Over the next few weeks, the Newton Public Schools, represented by the School Committee, and the Newton Teachers Association will negotiate a Memorandum of Agreement that will govern many of the aspects of the coming school year. In many respects, this MOA could turn out to be more important to the quality of education and the working conditions of the teachers and other staff than the multi-year contract that was approved back in March. I don’t here propose to cover all the possible aspects of the MOA, but there is one item that warrants community discussion.
Back on April 1, the NTA and School Committee signed a Memorandum of Agreement governing the end of the 2019-20 school year. It provided in part: “The Association and District understand and acknowledge that, because distance learning and remote educational support are not a substitute for in school instruction or curriculum, employees will not be held responsible for student achievement during the period of temporary school closure.”
That was the standard for the remainder of the spring semester. Perhaps it was understandable for that period of short-term crisis. But I’m hoping that we don’t see language like that for the coming school year. It’s my view that such a clause would be a surrender, before the fact, that whatever plan for in-class, hybrid, or fully remote learning ultimately is put in place could be substandard with regard to academic progress of the children. In contrast, I think there is enough knowledge, expertise, and experience on the part of the teachers and administrators to put in place a rigorous and structured teaching environment that can maintain the academic standards the community expects.
Do you agree or disagree?
(On another point, the April 1 MOA was never discussed in open session by the School Committee. Indeed, there is not even a mention in their agendas that such a document was going to be the subject of discussion in executive session; nor was a roll call vote taken in open session indicating which members of the committee were in favor or against it. Given the importance of the coming document, it would be good practice to hold such a vote. And, while I understand that the negotiations will be confidential, the School Committee might want to consider having open sessions in which they solicit community sentiment with regard to the kind of issue I bring up here and any other possible concerns of the public.)
Agree 100%!
Since remote educational support may have to serve as a substitute for in-school instruction or cirruculum, can we please see a plan for that?
Paul Levy is the author of How a Blog Held Off the Most Powerful Union in America, and this article seems to be the third or fourth installment in a series of posts intended to pressure, assign responsibility to, and/or vilify teachers and their leadership.
Michael, can you stop with this nonsense?
I wasn’t aware of this memorandum and I’m grateful to Paul for bringing it up. It certainly goes some way to explaining why the first month of school closures was completely wasted. Many of us on this board have or know children in private schools, and will have seen first hand the glaring difference in remote instruction on day one of the shut down. And I’m not talking about Fessenden, but rather schools that parents seek out because their children have difficulty thriving in traditional elementary schools.
One way or another the teachers are responsible for educating the kids this fall. It makes the most sense for everybody if this is done in school, where kids belong. But if they would prefer to do it remotely they better be prepared to make it work.
Agree 100%.
Starting the school year with everyone washing their hands of the responsibility to educate students will almost guarantee that the coming school year will be a repeat of this past spring – i.e. negligible learning taking place.
We definitely can and should do better in the coming school year.
Honestly, if we have to go 100% virtual again I feel that it is such an ineffective way for elementary-aged kids to learn (I can’t comment on middle and high school, maybe it’s better for them) that I’d be happy with just maintenance/practice with what they already know and a the focus be on social-emotional learning. In particular, I feel like math and writing simply don’t translate to virtual for that age group and I’m not sure how it could be done better. My expectations are low in that regard, but my biggest focus is making sure that the kids come out of this pandemic emotionally healthy. Kids can catch up academically but the psychological damage of this can last forever.
Paul- thanks for keeping this topic alive. For those of us with children in Newton schools, this is a very important topic. As I have said in previous posts, the distance learning my Newton South High School kid experienced last year was missing the learning part. I will give NPS a pass for last year, but at this point 5 months have passed since schools were shut down. I haven’t seen any plan for the fall yet, but I’m hopeful that the plan gets students in the classroom as much as possible. Any distance learning has to be redesigned so that there is actually some teaching involved. Since my youngest kid is going to be a junior next year, it is too late for us to really think about alternatives ( i.e. private schools, etc.), but if this were a different time in their lives, we may have considered that. My preference would be to have the high schools focus on:
1) Assessing what gaps there are from the lack of education at the end of last year
2) Find a way to fill in as may of those gaps this year
3) Find the best way to cover as much of the curriculum as possible whether that be in-person or remote
I respect people’s opinions who say they would prefer social emotion learning instead of math and writing for younger kids. That may be true. I’m not sure I agree, but I definitely don’t agree for my kid who is going to be a high school junior. I’d prefer, mainly because of my STEM background, that the school focus exclusively on math, science and English (or whatever that subject is called these days?). I can handle the social emotional part at home if there is a reduced learning bandwidth at school this year.
What does it mean to be “held responsible for student achievement?” In the context of a contract, it sounds to me like its a stand-in for a number of contractual stipulations and requirements, many of which may be impossible to plan for or accommodate in the coming year.
For example, how is student achievement measured? MCAS? How will it be administered? How can any student assessments from this year be compared to last year and the year before?
Schools will become petri dishes. A strict protocol MUST be in place. Does one think that students will comply? Kids are a walking bag of germs. Will people leave their germs at the door as they enter into the respective schools? Another issue to ponder: the hygiene of the schools e.g. HVAC, ventilation, surfaces touched by A Lot of people, functioning windows, etc. Some of the schools are old(er). Are they up to code? What will happen at the end of the school day? Will the premises be thoroughly cleaned? If so, by whom? Simply put, the margin for error is far too vast. However, by not doing our due diligence, are we saying that lives are expendable? Pandemics can’t be reasoned with, folks. None of this is easy, but being hasty is not the solution.
I am thinking of joining a pod for my kid. It makes me sick that I don’t have faith in NPS to provide kids the same education remotely as they do in person. And while I will make sacrifices to pay for this, I think I have to do it. There is NO documentation from NPS showing what distance learning will look like when implemented. I believe we will be remote for a good chunk of the year. And there is NOTHING coming from the state or NPS, other than be patient. School represents social time, learning time, building relationships with students and adults. That did not exist remotely. One day a week per subject does not promote learning, relationship building or social time.
I know the governor said to hold off, but time is ticking.
For those of us who have been at home with our kids all summer (while I work, she watches TV or has a friend over outside for an hour or two), the kids are suffering. (It is worse when she scrolls through IG and sees her classmates on the cape hugging, when we are home distant. This is my choice to avoid the spread.)
But NPS has been silent. I don’t know what teachers have been told. I wonder what they think of the upcoming year for distance learning.
Parents need answers. At all grade levels.
This was shared today.
Dear NPS Families,
This Thursday (July 23) and Friday, (July 24) we will provide you with updates on our planning process for school this fall. As we will share in these sessions, the health and safety of our staff and students is the primary driver behind all of our planning.
The sessions will include a description of our planning process, preliminary results from the family survey, and the timeline for decision-making. Please see below for the dates, times and login information for these community sessions:
High School (9-12) – Thursday, July 23 at 9:00 a.m. (RSVP here) Login here: https://youtu.be/nByLG6xgbjM
Middle School (6-8) – Thursday, July 23 at 12 p.m. (RSVP here) Login here: https://youtu.be/anMNFB2MBKk
Elementary (PreK-5) – Friday, July 24 at 9:00 a.m. (RSVP here) Login here: https://youtu.be/L-FQ6IUraHo
We have had significantly large numbers of families indicate interest in attending these sessions. The session will be live-streamed from Zoom to the YouTube platform. Simply click the link above and you will be connected to the session. Please note that these sessions will be recorded and posted to our website if you are unable to attend live. The video recordings will contain closed captions.
Given the large number of participants, we ask that you submit questions in advance of the session. If questions arise during the session, you may use the same email address. Questions not answered during the session will be logged and included in the frequently asked questions document we are developing for our website. Please submit questions to:
[email protected]
If you are submitting a question prior to the session, please indicate the level (Elementary, Middle, High) in the subject line.
We look forward to sharing our planning process with you this week.
Sincerely,
David Fleishman
Superintendent of Schools
NewtonMom,
I think you should blame the NTA for everything. Why not, right? Well, the NTA is in negotiations with the DF and his circle of friends. Do you think they have any role in the decision-making process? Or would you posit that the NTA acts unilaterally at every turn? People are dramatically downplaying the significance of the circumstances.
I’m informed one of the links doesn’t work. Here is the link to the page on the NPS website – shorturl.at/wxBK8
Jason, what are you talking about? I don’t see the topic of blame arising. I see a legitimate question as to what should be the educational standards in this very unusual environment–made more complicated by the uncertain nature of the school year (i.e., in-class, hybrid, and/or remote.) Those standards are likely to be defined by the negotiation between the NTA and the district.
To reiterate what I said above: “I think there is enough knowledge, expertise, and experience on the part of the teachers and administrators to put in place a rigorous and structured teaching environment that can maintain the academic standards the community expects.”
Are you agreeing or disagreeing with that? Your comment is unclear. Do you think the question is legitimate?
Paul,
The blame game is starting and there boat loads of parents that are slinging mud. There is no better target than teachers/NTA. I would imagine you will refute my claim. However, you have your sources and I have mine.
I have no reason to believe that the vast majority of Newton parents have anything other than respect, admiration, and, indeed, affection for their children’s teachers.
Paul,
This is a meandering comment. I never claimed the vast majority. Given all of the stress, strain and frustration, do you truly believe that people aren’t getting fed up? When people reach their breaking point, it can easily turn into a blame game. One can see evidence of this on Village 14. People have differing objectives for why they support the various models. So, will this yield sour grapes when their “needs” aren’t being met? Multiple camps are involved in these procedures. This will likely lead to discord that muddies the water.
I know you are privy to how contract negotiations function. It has historically been contentious in Newton. It is a different angle. Yet, it can bring out the ugly in people. The majority of the time, the onus has fallen on the NTA. The union has been branded unreasonable, greedy, or obstinate by a lot members of the community.
I have stated before, it is easy to have solutions when one is on the outside. I know you have taught at various(?) levels, and I am not saying this pertains solely to you, but this doesn’t mean people of your ilk have factual proof that certain methods are guaranteed to work. If I recall correctly, you are huge proponent of data and statistics(?). Data isn’t truth. There are countless variables that play a role in education etc. This is where I think we differ: sometimes I am wrong and I am comfortable with my reality.
I think the best way for people not to have sour grapes is for the School Committee and NPS administration to be as transparent as possible with the parents (and other public) as they go through their process for planning for the school year. Not everyone will be happy with the result, but most people will have trust in their elected and appointed officials. My point for this post was that they didn’t do that with regard to the April 1 MOA. I hope they do it with the next MOA, as it will have major ramifications for all parties.
I don’t agree with your statement that during extended contract negotiations, “most of the onus has fallen on the NTA.” As I recall, during the last one, a lot of people were blaming the mayor and the School Committee for the lack of progress. Likewise, I don’t recall lots of people branding the union in the terms you used. (Maybe you’re overly sensitive on that point! You seem to have a close connection with the union, but you’ve never told us what that relationship is.)
My view is pretty simple: The union has its job to do, representing its members as well as it can. The School Committee has a different job, trying to meld what is best for the City, the students, the families, and the school staff. To expect the two to agree from the start on every contract issue and other issues is unrealistic. (There is an old expression: “Where you stand depends on where you sit!”) Negotiations always involve gives and takes. The hope should be that both sides learn from one another during a negotiation and try to figure out a deal that not only meets their interests, but creates long-term sustainable value for the community.
For five months, every reputable source has recommended people maintain a 6-foot distance from others in all settings to stop the spread of COVID-19. IMHO, when DESE stated that 3-feet distancing was acceptable for school buildings, it resulted in a loss of confidence amongst the 2000 Newton educators and employees in its recommendations. It was a clear message that DESE wasn’t concerned about the health and safety of the adults who work in school buildings. I don’t have data on this, but I’m gauging my guess on the significant level of upset that this specific recommendation caused among educators.
The School Committee made the right decision to abide by the well accepted 6-foot rule and I thank them for that. Schools are indoor spaces where people of all ages gather for sustained periods of time with adults and adolescent students in classrooms, offices, hallways, etc. As such, their use should follow the same set of guidelines as any other indoor space.
My concern relates to how to deal with a student who exhibits respiratory symptoms that are quite typical in typical times. Does the student have a cold, the flu, COVID-19, allergies? That’s not an assessment that anyone at the school level can or should make. So students will have to be sent home for a significant period of time unless robust, easily accessible testing is available. As Mike H pointed out, testing is not readily available, but the opening of schools may be the incentive to push the issue to the front of the line. I hope this is the case.