Next year, the Chilmark School will replace its multi-grade classrooms with single-grade classrooms, ending a long-standing tradition in the K-5 school’s educational model.
Kate Squire, principal of the Chilmark School, appeared before a packed select board meeting Tuesday to explain the reason behind the change to select board members and Chilmark residents, many of whom attended the school or raised children who did. The change has already been finalized with the school committee, and is supported by the parent teacher organization, school advisory council and superintendent.
Currently, first and second graders combine for a multi-grade homeroom, and third and fourth graders do the same. Kindergarten and fifth grade classes are single-grade.
Ms. Squire said that continuing this model has become increasingly hard on the students and staff. Compliance with new state-mandated literacy curriculums has required students to change classrooms for a single-grade, 90-minute reading block this year, in addition to the single-grade math block at a different time in the day. Children remain in their multi-grade classes for homeroom, snack, lunch, gym and art.
“Six and seven year olds are switching classes multiple times a day,” said Ms. Squire. “The littlest ones don’t know where to be and when. A lot of instructional time is wasted. The school day is chopped up, and our students are feeling very unsettled.”
Ms. Squire said that if multi-grade learning continued next year, certain classes would have up to 30 kids in it.
“We know that that is not good for learning, or for kids,” she said. That number also violates the teachers’ collective bargaining agreements, she added.
There are 74 students enrolled at the Chilmark School this year, and projected enrollment for next year is 78 students.
Teachers came to Ms. Squire this year asking to change to single-grade classrooms, she said. Changing classrooms for literacy and math blocks — often with different teachers — means homeroom teachers, who are responsible for progress reports and communication with parents, have less time with the students they are responsible for.
Teachers are also less able to make connections across subjects, and are often on a time constraint for project based learning, experiential learning and deep dives on a topic, other hallmarks of the Chilmark School, she said.
“The truth is that the multi-age experience you may remember, or your children had in the ‘90s or the 2000s, is not what’s happening right now,” said Ms. Squire. “To continue it for simply tradition’s sake is not supporting children the way that we should. It’s wrong.”
Chilmark School teacher Robyn Dori agreed.
“Right now, the multi-age feels very performative,” she said Tuesday. “It’s not aligning, it doesn’t allow for depth of projects, depth of study. I’ve had many kids say to me, why don’t we just stay in our classroom for the rest of the day? Why do we have to switch back?
“When I hear from students that they don’t understand why we’re doing all this switching, it lets me know, it’s not what’s best for them,” she said.
Former students and parents of former students protested the change ahead of the select board meeting. A significant feeling, said select board member Matt Poole, is grief for the long-standing and rare educational model that pairs kids of different ages together. Mr. Poole attended the Chilmark School, then the Menemsha school, as a kid, and sent his children to the Chilmark School.
Ms. Squire said that multi-age experiences will continue in other, meaningful ways, such as morning circle, whole-school recess, and reading buddy partnerships.
“I want to acknowledge the feeling of loss, maybe even anger, from some of you here,” she said. “I’m curious…is the reaction [about] a loss of the multi-age for current students or future students? Is it about the changing character of the school and what that might represent? Or is it not being part of the decision?”
Though school policy doesn’t fall under their jurisdiction, select board members said they wish they were informed about the change sooner. Ms. Squire sent out a letter to families of current students on April 15 explaining the change, but did not notify the select board.
“This is a significant decision related to Chilmark School going back to day one, and we probably wouldn’t be here tonight if this had been pushed out to the community differently,” said Mr. Poole.
“I’m completely convinced that from the educational perspective, this is an advisable thing to do,” he added.
Jessica Mason, a member of the school committee, pointed out that school committee meetings are open to the public and open to public comment. The committee also held open forums when interviewing for the open principal position two years ago, eventually hiring Ms. Squire.
“Nobody comes,” said Ms. Mason. “Nobody comes to our school committee meetings.”
Ms. Squire also invited parents to an informational coffee session in April to explain the reasoning behind the change. The meeting was sparsely attended, she said.
“To me, that reflects the trust and belief in the incredible teachers we have at our school, and their ability to know their students and know what they really need,” said Ms. Squire.
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