As an online only companion column to reporter Jack Sullivan’s really well done article about Newton’s struggles to build affordable housing in the latest issue of CommonWealth Magazine, columnist Amy Dain, who grew up in Newtonville reflects on the changes in her hometown’s village, the Austin Street vote and what it all means for the smart growth in Newton and elsewhere.
It’s really worth reading Dain’s full column — and Bill and Amy Dain’s before and after photos are wonderful — but I really appreciate this part, about one of the Austin Street Land Use hearings….
The large hearing room at Newton City Hall was packed with people overflowing into the hall. The opponents were there in force, expressing many legitimate concerns. The supporters were there in force, too. A large coalition of Newton-based organizations mobilized to advocate for the project, including Green Newton, League of Women Voters of Newton, Newton Council on Aging, Newton Fair Housing Committee, Newton Housing Authority, Progressive Newton, and others. My parents were there, wearing their pro-Austin Street buttons; this was not their first time at an Austin Street hearing.
Why were residents turning out in force to support a big housing development, larger than any residential building within a mile radius (other than the senior housing by Cabot Park)? The residents supporting the project had no financial stake in its success. These are people who already love Newtonville the way it is. Why would they want to see it change? What motivated them to turn out in favor of this project, even risking conflict with their neighbors who opposed it?
My read is that the movement for smart growth is taking hold. Its message is resonating. The work of many organizations and community leaders over the last 20 years to promote smart growth is starting to bear fruit.
I hope this issue gets some people off their butts and run for Mayor. While I am opposed to 40B I am very much in favor of affordable housing. I oppose 40B because I don’t feel that we should blanket every city/town the same. We have less developable land than many other cities. Even with this handicap. I believe we should be leading in bringing in affordable housing. We should also be leading in bringing business’s into Newton and we should be making improvements to our schools, ie later start times, etc (I know there’s a meeting coming up, why are we waiting this long?)
I hope someone stands up and says enough is enough. But I won’t hold my breath.
Sorry for the venting.
Smart growth is not taking hold in Newton. Poorly planned growth is the reality.
Tom – There’s a lot happening in the schools. The HS start time is just one of many issues that NPS is addressing. The most pressing issue remains the overcrowding at the elementary level and that’s being addressed by rebuilding 2 schools and the purchase of Aquinas. The poor condition of several elementary schools remains a serious issue as well.
The upward pressure on housing prices goes well beyond Newton. The Boston area needs more housing or the prices are going to go absolutely insane. While people who own the land (like those of us who own homes in Newton) think this is a good thing, it isn’t. It creates a host of problems when it comes to establishing a commercial tax-base.
One of the “restaurant trends” pointed out by the Globe recently is that top restaurants are closing because they can’t find and keep good talent. I hear the same complaint from restaurant owners locally. How can you pay someone minimum wage and expect them to drive 2 hours to work in Newton? To do that job they can probably find something closer to home. This is a very real problem.
If we have no commercial tax base, we lose money that will pay for our schools. This is an ecosystem that must work in order to grow. Newton has assets around transportation. They’re not perfect, but they’re a start. We can work with that. We need to build in the places that make sense and the village centers offer us that.
Do we need more accessory apartments as well? Yes, we do . Do we need 2 family houses to remain rentals? Yes, we do. But if we don’t ease the pressure then those condo conversions will continue and we’ll lose more rentals. The incentive to do that is simply too high to ignore when housing prices continue to climb.
Newton can only benefit from an economically diverse community. Smart growth is the path there. We should be pushing for more.
Most startling fact in the article: The town of Easton’s zoning require 1/2 acre per BEDROOM! Talk about restrictive zoning.
They must have some awfully big bedrooms down there in Easton.
You think that’s something Jerry, you should check out the beds!
Ha ha Love the photo. Surely that zoning in Eastman violates Fair Housing Laws.
I think that the Austin Street project is a good start. It passed with a very, vocal minority working hard to stop it – it wasn’t until after the election and the BOA vote it became obvious that it was a minority. Whew! I’m still hoping it will get built without too many hassles.
Village Centers are good places for multi use housing and I hope we’re able to continue but I am hoping for a plan for village centers that includes more than finding space and putting housing into it and for multi use housing that doesn’t follow the exterior design of Austin Street but tries to blend in better with its surrounding architecture, even if it’s just a facade, or mixing the two like has been done in other cities. There is so much beautiful architecture in Newton to draw from.
I enjoyed the article.
Jane,
I’m a firm believer that the school committee can handle more than one thing at a time. They are very capable people. The problem is some of the problems I am not sure they recognize. For instance, many people over the years have told me that the reason why our test scores are so low(or not as high as they should be), it’s due to all of the ESL students in the NPS. I think we should do something about that. I think we should give all the kids an in-house test in english and if they score less than 67 they should be tutored at the school budget’s expense. If what I hear is true, fix it. Maybe have a program with all of the local colleges/jr colleges and allow college students/or volunteer parents to come in and tutor the kids one on one. (I know there are volunteer parents already tutoring). I don’t accept the direction we are going with the esl….everyone should be able to understand the questions given.
Tom – For one thing, our scores are amongst the highest in the state, but I’d rather not linger on that point because I’ve already said my piece about it.
Newton has a robust ELL program in all 21 schools in the system. Some ELL students arrive in the U.S. having received excellent English instruction in their home country while others arrive not speaking a word of English, so at registration each ELL student is given a test to assess his/her English proficiency.
At the elementary level, that information is sent to the school based ELL teacher who shares it with the student’s classroom teacher. The ELL and classroom teachers then collaborate to set up lessons/units/programs that are suited to the individual student’s language needs. Once a student achieves fluency, ELL students no longer receives ELL support.
At the high school level, students are placed in ELL content classes or mainstream classes, depending on the student’s language level. When a student has gained a certain level of proficiency, s/he is moved to a level that is more challenging but still provides English language support. Once a student has achieved fluency, s/he moves into all mainstream classes.
In addition, each year all ELL students take a state test (the ACCESS) that assesses their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. The results allow the school based staff and the central administration to compare the scores of individual students from year to year in order to assess adequate progress. If a student hasn’t make adequate progress as shown by classroom performance, teacher assessments, and ACCESS scores, then the staff meets to decide on next steps.
All aspects of the ELL program are part of the regular NPS school budget.
Jane, That sounds terrific. BUT there is something wrong with our system. Somewhere somehow there is a problem and it keeps us from being number 1. If you don’t recognize it and the SC refuses to recognize it and the admnimistration refuses to recognize it, it won’t get done. Why are we no longer number 1 school system in the state?
On a side note, why is it a bad thing to be number 1? When you ask someone in the schools why we aren’t number 1 any longer they make it like it’s no big deal. The fact is, it is a big deal. The schools are slipping whether people recognize it or not. Jane, what’s the answer? Do you or your co-workers have one? why is it a horrible thing to try to improve and get back to number 1?
I feel bad for the parents of the past 30 years and the future parents, because they never got to witness NPS at the peak. Every year we aren’t number 1 in the state we aren’t allowing our kids to live up to their potential. Is it a great education, sure….is it the best we can do….no. We’ve proven over the years we can do better. We have the resources we just don’t seem to have the will. People just give excuses why we aren’t number 1 any more and it’s a damn shame.
Tom – There’s no such thing as a number one school system. There never has been and there never will be because you can’t quantify children or fit them in a neat little boxes. Our students are complex people who develop at their own pace. I’d love to tell you about the stories of students coming out of the NPS that didn’t appear to be “success” stories along the way – the student with a C- average at NN who is now in a post Doc program at Princeton, the C student at NN who was on the Law Review at the University of Michigan. I can tell you many other stories. While these students may not have appeared to be learning while in the NPS, they clearly were and they used their Newton education to move forward.
The NPS was never #1 in anyone’s eyes but our own. I grew up in Andover and we thought we were #1. When I taught in Brookline, we thought we were # 1. My bet is that the folks in Wellesley, Lexington, Needham, Arlington and a number of communities think the same thing. It’s all smoke and mirrors – there are great teachers and schools in the entire metro-Boston area. And that should be good news we celebrate.
I didn’t intend to hijack this thread. But when I hear information about the NPS that needs clarification, it’s too hard to resist.
Except when the polls come out and it shows that we are slipping every year, you might not believe we are slipping (I do). You said exactly what I thought you would say. You don’t believe there is a problem. If there is no problem, you won’t be looking for reasons why we are slipping.
When we were number 1 based upon the polls, all I could hear is the city marketing our school system as being the number 1 school system. When NSHS was number 7 in the country, all I heard was how wonderful the schools are. Now that we are slipping, the polls don’t matter. They don’t tell the truth. Houston, there’s no problem. lolol.
Come on, I expected more from an independent thinker like you.
Tom,
Number 1 based on what? MCAS? PARCC? SATs? Percentage of students who graduate? Percent who go to a four-year college? Percent who take APs? English Language Learners scores? Special needs scores, A feature story in Time Magazine? There are many categories, each offering a data point.
And then there are the things we don’t measure: readiness for college, student and parent perspective/opinions…
Declaring a school #1 is a ridiculous exercise.
Gail, come on. You know the polls I am referring to. We are declining in every poll. US news and the local paper. Why do you all go nuts when you see Newton #1 in safety of towns over 80,000 people, you go nuts bragging about how newton has the best school system…but when there is a decline, no comments. You’re enablers and apologists. Why is there a thread on the blog when Newton is the safest city. but nothing now that we are not the safest city. This type of uncritical thinking is what I expect.
Question: Do you see any issues with the schools? Is the system perfect? (don’t answer they’re doing the best they can, I’d rather you not say anything than that). Any problems you see in the future we can head off?
If you say there’s no issues, let’s end the discussion.
I’m not sure why I’m responding, but here goes:
First, Tom, I’m assuming that what you mean by “polls,” is actually rankings. I’m unaware of any actual survey of opinions about the schools across the country, but you tell me if I’ve missed something. Rankings, on the other hand, happen all the time. I care about the ones with measurable data like test scores, but I recognize that test scores don’t tell the entire picture. Specifically, they don’t tend to factor demographics into the equation.
I go “nuts” when I see Newton’s ranking among safest cities in America? I don’t think so. I don’t care whether Newton is first or tenth. I expect the excellent public safety that our firefighters and police officers provide, and I trust they will react when something is amiss. Who says I brag about Newton having the best school system? I don’t think Newton has the best school system and I don’t really care. I want an outstanding school system where administrators and teachers are constantly endeavoring to improve. My kids have been out of the schools for a few years so I’m not the best qualified to say if we still have that, but we did when they were students.
Of course the schools aren’t perfect. I have complaints about the education my children received. But those complaints were about individual experiences, not overall quality of education. I couldn’t care less about what U.S. News and World Report says about our schools. I wouldn’t pay attention to anyone who says that Newton has the best school system. I care about what the teachers, students, parents and administrators say. Mostly I care about how prepared the students are for life after high school, whatever path they choose.
I can tell you that my children were more prepared for college than many of their peers, even the graduates from private schools. They were taught how to think for themselves, which I believe is key to someone’s success in life and it is certainly a requirement for learning at a good college. I can also tell you that they–and probably most of their friends–would laugh at the notion of ranking schools.
Tom – I never said the schools were perfect. You stated inaccurate information about the NPS ELL program and I provided an explanation for how the ELL program works in Newton.
Nothing is perfect in the world and no accurate indicators exist that compare school districts to one another. In fact, comparing schools districts is like comparing apples to oranges. Districts differ in the size and demographics of the student population, the number of students who qualify for free/reduced lunch, the number of students whose first language is not English, the size and scope of programs, the financial resources, the quality of materials/facilities/resources, etc.
As an example, comparing Newton programmatic offerings to that of a small rural community provides no information about the overall quality of the school systems. One is not “better” than another; they are simply different.
Tom, the polls (rankings) you speak of in US News and World Report and all of the other published rankings depend on entirely different criteria, as Jane and Gail said.
But in addition the schools have to fill out the paper work which takes time they don’t have to participate in the various ranking studies and not every school is willing to give up educational value for rankings.
This “problem” you are so sure exists is not necessarily about the NPS slipping. For one thing the school districts near us all go up and down in the ratings just the same and the ones accumulating the criteria are using minute differences in order to compare them. Since the surrounding school systems have always been close, the rankings generally depend on the student body makeup, more than anything else, that changes from one year to the next, and how they fit in the criteria for the data collection.
Would you want NPS to spend less time trying to close the learning gaps caused by poverty, lack of quality early education, the need for IEPs, etc. so there is more time to spend on AP enrollment and other criteria used in rankings? I wouldn’t.
This superficial need to be #1 only encourages an entitlement mentality and separatist thinking (even within the schools themselves) which isn’t good for anyone and it does nothing for education.
It is mainly valuable to real estate brokers trying to sell homes in Newton.
Gail,
I’m sorry. when I said “you” I meant the administration. I remmeber the city of newton marketing the city as being the BEST school system in the state or NSHS being number 7 in the country as far as best High schools. It matters, simply because when a top college like Harvard looks over applications, don’t you think they would look and give the benefit of the doubt to someone who got a 3.7 gpa from the number 1 HS over someone who got a 3.7 gpa from the number 20th in the state? Of course it does.
Marti,
Working to be number 1 is NOT an entitlement. It is a school system who cares about education and cares about proving education. Nothing whatsoever about entitlement.
I care very much about the schools trying to close the learning gap, thats one of the reasons I wanted better ESL programs. I also want to see tutors for kids that are from struggling families. I want to see a more CRITICAL thinking administration that is capable of examining what the city does good and bad and act to improve the systems weaknesses. I don’t believe in a perfect system and I want a syatem that improves every year….even if we’re number 1.
While the ranking does improve RE prices, my concern is for the kids. As I wrote on the message to Gail how it effects the kids when they go to college. Higher rankings mean more kids at harvard (or atleast to the college of the kids choice) and less kids at weaker schools.
I guess we can say, I disagree with all 3 of you….I can live with that.
Tom, this is just completely untrue. Harvard cares even less about US News & World Report rankings (and other rankings) than Newton does. College admissions offices make their own determinations about high school rigor. The things you mention being concerned about are very important, but they’re actually not the things that will boost Newton’s place in these “rankings”. That’s why most folks think they’re not really important one way or the other.
Tom, you are also wrong about colleges as Tricia says. Using Harvard as your “college to strive for” as indicative of NPS needing to #1 in rankings shows the poor understanding of how Harvard selects its undergraduates. All colleges have relationships with certain high schools whose graduates prove they are ready to succeed there and it is not based on rankings at all. In addition the student must have fulfilled many other qualifications that would not show up in most rankings. It’s ludicrous to think high school ratings have anything at all to do with college admissions; they do take into account the probable success of students from various backgrounds.
It’s also important to note that NHS has many students who are majoring in subjects that are not college prep such as culinary arts, music, film, etc. while not adding much to rankings it helps students excell in other important areas of interest.
Read my post again to see where I used “entitled.” I didn’t say what you think I did from your reply. As for being #1, schools around us are getting better all the time just as we are. The rankings wouldn’t show that. The criteria are quite inadequate. Maybe you should study each ranking’s criteria and how it’s weighted because improving the things you name as important while excellent do not apply to rankings; time spent away from college prep may even push the ranking down. Until you do the work you have nothing to back up your unchallengible beliefs. “You can have your own opinions but not your own facts.”
I really didn’t want to comment off-topic on this thread, but Tom has hit the nail on the head when it comes to Newton schools. We used to be among a handful of the very best school systems nationwide. Not anymore. And a large part of the problem is that people fail to even acknowledge the fact we’ve slipped tremendously. They make all sorts of excuses. When people fail to acknowledge the truth, it’s impossible to get them to contemplate change. I know what our school system was. I know what it could be. It makes me sad what we’ve become.
Tom – Your comment about the ELL program indicates that you don’t know how it’s set up, never mind its quality. In fact, recent testing data indicates a statistically significant improvement in achievement amongst ELL students in the last 5 years.
I’ve taught in 3 school districts and attended one as a child. All four districts claimed to be either the top system or at least amongst the best school systems in the country. It’s not an uncommon claim but there is not and never has been data to back up any of it.
Mike is right, you’re in denial. Me and Mike went through the school system when it was at it’s peak. Mike has kids that are going through the system now and while I don’t have kids I do hear the complaints.
To say we are improving but other cities/towns are improving more than us is ludicrous. You have officially swam down the river of de-nial. You have officially drank the Cool-Aid…..oh yeah.
I’m a big sports fan, figuratively and literally. what if the Celtics come in 41-41 and grab second place in the division. Based on their skills that’s better than expected (imo) next year they go 41-41 and come in last. Now, the Celtics argument is that they played better this year than last, it’s just that other teams improved themselves more than the Celts.
I can see some people who don’t care about how well the Celts do as accepting this premise, but I don’t. I would expect the Celts to find away to get themselves back to the elite. Make a trade, make a big draft pick but do something to get us back to where we belong.
Newton pays a lot of tax money to the school system, there is no reason for us to keep this downward trend going. I’m not out here saying I know what the problem(s) are, thats for the administration to figure out. The problems I expressed were either problems I have heard about over the years or examples of problems. I’m not pretending that I know the answer(s). I do know one thing if this administration thinks like the 3 of you we will never get back to the elite school system we once were. Take that to the bank.
@Tom– We were very fortunate to have gone to NPS at the peak of its game. “Innovative,” Creative,” those are words that were frequently used in describing Newton’s school system. Now we’ve been reduced to measurement in letters like MCAS, PARC, and ELL. And children’s education is measured in test scores and data, which are only a small part of a much bigger picture. Anyway, just to correct your timeline… I know this will come as a shock, because you remember my younger daughter, Sky, as a little kid. But she graduated NSHS a couple of years ago, and is a sophomore at Indiana. I think we have to face it, Tom, we’re starting to get old. lol
Mike,
Wow!!! I stand corrected.
Tom and Mike – I assume you understand that the State of MA controls much of what happens in our schools at the local level. You talk about creative and innovative? That’s not under our control at this point and hasn’t been for many years. Newton teachers, administrators, and school committee would love to be, and are capable of being, creative and innovative but we’re restricted by state regulations at every turn. If you want real change, then contact the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), the Governor, and your state legislators.
Jane– Of course I understand that the state controls our schools in Newton. That doesn’t mean I have to like it. And I have every right to be disappointed in the failure of our local elected officials to A.] recognize it’s a problem, and B.] push back.
Are they in control over whether we close the gap in learning from wealthy families and struggling familes?
Are they in control over whether we update and improve our computer infrastructure?
Are they in control in making improvements in STEM?
Are they in control over us improving our ELL, if it needs it?
Are they in control over whether we want FDK?
Are they in control over whether we want later start times?
Are they in control over the administration taking a critical look at the system?
Are they in control,over us taking a look at hiw we spend the schoolside tax dollars to save some money?
ETC.
I don’t know it seems like we did this pretty much to ourselves.
@Mike and Tom,
While I don’t have the experience you both share of having attended NPS years ago, I did attend public schools at the same time (yes, I too am starting to get old!). Back in those days (the stone age according to my kids), children with severe developmental disabilities were either not educated by the public schools, or they were isolated in secluded classrooms. The needs of children with learning disabilities went predominantly unrecognized; instead children were tracked into educational groupings based upon their perceived abilities, and plenty of struggling students just dropped out of school as soon as they were old enough. I’m not suggesting that either of you are wrong; I simply want to point out that there has been a significant change in the population of students and the degree of services which the public schools must provide to them. I’m not suggesting that this should be viewed as excuse, justification or for purposes of blame, but it is I think a significant difference between then and now. The challenge is to maintain the quality you both experienced while serving the needs of a changed population. I can’t speak to what was lost since you were in school, but I do know what has been gained for children with significant challenges and on that front I’m fairly pleased. Then again, we can always do better.
Cheers-
Mike, of course anything can always be better. I don’t know what specifically you think can be done in NPS to “pushback” that isn’t being done already. There has been a lot of pushback over testing that tells us little, takes teachers away from teaching, that adds stress to students but it’s only getting us a new hybrid test that’s not written yet but will be used in 2017 and it is planned to be online. There is continuing protest. The teachers are told not to teach to the test but continue to be creative and innovative but with the tests weighted so heavily and eventually the way to increase federal funding that isn’t reality. Public schools are being threatened. Although I know personally many teachers who have found a good balance between the two and are still providing creative ways to learn.
NPS has kept more instruction in the arts than many school districts, although there have been cuts, because they recognize their value. NPS has mostly recovered from the mass layoff of special education teachers by hiring more and providing adequate private space in the new schools rather than closets, hallways and the back of classrooms.
As for STEM, the schools will have to continuously improve technology, expensive technology. Science and math need to be integrated into as many subjects as possible and while there is certainly more room for improvement, it’s advancing. All of these subjects need to continue to be used in ways that attract students who might excel in at least one of them but had no idea it was something they found interesting. In addition there are many Newton parents who are introducing STEM opportunities such as the formation of the Ligerbots just to name one.
As Lisap said, I didn’t go to NPS so I cannot speak to your experience. My kids went to a great high school about the size of NNHS that offered AP college prep and vocational majors as well as mandatory civics classes and artistic expression but was just starting to “mainstream” (inclusion) special ed students and provide accommodations for autistic students. I was an advocate and spent my time battling for accommodations for students who hadn’t received them before.
One big difference between now and then is the cost to parents for public education. The buses, athletics, music instruction, SAT prep and more were provided at no cost to parents. There was still money to adequately support public education. That has all changed.
In the dark ages, I went to a secular private, 7-12, girls prep school which allowed me to test out of my first year of college. I had to pass a test to be accepted but, of course in that time period, there were no special education accommodations so those with learning disabilities did not have that chance. NPS provides that chance.
There’s always room for improvement. You certainly have the right to complain but what specifically are you complaining about? Do you know ways to move toward improving the situation you are complaining about? Except later high school start times which I agree is imperative.
Definitely need better early education and full time kindergarten. I’m with you on that.
Hi Lisa P,
We have come along way in sped, I am proud to say. Newton used to have a facility just for the sped kids near my elementary school (on Ober Rd, near the water tower). While I was at spaulding we used to have square dancing with the school (I can’t remember the name of the school).
Inclusion is wonderful andI don’t know anyone who would want to change that.
Marti,
Let’s go back to my Boston Celtics analogy. A fan (or in my case, an outsider/fan) doesn’t have to know exactly whats wrong to know there is something wrong. I wouldn’t dare approach the Celtics organization (or Patriots) and tell them how to do their job, only that there’s a problem. I use the Celtics in my analogy because like NPS they had their hay day in the 60’s and 70’s and now people have become apathetic towards their situation. People accept a 41-41 record, but in 1969 would be laughable. Today in Newton people are going through the same apathy.
Let me tell you a little story I may have said on the blog before. When I (and Mike) ran for Mayor in 2005, one of my key issues was zero based budgeting. It was relatively new idea and it obviously scared some people. Several Alderman (when they were called alderman) approached me, they were obviously Cohen supporters, and said you can’t zero base budget a municipal budget. They sounded like they knew what they were talking about. They were is a position to know what they were talking about, but 4 years later the Mayor zero based budget and found over 5.000,000 in cost savings. Now people of this administration are saying we can’t do this…… Until it’s done we don’t know what we can and can’t do. Also, if someone approached me and said what exactly should be affected in your zero based budgeting plan, I wouldn’t have an answer to that because I’m not in a position to know. I did get asked question and I threw ideas just like I did for the schools, but what exactly needs to be done I couldn’t give you a map, thats up to the administration or a committee set up by the administration (whatever direction they may go).
The problem is the faces change but the politics remains the same.
Tom-
-BESE controls how we spend our instructional time, from the beginning of the day to the end.
-BESE has adopted the Common Core which requires school systems all over the country to spend additional funds on new materials. The materials are of course, developed by corporations.
-BESE controls the process by which students with special needs are assessed and they change the process frequently so special needs teachers spend their PD time learning a new software program that does the same thing.
-BESE controls how ELL students are educated and the standardized testing for ELL students. I have had students arrive in the U.S. with no English have to take this test within a month of their arrival. Corporations develop the tests.
-BESE controls the testing schedule and the amount of testing for both ELL and regular education students.
-BESE has mandated that students must take a standardized test each year from 3rd-12th grade. More time taken away from authentic instruction. The latest tests focus mostly on nonfiction reading, so the curriculum is now focused on nonfiction reading. So much for literature.
-BESE adopted an assessment for Kindergarten students to be administered one-on-one that takes about an hour and a half per student.
-BESE controls how teachers are evaluated.
-BESE mandates an anti-bullying course, but doesn’t provide funding for the curriculum or materials.
-BESE says that every teacher in the system who has one ELL student in his/her class must take a 17 week course, each session lasting 3 hours, followed by extensive work outside of class. So if you are a HS math teacher and have one ELL student in one section, you have to take this course. If you don’t, you lose your certification to teach – not just in Newton, but in any public school in MA. The time spent on this course takes away from that spent with students and on regular responsibilities. I have to take this course in the coming months as a teacher with 42 years experience, who has had an ELL student in my class every year since 1988, and have worked exclusively with ELL students for the last 8 years. It will take away from my planning time, but I have no choice.
The state pays for none of this. These are unfunded mandates – the state tells the local communities what they have to do and the local communities have to pay for it. It costs millions of dollars each year to fund these mandates and they are coming at us from BESE almost annually at this point. The latest one (November) is an unfunded mandate stating that all communities must administer computer based tests to each student by 2019 – with no funding for the technology. The test doesn’t even exist, but we’re mandated to give it (and pay for it) beginning in 2017.
These unfunded mandates apply to all 351 cities and towns in MA. Contrary to popular belief, Newton can’t change the rules just for us. We must follow state law.
Jane/Tom/others: from the parent/citizen perspective, what can we do about this? We have children in the system and, of course, want to make it better. Do we go to the school board? Mayor? Governor? Do we decline standardized testing (btw, I think there is a real story developing here: many elementary and middle school parents are contemplating pulling our kids from whatever we are calling the standardized testing rigamarole this spring)? There is SO MUCH talk about Newton’s relative decline in performance within MA — let’s figure out what it will take to make Newton the gold standard again!
I’m puzzled by the outrage over Newton’s school performance not being the number 1 school district in local rankings. Different rankings are based on different criteria which means that to have an “educated” discussion, it is those criteria that need to be used as comparison and not the overall ranking. The number of students who graduate, go to college, have high SAT scores, take AP classes, etc. There are hundreds of criteria to choose from and schools must use valuable teaching hours to fill out the vast paperwork so some schools don’t send them in.
In addition, this outrage creates separatist attitudes of us vs them which leads to thinking that we are better than you are. Newton and the wealthy towns around Boston already have a leg up so this is mostly a competition between wealthy districts that go up and down in local rankings but are all comparatively great schools.
State education mandates without funding affect lower income districts much more than wealthy ones. Education funding grows with local fundraising which is quite valuable in Newton but almost non existent in lower income districts.
As for state funding, the MA state constitution requires a base level of per-pupil funding designed to represent the total cost each district needs to provide an “adequate” education to its students which is made up by the foundation budget and Chapter 70 funds which provide an equaling effect between districts.
The required local contribution adds a uniform percentage of local tax revenue while voluntary local contributions add more funding in wealthy districts.
Step 1 – Calculate the Foundation Budget = Base level funding
Step 2 – Calculate Required Local Contribution = Uniform percentage of local tax revenue
Step 3 – Fill the Gap with Chapter 70 Aid = Difference between steps 1 and 2
Step 4 – District Voluntary Contribution = Wealthy districts raise more money
Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Total
Newton $9,028 $8,034 $1,207 $5,195 $14,436 per pupil
Lynn $11,256 $2,763 $8,493 $23 $11,279 per pupil
MassBudget has a good explainer on Chapter 70, as well as a more general report on school funding.
ANP – These decisions are made at the state level. Yes, contact the Governor and the legislators, but call BESE directly. Send emails, make calls, get others to do so as well. They are very responsive to numbers – though they say they aren’t. Many teachers and administrators testified at BESE hearings in recent months but only a handful of parents did.
As for Newton’s relative standing in MA, these unfunded mandates are uniform for all 351 cities and towns. There’s no getting away from them.
Massachusetts schools were recently named the best in the nation. Please remember that the talk about the decline of Newton schools is anecdotal or based on statistics that don’t measure much of what we value about our schools. As an example, the arts are not included in any so called rankings. Our outstanding Voc-Technical Ed program does not help and may hurt our standing (percentage of students going to college is major statistic used in rankings). Students new to the U.S. are given the same test as native English speakers (this is another BESE requirement). Test scores are closely tied to family income and Newton still is more diverse than other comparable communities. Look into this carefully-you may lose much of what makes Newton schools unique for the sake of a test score.
There are advocacy groups for both parents and teachers who have education objectives, statewide and national. Most activists have a broad goal of ending corporate education and testing.
The adoption of the Common Core standards is certainly controversial. I’m not an expert so I’m not wading into that. I just want to point out one thing.
Reading standards constitute a 50-50 fiction-nonfiction split in early grades but a 70-30 fiction-nonfiction split in high school which applies to reading done across the entire range of the school curriculum, not just in English classes.
The bigger problem, in my opinion, is corporate testing.
There is a good article on the whys, how’s and controversy concerning the adoption of common core and PARCC vs MCAS use in Commonwealth magazine. It was written by Michael Jonas in October, 2015 before the BESE vote but provides valuable insight. http://commonwealthmagazine.org/education/core-debate/
ANP- I think Jane and Marti’s suggestions are one way to go, but another would be to find a local candidate who holds your values and run them for Mayor next year. That way you don’t have to be as pro-active and the results will be on the Mayors shoulders. Despite what some think we have a disinterested Mayor who may or may not be on his way out. If you got someone like Mike Striar to run for office, someone who has the guts to go up against the state, in the long run, we will be much better off.
In the past, I ran for Mayor on pulling standardized testing, but what happens is you end up losing the state funding and the idea never got anywhere. If you pull standardized testing you need the backing of 95% of the parent community, because all their kids are taking the same risk and for some it might not be advantageous. The idea never got off the ground. But a real movement could help that idea to catch on.
A new Mayor (even this Mayor if he is interested) could find other likeminded communities pull together and approach the Governor. I think thats where I would start.
I wouldn’t be constantly posting about this issue if I didn’t think there was a real potential problem in the city. I think sometime in the future, not today or tomorrow, but sometime in the future we are headed for mediocrity, again just my opinion. I would like to get ahead of the problem, instead of reacting to it after we are already there.
Tom – The Mayor cannot “pull” or stop the standardized testing. The state mandates the testing and the local communities have to comply or lose funding. No mayor in her/his right mind would risk losing the state funding.
Whether or not to give state mandated standardized tests is not a local decision and hasn’t been for over 15 years.
Not only do we have to give the tests, we have to give the tests at a specific time and cover the same amount of curriculum in less time due to time taken away prepping and administering the tests.
There’s been an increase in the amount of time spent on reading nonfiction text at all levels since the introduction of Parcc because it has way more nonfiction passages than the MCAS.
Tom, what you are advocating is a colossal waste of time.
Jane, I agree with you about the PARCC, Pearson’s Act of Regression Concerning Communities.
One of the reasons Newton schools have slipped so much from their peak, and don’t even come close to living up to their educational potential, is this ridiculous notion that we are powerless to do anything about it. And anyone who suggests Newton schools are as good today as they were in the 1960’s and 70’s, is either lacking the proper basis for true perspective, or simply spouting nonsense. Change begins with the acknowledgement that we have done much better in the past. Lacking recognition of that fact, this conversation becomes nearly pointless, and is an impediment to making changes that would dramatically improve our school system in the future.
Jane,
I said:
The state mandates the testing and the local communities have to comply or lose funding..”
You said:
“The state mandates the testing and the local communities have to comply or lose funding…”
Why are you so defensive and argumentative? I point out the same as you and I am wrong and you are right?
You are the same as the aldermen who approached me and said you can’t zero base budget a municipal budget. If there is a political WILL there is a way.
Marti,
we have no way of knowing whether it is a waste of time until someone challenges it. Until someone challenges, in all probablity, we will keep the decline going. Someone somewhere has to have the guts to say that not all children are the same, they learn on different levels and should be treated as individuals. The state wants to clump everyone together and the gifted students will do more on their own. Some students need prodding, some need tutors or extra help. It has to be frustrating the teachers as well. Besides Jane, are there any other teachers who want to comment on this topic?? I’d be interested in hearing what you have to say. I know Jane says everything is fine…anyone else want to weigh in?
@Mike,
I would really like to hear how the schools have changed from your perspective since you insight of having attended and then having your children attend. Would make a great OpEd piece.
Mike, I agree with Lisap and would really be interested in the changes you see. As I said before, My children and I did not go to school here so I have no frame of reference.
Tom, you are not replying to anything that I have said. You veer from one topic to another with no continuity. My teaching experience includes high school AP math, AP computer science and working with students needing accommodations and IEPs for Asperger’s syndrome, working with bureaucracy for years. Now I teach adults.
Do me a favor, repeat your questions for me? I’ll answer them as best as I can.
Tom – You then said “If you got someone (to run for mayor)who has the guts to go up against the state, in the long run, we will be much better off.” I merely pointed out that if you took that approach we’d end up losing state funding which you seemed to be aware of.
Mike went to a small off-site high school at the old Murray School that served him well. We now house smaller programs at the main NNHS building or the Ed. Center.
One thing that hasn’t changed through the years is Newton’s good fortune in attracting superb teachers and administrators. No one should interpret any of my comments as being critical of our educators.
My concerns are centered on programatic changes that were first ushered in by the budget cuts of the early 1980’s, intensified by MCAS in 1993, and perpetuated by a seemingly never ending salvo of standardized testing requirements, which [as Jane points out] are essentially unfunded mandates that redirect scarce dollars toward compliance.
It is my personal belief that learning about art is as valuable as learning about science. And learning about music is as important as learning math. Had it not been for a 5th grade social studies class which looked at the societal impact of contemporary music, there is no doubt my career path would have been markedly different. [I had a very successful career in the music business, before later transitioning to real estate]. One course, one class, one single learning moment can change the trajectory of a lifetime. So it makes sense that we should try to expose our children to a diverse and wholly enriching educational experience. Today, mandated standardized testing makes that very difficult to do.
There are many examples I can point to that would illustrate the difference between my experience as a student in Newton public schools, and the experiences of my three children. It’s worth repeating that absolutely none of the disappointment in my children’s education stems from the professionalism of their educators. It is the lack of programatic diversity that bothers me the most. As I mentioned in a previous post, it was once common to hear Newton schools referred to as “innovative” and “creative.” In today’s world it’s all about test scores.
There is no better example of an innovative and creative approach to education than the Murray Road School, Newton’s third high school that was shuttered in 1980 as a budget cutting move. Many considered Murray Road to be the premier “alternative” public high school in the country.
It would be impossible for me to recount in a blog post the impact Murray Road had on my life, or on the lives of others who were afforded that experience. The school emphasized decision making and hands-on learning, both in and out of the classroom. Murray Road would not be possible in a world of standardized education.
One of the things that bothers me the most about standardized testing is the influence it’s had on curriculum. I don’t object to a reasonable level of testing. But when tests determine curriculum, we’ve crossed an important line. And to have crossed that line without any apparent recognition or push-back from our last two mayors and/or several successive school committees, underscores a real lack of leadership in our community on this issue.
Newton is a unique case for a Massachusetts city. We’re an affluent community filled with highly educated people and superb educators. I believe Newton would be far better off with local control of our educational offerings. Local control would not only improve our schools, it would give us the opportunity to reestablish Newton schools as a national leader in public education.
Everything that Mike said – except that local control is long gone. As a “veteran” teacher, I remember happily the days when the the towns/city I taught in developed engaging, innovative curriculum.
Mike: well said.
Marti,
I don’t know who you are or even what gender you are, but I have to say, I think you’re awesome and I hope you stay active. We might disagree on the level of the school system, but your still awesome….so are you Jane, ANP, Mike, LisaP and all the others.
I suspect we just come from different perspectives thats all, I think we all want the samething.
Mike, thanks for your answers. You are right on target. Tests determining curriculum has drastically changed the innovation and creativity of public education along with its privatization. Massive on-going budget cuts and state mandates without monetary support has all but crippled some school districts leaving others to massively fund raise to add to per pupil expenditures.
Even before “no child left behind” but increasingly afterward, requiring all students to take the same test regardless of their differences leaves many children lost and confused and their dedicated teachers struggling to help them. Tying funding to test scores creates a teach to the test necessity. My son is a math coach (special ed teacher) who, along with others, is frustrated for the children as he moderates tests and sees their faces contorted in confusion and anxiety.
Tom, thanks. As I have said previously somewhere, I am retired, at least from my careers, have 2 grown children and 3 grandkids. Oh, and I’m a woman.
If I were in the Mayors position the minute I was elected I would have gotten some teachers, administrators, parents and a few students to come to the table and figure out a game plan. (Yes, Jane, I know there are student reps in the SC).