Walter Bird Jr.’s Article "Worcester Mayor Joe Petty on Latino concerns: ‘We can do better’" published on April 2, 2019 reads:
Today, Petty went further, opting not to wait until the School Committee meeting in laying out a plan to address the issues raised by the Coalition. The mayor called for:
The School department to provide the necessary, student-sensitive data needed to do a thorough review of the suspension rates in our Worcester Public Schools.
Hiring a diversity and equal opportunity officer as the city manager and city council has done on the municipal side of government.
Review of the state’s school discipline statute to ensure the city is in complete compliance with the law and make any necessary changes to our policies and procedures.
Worcester State University to re-engage with our school department in order to refresh and update the 2014 report, “Suspension in Worcester: A Continuing Conversation.”
Incorporate training practices focused on understanding cultural differences, unconscious bias and trauma informed care.
Public and private college partners to work on strategies for a focused recruitment and support effort of the diverse WPS student body for Education Preparation Programs.
The Mayor’s Commission on Latino Education and Advancement, to finish their work and submit a report no later than Aug. 15.
Read Full Article "Worcester Mayor Joe Petty on Latino concerns: ‘We can do better’"- Worcester Magazine
The Worcester Education Collaborative issued the following response:
The Worcester Education Collaborative stands in support of Mayor Petty’s multi-point action plan offered in response to the concerns of the Worcester Coalition for Education Equity. We appreciate leaders in our community also voicing concerns specific to the education and experiences of our children that WEC has been engaged with for many years. We look forward to the shared work ahead.