Commitment

We are committed….

…to educating every child who comes into our system; in Haverhill we truly believe that no child should be left behind. The system of public education should be a source of pride for the city; the schools should be central to the life and activity of the community. Schools should assure that every student meets the expectations for student achievement set by the School Committee. Education is about quality instruction in the classroom that makes our students competitive in state and national standardized tests. The quality of a Haverhill education should motivate students to make a choice to come to our system, and encourage Haverhill students to remain in the city’s schools. Within capabilities, the system should provide alternative programs for our students with unique needs. The core values for Haverhill Public Schools include:

• Retaining a force of committed, quality employees
• Education in and of itself has value
• Professional development for the staff to directly support quality instruction in the classroom
• Class sizes that remain as close as possible to the standards of the 2001 – 2002 school year (before class sizes started to increase)
• An aggressive assessment program linked to school improvement
• Appropriate texts, supplies and materials to support classroom instruction
• Remedial academic services that provide a solid start to schooling, and includes help for middle and high school students
• A healthy and safe environment for learning to take place
• Constant improvement in math achievement for all students
• A building maintenance program that is efficient, preserves value and addresses issues that impact the useful life and long-range maintenance costs of the schools
• Programs that adhere to the letter and spirit of state and federal mandates for education
• MCAS subgroups will be continually more successful passing the test
• Actions that recognize Haverhill High School as the flagship school in the system, and address the accreditation issue through the renovation project
• A solid organizational superstructure that will enable future restoration of programs and positions as resources permit
• Priority to instruction in literacy and numeration
• The continuation of an inclusion model for certain special education students
• Every realistic effort is made to service special education students in Haverhill, rather than an outside placement
• Technology that keeps pace with advances in the business world
• Children belong in school; drop out prevention is a priority
• An emphasis on site-based management
• A key purpose of education is to prepare students for a career of their choice