Watch The Chat: New Bedford school district’s money man
New Bedford Light columnist Jack Spillane and Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Andrew O’Leary talk New Bedford schools.
DOJ settlement: New Bedford schools must increase focus on K’iché language and culture
There are 161 students in the district whose primary language is K’iché, according to a school district spokesperson. In total, there are 5,059 students, or 42% of students in the district, whose primary language is not English.
New Bedford-area teachers frustrated by state’s decision to raise MCAS standards
“They don’t understand the harm that it’s causing … or what it’s doing to our teaching and learning environment.” — Cynthia Roy, biology teacher and executive committee member of the Massachusetts Teachers Association.
Old friends bring new ideas for student health care to New Bedford
New Bedford High classmates championed an idea for a School-Based Health Center, then helped secure funding to benefit local students
Early education in ‘crisis’ across South Coast as new school year approaches
Across the region, there are more than twice as many children below the age of 5 than there are available child care slots, according to a report from the SouthCoast Community Foundation. This mismatch in demand is higher than the state average.
Anatomy of the school budget: New funds flow to arts, special education and more
Thanks to a revised state funding formula, next year’s school budget will increase by $27.2 million, or 13%, bringing proposed spending to $233.4 million.
New Bedford central kitchen workers still toil in cramped, outdated school kitchen
Even when everything in the central kitchen works as it should, Assistant Director of Food Services Alice Johnson calls the whole operation inefficient.
New Bedford’s Sea Lab still helping students discover the joy of science
Among the recent lessons, Sea Lab teachers conducted a field trip to Cuttyhunk, where students would complete field tests on water salinity, visit nesting sites of migratory birds, and more.
Opinion: Help cut the high cost of college by voting ‘yes’ on Fair Share Amendment
Since 2000, median family income in Massachusetts has risen only 13%, but even after adjusting for inflation, tuition and fees at UMass Dartmouth have increased by 57% — a $6,205 price hike.
New Bedford’s new middle school curriculum sparks worries about diversity
Changes have made it more difficult, if not impossible, for some 8th grade teachers to use educational material centered around a play based on the Diary of Anne Frank and materials used in connection with Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail.
South Coast area colleges changing courses, shifting strategies to boost declining enrollment
Specific majors and departments at area universities are seeing enrollment drop in liberal arts courses as interest shifts to fields that have a more reliable track to the workforce.
Wake up, New Bedford. If UMD’s traditional fine arts succumb to the practical, the city will lose.
Talk to anyone who has been involved in the renewal of downtown New Bedford over the last 20 years and they will tell you the arrival of UMass Dartmouth artists has been an integral part of the city’s revival.
Changing nature of UMD’s art classes at New Bedford’s Star Store Campus fuels concern
The college dean sees the necessity to expand design space and downsize some underutilized studio arts spaces, while others worry the campus will lose the faculty and students who earned it a national reputation and played a role in the city’s revitalization.
Opinion: Efforts to remove Dartmouth’s Indian logo are based on history, not hyperbole
After adoption as a mascot by Dartmouth High School, the logo has evolved from an insulting cartoon to a questionable attempt at representing a generic Indian, and finally, to what it is today.
New Bedford schools to make face masks optional as of March 7
“Over the last few days, I have received consistent overwhelming feedback from parents, some students, and staff suggesting that we also lift the mask mandate.” — Superintendent of Schools Thomas Anderson.
New Bedford High School students navigate the stresses of COVID-19
“There’s a huge majority of students who are doing fine. … But we have seen an increase in anxiety and depression which are consistent with national trends.” — Kathleen Mackenzie, supervisor of clinical and behavioral services at New Bedford Public Schools
Innovators Charter School withdraws its application
“We need additional time to continue to share the vision for our proposed educational model in the community.” — Meg Mayo-Brown
Black and Hispanic students account for most New Bedford school arrests
“We’ve added more school counselors and we work with our staff to try to identify certain signs to help de-escalate situations.” — New Bedford Superintendent of Schools Thomas Anderson.
Omicron taking toll on New Bedford schools
All games and athletic practices through the week have been paused, following a rise in COVID-19 cases among several athletic teams. Officials will reevaluate the situation over the weekend to decide if athletic activity can resume.
Storm of opposition to proposed New Bedford, Fall River charter school
Innovators Charter School is applying to open admissions for a regional school serving grades 6-12 in the fall of 2022. If approved, ICS would eventually enroll 735 students.
Sign up for our free newsletter
Receive in-depth news stories and arts & culture coverage from around New Bedford in your inbox every weekday.
SUPPORT LOCAL NEWS
Give today to keep The Light shining. As a nonprofit with no paywall we rely on reader donations to fund our high-quality reporting.
New Bedford Light is an IRS-determined 501(c)(3) Public Charity; all gifts are tax-deductible. Our EIN number is 86-2407296.
Thank you to our sponsors
Founding benefactors:
Irwin and Joan Jacobs, Mary and Jim Ottaway
RECENT STORIES
- Regulators to vote on controversial scallop leasing plan Tuesday
- Letters to the Light: Not everyone sees eye-to-eye on migrant story, immigration
- Poseidon lives a lonely life at New Bedford’s public works yard
- Watch The Chat: New Bedford school district’s money man
- Feeling young and eccentric, Annasaskhea Azor mixes classy with comfortable
- Could in-law apartments help ease New Bedford’s housing crunch?