Here’s an opportunity for the community to hear more about Newton Public School financial Challenges in the years ahead:
The Newton school system faced serious fiscal challenges even before COVID and the deep recession, and the next few years now looks to be even tougher.
Join this timely and important discussion of Newton Public Schools’ finances hosted by Newton City Councilor Emily Norton with a short slide presentation by Matt Hills, comments by Paul Levy, followed by audience Q&A.
When: Monday, June 22, 5:00 – 6:00 PM
Matt Hills is a former Chair of the Newton School Committee, an appointee of Governor Baker to the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and an appointee of the Massachusetts Commissioner of Higher Education to the Financial Assessment and Risk Monitoring Advisory Committee.
Paul Levy has lived in Newton since 1981. He served as chair of the Newton Blue Ribbon Commission for Financial Resources in 2006-7 (appointed by the Mayor and President of the Board of Aldermen.) The Commission was charged with reviewing all aspects of Newton’s projected financial resources and expenses so that citizens and officials would have a better idea of what to expect in the following years. Paul holds bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Urban Studies and Planning, and a Master’s degree in City Planning from MIT.
Register in advance here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
This is great! I was looking forward to the one hosted by the City Council and didn’t understand and still don’t understand why that one was cancelled. That would have been great – so we could hear a back and forth with the City Councilors and better understand what they are thinking in terms of budgets going forward.
Thanks, Gail and Amy. Our hope is that this webinar could help engender thoughts as to how we can prepare for a future that is likely to have major financial stresses and thereby preserve and enhance the school system. Whether you have school children aged children or not, I think people will find it informative.
Thank you in advance to Matt Hills and Paul Levy for your willingness to do this, and to Councilor Norton for taking the lead and making this happen!
This forum would be better titled, “Learn More about School Finances from the Perspective of Leaders Who Support Outsourcing/Commercializing Public Education, through union busting and advancement of charter schools.”
Huh? What on earth are your talking about, Shawn? Matt and Emily can speak for themselves. But as best I know, you and I have never talked about any of these issues, and your assumptions about my views are totally off base.
@Shawn: Actually, I think outsourcing began with the school lunch program back in 2010. That’s when Claire Sokoloff, Reenie Murphy were co-chairs of the School Committee. Also serving were Jonathan Yeo, and Geoff Epstein. Sorry – I can’t remember the others. Here’s an article: http://archive.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2010/04/08/newton_school_board_budget_cuts_500000_from_lunch_program/
Shawn – What is your opinion on the police unions protecting members for dismissal and getting MA State Police reinstated after they were found padding their pay?
“Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer who killed George Floyd, is a textbook illustration of how unionized police departments shelter cops known to be incompetent or dangerous. Chauvin had been the subject of at least 18 complaints of misconduct over the years, without ever facing any serious discipline. That was typical for Minneapolis; according to The Wall Street Journal, of 2,600 misconduct complaints filed since 2012 with the city’s Office of Police Conduct Review, only 12 have resulted in discipline.” https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/16/opinion/dont-reform-police-unions-abolish-them/?event=event12
@Shawn: Oops – I need to clarify the above post. The recommendation to outsource the food service program in the Newton Public Schools actually came from the Citizens Advisory Group. Members were Malcolm Salter, Chair and Ruthanne Fuller, Vice-Chair, John D’Auria, Kevin C. Dutt, George Foord, David Humphrey, Tony Logalbo, William MacKenzie, Scott Oran, Selina Pandolfi, Kent Portney, Daniel Richards, Neil Silverston and Laura Thompson. The School Committee members at that time, were the ones who implemented it.
I understand that people like to jump in on (all sides of!) the union issues, but today’s discussion should go well beyond that topic. As noted above, we hope in this webinar that we might engender thoughts as to how we can prepare for a future that is likely to have major financial stresses, with the goal of preserving and enhancing the school system.
I would love to watch this webinar at a later time as I need to be driving when it is occurring, Will a video of it be available?
Yes – it’s being recorded!
Here it is: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/u9cvcuro2E9IRLfAuVyAa-15OqO_X6a81idM8_FZxByo8-5Zt5vsXQooTW33VeLu
Shawn, I just watched the meeting and your comment could not be more out of touch with reality. If you haven’t watched, I suggest you do so.
In fact if there are any councilors who are resistant to this information, I would like to know who they are.
I’ll be writing the ward 6 councilors this evening.
I listened and thought it was very educational. And online meant that I could be at home and work.
Matt Hills subtly laid out his consistent themes for financing
Newton Schools. These strategies will require future overrides.
Few Newton residents can support significant tax increases.
Our school administrators must reform their past spending habits
and understand that money does not grow on trees. Not only will future cuts be necessary; but a big change in expectations of the school system must be thought about.
If 86% of the school budget is salaries, where should the cuts come from? My son who just graduated from South, was in a boom year, and had 25 kids in his class K-8th grade. If you cut teachers, class size grows, and K and First graders need smaller class sizes. I wonder how Newton will handle this, especially now with the need to purchase PPE on the open market.
Two weeks ago, David Fleishman announced the hiring of an administrator to a NEW position. I don’t understand.
Great presentation. It will be perfect 5 years from now when finances hit the panick button and we can say “you were warned”..
Realistically, the city is not going to do anything until parents complain of class sizes and simply force an override on stressed out parents. The councilors are way too progressive to consider anything else…
Perhaps the city is expecting new revenue from all the new buildings to be constructed due to the Washington street vision..