Letter to the Editor: Congratulations to Swampscott Schools

We have all heard the saying that it takes a village to raise a child.  It also takes a community of talented and dedicated educators to create world class public schools.

Over the past few weeks, we have enjoyed several testimonies to the quality of the from educators, researchers and journalists.  For example, Boston Magazine included school districts in Massachusetts (at number 40).    

Similarly, the prestigious Pioneer Institute awarded an “A” rating to Swampscott High School in its annual “report card” of Massachusetts high schools.  The Pioneer Institute is a privately funded non-partisan research organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Massachusetts.  GreatSchools.org, which rates schools nationwide on a one-to-ten scale based on published test results, ranks three Swampscott schools as “distinguished.”

Finally, in the 2011 MCAS results published on September 15, Swampscott Public Schools exceeded state averages for students scoring “proficient” or higher in every grade and in every test subject by an average of 12 percentage points – and by as many as 19 percentage points.

Swampscott’s high performance is the result of the talent and commitment to excellence of our education professionals, working as a team to prepare our students academically and socially for the future.  We know how hard you have worked over the past year to get us where we are now.  And we know that is through your talent and dedication that our schools will continue to excel in the years ahead.

To all the teachers, administrators, coaches, counselors and staff of the Swampscott Public Schools – Thank you and congratulations.

Sincerely,

The Swampscott School Committee

Jackie Kinney (Chair)

Larry Beaupre

Marianne Speranza-Hartmann

Rick Kraft

Jaren Landen