the School Committee, according to committee member Mary J. Mullaney.

Worcester was among six communities nationwide that recently received $8 million each to create successful middle and high school programs.

Mrs. Mullaney, who is seeking her fifth term on the School Committee, said the size of a school matters.

But equally, if not more important, she said, is the need to have better-prepared teachers and people who have the proper dedication and the ability to motivate students to do the work.

We have to be realistic about what size will do,” she said. As a committee we need to keep vigilant on how this (restructuring) is turning out.”

Mrs. Mullaney and her husband, Kevin Kearney, have seven children, all of whom attend or have graduated from the Worcester public schools.

Her youngest child is a first-grader and her oldest is a sophomore in college.

The couple has also committed themselves to becoming foster parents this year.

School buildings, particularly the condition of the system’s middle and high schools, will be one of her top priorities, Mrs. Mullaney said.

The ongoing addition and renovation work at Forest Grove Middle School, which has experienced several delays this year and the future construction of a new North High School are on top of her list. She is also pushing for a new vocational high school on Belmont Hill, among other building projects.

While some people are calling for the elimination of the state’s transitional bilingual program, Mrs. Mullaney said the Worcester program has been doing a pretty good job of transitioning students within a reasonable time into regular education classrooms.

However, she said, it is imperative that everything is done to get students out of bilingual classes as quickly as possible.

Mrs. Mullaney said she supports using the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System tests as a graduation requirement. She would be against raising the passing level, which is currently a scaled score of 200, any higher, she said.

We must keep in mind that we are trying to measure basic skills, and not turning out young Ph.D.s,” she said.

Mrs. Mullaney said charter schools can be assets, if they are geared to provide students with programs they cannot get in the Worcester public schools.

If the point is innovation, I do not see the need for them to replicate programs we are already offering,” she said.

Mrs. Mullaney said she believes the school system is in good shape, noting that the Worcester public schools are outperforming most other urban districts in the state.

The system’s success, she said, has been due primarily to the competent leadership of committee members and administrators, such as Superintendent James. A. Caradonio and Deputy Superintendent Claire I. Angers.

It has been personally rewarding to know and work with these people,” she said. I am proud to be part of this team.”

In The Running Worcester

MARY J. MULLANEY

School Committee

Incumbent

Length of term: Two-year term on the School Committee.

Age: 49.

Address: 24 Howland Terrace.

Occupation: Homemaker.

Education: Bachelor’s degree and law degree, University of Notre Dame.

Political experience: Four terms on Worcester School Committee.

Issues: Physical plant of school buildings, including supervising the renovation/addition of Forest Grove Middle School, future construction of North High School and pushing for a new vocational school on the site proposed by the city manager; overseeing the restructuring of secondary schools; continuing oversight around the issue of MCAS.

Date of election: Nov. 6.



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