To the editor:
As principal of Saltonstall School, I must respond to the letter from Kathleen Ward that appeared in your newspaper on Wednesday, May 14.
Mrs. Ward questioned keeping Saltonstall School's extended day and year, and she incorrectly referred to the school as "an elitist program that services a small population."
In 1995, after renovations and two years of study by a citywide committee, Saltonstall School became a "Break-the-Mold" school in a partnership among the district, Salem State College, and the federal government. The school was designed "from the ground up" to offer an extended year (190 days, instead of 180), and an extended day (seven hours instead of six).
Sometimes people think it is a charter school, but it is not. It is one of the Salem public schools that demonstrates that regular public schools can successfully provide diverse, innovative programs and models. Other key parts of the Saltonstall model are its multi-age classes, its core philosophy built around instruction that taps children's multiple intelligences, and its focus on community. These factors combine to positively affect student achievement and motivation. Saltonstall's enrollment is currently 291, with over 100 on the waiting list.
Mrs. Ward referred to the Saltonstall program as "elitist," which is certainly not the case. Families choose Saltonstall School using the same entrance process as other Salem elementary and K-8 schools.
Parents enroll their children through the Parent Information Center, indicating their first, second, and third choices for schools. There are no special entrance requirements for Saltonstall or any Salem school, and schools do not select their own students. The Parent Information Center determines who the students will be, according to the process and criteria set by School Committee policy. Like other Salem schools, Saltonstall serves a diverse population that includes children of all economic levels, from various ethnic backgrounds and languages, and with varying strengths and needs. As in all schools, we embrace all our children and strive to give every child the very best education we can.
The Salem school district consciously offers choices to parents and families. Each elementary school offers certain specialties while delivering the same basic curriculum. For example, Bates has an arts theme, Carlton is a "green" school with a specialty in marine science, and Nathaniel Bowditch provides a dual-language program. Horace Mann was the first lab school of Salem State College. Several of the elementary schools are recently renovated and state-of-the-art (Bentley, Witchcraft Heights, Carlton, Bowditch, Bates).
Secondary schools have special approaches, too. Collins Middle School operates in a "wharf" system with teams and Salem High, the only high school in the district, offers special programs and models in a number of areas. These are valuable, wonderful programs and there are others that are part of the fabric of Salem's educational system. We should be working together to retain all of them.
Many programs throughout the district cost more than others. Saltonstall is easy to notice because its program is highly visible. Yes, Saltonstall teachers by contract get a salary differential for the additional time — a differential that represents less than the amount of extra time they work. But Saltonstall receives the same amount per pupil for other costs such as books, supplies, furniture; and costs less than some schools for utilities and other items.
Furthermore, in the current year Saltonstall has the highest class sizes in the district, which helps keep costs in line. The Saltonstall average class size is 21, versus a district average of 17. (These averages do not include SHS or special education classes, as special education is a separate section of the budget.)
Salem's schools are not alone in their current financial woes, and the Salem funding crisis goes beyond mismanagement and cover-up by a former business manager. All of us should be working with local, state, and national leaders to study the way we fund schools, to find additional sources of local revenue, to fix inadequate state funding formulas, and to urge our state and federal legislatures to fully fund their mandates.
The budget proposal currently before the School Committee would make cuts across the board for everyone and equalize class sizes across the district. As tough as the financial issues are — and the cuts are terrible, as we can all agree — let's not pit one school against another and harm one program at the expense of another. Instead, as we share the pain for the coming year, let's rally to improve the situation so that instead of cutting, next year we can rebuild Salem's educational experience.
We all want our children to have the high-quality education they deserve — the education that will make the difference for them, for the vitality of our city, and for the future of our community and country.
MARGARET VOSS HOWARD, Ph.D.,
Principal, Saltonstall School
Salem
(Editor's note: Margaret Voss Howard is a resident of Salem and taxpayer. She is the parent of three children who attended Salem schools, and is a former member of the Salem School Committee.)
