Watch the eight-minute youtube video here.
“The logistical, educational and operational challenges were immense and it did take time for us to put all the pieces in place. I truly understand the anxiety, uncertainty and frustration that this may have caused you as a parent or guardian.”
I’m glad this was posted. I watched the message last night. For me, the message was very polished and nuanced, but missed the mark. I found his comments to be lacking in candor and directness. We all need this now. Everyone understands that COVID is totally out of the box and that we need to do the best we can with it. Yet, had Dr. Fleishman done more to acknowledge that HS parents were presented an option that he couldn’t deliver on, spoke more candidly about the need for his administration to work closely with the NTA in support of our students, even taken some blame…then I’d have been more receptive to his comments. I didn’t really hear any of this.
Today is the first day of school. My 11th grader is online, and so far things seem to be going well for her. Her teachers are trying…hard. Yet, there are still so many open questions about activities to be offered, any plans to even explore what it would take to get back into the school (for second semester)? I’d have hoped the Superintendent would have done more to acknowledge the “white elephants” in the room and to address these head on.
“polished and nuanced?”
It was scripted. He sounded like a robot. It was awkward. And the saddest part? I bet he (the taxpayers) hired an outside company to make this video, instead of using one of the many students in numerous tv production classes, a great opportunity to learn in the real world.
Oh wow, it’s like watching a ransom video…
A lot of blatant lies in this video
I didn’t understand the point of the video. I didn’t need 8 minutes of that. Show me around the schools to show improvements or something or put it in a document that I can read. Not a good use of a video format. I’m not surprised by all the thumbs down.
@mary exactly, video is not based whatsoever in reality
To be fair, any one who expected an original and independent speech from him clearly does not know the history of Melania Fleishman, Newton’s king of plagiarism.
Ahahaha exactly! I only compared his speech with Deval’s not too long ago and even knowing the story, i was surprised to see how deliberate the plagiarism was.
Fleishman in the red mask looks as though he belongs in ” The Silence of the Scams”‘…
@Maria Kreeft so true.
Please make sure to continually email him, the mayor, and the school committee.
They would LOVE to delay real school for middle schoolers and cancel it for high school altogether. They need to understand that all of their jobs depend on getting the kids back to school.
@maria so funny, the first thing that came to mind was “it puts the lotion on the skin or it gets the hose again”
DF hasn’t and won’t work collaboratively with the NTA and NPS teachers. The latter two will be blamed should things go awry. Teachers always get lambasted for things that are fallaciouos claims coming from the naysayers who think teachers work strictly during school hours. The job is time intensive and teachers have taken on additional hours during the pandemic.
People should listen to today’s (9/18) “the daily” podcast.
My daughter is a NYC public school teacher.
Rick,
Respectfully, we are not New York City. As poorly as our leaders have handled back to school, they are miles better than DeBlasio and Carranza. It is not hyperbole to suggest that those two are dumber than Trump.
Craig, respectfully, the issues are the same. Listen to the podcast.
Fleishman is not competent to administer NPS during a crisis (and I have doubts about how competent he was even when things were “normal”), but the SC should be demanding that he work collaboratively with NPS teachers and the NTA to come up with the best plan for educating students safely. Given things that Fleishman keeps taking off the table, the best plan may not be in-person learning. Fleishman recently told the Globe that in-person learning would reduce the teaching time by HALF.
And administrative decisions are already making messes. The first Wednesday schedule was a worse marathon than last spring–which hardly inspires confidence moving forward. Also, the administration decided to change many electives from two classes per week for two semesters to three classes per week for only one semester. That decision requires many students to drop electives. Is this decision an administrative ploy to reduce the number of elective teachers? Or is it just another example of administrative incompetence at planning?
Whatever the cause, these decisions increase student stress and anxiety–just when Fleishman is promising that the district is primarily concerned with student connection and social-emotional well-being.
But unfortunately, no matter how much parents, voters, and city councilors complain, we are stuck with Fleishman for another four years because the School Committee just voted to renew his contract. School Committee members, however, are up for re-election in 2021.
In the middle of his speech Dr. Fleishman mentions “black and brown students”. How come any mention of racial equity in Newton ends with “black and brown”? Are Asians (13% of Newton residents) not a minority. Are we not prone to racism and marginalization? Or is the expectation that the, “model minority” Asian students are simply expected to adapt?
Perhaps Newton should spread some of that “woke” into “a-woke” as well?
They keep saying the schedule isn’t finalized but on the one that was being presented it has 40 minute office hours for Wednesdays moving forward so what was experienced this week was just a “special” schedule. When the NS Interim Principal was asked about how this day would be used he said it depends on the willingness of the teacher and the willingness of the student. Why are these office hours needed if they also have “flex time” which is supposed to be used like the old j block which is when kids could go for help???
So in person will cut teaching time in half. How can they legally reduce learning hours? According to NPS’s own plans 935 learning hours is required by DESE no matter the model in which the district operates. Maybe we could demand better than what Fleishman is offering. I think that statement he gave is meant to try to get parents to stop asking for in person learning. Why would he have proposed his hybrid plan in the first place if so much would be lost. I don’t think they are getting creative enough.
How One District Got Its Students Back Into Classrooms
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/20/us/school-covid-reopening.html?referringSource=articleShare
I know not many will see this, but it’s a great article in today’s (9/20) NYT. It illustrates what can be accomplished with vision, advance planning, good communications, and trust. Newton is far wealthier than this district, yet the issues are similar. In my view, and by comparison, Newton’s performance falls far short of acceptable. I view our Superintendent’s video in this context. Newton could have done better. It still can.