Marblehead looking into regionalization, job fairs, and virtual classrooms

MARBLEHEAD-Marblehead is discussing the possibility of regional job fairs, sharing employees, goods and services and even virtual classrooms with six other area communities, including Swampscott, Peabody and Salem.Salem, Gloucester, Beverly, Peabody, Danvers, Swampscott and Marblehead representatives are meeting regularly and plan to apply to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for a regionalization grant.They have also discussed asking other communities in the North Shore Education Consortium to join them, including Lynn, Lynnfield, Nahant, Hamilton-Wenham, Manchester/Essex, Masconomet (Topsfield, Middleton and Boxford), Reading, North Reading and Rockport.Marblehead respresentative Patricia Blackmer told her fellow School Committee members the group has already discussed using online job application services and holding a regional job fair that would sort out applicants and send them to the appropriate districts.Also in the talking stage are sharing descriptions of open jobs and lay-offs, so that districts can combine two half-time positions into a full-time job that might be more attractive to an applicant, and find placements for qualified teachers who are losing their jobs.?This would help to place good people and minimize unemployment compensation,” Blackmer noted.Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll has asked Joseph Domelowicz Jr., who provides technical assistance to Salem through the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, to gather information on recruitment and hiring in the seven communities.Domelowicz noted that the MAPC provides group procurement to municipal government offices, but so far not to schools. The group asked him to look into the communities? procedures for procuring goods and services.In terms of sharing teachers, the group is discussing the possibility of virtual classrooms n broadcasting lessons in foreign languages and other subjects to classes in two or more schools, with facilitators on hand in each of the receiving classrooms.Peabody School Committee member Beverley Griffin Dunne and School Business Manager Michael Musto said their city already uses virtual technology for Advanced Placement classes. Swampscott Town Administrator Andrew Maylor said there may be separate grant money available for virtual classrooms.