FOR RELEASE
For immediate release
Friday, November 17, 2023
LOCAL LEADERS PACK THE HOUSE FOR A FIRESIDE CHAT WITH WPS SUPERINTENDENT AND PRESIDENT & CEO OF THE NELLIE MAE EDUCATION FOUNDATION
WORCESTER, MA - Worcester Education Collaborative (WEC) hosted its inaugural John E. Bassett Symposium on Monday, November 13, at the Beechwood Hotel. The event, named to honor WEC’s founder, featured a fireside chat with Dr. Rachel Monárrez, Superintendent of Worcester Public Schools, and Dr. Gisele Shorter, President & CEO of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, who discussed their lessons learned as leaders in education. Paul Reville, Professor of Practice at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and former Secretary of Education served as the moderator for the discussion.
Jennifer Davis Carey, Executive Director of WEC, opened the evening with a reminder that Worcester finds itself in a once-in-a-generation inflection point, and applauded the new superintendent and her team for their work to capture this important moment in history for the city, and their courage to be fearless in making change.
“Worcester, the second largest city in New England and growing, is at an inflection point. With new leadership open to what is possible, new funding through the state Student Opportunity Act, and a new configuration of and membership on the School Committee, we are at a once in a generation moment to make substantive, long term meaningful change in our education system and by doing so, assure a strong a vibrant future for our city and its residents,” she said.
The fireside chat specifically called attention to the importance of building relationships with business and civic leaders when developing responsive, equitable approaches to education that best serve the needs of all students.
“Who else needs to be in this work with you? And do you have the friends to bring them to the table?” asked Dr. Shorter. She then looked out to the crowd of local business and civic leaders with a call-to-action, “If the Superintendent spends the bulk of their time thinking about how to build will and demand, who has their eyes on the outside? Those are the things I think Chambers can do, coalitions, school board members, and committees.”
John E. Bassett, honored guest of the evening, closed the program with a nod to the City’s ecosystem and its unique ability to respond to today’s challenges in education.
“Worcester has been blessed in some very specific ways. We have family foundations here that make things possible that are not possible in many other places. We also have a very supportive business community that has continued to support the education of all the young people in this community because they know their future employees are coming out of those educational systems,” he said, “I’m so proud of what the Worcester Education Collaborative has been doing. It’s truly a national model. I hope it can get some attention so it can be a model for other communities.”
View the recording of the event here: https://youtu.be/dX3uawPNZsw
Contact:
Jennifer Davis Carey, Executive Director, Worcester Education Collaborative
jdaviscarey@wecollaborative.org | (508) 615-5998
The mission of the Worcester Education Collaborative is to advance excellence and equity in education for all Worcester Public School students.
Dr. Gisele C. Shorter is the President & CEO of The Nellie Mae Education Foundation (NMEF). The mission of NMEF is to champion efforts that prioritize community goals that challenge racial inequities and advance excellent, student-centered public education for all New England youth.
Dr. Rachel Monárrez is the Superintendent of Worcester Public Schools in Worcester, MA.
