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Smaller Mass. cities seek non-profit to bolster schools

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February 11, 2012|By James Vaznis

Rosalind Murphy, a corps member of Teach for America, teaches history at… (Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff )

In making a pitch to nonprofit groups to provide money or programs to Brockton’s schools, Superintendent Matthew Malone delivers a seemingly frugal message: Think small, not big.

Malone is not talking dollar figures, but rather the size of the school district. At a time when many nonprofits tend to prefer working with schools in Boston and other major cities nationwide, Malone and other superintendents in Massachusetts are touting their districts as incubators to develop reforms that, if successful, could be expanded to the metropolises.

But time and again, the sales pitches fall flat.

“People do listen - I’ve had great conversations with all sorts of people,’’ said Malone. But he added, “It’s either you are not big enough or glamorous enough. . . . Some of these folks, they kind of like the bright lights, big city appeal.’’

Brockton’s predicament sheds light on the challenges small Massachusetts cities face in establishing partnerships with educational nonprofits or philanthropists. Such ties can play a critical role in overhauling ailing schools, providing for tutoring, teacher training, technology upgrades, afterschool activities, dental care services, and a host of other initiatives.

Many major nonprofits consider large cities as having the greatest need - and a big name that can impress donors. But increasingly in Massachusetts, it appears the cities outside Boston could benefit from additional help in overhauling their schools. Nearly three-quarters of the 40 schools the state has declared underperforming since 2010 are in the outlying cities.

In a historic move, the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education fully seized control of the long-troubled Lawrence school system in November, and state education leaders have expressed grave concerns about the quality of schools in at least three other cities, Fall River, Holyoke, and New Bedford.

Overwhelmingly, students who are struggling to overcome low achievement in Massachusetts are largely concentrated in 24 smaller cities, from Revere to Pittsfield. Collectively, these cities educate nearly 230,000 students - more than four times the number enrolled in Boston - and two-thirds of them live in low-income households.

But the fragmentation of these students can deter funders.