Norwood School Committee Criticizes Secondary Education Quality-August 9, 1979

Board Members Joan H. Cuff and William J. Pudsey Blast “Pathetic” Exams and Low Test Results, Prompting Superintendent Louis J. Taris and Asst. Supt. James Donovan to Draft Reforms

What began as an expression of displeasure over specific exams quickly escalated into a broader indictment of the town’s curriculum, Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores, and faculty-prepared materials. The committee ultimately called for comprehensive improvement reports from Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Schools James Donovan, school principals, and department heads.

Particular ire was directed at junior high school English exams and a college preparatory U.S. history exam at the high school, which members labeled “pathetic,” unchallenging, and falling well below acceptable educational standards. School Committee member Joan H. Cuff criticized the history exam for containing trivial questions about movie stars and athletes rather than covering core coursework.

Furthermore, Cuff blasted a faculty-prepared curriculum guide for the high school evaluation, citing numerous grammatical and typographical errors. “These have come from our instructors and if they don’t care about the quality of their work, how can they care about our students?” she asked.

Member William J. Pudsey expressed deep concern over the seniors’ SAT scores, noting that the vast majority clustered in the 220–360 range, with only a small fraction scoring above 500 out of a possible 800. Pudsey also maintained that Norwood’s junior high English curriculum lagged two years behind other educational systems, asserting, “What we teach in the ninth grade is taught in the seventh grade elsewhere.”

While Chairman Rudith Berkowitz and Cuff acknowledged that some exams were “just beautiful,” Berkowitz and colleague Charles Saraca questioned the oversight of department heads, arguing that exams should be actively utilized for annual curriculum evaluation rather than discarded after grading.

In response to the grilling, Assistant Superintendent James Donovan agreed to submit improvement recommendations, noting it was the first time central administration had been directly involved in the final exam process. Committee member Richard Joseph clarified, “We are not blaming you, Jim, but you are the man at the top and if we have a problem, let’s rectify it.” Concluding the session, the committee reviewed short- and long-term objectives with Superintendent Louis J. Taris, which include improving basic skills and scholastic standards, enhancing teacher evaluations, upgrading the high school library, and addressing school vandalism.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger