Dear Worcester Public Schools Caregivers,
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. As we begin 2024, I am inspired to continue our collective work in the Worcester Public Schools (WPS) to ensure we are on the track to excellence that you and your children deserve.
First, I invite you to attend the inaugural WPS Gathering for Excellence: A Discussion on What It Means for Scholars to be Future Ready, on Tuesday, January 30, from 5:00-8:00 PM (refreshments from 5:00-6:00), at Worcester Technical High School, 1 Officer Manny Familia Way.
At the event, I will lead a discussion about the approved five-year Strategic Plan: Our Promise to the Future, which outlines key priorities: 1) equitable resources and educational programs, 2) family and community engagement, 3) culture and climate, 4) acquiring and retaining talent, 5) modernized and safe facilities, and 6) health and wellness. Thank you to the many people who worked on the plan.
Each priority has goals and milestones that will steer our work through 2028. Embedded into Our Promise is A Vision of a Learner, a guide of the skills and dispositions for each scholar to obtain by graduation. Ultimately, we will teach our students how to be “future-ready” for a rapidly changing world.
In the short-term and beyond, WPS continues to focus on elementary reading. Through implementing a new curriculum based on the science of reading and teacher collaboration, preliminary data are showing stabilizing and modest improvement post-pandemic.
At middle and high schools, our focus on culture and climate has garnered tremendously positive responses from students. In a recent survey by the WPS Office of Research and Accountability, there was a 15 percentage point increase of students who reported a sense of belonging at school, and a 14 percentage point increase of students who reported feeling interested in their classes. This did not happen by chance: Our investment in the Dean of Student positions, and reallocation of existing staff into Culture and Climate Teams, along with their diligent work, has led to nurturing learning communities where youth feel supported, valued, and seen.
What’s Next in WPS?
The launch the Superintendent’s Safety Advisory for Education (SAFE) Committee.
Finalizing a PreK-12 College and Career Guidebook.
Finalizing and planning for the construction of the future Doherty and Burncoat high schools.
Phasing in the
ParentSquare platform
, and the launch of a new website.
Worcester Public Schools is filled with heart, perseverance and dedication. When I speak with your children and observe our educators engaging with our youth, I am confident that we will deliver on Our Promise. I am grateful to be leading this district with you. From here, anywhere… together.
Sincerely,
Rachel H. Monárrez, Ph.D
Superintendent of Schools