Massachusetts ordered Holyoke to hire a private company to manage Dean because students' academic results weren't improving.
A student does some welding at last year's open house at Dean Technical High School in Holyoke.HOLYOKE – The private company that is now managing Dean Technical High School will hold an open house at the school Thursday.
The event is scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. and from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
The open house is for students considering attending Dean and their families, said William Diehl, deputy executive director of the Collaborative for Educational Services, of Northampton.
“We want to make sure people know that the school is here and we’re open for business,” Diehl said Thursday.
Teachers and other students will be available to answer questions about the shop classes available at Dean and other matters, he said.
The state over the winter ordered the city to hire a private manager because the school on its own had failed to improve students’ persistently poor academic performance.
The School Committee on July 13 approved the hiring of the Collaborative. The company will be paid $1,012,000 a year for three years using federal and other grants, officials said.
The company has the power to hire and fire staff, without the consent of local officials, but must abide by the state’s new teacher evaluation rules, Superintendent David L. Dupont said.
In June, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted 9-2 to require that teachers be evaluated based on how their students perform on the Massachusetts Comprehensive System Assessment exam and other information.
Previous rules only suggested the use of MCAS scores as a teacher barometer.
For information about fall registration and other matters, call (413) 534-2071 or visit the new website DeanTechPride.collaborative.org
Dean has more than 650 students and 160 teachers and other staff.
Dean shop classes include auto repair, carpentry, computer technology, cosmetology, cooking and food preparation, and welding.
Among the changes in store for Dean are a “thorough assessment” by the Collaborative of the school’s curriculum to align it with state academic and vocational standards, officials also said, in a press release.
Instruction in the ninth and 10th grades will have increased focus on core academics, they said.
A connection exists between a well-prepared workforce and a vibrant local economy, they said.
Under the Collaborative’s plan, students in 11th and 12th grades would get work opportunities such as internships, mentorships and job shadowing. The Collaborative plans to expand vocational options for students by increasing outreach to local businesses, they said.