It’s great this election has prompted more civic involvement – It would be even greater if it translates into more residents staying involved long afterward – but first, be sure to get out and VOTE! On November 7, 2017.
Newton is a lovely city with a long, interesting history, an unequaled variety of period architecture and a varied landscape from large green spaces and forests to Hemlock Gorge all within 18 sq miles. There are definite advantages to living in Newton, not least of which are it’s schools and there are also issues that need to be resolved – all of them important to its citizens. Each of us has some issues that are near and dear to our hearts.
For this thread, assume Newton’s financial future is bright, its infrastructure is vastly improved, the high schools which start at 9:00 are running smoothly and the city council is the size and composition each resident wants.
After those, which issues are most important to you personally.
Just to start things off, here are some issues that are particularly important to me:
Discontinuing the winter parking ban – implementing a snow emergency parking ban.
Finding better ways of identifying, connecting with and fulfilling the needs of low income students.
Deciding on the best ways to integrate new housing into Newton. To me, placement in and around village centers and not established neighborhoods is the best option.
Great post.
The parking ban is an issue that highlights income inequality. The neighborhoods it affects are the less wealthy ones where people live in multifamily homes or smaller lots. Imagine a single mom having to haul her young kid out in the evening and again early in the morning even when there’s no risk of snow or snow on the ground.
Improved walkability. The sidewalks near my house are in such bad shape that they’re difficult or impossible for strollers or wheelchairs. Walkable city centers.
High school start times. More transparency from the school board and Fleishman.
Free lunch in the summer for those in need, like the Boys and Girls Club in Waltham does in the summer.
NOT outsourcing custodians.
Affordable housing.
Continuing the Picnic in the Park events for families and other community events in general. (Music in the parks, Artful Piano etc)
Open space and tree cover, particularly old trees lost to development.
Definitely walkability. There are still streets in Newton without sidewalks or with partial sidewalks. I think this should have equal priority to fixing the car portion of the streets.
Assuming those issues you brought up have been addressed, I would like it if students in the schools were required to learn about city government. Even in my 12th grade AP Government and Politics course (presumably the most advanced course our high schools offer on the subject), we never spent a single day discussing how Newton’s government works, even though we spent months discussing politics at the national level (Congress, Supreme Court, etc). Indeed, I recall many, probably most students at South didn’t even know who their councilors were or how many councilors there are. In my case, Village14 has helped compensate for my lack of formal pedagogy on this topic; although not every one of my peers has the time or interest to participate here. So I think even brief instruction about municipal government in the schools would keep our students better informed and foster civic participation among the youth in our city.
LATER SCHOOL START TIMES- This is a massive health issue for our students and we can’t keep pussyfooting around the problem. Thanks to Jeffrey Pontiff and everyone at NewtonHighSchools.com for continuing to fight this fight, as well as Ward 2 SC candidate Cyrus Vaghar, who has been the most understanding and direct about the severity of our current start times.
Roads, SIDEWALKS, and Senior Center Remodel, drugs in the schools.
Most importantly, a mayor and city council that focuses on city/local issues, we have a LOT of them; not on “Leading the Resistance” as one mayoral candidate stated in a glossy flyer.
@Jake Thank you for your input: “…..even in my 12th grade AP Government and Politics course (presumably the most advanced course our high schools offer on the subject)….
Do you know if ALL students in both high schools, not just AP and not just Newton South, receive high level civics classes? Thanks in advance for your response.
My own personal wish list: I’d like to have more traffic calming measures in Newton to slow down speeders and to give pedestrians safer crossings (there have been some improvements, but it would be great to see MORE). I’d also like to see stronger enforcement on a variety of things: special permits requirements, sidewalk snow clearing, and the noise ordinance, in particular. And I’d like to one day soon see the high schools not have to choose between class size and breadth of programming.
These are the three issues that are most important to me. Neither of the two mayoral candidates have adequately addressed these issue, so I do not plan to vote for either of them.
1.] Later high school start times.
2.] A substantial increase in PILOTs from Newton’s property tax exempt institutions.
3.] Zoning that respects the voters decision to legalize cannabis.
@Jon exactly, the city council should be assisting, not resisting.
AP Government and Politics is an elective course at South so not every student is required to take it. I don’t remember there being any requirement to take the type of classes you’re referring to. I’m guessing that means not all high school students receive high level civics education; but one of our SC members/candidates would be in a better position to answer your question.
That being said, kudos to South Senate for bringing Scott and Ruthanne to talk to students at South this month. It would be great if local elected officials spending a day at the high schools becomes an annual occurrence.
@Claire– I read about both candidates approach to PILOTs in The TAB last Wednesday. Although Scott supports increased PILOTs [who wouldn’t?], his comments on the subject lacked both specificity and muscle. To be fair, Ruthanne’s take on PILOTs was absolutely pathetic. In my opinion, Newton desperately needs a mayor with the courage to stand up to these free loading institutions that pay no property taxes.
@Jake Thank you very much for your information. I’ll take your advice and address the issue with the school committee. You have an excellent idea about having candidates address the high school students !! As a student, do you think it would benefit all students having a required civics course? I of course, as part of the over the hill gang”, am dismayed if there is not one now. It’s so important re citizen participation in local as well as national politics. Hoping your school year is going well!
Thanks Jon. No better time to bring this up than right now, considering we will have no fewer than 5, maybe 6, new School Committee members next year who are potentially more open to new ideas and changes.
I can remember very clearly how all 4 years, our history class would spent at least 1 or 2 days just watching movies — usually before the winter or spring recess. While those days were very entertaining, I imagine most taxpayers in Newton expect their money to be spent on more productive endeavors. Students can watch movies on their own time; we should spend those couple days teaching students about local government, or even better, inviting the mayor or a city councilor into the classroom to interact with students directly. Every student has the right to vote. Why don’t we encourage them to exercise it?
Just to expand on Jake’s thought…
“Every student has the right to vote. Why don’t we encourage them to exercise it?”
Unfortunately, they won’t have the “right to vote” until they turn 18. But I strongly support giving 16 year olds who are enrolled in Newton public school the right to vote in School Committee elections. Students deserve a voice that’s actually heard by SC members.
I had the opportunity twice last year to address students at Newton South, once about climate change and another time I sat on a panel on feminism. I also spoke to my son’s team at Day about politics. Lastly Jake Auchincloss and I participated in a governance program at FA Day where the kids chose a topic to research and then come up with a solution for, and then made presentations to show at the State House. It was very cool and it would be great to see it in all the middle schools.
I have a list of about 5 but I will pick 1 1/2
First I love the idea of Newton Center transforming into a true village. It starts with reclaiming the center (i.e parking lot) and making it a gathering spot. I envision more of a public garden than open green space as there is plenty of that in Newton Center Playground, but that is a different opportunity. Inspiration comes from Paris (Luxenborg, Tuileries) and Boston (Public Garden, Rose Kennedy Greenway, Leventhal Park at Post Office Square). Common to all of those is a pond or water element around folks can gather during the warm weather and skating in the winter.
Important is lots of tables and chairs (NOT picnic tables as those do not work for seniors) We have many smallish restaurants with no or limited outdoor seating in the center and people can bring takeout to the tables.
Now to address housing, most of the retail is one story. Build up 2/3 stories with elevators and add period inspired fascades (think mansard roof lines) to yies it all together.
Deal with lost parking by building a low rise parking garage behind the Citizens Bank and Walgreens)
My 1/2 is better offerings for Seniors. If we can add affordable elevator building in the Center that would help, but we need at least three senior centers spread across the Center.
@Claire re senior centers, why 3 spread across the “Center”, why not the city. It is many people’s fear that power will be in the “Center”, this will increase that concern. But the present facility on Walnut Street is a wonderful building, Gut the inside, make it user/activity friendly, remembering that seniors are not what they used to be. They want real activity, physical and intellectual, not just a place to sit and veg. Rehab that building and it can serve us well!
@Jake I think you are the most thoughtful and inspiring person on “14”. You give me hope for the future of the city. One item I might expand on is your suggestion that all students be educated in how government works in their city. The expansion would include what we used to refer to as CIVICS. No one graduated from high school without learning, in detail, how the state and federal government works, and the role citizens play in that process. Oddly enough, it was about the time that 18 year olds were given the vote, that “civics” started vanishing from public school curriculums. @Mike Striar suggests we allow 16 year olds to vote on school committee issues. Until there is a bonafide “government” course for every student in Newton, I would reject that idea.
That education re government should be party neutral and content rich.
These are all important issues. Thank you for bringing them up.
Since I’ve already taken care of later high school start times and sidewalk infrastructure, both huge issues important to me, I want to address some of the other issues listed.
Unfortunately civics classes are some of the first subjects to go when money gets tight. Im happy to hear they are still available in Newton. I’m pleased to hear that high school students want to know more be involved in municipal government and I hope NPS will work this in as at least an elective. A big thank you to Emily Norton for working with NPS students on both endeavors.
Mary Mary, thank you. I agree wholeheartedly that the winter parking is an economic inequality issue that needs to be addressed ASAP in Newton. I also think Newton is out of touch with the needs of the economically disadvantaged youth – particularly in the summer. I posted a couple threads about summer food programs. Newton Wellesley Hospital contributes so our children can go to Waltham. It’s disgraceful that the programs aren’t available here. Addressing the lack of housing affordable to many folks who live and work in Newton is one of my priorities.
I totally agree that the Senior Center needs improvement. I like having one large center, unless more space is needed to hold events. I am partial to the building it’s located in now but it could definitely benefit from redesign. Agree with Jon on, well just about everything he said, but especially about the things seniors are interested in now.
Thank you Jake for talking about the need for understanding local government in NPS.
Claire, your idea for Newton Center sounds nice. I would prefer undergrounding the parking though. I’m not sure if the building owners would be willing to add stories for housing. It’s a great idea but usually done when the buildings are built. Right now there is no place for the entrances to the upstairs. They’re usually in between the stores and have stairs inside.
I’m not keen on Newton having a main center in Newton Center. I like the variety in the villages, although I would love one in Newtonville over the pike.
Mike, I’m totally in agreement that later high school start times need to be instituted in 2018, PILOTS should be increased and that Newton should make it easy for cannibis stores to open.
Of course I agree with Mike and Marti. Later high school start time needs to be instituted in 2018. If other districts can do it, we can. No more excuses.
As a city, we have to make this our number one issue. What is more important?
The press needs to cover it. The debates need to cover it–not just school committee debates–all debates. In the eyes of many, whether or not the new mayor is successful depends on whether a late start to delivered quickly or whether our children are continued to be subject to this public health disaster.
The new mayor needs to immediately find his/her voice at the school committee meetings. It is time to be assertive.
@Jeffrey Pontiff agreed strongly re acting on the earlier start times. I’m even more concerned that, from what I’m gathering on 14, NPS have valued civics so little that it has been abandoned except for a “possible” elective. No one from NNHS has weighed in on whether it exists there at all. Since the beginning of Public Schools, education re government has been a given, as much of a priority/responsibility as RRR. With 18 year olds voting, and so many new citizens in this city, it is imperative that the SC address this lacking with haste as well. Since people seem conflicted re what/how history (social studies) is taught, this might solve the problem. No need for research re curriculum, it’s clear cut and straightforward. Doesn’t the state have requirements that we do this?
Sadly, the advent of high stakes testing has badly diminished what vestiges of civics education were still around. If it’s not tested, it’s not taught. I’m no fan of high stakes testing but if we have to have it, let’s have one of the tests be on civics – national, state, and local.
@Meredith we don’t have State testing for music, drama, languages other than English, etc. yet we teach them, encourage them, K thru 12. Honest to God, I’ve been taken by surprise by this info, and can’t imagine ANY rationale for having removed it. We spend huge amounts of $$ on the Schools. They could take a month out of history/SS for an intensive civics course, every year, it would be better than nothing, and really is an important element of both H and SS. I guess we are agreeing. Do you have any idea which school committee (year) discarded it Meredith? Sorry I’m taking us off topic!
Marti said:
For the people who live in and around village centers, their neighborhoods are “established.” One of my campaign helpers watched that Korff animation of Washington Street that so many of you were gushing over, and saw that the building her condo is in was gone.
I’m working on a civics bill at the state level. It makes me so sad how much our schools focus on educating good workers while de-emphasizing good citizenship.
If you come out of k-12 not understanding how your government works at all levels, that’s a crime against our children and our democracy.
It looks like civics is offered but not required at North (adding a statewide requirement would be a long process since the state would probably need to make a new MCAS for civics): http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/cms/lib/MA01907692/Centricity/Domain/28/CourseCatalogFinal2017.pdf
Since that’s the case, I think we can kill 2 birds with one stone. Students, needless to say, are most affected by the start times. So if we teach every student about local government, s/he will be more likely to vote. By increasing voter turnout among young people, we can hold the School Committee accountable and finally make later start times a reality.
NNHS has a fantastic office of civic engagement that fills the void in our curriculum. It is run by two incredible volunteers, Terri Yoffie and Claudia Wu. I believe that NSHS was starting a similar program. I wish that it was an official course but volunteer power is strong! At least they are endorsed by the schools, who provide them the space and computers, etc. Thanks, Bryan, for working on a civics bill.
@Jake thanks so much. I think you can see how your original statements have sparked some directed thinking! And thanks for the link !
@Bryan On this one you and I agree wholeheartedly!!! Thank you so much for believing so much in this cause, and wording it so well. Mostly, I can’t tell you how happy I am that you are pursuing civics in a way that might actually get something accomplished. I think you called it right, your calling it a crime that our kids end their NPS years so uninformed.
Bryan. It worries me to hear about a civics bill at the state level. My freshman at Newton North finally appears to have a history course with real content. Have you studied current course schedules in high schools? What classes do you want students to drop?
Do’t get me wrong. I love civics, but if we want better content let’s focus locally first. Having Beacon Hill force one-size-fits-all down our throats is a recipe for mediocre education. We already do not focus enough on the basics of reading, writing, and math. These subjects aren’t about only about being a worker.
Let me give a plug to the Boy Scouts. They do a great job with civics and citizenship in general.
@Jon – music, drama, etc. are offered but not required. IMNSHO, all students (not just in Newton, but nationally) should be required to take a high school level civics course. It’s much more relevant to their lives than many other classes they have to take, and knowing how government works and how you can effect change is empowering.
CIVICS! Jake, you hit a nerve. I grew up in Illinois and back in my day civics was very much a part of the curriculum– from elementary to middle to high school. We also had, as I recall, a lot of support from local organizations such as the VFW and Chamber of Commerce supporting citizenship activities, essay contests, etc. I can remember participating in a “Civics Bee” (like a spelling bee) where we had to answer specific questions about the Constitution, who our representatives are, how the electoral college works, etc. I have had two kids go through the NPS and that’s something that I have found lacking. I especially think that it’s the job of public schools to do this and I thank curriculum requirements for taking more of those decisions out of faculty hands and into, for one thing, making sure our students graduate as knowledgeable citizens. I characterize myself as a liberal, but I can still remember that Civics Bee, writing an essay about democracy in a VFW essay contest and having WWII vets come in and talk about their colleagues who had put their lives on the line to defend democracy. I can also remember watching movies with themes that emphasized what a hard-won privilege it is to vote. I will say that these values didn’t define me politically, but very much as an American. In this knowledge, I can find common ground with people who have very different political beliefs. I also never miss an election. There’s a reason that seniors have such a high turnout in elections. It’s not that they don’t have better things to do. It’s that they see voting as their duty. We have gotten further and further away from the ideals that made the Greatest Generation so great. Civics education is something that we can (and should) definitely get everyone behind.
@KarenN BRAVO! Really, bravo!
Now I’m going to sound preachy, sorry…..
@Jeffrey Did you notice a chaotic, uninformed national election last fall? Did you notice the hysteria that followed? Kids can learn the government structure of Newton in an afternoon. We need 18 year olds to fully comprehend what our country’s Representative Democracy is, its’ complexities and how it works. (I’m not talking politics but government structure). CIVICS is not fluff, not to be squeezed in. If the NPS can’t find a curriculum, assign the students any universities’ online course, or Khan Academy, it’s free. We do have a plethora of computers in all of the schools, let’s use them. It’s reprehensible for the NPS to have abrogated its’ responsibility on this. As for not enough time, children all over the world go to school 1,2,3 hours longer each day than ours.
@Newtoner: “Open space and tree cover especially mature trees lost to development” – worth repeating!
I remember having the bulk of my civics education — and by this, I mean, having to name all of the amendments to the constitution, how old you have to be to run for specific offices, what the line of succession is after a president dies, then a vice president… as happening in middle school. A lot of civics is rote learning and memorization that later kicks in when you are in the middle of a discussion or disagreement in which you need to reference “the rules”. Middle school would be a particularly good place to do the bulk of civics education because it would provide a basis for the history and other social sciences classes to follow in high school. I don’t know about North, but the history department at NSHS is really exceptional and I was very upset when the curriculum was being put under attack. I have heard from students that are now attending really good colleges that the teaching and course offerings in history at South are as good or better than what they get in college. Let’s not eat away at centers of excellence. Particularly for students who follow an honors or AP track in history and social sciences, I wouldn’t want the world or American history teaching to be detracted from. To me, all that rote knowledge about the Constitution, how a bill becomes law, etc. is essential background for understanding politics, government and democracy. Much like you learn how to read music before understanding how to interpret it. And it can all happen in middle school.
As for all the movies that students watch during their time in the NPS, this is a big pain point with many. Perhaps if there was a more thoughtful approach around strategic goals for civics education, financial literacy and health? So when kids came home and told their parents that they watched a movie because of some teacher professional development thing they would know that it was part of a strategy/curriculum not just random entertainment/video babysitting?
As for high school start times — growing up in a working class community in Illinois decades ago with a school district far more spread out than Newton, we had buses that accommodated start times of 7:30, 8:30 and 9:30 and end times of 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 with a late bus. Why there is only one transportation-provided start and end time in our high schools doesn’t make sense. It would seem that offering a smaller crew of drivers a longer work day doing slightly larger routes would be advantageous to all. Get that team at MIT that worked on Boston’s busing to take a crack at Newton. When I was in high school, kids with after school jobs, team sports, etc. could choose early schedules while others could stay true to their inner clock, with faculty enjoying the same benefit.
As for on-street parking, I don’t think that there is a one-size-fits -all city solution. Yes, it may be yet another pain point on the affluence divide. I know that in my single family zoned area in Newton Highlands , the on street parking restrictions were the only truly enforceable rules when the equivalent of a frat party house from Bentley (with far more occupants than legally allowed) rented the house next to me. Trying to prove , with an uncooperative landlord/owner (at the height of recession)how many unrelated people were living there was impossible to do. How many cars were parked on the street overnight, however, was easily enforceable.
I think that the issue that hasn’t been mentioned here that I’d like to see moved forward more than anything else is FULL DAY KINDERGARTEN. My oldest is in college and my youngest is graduating. It has been 15 years since I first became aware, shockingly, that Newton does not offer genuine full day K. Why should I care when both my kids already missed out? Because, in a time when the educational and economic divide is growing, FDK is one way to help equalize opportunity at a time that can ensure success or continuing struggling for a socio-economically disadvantaged, English language learners or SPED students. Early release times in our system, in general, are practically played out as a contrast of privileged enrichment programs for the affluent vs. lost learning time for dual working households and the disadvantaged. This system has far greater implications for those that are struggling to catch up and just keep falling further behind, especially with a lack of summer learning opportunities.. One research-documented difference maker is Full Day Kindergarten –the definition of which is a K day that offers the same hours as the the rest of the elementary school. We have reached a point where, thanks to people like Margaret Albright and Emily Norton, FDK is on the NPS’s strategic goals and every single candidate in contested races supports it. Newton is an outlier in Massachusetts for not offering FDK. With no prospect of familial benefit, only a societal one, I have to say that FDK really tops my wish list for Newton.
FDK is huge. Unfortunately, some school committee candidates talk a lot about it during their campaign, and forget about it until the next campaign. If anyone disagrees, please tell me a school committee meeting date and a video time stamp where someone pleads to the rest of the committee to investigate FDK. We are never going to have FDK until, as voters, we hold the NPS accountable.
Civics is great, but please tell me what requirements get cut. For parents, do your children know who Dwight Eisenhower was? Are you children receiving too much or too little feedback on writing in school? Too much or too little math in school? Too much or too little literature?
For Bryan, the answers to these questions are critical. A government mandate to require a topic reduces attention to other topics.
Jeffrey, an easy solution to your last concern; don’t wait for the State to hand down a mandate. NPS can, I am sure, on their own, decide to serve their students properly. In the course of the 13 years a student meanders from K to grade 12, we can certainly ensure that students are prepared with a keen understanding of the constitution and of a Representative Democracy. Are the teachers not concerned by this lapse?