HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP)-- As part of the plan to transition from state receivership back to local control the City of Holyoke is creating a Community Advisory Committee and is looking for people to be on the committee. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Holyoke School Committee is developing a transition plan and is looking to hear from the community about their ideas and what they expect from the school department moving forward. Holyoke schools near end of state receivership “The Holyoke Public School System is at a critical point in its efforts to realize its vision to become a high-performing school system where students reach their full potential, educators inspire, families are partners, and the community thrives,” said Holyoke Mayor and School Committee Chair Joshua A. Garcia. The Advisory Committee will be led by two co-chairs, ideally one co-chair from the School Committee and another from the community. Information for anyone interested in serving on the committee is below: Commitment: Pre-work for and participation in four advisory team meetings (1.5 hours per meeting) (Early November), in-person — Understand why we are here and who is and isn’t in the room, co-develop guiding questions for public meetings and focus groups Pre-work: Read draft transition plan (Early December) — Ask and answer guiding questions for public meetings; review draft of questions for all-stakeholder survey (Early January) — Review data from public meetings, focus groups, and survey. Determine themes. (Mid- or late-January) — Review final draft of transition plan, determine important next steps Attend one public engagement meeting about the transition plan Membership: The School Committee is looking for Advisory Committee members with a: Desire to share not only their points of view, but common points of view that others like them may share (e.g., parents speaking on behalf of other parents, teachers sharing the perspective of other staff members, etc.) o Belief that students are at the center of everything we do and in the HPS equity commitments that can be found at www.hps.holyoke.ma.us; and Passion for education in Holyoke. Ideal representation, across schools and across grade levels, includes: Families and Students (10-14 representatives) Middle and high school students (4)—at least 1 from Dean, 1 from North, 1 from Opportunity Academy, and 1 from a middle school Parents/Caregivers (6-10) from various schools Holyoke Community (10 representatives) Partners (4) — at least 1 from higher education, 1 from a local business, and 2 from non-profit organizations School Committee members (2) A designee from the City as chosen by Mayor Garcia (1) A City Council representative (1) Additionally interested community members (2) Holyoke Public Schools Staff (8 representatives) Teachers (6)—1 each at the high school, middle school, and elementary levels, and 1 each in early childhood, special education, and English language development. FACE team member (1) School leaders (e.g., principals, APs, Deans) (1) There is flexibility to add several other people depending on applicant interest. When selecting Advisory Committee members, the School Committee will look to build a broad base of representation including diverse viewpoints and experiences, as well as race, gender, length of time in Holyoke, job function, school representation, etc. Application: Step 1: By October 3, please submit your interest by filling out the form at www.holyoke.org/signmeup. Note: All applications should include a paragraph that answers the questions: Why do you want to serve on the Advisory Committee for Transition to Local Control? What skills or experiences would allow you to be a valuable contributor to the Team? Step 2: The applicants will be presented to the School Board at their October 15 meeting. The School Committee will select the applicants to serve on the Advisory Team membership.