Good afternoon honorable citizens of New Bedford; Roy Nascimento, President of the New Bedford Chamber of Commerce, and officers and members of the New Bedford Chamber of Commerce; the New Bedford Economic Development Council; Leo Pimental, President of the City Council, and the members of the City Council, members of our School Committee, members of our Board of Assessors, members of our legislative delegation: Senator Montigny, and Representatives Cabral, Koczera, Quinn, and Canessa, Governor’s Councilor Carol Fiola, District Attorney Sam Sutter, the Select Board and guests, all city employees and all of you listening to this broadcast on the radio from your homes, businesses and automobiles and those who will view this from your homes on New Bedford’s Cable Access channel. Thank you for being with us today.
I am grateful to have the privilege of working with an extremely dedicated and talented group of elected officials who have the interests of New Bedford at heart: Governor Deval Patrick, Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray, Secretary of State William Francis Galvin, Attorney General Martha Coakley, Treasurer Timothy Cahill, and Auditor Joseph DeNucci; Senator Edward Kennedy, Senator John Kerry, and Congressman Barney Frank; Governor’s Councilor Carole Fiola; District Attorney Sam Sutter; Senator Mark Montigny, Representative Tony Cabral, Representative Robert Koczera, Representative John Quinn, and Representative Stephen Canessa; City Council President Leo Pimental and Councilors Linda Morad, Paul Koczera, Joe DeMedeiros, Viola Pina, Jane Gonsalves, Brian Gomes, David Alves, Debora Coelho, Denis Lawrence, and John Saunders; School Committee members Mark Treadup, Jack Nobrega, Ramona Silva, Nancy Feeney, John Fletcher, and Eric Pope; and our Assessors Marty Treadup, Peter Berthiaume, and Robert Pacheco. I also must acknowledge Consul Fernanda Coelho of the Consulate of Portugal, Superintendent Mike Longo, UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Jean MacCormack, Reverend David Lima of the Inter Church Council, and Reverend Mark Green of the Bethel AME and the NAACP.
I also want to thank our hosts today, the United Fishermen’s Club and its Director, Joaquim Custodio. As we did last year, when the Chamber of Commerce hosted the State of the City Address at the Our Lady of Angels Hall on Acushnet Avenue, we have selected the United Fisherman’s Hall to display this fine facility to the entire City. I sincerely appreciate the investment made by this organization in the South End of New Bedford.
It is fitting to hold this event in a hall built by and dedicated to the fishermen of New Bedford. Just over a month ago in a tragedy at sea, we lost four fishermen aboard the fishing vessel Lady of Grace: Antonio Barroqueiro, Rogerio Ventura, Joao Silva, and Mario Farinhas. At this time, I ask that we all stand for a moment of silence in tribute to these fishermen and their families, and to all fishermen and fishing families who have suffered losses while making New Bedford the number one fishing port in the United States. (Moment of silence observed.) Their commitment to their livelihood and their love of the sea truly represents the best of our City and its people. Thank you.
It is my privilege and honor, as the Mayor of New Bedford, representing the people of our City, to report directly to the citizens, on the State of our City, in the late winter of 2007. Last year, my State of the City Address discussed many issues that I confronted upon taking the oath of office. This year, I am pleased to report that several of these issues have been resolved, and many of these issues continue to be the focus of my Administration. In addition, there are new issues that have been brought to the forefront that we must address.
Important Issues Facing New Bedford
While running for Mayor, I cited six areas of concentration that were crucial for New Bedford’s future success. One was the issue of public safety. It is my firm belief that the City cannot move forward unless it is committed to providing safe streets for all of its residents in every neighborhood. Second, it was very clear to our City that we need to address how to provide a quality education to each and every one of our young people, and that this education must be relevant for success in the twenty-first century. Third, each of our neighborhoods needed a commitment from our City government to provide the highest level of services in the areas of infrastructure, maintenance and construction, beautification and enforcement of quality of life issues. Fourth, providing economic development opportunities in an open and competitive manner, so that all of our citizens can benefit from a level playing field and growing economy. Fifth, committing to a democratic process that allows for a transparent and open government, which seeks the involvement and participation of all of our citizens, putting the interest of the people first. Sixth, handling the city finances in a manner that would be respected by the Department of Revenue and the outside financial markets and investors from our state and region.
I am very proud of the accomplishments of our City’s employees and the citizens of New Bedford since my first State of the City Address on March 2, 2006. A dedicated team of individuals, City employees, elected officials, and citizen volunteers, has performed an incredible amount of work over the last year.
As you recall, my campaign for election made one promise, and that was to restore pride in our City for the great citizens of the City of New Bedford, and respect for the City of New Bedford from the outside world. I firmly believe that New Bedford is on its way to having many, many things to be proud of, and becoming a beacon for solving the problems of America’s cities in the dawn of the 21st century.
There is no denying that during past year New Bedford experienced some very difficult events. These events were not particular to New Bedford in any way; they represent the problems of every urban area. New Bedford has distinguished itself, however, in the way it has professionally and compassionately handled each of these events and in how the people of our City united each and every time as a community family. Further, New Bedford has distinguished itself in the manner in which it openly seeks solutions to problems, and implements solutions that are becoming the basis and model for programs in other cities.
Relationship with the Citizens
During the past year, I have relied upon the input that I received from the citizens of our City during the Fall 2005 Great Idea Forums. This input has served as an important compass over these first fourteen months, and I am grateful to the residents of New Bedford for their willingness to provide this constant guidance with enthusiasm. At the Forums, there was a clear sense from the citizenry that an open, transparent government, dedicated to solving urban problems, was their number one concern. All citizens demanded that they be put on an equal footing. All citizens demanded an end to the “politics as usual” and an end to petty personal agendas that impede New Bedford’s progress. I am able to report that the citizens’ demands and ideas have not gone unnoticed and that our City government has strived to be transparent and dedicated to serving all the people of New Bedford.
I have observed from a unique vantage point the tremendous dedication of our citizens working together to make our City a better place to raise a family. Once again, the people of our City have demonstrated what we all know, and sometimes take for granted; New Bedford is a resilient, vibrant city made up of countless communities representing a diverse group of religions, cultures, and traditions. These communities merge to produce a close-knit, united people. City government must foster these relationships and provide resources so that the energy and volunteerism of our people can be harnessed for the greater good of the community.
I have visited every school in our City in the past year. I have seen the face of every child. I have met with thousands of our citizens and have spent countless hours with our seniors in neighborhoods throughout New Bedford. There is an unabashed feeling of hope and pride permeating our City, a realistic optimism about New Bedford as an urban area in our state and region and about the bright future that lies ahead. The fuel for this optimism is not due to the actions of any one public servant, elected official, or individual. It is the realization that the collective will and deeds of the great people of our City will result in dramatic progress for all of New Bedford.
Report to the Citizens
This week, I released a Report to the Citizens of New Bedford. It captures in extensive detail the work of our city government in 2006. In reviewing City documents from yesteryear, I found that each year the administration would release the previous year’s accomplishments and relevant statistics for the citizens’ review. It is my opinion that such a report will be helpful in tracking our City’s progress in the areas of public safety, education, city finances, neighborhood revitalization, and economic development, as well as related areas of interest. This report details the initiatives and accomplishments of New Bedford over the past year. It represents the work of our City government - all the men and women I am proud to work side by side with every day. I encourage each of you to read it. It is available at City Hall, on the city website and in the City libraries.
Partners for Progress
I have learned that we have an unlimited number of public and private partners, who our City government must team with to solve the problems of society today. City government cannot be the only vehicle to bring about positive change. Further, the problems facing New Bedford are the same problems facing cities across America. New Bedford need not be ashamed or wallow in the daily challenges that affect all urban areas. Constant institutionalized negativity simply wastes the time and energy of our citizens and does a constant disservice to our vibrant community. It projects New Bedford in a way it is not. It is far more constructive to identify and resolve problems with the help of our partners than it is to state the obvious and bemoan issues or tragic events. The path to making New Bedford a great city of the 21st Century, is not by way of highlighting the negatives of our condition and asking what the City government will do to resolve them. The way to greatness, rather, is to stand up in the community, identify the difficult issues that are most important to our City, and offer positive solutions, either with ideas, time or financial contributions to help solve the problems. The days of indifference or passive acceptance of mediocrity or worse, are over. New Bedford is a new city with new energy, open to all.
There have been 422 days since January 2, 2006. Here are some highlights of what we have accomplished working together in a positive, energetic, and constructive campaign for a great New Bedford.
Open Government
In order for the people of New Bedford to take pride in their City, they must have confidence that their government is transparent and honest, that the government’s motivation is for the betterment of the City and its residents, and not for a select few. I believe that we have made tremendous strides in restoring this confidence in the past year. I have attempted to be accessible to the public at all times, and I have encouraged all department heads to do the same. I have worked tirelessly to ensure that the media has access to any information it seeks. Further, New Bedford’s cable access network has become completely engaged in covering any and all noteworthy events throughout the City, and I hope to expand this coverage in the future. I believe that the Channel 9 local news was an extremely important vehicle, providing news coverage of local events. I am working closely with Comcast, the City of Fall River, the towns on the Comcast system, as well as a number of other potential communication partners to restore this news program. The more coverage of the events in our area, the more informed our citizens will be; I believe this will lead to citizen engagement and participation in helping to address and resolve the great issues of our day.
Open Competitive Economic Opportunities
The Purchasing Office of City Hall has been very active over the past year developing “Requests for Proposals” for a number of City properties. It has worked closely with the Inspector General’s Office to ensure compliance with Massachusetts Bidding Laws that regulate public procurement and bidding. I have required that an attorney fill one of the staff positions in the procurement office so that there is complete compliance in this area. Economic opportunities must be available to all. For this reason, the City has actively solicited requests for proposals (RFPs) to create varieties of opportunities for developers and investors, and to produce the greatest economic return for our taxpayers and residents. These RFPs ensure that there is a public and level playing field among developers and investors.
I have attended numerous public forums and neighborhood meetings to continue to listen to the concerns of our citizens. Our human services/neighborhood liaison group deals with issues every day that affect the neighborhoods and our families. They encourage public participation and involvement in crafting solutions to solve individual neighborhood problems.
Financial Overview
Upon taking office last January, it became abundantly clear that the City faced major financial challenges.
The Keith Middle School project had mounting construction and environmental overrun costs without a commitment from the state to pay for the additional costs, leaving taxpayers with the possibility of shouldering a huge long-term financial burden.
To meet this challenge, our Superintendent Mike Longo and our School Committee worked with Treasurer Cahill, our legislators Senator Montigny, Representative Quinn, Representative Cabral, Representative Koczera, and Representative Canessa, and the Massachusetts School Building Authority to craft a financial aid package to pay for the construction of the Keith Middle School and environmental clean-up costs. This agreement, as approved by the Governor’s Office and the City Council, ensured a State financial commitment of 90% of the total project cost, up to $103 million, thereby removing this dark cloud from the City’s financial status.
When I assumed office, the City faced an operating deficit for Fiscal Year 2006. By tightening the belt with the City Council, we succeeded in eliminating the deficit. The School Department faced a $1.5 million deficit, and working with Superintendent Mike Longo and the School Committee we were able to eliminate this deficit as well.
The City faced a major financial burden on its operating position as a result of the failure to Bond for the costs of the capping of the old railroad depot. With our legislators and the approval of Governor Patrick, we have secured the authority to Bond for this capital project, thereby stabilizing the City’s financial condition.
The Massachusetts Department of Revenue indicated that there were significant operating deficiencies in the City’s financial management system. We have worked closely with the DOR to systematically implement improvements to our financial management capability.
The City had unresolved collective bargaining agreements with 4 city Unions. These contracts were resolved in 2006.
It became evident that the previously proposed arrangement for the sale of the City’s Fairhaven Mills parcels was detrimental to the City’s taxpayers. Those parcels have since been sent out for Requests For Proposals, yielding two fine proposals that are under review in a public process at this time.
A moderate increase of our water rate and our sewer use fees was necessary to fund sewer and storm drain improvements required by the Environmental Protection Agency. These increases were necessary years ago and should have occurred on a gradual year-by-year basis. I am committed to working with the Water Board and the City Council to raise additional water and sewer revenue through economic development projects, thereby relieving the burden on our City residents.
We constantly look for ways to provide service to the City’s taxpayers in a more efficient way. One such was is as by having City crews, as opposed to contractors, perform work that is traditionally contracted out. Twp examples of such projects are the North End water project and the return of maintenance and repair of streetlights back to the City’s Department of Public Works.
As a result of the City’s financial improvements in 2006, Moody`s Investment Rating Service has just upgraded our bond rating to A3 based upon the City’s “significantly improved financial position.” This is the first time the City has been in the “A” bond category in 36 years. In the first long-term bond and short-term band sale in mid-February, the taxpayers of our City realized a savings on interest payments of approximately $200,000.
It has taken a lot of work but we have come a long way over the past year and we are establishing a solid financial framework for the City for many years to come. Every elected official in this room as well as Governor Patrick is concerned about the property tax system in our State. We all know that the residents of New Bedford cannot continue to bear the increase of property taxes. This hits hardest those on fixed incomes, particularly senior citizens. I pledge that we will all work together to find equitable tax relief for the citizens of New Bedford. This will be the number one issue facing all municipalities in 2007.
Operation Clean Sweep and other Volunteer Efforts
In 2006, New Bedford citizens showed their commitment to active participation in community endeavors. A model program is Operation Clean Sweep, a program that involves citizens of New Bedford working together to beautify the City and attack an insidious problem affecting all neighborhoods. This problem is one of the simplest to define and identify, and one of the more difficult to control. It is the trash and litter problem that affects not only New Bedford’s neighborhoods, but also neighborhoods in every city throughout the country. Operation Clean Sweep occurred in six wards of New Bedford, involving hundreds of responsible volunteers who physically picked up 10 tons of trash in the City. Representatives of Operation Clean Sweep went into the schools to discuss the responsibility of all young people to help keep our City clean. The initiative has worked closely with businesses to promote a clean New Bedford and raise funds for this volunteer effort. Many employees of the City of New Bedford donated hours of their time for each of these six ward events to help bolster the success of this volunteer effort, and I would like to express my appreciation to all who were involved and commend you on your efforts.
In our schools, hundreds of citizens are giving their time and energy to promote learning and development of our most precious asset, the young students of the City of New Bedford. Participants in the SMILES mentoring program, founded by Jim Mathes, and members of various parent-teacher organizations have proactively spent countless hours positively engaging our students and serving as role models. Their contribution to our school system is truly noteworthy and an essential part of our educational efforts.
In light of the issues raised by the November ballot referendum on the fluoridation of New Bedford’s water supply, numerous local dentists have volunteered to provide dental services to our young children in need.
Our senior citizens have seen the benefit of programs run by volunteers that provide nutrition, education and recreational opportunities for a most-honored group of our residents.
Our volunteer initiatives will continue with the re-establishment of Neighborhood Watch programs and an increased emphasis on citizens voluntarily taking responsibility for the appearance and quality of life in their neighborhoods.
Such volunteerism illustrates that New Bedford possesses a strong spirit of giving, as well as a citizenry that wants to assume responsibility for their own property and neighborhoods.
As we all know, New Bedford is a city of tremendous faith. We have over 100 churches in our City. Some are in storefronts, some have famous architecture; all serve the greater good. Each is the heartbeat of our City. God has blessed us with an involved, caring activist clergy. New Bedford is also known as a city of events, most operated by non-profit organizations and clubs that provide charitable and benevolent services to the community. Each and every one of these events, whether a local church bazaar, a YWCA fundraiser, or the greatest religious feast in the country, the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament, depends on thousands of volunteers who give of their time and take pride in our City. Each weekend throughout the year, there are religious, cultural, historic and social activities that make our City a very special place to live or visit. While our City government assists each event with the resources available, it is a partnership that could not be successful without the sacrifice and dedication of volunteers.
New Bedford’s Role in the Future
A city is defined by its people, its history, its architecture, its sense of pride, tradition, and in our most-fortunate case, its location. New Bedford’s location is second to none. Its proximity to the sea has defined its identity and history. Now, our entire region is discovering that New Bedford is the most beautiful urban area located on one of the most desirable bodies of water in the world.
New Bedford has historically been one of the great cities of America. America first relied upon New Bedford to supply energy in the form of illumination. The whaling industry and whale oil became synonymous with our City. Every significant ship had the City of New Bedford displayed on its transom. New Bedford, later in its history, was relied upon to provide the world’s finest textiles. Today, New Bedford is relied upon to provide the highest quality fresh seafood to American and world markets. Now the question is, what will New Bedford’s leadership position be in the future? I believe it is becoming more and more apparent that New Bedford will lead the world in the research, analysis and study of the oceans. New Bedford will combine its practical experience derived from its ocean-going fishing vessels and processing industry with marine science. This will lead to a more precise understanding of the fisheries ecosystem, which in turn will set the agenda for true conservation efforts of the fishery. New Bedford will also pave the way in inventing and designing technology to explore and monitor our oceans. This marriage of marine science to our fishing industry will also produce safety equipment and technological improvements to protect our fishermen and their vessels. The scientific community is beginning to amass in our City, with the continued expansion of the University of Massachusetts SMAST Marine Biology program and campus and the arrival of the Massachusetts Fisheries Management scientific research division.
New Bedford is rapidly becoming the epicenter of oceanographic research. Our City is actively involved in discussions with the University of Massachusetts and other institutions of higher learning to ascertain how our City can corner the marine education and research field.
Alternative Energy
The alternative energy sector's growth over the next decade will create thousands of jobs in this region. Through a focused effort to engage our federal and state partners, we are developing a strategy to market New Bedford as THE city in the Commonwealth for alternative energy companies.
Allied Health Care
As more baby boomers locate to the area, the health care industry will continue to serve as a critical sector for job creation. Even today, there is an overwhelming demand for allied health professionals. There are long waiting lists at BCC and UMass Dartmouth to enter the nursing and other heath care programs. In this new year, we will work to convene Industry, Education and Workforce Training components of our community to get more of our people into this critical industry.
Multi-Lingual Customer Service
We are vigorously pursuing a niche opportunity in the call center market for New Bedford, multi-lingual customer service. The 130 new jobs created by Sovereign Bank in downtown New Bedford represent a highly promising start in this sector.
Mill Redevelopment
The successful redevelopment of our historic housing stock and
mill space will require "smart growth" to attract and retain a workforce. Adherence to principles of "smart" mill redevelopment will ensure that these structures turn into vibrant commercial and residential environments where an eclectic mix of people will work, shop and play. With our local delegation, we will seek increased historic tax credits for New Bedford development projects and seek an increase in the Massachusetts Historic Tax Credit cap to help attract developers to New Bedford.
Commuter Rail
In the near future, New Bedford will once again be connected to the capital of Massachusetts by rail. This is important in many ways, however, there can be no more important reason to build commuter rail to New Bedford than the environmental benefit to be realized by our children and generations to come. I applaud Senator Mark Montigny for spearheading the effort to connect New Bedford to the rail system, and I applaud Representative Cabral for his legislation proposing the creation of a Massachusetts Transit Fund to finance the project through “green fees.” The proposal has added significantly to the discussion of how to realize a commuter rail connection. While the specifics of Representative Cabral’s proposal are not universally accepted, his concept of bringing together a broad-based coalition to find a solution to funding the rail is greatly appreciated by all. The rail will provide economic development opportunities for our City and allow our citizens an affordable, appropriate alternative to enduring the long and arduous drive to Boston and as Secretary of Transportation Bernard Cohen said last Friday, the rail travels both ways. I am confident that Governor Patrick will unveil a realistic plan and timetable to provide commuter rail service to our City. Three decades of empty promises regarding this fundamental socio-economic transportation issue will come to an end on April 4, 2007. Once the timetable is established the City will respond with increased growth and unique commercial and residential development opportunities.
Public Safety
Our City continues to face a serious challenge in the area of public safety. In the past year, our police department has acted with tremendous heroism and vigilance in many trying situations. Our men and women of the New Bedford Police Department put their sense of duty to the public above their own individual safety each and every day. Throughout our City, there are examples of the community stepping forward to aid our police in their daily investigations. The number of criminal incidents reported to the police by our citizens, and the subsequent investigation carried out by the police, evidence the strong partnership between the public and our police officers. From this partnership, hundreds of arrests have been made and millions of dollars in drugs have been taken off the streets. The police department has re-invigorated the Gang Unit and established a new Port Security Unit for our working waterfront and airport.
In this past year, our police department confiscated 65 illegal guns. I have worked with our state legislature to advocate for the adoption of tougher laws for persons who illegally possess guns or use guns in the commission of a crime. Senator Montigny and Representative Cabral have introduced important illegal gun legislation in the Senate and the House, which will provide a deterrent to criminals and make our streets safer. District Attorney Sam Sutter has made the prosecution of gun related crimes his cause.
The United States has seen an increase in crime and violent crime this past year. New Bedford’s war on crime has produced some promising results. However, we must remain vigilant and re-double our efforts to forge an even stronger partnership between the communities of our City and the police department. The Shannon Anti-Gang Grant, funded by the State, and the Weed and Seed Program, funded by the federal government, are two projects that build a collaboration made up of human service non-profits, the clergy, the police department and various departments of the City government to provide viable alternatives to young people who may be lured to the streets because of a lack of opportunities in our established society. In the past year, the City government has opened the North and South end police stations and established a sub-station for the canine corps at the airport. We are now in the process of opening a downtown police station as well as sub-stations in the near South End of our City, the West End of our City and the near North End of our City. These sub-substations will further decentralize the patrol operations of the police department and will create a constant police presence in these areas. I expect the establishment of sub-stations to foster a strong alliance with the various neighborhood groups, as well as our individual community members. At this time, we are also bringing the most sophisticated technology to the City to enable our police department to help monitor our most challenged public safety areas. This high-tech equipment will give the police the ability to react in real-time as well as preserve evidence for investigations and prosecution. With the help of the State and Federal Government, I will seek new vehicles for our Police Department, which has a rapidly aging fleet. Lastly, we must seek additional resources to provide our SRT Team with the finest equipment available. Although all of these measures are crucial to our crime-fighting capability, nothing can substitute for the courage and dedication of our police officers that literally put their lives on the line for us every day. I am very proud of them and support their extraordinary efforts. I also pledge the City’s support to their families and therefore will seek a violent pay act, which will provide police officers injured in the line of duty or as a result of a violent attack pay based on an officers W-2 form.
Public Safety Alliances
In the past year, the New Bedford Police Department has established very strong ties to all of the law enforcement agencies we work with and depend upon at the state, federal and county level. As of tomorrow, the City will have sworn in 30 new patrol officers since last year, bringing our police force up to 290 members.
The strong alliances we have established with the District Attorney’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office will continue under our new District Attorney, Samuel Sutter, and our new Attorney General, Martha Coakley. I have discussed New Bedford’s desire to work closely with them during investigations and prosecutions. I have been assured by District Attorney Sutter that he will continue to provide direct Assistant District Attorney input into the criminal investigations being conducted by the New Bedford Police Department. In addition District Attorney Sutter will work with the New Bedford Police Department to establish emphasis on the re-investigation of open case files. Attorney General Coakley has also assured me that she will continue to assign an Assistant Attorney General to prosecute all cases emanating from New Bedford within her jurisdiction. Further, she has pledged to continue the Attorney General’s blighted housing project that will prosecute landlords who are responsible for the most dilapidated housing stock in our City. Our U.S. Attorney, Michael Sullivan, has been an active partner in forging a united law enforcement team to fight the criminals who ply their despicable trade on our streets. Sheriff Tom Hodgson has provided resources and intelligence to the New Bedford Police Department over this past year and we intend to continue to have a close working relationship with the Sheriff’s Department.
Public Safety and Community Involvement
It is important to stress that community involvement and teamwork will lead to safe neighborhoods, streets, schools and homes. We must each take responsibility for working with our young people, our schools and our law enforcement personnel to ensure that crime is deterred and that when it is committed, the perpetrators are apprehended and prosecuted successfully. Standing together, and only by standing together, New Bedford can be a safe city for all of its residents in every neighborhood of this great city.
Fire Department
There are no words to express our City’s appreciation and admiration for our firefighters. God bless each and every one of them and their families. The city has launched an aggressive campaign to rehabilitate our firehouses. Much work has been completed and more is to be done. I intend to seek funding for the purchase of an engine and ladder to replace aging equipment. Please never pass a firehouse without giving thanks to these courageous men and women.
Emergency Medical Service
Everyone in this City knows someone who has been cared for by our EMS personnel. They are dedicated, professional, and provide excellent medical care. I have witnessed firsthand this unrelenting commitment to the health and safety of their patients when they are confronted by danger. I am committed to seeking the funding for a fourth ambulance for our City and the modernization of our ambulance fleet. The care of our citizens and families deserves no less than the best modernized care and equipment.
Education
I believe that New Bedford’s school system has made tremendous strides this past school year. The superintendent and his staff, every teacher, as well as the School Committee, have focused their efforts in attempting to provide a quality education for each child in our City. This cannot be accomplished without dedicated teaching professionals and all of the support staff that make a school a welcoming place to positively shape our children’s lives and at the same time the future of our city.
In March of 2006, I expressed my commitment to making our school system one of the very best and to make it an enjoyable, rewarding and enriching experience for our children. The stay-in-school challenge is a problem that affects communities in our state and across our country. New Bedford is making significant strides in attacking the dropout problem; however, this will not be achieved in the short term. It will take persistence. It is an effort that is being made by our administrators and our dedicated teaching professionals everyday. They are having real success.
Here is a brief overview as to what our City has accomplished on the education front.
We have completed the Keith Middle School and students are now attending this modern state-of-the-art educational facility only after it has been determined to be environmentally safe; and I pledge that we will perpetually monitor the environment at Keith very closely. This summer we will begin the New Bedford High School remediation project.
New Bedford High School achieved its re-accreditation with one of the highest possible scores.
We have a concerted initiative to keep our kids in school and have created a new Drop Out Prevention office, which works closely with the SMILES mentoring program, an early intervention program that we are working to expand.
We have established an Alternative Education Task Force to create alternative educational programs. The Twilight Program at New Bedford High School combines classroom instruction with work experience, and was highly successful in its first year.
Sea Lab, our innovative marine science curriculum, will be offered throughout the school system in the number one fishing port in the United States. This will help lay the groundwork for out future dominance in the marine science industry.
This past summer, the City created a summer stipend program, funded by private donations of over $40,000.00, which provided 160 high school students with work experience along with educational and social activities, and awarded each successful student with a $250 stipend. This program was one way in which the public and private sector partnered to invest in our City’s youth and our future workforce. I look forward to working with our previous partners, and adding new ones, to expand the program this summer. Keeping our children off the streets and working with responsible adults is an absolute priority.
I have visited every school in New Bedford and talked with thousands of students and teachers about the importance of staying in school, reading, studying and practicing non-violence and have pleaded and demanded that they eschew violent video games, television shows, music and movies.
We all recognize that quality family time is very important in shaping our children’s lives. In order to facilitate such opportunities, beginning in early March, we will be opening up our three middle schools in the evening for neighborhood and community use. Keith, Normandin, and Roosevelt will be open three nights per week to serve as neighborhood community centers. They will provide programs for parents and students that will involve educational and recreational activities. Within a short period of time thereafter, we will open up the four major elementary schools one night per week for learning and recreation.
In the coming year, I will work with the School Department towards the goal of decreasing class size to ensure that each student receives the attention he or she needs and is afforded every opportunity for success. New Bedford will lead in the issue of appropriate class size for maximum learning opportunities. I will advocate for academic and vocational training for all of our New Bedford High School students who have the desire and aptitude to participate in high-tech or skilled trade programs so that each graduates equipped to compete in an evolving job market.
The Superintendent and the School Committee are committed to bringing arts and music back to our schools and will continue to add these programs, teacher by teacher, until we are fully staffed.
New Bedford has been a state leader in providing full time kindergarten programs; we will now become a leader in providing pre-school programs for our city’s families.
And yes, New Bedford challenged some conventional wisdom in respect to MCAS and the need to provide some meaningful opportunities for those students who have completed their course requirements for graduation and not yet passed MCAS. This statewide debate is not unique to Massachusetts. Parents, students and educators throughout the United States are questioning the value and relevance of high stakes standardized testing for the purpose of validating a young person’s accomplishments. We have instituted a concentrated MCAS remediation program; it is just a beginning. We need more assistance from the State, which has mandated passing the MCAS as a graduation requirement. New Bedford will continue to lead the debate regarding MCAS reform and press for a General High School Diploma for every student who meets the graduations requirements set forth by the New Bedford school system.