For Immediate Release
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Contact:Heidi Guarino 781-338-3106

Nominees Sought for New Advisory Council on School and District Accountability and Assistance

MALDEN - - Last month Governor Patrick signed Chapter 311 of the Acts of 2008, An Act Relative to School District Accountability, reassigning the accountability duties previously carried out by the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (EQA) to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE). To help guide this new phase of accountability and assistance work at the ESE, the law calls for the creation of a 15-member advisory council on School and District Accountability and Assistance to advise the Department and Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on the policies and practices of both the Department's new Office of School and District Accountability and its already-existing Office of Targeted Assistance. Under the law, Commissioner Chester has responsibility for recommending the Advisory Council members for appointment by the Board. Council members will serve three-year terms without compensation. Serving on this advisory council will require a substantial time commitment. Its responsibilities are significant and include "review and comment on all regulations relative to the accountability and assistance program areas before board approval…and developing and administering, through the department, a post-audit survey to audited school districts and an annual survey to any schools and districts receiving targeted assistance." Six members of the advisory council will be selected from among three nominees recommended by each of the following stakeholder groups identified in the law:
  • Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents
  • Massachusetts Teachers Association and American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts (jointly)
  • Massachusetts Secondary School Administrators Association
  • Massachusetts Elementary School Principals Association
  • Massachusetts Association of School Committees
  • Massachusetts Charter Public School Association
A seventh member will be a representative of a business or industry with "a demonstrated commitment to education." The eight remaining members will be at-large members, each of whom has a "demonstrated record of achievement or academic expertise in: education administration; education or business finance and management; the use of student achievement data to improve instruction and administration; the conduct or use of school and district audits and evaluations; educator evaluation and professional development; or other areas of expertise in education reforms…" The council will meet at least four times this year. The first advisory council meeting will take place on Monday, November 3, 2008 at 1 p.m. at the Hogan Center at the College of the Holy Cross, following a 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. meeting and luncheon for all 17 of the Board's advisory councils. The Department is seeking a wide range of nominees to serve on the council. Nominations will be accepted through Monday, September 29, 2008, and recommendations will be made to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for action at its October 21st meeting. Interested parties should submit 2 copies of a letter of interest along with a resume to Commissioner Mitchell D. Chester at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-5023, (attn: Advisory Councils).



Last Updated: September 2, 2008



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