The meeting with Dr. Charles Grandson took place on Tuesday, November 2nd in the Malden High School library.
About 15-20 people attended which included house principals, superintendents and teachers. Everyone introduced themselves and that’s when Charles Grandson took over and went right into discussion, where he began to say a list of things that he wished to discuss because he has realized problems going on in the community.
The importance of this meeting was for the benefit of knowing what they needed to work on as far as helping our students.
Google Classroom has provided much help for both students and teachers. Students and teachers rely on it for many things and is just very useful. Teachers use it for video presentations, do nows, classwork, homework etc. and being able to do that makes life so much easier. Joseph Luongo, one of MHS’ art teachers says “[they’re] very dedicated” and Grandson says that “it offers a lot of support for the students.”
An ongoing problem, not only in our community but worldwide, is the diversity in teachers. MHS is one of the most diverse school in the state and with that, should come a greater diversity in staff members. Though the teacher diversity has increased, it can still definitely be improved.
MHS believes this is important because they don’t only want to learn that their students are bilingual, but then not have the option to increase their education in that specific language because their isn’t a class for it.
It’s also important for the students and a good feeling to have when you’re able to connect with a teacher and learn more about them so that you may bond over a common interest.
Class sizes has been another problem mainly because everyone is eager to learn either a new language or inheriting their families language and it has brought a decrease in other classes like ones in business. The business and english classes have about 10 students or less while classes like French I and II are booming with 30 or more students. Small schools have the problem with not maintaining enough electives or not enough language classes. Having so many children engaged with different languages is essential for getting them into an academic level.
MHS Holland House principal Marilyn Slattery says how “it’s a great problem to have, but it’s a problem.” Teachers would like students to go from ninth grade until they graduate with not only a diploma to say you’ve graduated, but to illustrate what you have learned and progressed in something specific for later in their careers. Teachers are also working hard to make sure they’re getting to every students needs in order to be more successful in the near future. Grandson says, “[they] need to meet the needs of all learners.”
Not every student needs to go to college, but should always have the option and provide action. Parents starting to talk to their children about college in the ninth grade and schools taking students on field trips to look at different colleges are just a few great ways to appeal to students to learn more about the college process.
Many students don’t know why they go to college. They know ‘to go’ but they don’t know why or where to go in the future. Forty percent of people drop out and fifty percent graduate in 5 years now.
As interim Superintendent, Grandson hopes for the best for the students in the Malden public schools system.
