Dakin hopes for high marks in Revere schools

REVERE – School Superintendent Paul Dakin predicts local high school students will post above average scores on state comprehensive assessment tests this year, but he fears the trend will not continue.He said an increase in elementary school class sizes adds to the challenge teachers face in ensuring students acquire solid reading, writing and mathematics skills.”The reason for the success at Revere High School is that the grade school teachers did such a good job years ago. In 10 years, we will not have scores as good as we have now,” he warned School Committee members in his post start-of-the-school year assessment.Dakin said public schools started the school year in the last week of August with 29 children in kindergarten classes compared to 18 in kindergarten classes in other communities.Public school spending cuts have eliminated weekend, afternoon and summer school programs designed to help students having difficulty in basic subjects improve their skills.”Our class size is not good, but we hope to do a lot of work with the legislators,” Dakin told committee members.Dakin said local schools face the prospect of layoffs and school closings on par with cutbacks looming in Lynn unless they receive additional state aid next year.”Without $6 million plus, we will definitely have to cut drastically,” he said.The School Department secured $1.5 million in state money this year to extend the school day at the Garfield Middle and Whelan schools. Students start the day at 8 a.m. and finish it at 3:45 p.m.The added time is focused on enrichment – art classes, physical education, foreign language instructions and clubs – and assistance in the form of small group and individualized tutoring and homework help.Employees in each extended day school map out their plan for using the added time. Dakin stressed that support from parents is essential to making extended day a success.He would like to get state approval and funding to expand extended day to Beachmont, Paul Revere, Garfield Elementary, Anthony Middle School and the McKinley School.