The September meeting of the NQCC was attended by over 100 people and a
great way to kick off the fall season. Area school leaders spoke to the
group about the many positive things happening within local districts.
First, Superintendent of Athol-Royalston Regional School District, Anthony
Polito, spoke about the renovations underway at Athol High School. He also
talked about the Strategic Planning process which will lead the district
into the future. Residents are asked to become part of this process and are
invited to attend a kick-off event on October 25th at 6:30 p.m. at Memorial
Hall. The District is on the way to making significant change to benefit
public education for all students, but continued public support is still a
critical element to sustaining these efforts.
Superintendent of Orange Elementary Schools, Dr. Paul Burnim, spoke about
the need to view education beyond the school day. The Orange Schools are
developing after school options for children as well as partnering with
Valuing Our Children to provide additional parent education opportunities.
Mike Baldassare, Director of Special Education at Ralph C. Mahar Regional
School, spoke about the new team of administrators who bring a positive and
community focused approach. Under the leadership of Dr. Reza Namin, new
Principal Paul Goodhind and two new Deans of Students, the Mahar District is
looking ahead to building a strong educational foundation for students.
The special
guest at the Coalition meeting was Governor Deval Patrick. Thanks to the
efforts of Representative Chris Donelan, the Governor was able to attend the
NQCC forum to hear from residents about priorities which impact the local
community. Governor Patrick discussed new approaches to economic development
and the strong link between education and training and job development. The
Governor talked about the need to better match job seekers with
opportunities. He presented ideas about extended day learning within schools
and free tuition to community colleges for all.
The
Governor spent most of his visit listening to ideas and thoughts about the
needs of this community. The visit certainly served to validate the region
as a viable part of the Commonwealth. It is important to note that the North
Quabbin became the destination for the Governor, rather than just another
community to drive through en route to another part of the state.