Winter Hill School Approved as Innovation School

The Innovation School model gives autonomy to school administrators to manage curriculum, staff and budgets.

The Somerville School Committee officially voted Wednesday to designate the Winter Hill Community School as an "Innovation School," according to an announcement from Somerville Public Schools. Innovation Schools were created by the Achievement Gap Act of 2010 and they give teachers and administrators more flexibility in managing curriculums, staffing, budgets and school policies. Somerville Schools Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi said the Winter Hill school will officially be an Innovation School when it opens the new school year this fall. At Innovation Schools, autonomy over the school's governance and curriculum is given to a board of directors, Pierantozzi said. This is distinct from the normal way of governing schools, where decisions…

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Winter Hill School Gets $10K 'Innovation School' Grant

The Winter Hill Community School was one of 29 schools across the state to receive a grant.

The Winter Hill Community School received a $10,000 grant from the state's Race to the Top program to help the school develop into an "innovation school," according to an announcement sent Wednesday by Gov. Deval Patrick's office. Patrick was in Malden Wednesday to announce a total of $281,000 worth of grants to 29 schools across the state. Innovations schools were created by the Achievement Gap Act of 2010, according to the announcement. They operate much like charter schools, encouraging each school to develop "inventive strategies" and "creative approaches" to education. Innovation schools give teachers and administrators more flexibility in managing curriculums, staffing, budgets and school policies. Unlike charter schools, innovation …

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Winter Hill Community School Could be Innovation School by Fall

The Boston Globe reports the Winter Hill school could move to an "innovation model." The city is exploring the idea of an innovation school as it waits for state education authorities to make a decision about a proposed charter school.

The Somerville School Committee has been discussing the idea for nearly a month, and now, Somerville Schools Superintendent Anthony Pierantozzi has said the Winter Hill Community School could become an "innovation school" as early as this fall, according to the Boston Globe. The Globe reports that Pierantozzi expects an innovation school to open in Somerville in September, 2012, and that teachers at the Winter Hill school are discussing plans "to convert to the innovation model." School administrators, along with members of the Somerville School Committee and certain parents groups have explored the idea of an innovation school in large part as a reaction to a proposed charter school in the city: the Somerville Progressive Charter School. …

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SCHOOL DAY

Somerville Educators Will Consider Innovation Schools

An unusually large audience attended a meeting about innovation schools, which some see as an alternative to a proposed charter school in Somerville.

As the state's Board of Education scrutinzes the application for a new charter school in Somerville, some educators have put forth an alternative for parents, teachers and staff who want to practice experimental teaching and management methods.  The Somerville School Committee passed a motion last week requesting that the superintendent and assistant superintendent meet with the Somerville Teachers Association to discuss innovation schools.   About 20 parents and teachers, including figures for and against the proposed Somerville Progressive Charter School, packed a small conference room in the school district's administrative office building Jan. 18 to hear from two experts on innovation schools. Innovation schools, introduced by Gov. …

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