New Pilot for Academy Middle School?

The state Board of Education agreed to today to let Fitchburg Public Schools consider making Academy Middle School a pilot school. It's not really a mark of distinction.

The school is one of four that have underperformed to the point the state has been consider taking them over. The pilot program would allow the teachers and administrators to work together on bringing the school back, without the usual red tape that comes along with unions and changing hours, schedules and other parts of the school.

The School Department has a month to decide what it wants to do. The options seem to be keep on going and hope things get better, keep going and things don't get better and the state takes the school over, or try the pilot program.

Fundamentally, we like the idea of a group of teachers and administrators working together to get a school on track (although we don't like the lottery element and fiscal impacts of charter schools, which operate similarly). Clearly, something needs to be done with the Academy school to improve it, and quickly. The department and the School Committee need to take a long look at this -- intensely look at this for the full month review period -- and decide if this is a good opportunity.