Excellence in Holyoke

Listening, Learning, and Understanding

Superintendent/Receiver’s Entry Plan

November 2020
_____________________________________________

Dr. Alberto Vázquez Matos

Letter to the Community

November 17, 2020

Dear Members of the Holyoke Public Schools Community:

In an ordinary year, a new Superintendent arriving at a

school district would present an Entry Plan to the
community in the first 30-60 days, outlining steps and
activities planned to become familiar with the
community and understand key issues facing the
district. But clearly, 2020 has proven to be anything
but ordinary. Throughout the summer, Holyoke and
communities across the country were deeply focused
on if, when, and how to reopen schools. When I began
my tenure on July 1, I knew there was no option to ease
into the role. Rather, I had to “hit the ground running”
and quickly lead the ongoing work of preparing for a
new school year in the midst of a pandemic. I also
knew that my Entry Plan could wait.

Despite the challenges that COVID-19 presented this summer and continues to present, I am in
many ways grateful for the opportunity to begin serving as your Superintendent/Receiver in
these most unusual circumstances. The need to develop and implement comprehensive plans to
ensure health and safety protocols and effective teaching and learning afforded me rare insights
into nearly every function of the school district in a short time. Even now, as schools and central
offices -- in partnership with families, local officials, and the community -- work diligently to
craft and execute plans, I am learning a great deal about the people, systems, and priorities that
fuel the operation of this school district.

After four months on the job, I am so encouraged and inspired by what I’ve already seen, heard,
and experienced. I know that the staff of the Holyoke Public Schools care deeply about the
future of this community. They understand the tremendous opportunity and responsibility we
have to make a lasting difference – by giving our students the first-class education they all
deserve.

Beginning my tenure during the pandemic also meant not having the opportunity to introduce
myself to the community as thoroughly as I had hoped. With schools and other venues closed,
and all of us practicing social distancing, there are far fewer chances to be out and about,
meeting my new colleagues, speaking to parents, and learning my way around the city. This was
not a summer of festivals, block parties, and parades, where I could have begun to discover all
that this city has to offer. Despite those obstacles, I’ve been warmly welcomed to the school
district and to Holyoke in different ways. I want to thank everyone – including Mayor Alex

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Morse and the Holyoke School Committee -- who have reached out to offer their support and to
wish me well as we embark on this exciting journey together.

With the school year now well underway -- though still remotely for most of our students -- I am
pleased to present this Entry Plan. This document shares with the community:

● Some of the ways that I have begun to listen, learn, and understand since I was hired for the
position, including conversations with community leaders, educators, parents, and students;

● Upcoming opportunities for me to engage further with individuals and small groups of
stakeholders, whether in person (socially distanced and wearing masks, of course) or
virtually; and

● Actions I’ve taken during my first four months to build a strong team and establish a solid
foundation for improvement moving forward.

In short, this Entry Plan is designed to give me and the community a clearer picture of where
we’ve been and where we are now, in order to solidify and accelerate our plans for where we go
from here.

I am honored to serve as your Superintendent/Receiver, and I look forward to the progress we

will continue to make together to ensure Excellence in Holyoke.

Sincerely,

Dr. Alberto Vázquez Matos

Superintendent/Receiver

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Introduction
PURPOSE
In order to identify the school district’s critical needs and priorities, I have engaged with a broad
range of stakeholders. The findings from these conversations and from review of data and
reports about the district will help me continue to chart a course for the future of the Holyoke
Public Schools.

STRUCTURE
The plan is aligned with the school district’s four Strategic Priorities
(https://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/turnaround/strategic-priorities/). I appreciate and am eager
to continue soliciting your input on how best to achieve the goals associated with these
priorities, as well as the Equity Commitments that accompany them.

I have identified six key areas for review, which reflect the core functions of the school district:

1. Student Achievement
2. Communications and Engagement
3. Human Capital and Leadership
4. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
5. Budget and Finance
6. Facilities and Operations

GUIDING QUESTIONS

The findings from the Entry Plan will be guided by a series of overarching questions for all
stakeholders, including:

● What is working well in the Holyoke Public Schools? What are the strengths on which we
can build, and what are the successes we can expand and replicate?

● What are the greatest challenges facing the Holyoke Public Schools? Where do we need
to improve most urgently and dramatically?

● How can we best ensure that every student graduates from the Holyoke Public Schools
with the knowledge, skills, self-confidence, and determination to achieve their dreams?

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ENTRY ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED TO DATE
I am so thankful to the countless individuals who have welcomed me to Holyoke. The emails,
phone calls, virtual meetings and social-distanced encounters in our schools and around town
have accelerated my learning and understanding of Holyoke. I have also had numerous more
formal opportunities to collect insight and hear feedback, which are detailed below:

Summer 2020

Internal Stakeholder Meetings

● One-on-One meetings with all School Committee members
● One-on-One meetings with all cabinet members
● Walk-throughs of our buildings with the facilities team
● Principal meetings
● All-Staff Meeting focused on Return-to-School
● New Teachers
● District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC), a group of family leaders from every school
● Teacher and Para Union Presidents
● Student Equity Group, a group of grades 9-12 student leaders
● Retired HPS teachers
● Facebook Live sessions with families

External Partner Meetings

● Department of Health
● One Holyoke with DESE Board Member Mike Moriarity
● Senator John Velis
● Holyoke Safe Neighborhood Initiative with Ed Caisse of the Hampden County Sheriff's
Department
● University of Massachusetts Amherst about ethnic studies, translation/interpretation
and teacher pipeline
● Teach Western Mass focused on teacher recruitment
● Stakeholders introduction with community leaders led by Representative Aaron Vega
● Boys and Girls Club
● Enchanted Circle Theatre
● Enlace de Families
● Pa'lante Restorative Justice group
● YMCA
● Community Partners about Return-to-School, including Learn in Motion, Homework
House, City Councilors, Square One, Community Music School and many more
● Care Center of Holyoke
● One8 Foundation
● Community Foundation meeting focused on Arts Education

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Fall 2020

Internal Stakeholder Meetings

● One-on-One meetings with all principals
● Veritas Prep Leadership Team
● English Learners Parent Advisory Council
● Teacher Advisory Group, a group of teacher leaders from every school
● Facebook Live sessions with families
● Principal meetings
● Central Office meeting

External Partner Meetings

● Mayor Alex Morse and members of his leadership team
● Representative Aaron Vega
● Hampshire College about teacher pipeline
● Site visit to Enlace de Familias
● Holyoke Community College President Christina Royal
● The Brookline Center for Community Health
● Holyoke Family Resource Center Advisory Team
● PlayBall Foundation
● Davis Foundation
● Eliel Gonzalez, Lead Pastor of Habitation Church

INITIAL ACTION STEPS

Since becoming your Superintendent/Receiver in July 2020, I have listened to and worked with
many stakeholders. Based on this input and my own experience, I made some adjustments in
order to align offices, positions, and personnel to further our immediate priorities for school and
district improvement. Working together, we have already achieved a lot in my first few months:

● Introducing goals and measurable outcomes building from the district’s four strategic
priorities as part of the turnaround plan;

● Leading the development and implementation of the return-to-school plan, including

planning for safe entry for students and staff for learning in-person and improvements to
remote learning for students at home;

● Securing funding for devices and internet access for all students and instructional staff to
access remote learning;

● Partnering with community-based organizations to offer learning support pods for

students engaged in remote learning;

● Strengthening the physical safety of our buildings, through enhanced cleaning

procedures and equipment, facilities investments to improve air quality in school
buildings, and instituting new health and safety protocols;

● Deepening relationships with community partners, including the local Board of Health,

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 to ensure ongoing communication and collaboration during the reopening of schools;

● Developing the Equity Commitments and launching professional development for

leaders focused on anti-racism;

● Establishing the Office of School Improvement and Leadership, which is primarily

responsible for supervision and support of school leaders, and includes offices focused
on Social Emotional Learning and Family & Community Engagement;

● Moving the Payroll Office to Human Resources to align with other personnel functions;

● Strengthening the timeliness and accessibility of communication through the website,

Facebook Live and social media with families, students and community members;

● Expanding access to aligned science curriculum in grades K-4 to complete the K-8
Science curriculum and hiring a district-wide Science Instructional Leadership Specialist
to build the capacity of science teachers;

● Expanding access to web-based intervention resources in ELA and Math to supplement

our core curriculum and help build students foundational skills;

● Adding a half-time Data position to strengthen the district’s capacity for data-driven
decision-making;

● Presenting to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

(DESE) on Holyoke’s translation and interpretation system, to serve as a model for other
districts.

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Next Steps

UPCOMING CONVERSATIONS
In order to continue “listening, learning, and understanding,” I am hosting meetings and
engagement sessions over the next three months to gather diverse perspectives about the future
of the Holyoke Public Schools. In particular, stakeholders are invited to participate in a series of
virtual Town Halls:

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In addition to these sessions, I will host individual and small group conversations with
representative groups and key community leaders, including:

● Student Advisory Group

● District Parent Advisory Group (December 15, 2020 from 6-7 PM)
● English Learners Parent Advisory Council (December 17, 2020 from 5-6 PM)
● Special Education Parent Advisory Council (January 20, 2021 from 6- 7:30 PM)
● Teacher Advisory Group (December 10, 2020 from 3:45-5:15 PM)
● Union Leaders
● School Committee Members
● City Council Members
● Holyoke’s Delegation to the State Legislature
● Business Leaders, including the Chamber of Commerce
● Higher Education Partners
● School Partner Organizations and Other Nonprofits
● Faith and Other Civic Leaders

I also invite students, families, staff, and community members to share their priorities, ideas,
and comments about the school district by emailing superintendent@hps.holyoke.ma.us.

PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS
Using the themes that emerge from these and other conversations and my review of data,
documents, and email, I will present a report of my findings to the community in February
2021. The findings will guide and inform our plans moving forward, including any
modifications needed to the Strategic Plan.

I appreciate your interest and support and look forward to continuing to get to
know you and Holyoke!

If you have any questions or comments about this Entry Plan, please contact
superintendent@hps.holyoke.ma.us.

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