Chris Brezski is an NPS elementary school parent.
While outcry regarding the failure of Newton Public Schools to reopen for in-person learning at the secondary levels persists, Newton’s youngest and most vulnerable learners continue to receive insufficient in-person learning experiences in our schools. Elementary education is pivotal in establishing young children’s academic skills and identities. Neighboring and peer districts have not only managed to get middle and high school students back into the physical classroom, they are also prioritizing their youngest students. In contrast, a Newton kindergartner currently receives only 46% of the in-person instruction of NPS peer districts; a Newton first-grader receives only 50%, and an upper-elementary student only 54%.
Newton’s elementary school students are in-person only eight hours per week: two days on-site for four hours each day. This in-person learning time is a little over half the average of our peer districts. An upper-elementary school student in Brookline, Needham, or Wellesley receives 1.6 times the amount of in-person schooling than in Newton. In Weston, students receive 2.5 times the amount. The numbers are worse for the youngest, at-risk students: a Wellesley first-grader receives 26.5 hours of in-person instruction each week, 3.3 times the amount of a Newton first-grader’s eight hours. Over the remaining thirty weeks of the academic year, a six-year-old from Newton will attend the equivalent of 80 fewer in-person school days than their neighbor in Wellesley.
sources: in-person hours from public reports; in-district per-pupil spending from https://profiles.doe.mass.edu/statereport/ppx.aspx
peer districts per https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gkLgBQ6FO7LweXyzLW0r5ThWKypEzkOK/view
Newton Health & Human Services has said there is no public health impediment to kids returning to school. The School Committee now attributes their failure to educate students in-person to a staffing issue. Chairperson Ruth Goldman, in her response to City Councilors, stated that “we, like every other district in the state, have not been able to hire the additional teaching aids that were planned” yet the four entities with the power to make this situation better — the Mayor, the Superintendent, the School Committee, and the NTA — have not prioritized increasing the actual time our children spend face-to-face with Newton educators.
These leaders, like Chairperson Goldman, will argue that an examination of in-person learning does not recognize the “good things” our children are experiencing during remote learning days. The remote learning model is no substitute for in-person learning, particularly for elementary-school students who have not yet developed the skills necessary to navigate Newton’s piecemeal, asynchronous, asocial remote learning model.
For those of you unfamiliar with a current day in the life of a Newton elementary student – let me describe a remote day. The day starts with a twenty-minute morning Zoom meeting at 8:30am with a “partner teacher” — one of the over forty certified specialists who are providing instruction only remotely. The day concludes with a one-hour closing meeting from 2:00 – 3:00pm led by the classroom teacher. During the five-hour span from 9am – 2pm, elementary students receive no live instruction in core academic areas. Instead, they receive one or two half-hour Zoom “specials” (music, art, PE, or library). The remainder of their time is devoted to “independent work,” and any parent of a seven- or eight-year-old knows there is no such thing as “independent work” for a young learner in front of a computer. How can our children become proficient readers, writers, and thinkers without consistent, explicit instruction?
We recognize that our kids’ teachers and administrators are doing everything they can despite having been dealt a very bad hand at the district level. Newton has exceptional teachers and support staff. Imagine what they could do, for and with our children, if given the opportunity to teach them in-person, five days per week.
How far behind will our kids have to fall relative to their private-school peers, mostly attending full days and weeks of school? How far behind their public-school peers, where districts have implemented more robust in-person plans? How much farther will the achievement gap have to widen as any parent with the time and/or resources to supplement the meager NPS offering is doing so? How far – until the alleged adults in the room – the Mayor, Superintendent, School Committee and NTA – finally move forward in the best interest of our kids?
I urge elementary parents to speak up for our kids, advocate for more in-person learning at all levels, and hold our schools accountable for their failure to meaningfully engage our children. Please follow the link below to sign a letter to the School Committee to not approve its agreement with the Newton Teachers Association that will allow this status quo to persist throughout the remainder of the school year.
https://sites.google.com/view/inpersonlearningfornewton/home
Before the pandemic we had a good feeling about the teachers and we would even give some money at the end of the year as a summer bonus. I think most parents would agree they were doing a good job at that time. It changed for the worse when NTA started making all kinds of unreasonable demands once the pandemic started, essentially making it impossible for our children to get a decent education in NPS during this time. It reminds me of the unions in the car industry, which once had some positive influence to make conditions and quality of life better for workers, but over time had too much leverage, causing the American car manufacturers to fall behind and needing c11 bailouts. The SC failed our families and shouldn’t have allowed this to happen, but they can be replaced in the next election. For the NTA part the damage is done and I believe it will take a long time for the majority of Newton parents to have any good feeling for them again. Although we should remember that during the survey about in-school/hybrid/remote 80% of the teachers wanted to continue teaching our children. It’s hard to say this, but there are some professionals that are not able to do their job from home, such as teachers, restaurant workers, bus drivers etc.
Compared to this peer group our in-person elementary contact is the lowest. We are the only district not offering all high school students in-person education. Our MCAS scores are the lowest. A coincidence? No. We have a failure to prioritize education.
Epic Failure. The Mayor, The Superintendent, The School Committee and The NTA all have failed the students and families of Newton. So much talk of who is to blame with no solutions. Where is Jeffrey Riley? Twelve thousand students will be behind. Where is the equity?
Please: call the School Committee, call the city council, call the Mayor’s office, call central administration, sign the petition, and let our leaders know THIS IS NOT OKAY. This is not the failure of any singular decision-making entity: the failure belongs equally to Mayor Fuller, the School Committee, Dr. Fleishman, AND the NTA for their lack of transparency, vision, and partnership in support of our children and our city’s future. As every peer district around us moves forward with more robust, equitable learning models, they need to hear from us. Families are depending on them to revise their plans, increase in-person learning time, and ensure that the 2020-2021 school year is not a lost year for our children.
The Mayor, The Superintendent, The School Committee and the NTA are all responsible for either chasing wealthier families to private schools, and those of us who can’t afford it, to suffer through this process. All the kids are suffering, while DF is stating this is the most robust virtual and hybrid education around the area. His ability to stretch the truth reminds of another person, who right now is running our country. I heard DF say that the social needs are being met at Newton South. That can’t be further from the truth. My child WANTS an in person opportunity and NOTHING she has signed up for has an in person competent. And now the numbers are increasing, as is her misery. The social worker has NOTHING to say or help. I can only imagine how difficult this is for an elementary school family. DF is lying to the parents, the students and the residents of Newton. He is the only one that believes his truth. Students, Parents and Teachers are miserable, but yet he is painting a different picture.
I do not have kids in the NPS, but agree that this is pathetic. You guys need to ALL call, email and write letters to the school committee and the mayor. It works. I have been part of efforts to change/repeal/write laws and policies and consistently it is the barrage of communication that makes things happen.
Every Newton resident should take note of which city council members signed the memo on school re-opening to the mayor and school committee. They should be commended for standing up for the children.
The lack of in-person education in Newton is a complete failure of NPS, the mayor, and school commiteee who wasted the spring and summer with insufficient planning. The Newton public schools and education of Newton’s children are clearly a low priority for this mayor.
Thanks for taking the time to put this together. It always helps to have data and facts.
The under-performance of NPS is really something. Sad.
One other comment. It seems to be that if we want to role model what real life collaboration is for NPS Students, then the School Committee, DF, the mayor, the City Council and the NTA should be at the same table (even if by zoom) and work TOGETHER on getting the kids back to school in a safe and meaningful way. Remember when the senate used to have key senators work behind the scenes to get the laws negotiated? It seems to be that the SC/DF comes up with an idea, and then the NTA rejects it, and proposes something else and then we stall out and nothing happens. We all have to work together. We can do this. If we all work together and respect each other. But the current system is NOT working.
The big problem is that the SC, NTA and DF all seem to be suffering under the delusion that things are going great and that everyone is happy and that they should be commended for doing such a fantastic job. No idea on what basis they are forming these opinions. We are doing better than our neighbors??!!! See Goldman’s email response to the City Councilor’s post on the other blog. So if they all think this, then they have no motivation or interest in improving the experience. If the whole group does not have the common goal of, and laser focus on, opening the schools and thus, trying to do everything in their power to do so, then it’s just not going to happen. They are going to continue to hedge, talk incessantly, and tell us that we are complaining for no reason, and that they are working very hard.
In the meantime, my child (who is fortunate enough to have a family able to move them to private school after 11yrs in the NPS) is learning the expected curriculum, is taking tests, has lots of homework, and is held to the usual high standards and expectations in terms of grading. They had initially wanted to return to NPS next year, but not any more since their peers are clearly going to be so far behind. The kids talk constantly, and from what I am hearing, I just feel sad at the state of the education their friends are now receiving. We moved to Newton specifically because we did not want to send our child to a private school. But here we are.
The saying seems cliche but I truly believe “where there is a will there is a way”. However, in regard to getting students back to school, sadly Newton has completely lost its will.
There was a Newton South Zoom with DF, RG, Interim Principal Aronson and NS Parents. It was supposed to be a community meeting about South specifically (so not to discuss current Hs situation). They were so delusional. RG said other districts were actually coming to NPS looking for info on our successful learning plans. The faces of the parents on the zoom were priceless when she said that.
Best question of the night was from a NS Senior. He asked about how he can he not be stressed out about college when last year’s grades don’t count, there are no gpas and he can’t take the SAT as they keep getting rescheduled. He was told not to worry about it. Colleges aren’t really using SATs, grades don’t really matter etc. Aronson they had wanted to make changes because of student stress for a long time. Ok so how are the colleges going to decide on whether they should admit these students…are they supposed to admit them based on South’s stellar reputation?
I was unable to provide a public comment during tonight’s School Committee meeting due to the thirty-minute time limit that the SC has imposed. I am tired of feeling voiceless, so I am posting it here.
My name is Amy. I’m a mother of three children and a career educator. My oldest is in the first grade.
I implore our School Committee members to prioritize in-person learning for our youngest learners and reject an MOA that precludes specialists from in-person teaching. I have spoken with members of the school committee who articulate a vision for robust in-person learning experiences for young students. They state the district has neither the space nor staffing to increase in-person days for elementary students. I request transparency and open dialogue about the scope of these issues and action to address them before months of invaluable instruction vanish.
Elementary enrollment was in decline prior to the start of the 2019 school year, both across the district and the state, especially in the lowest grades. This year, families have fled to independent schools that offer their children nearly four times more in-person hours than in NPS each week, and enrollment has declined further. This, coupled with significant enrollment in the distance learning model, should make five days a week of in-person instruction a viable option for our five and six year olds, for whom formative education is so vital. What is the current average class size for the kindergarten and first-grades in the hybrid model? If these class sizes cannot be accommodated in traditional classrooms, what flexible instructional spaces — libraries, gymnasiums, art rooms, labs — could be reclaimed to accommodate larger class sizes while still adhering to safety standards? How could buffer zones be re-examined to optimize empty classrooms in newer buildings like Cabot, Angier, Zervas? What options exist for outdoor learning spaces and modular classrooms? What partnerships might be established within the community with churches, synagogues, and community centers who have already opened their doors to after-care programs?
Maintaining six feet of distance and bringing more students back to the physical learning space should be feasible. It has been for our peers and neighbors. It requires not only ingenuity with physical learning spaces, but also creative reallocation of staff members, particularly specialists who are already ingrained in the fabric of our school culture. To enter into an agreement with the union that does allow the district to explore these possible staffing choices hampers its ability to meet the needs of its students.
There is no substitute for in-person learning. Our youngest students in particular require the social interaction, energy, and on-the-spot feedback only an in-person learning experience can provide. Please do not let this year be a lost year for our children. Please be transparent about the barriers to increasing their time in school. Please be vigilant in exploring every possible avenue to expanding the [masked-]face-to-[masked-]face time our children have with their beloved, dedicated classroom teachers and classmates in their classrooms. Thank you.
Amy I encourage you to write to the school committee, the mayor, and the superintendent
and to join:
https://sites.google.com/view/inpersonlearningfornewton/home
The teachers are doing a great job given the situation, but the 4 hour in person days are simply insufficient. It’s basically 4 hours, then go home and do an hour of homework. It’s not a real full day at all. I feel let down by the district because we were told that the kids would get full days starting in November. And if you have a kid on an IEP like I do, it’s really tough for them to give them appropriate services. I do think hybrid is the safest thing right now, but I’m not happy with the 2 half days.
Thank you for your thoughtful and well-researched post. This marks, yet another, total lack of initiative and leadership by both the School Committee and the mayor. Newton residents should remember this when it’s time to vote next year.
I disagree that hybrid is the safest thing. As I understand it, one of the reasons behind creating small cohorts was to minimize the number of other children/families to whom a child, and by extension, a family, is exposed. As it stands, a child who is part of cohort A at, say, Cabot might then go to wrap around care at the JCC, while another goes to the Y or the Boys and Girls Club. There, they will be in a room with another set of adults, as well as children from a variety of other cohorts/schools. Or they may even attend aftercare in their school building, but through a different program and different teachers or minders. Yet others might have classes of various sorts on different days, music or dance or gym or whatever, with the exposure to other adults and children. So, perversely, hybrid actually entails more exposure risk than if kids were in school 5 days a week with a consistent set of peers and teachers.
I don’t blame any of this on the teachers but yes what our kids are getting is abysmal.
That being said if you read carefully the Superintendant’s email you’ll notice that the idea behind full day is to keep the same schedule. While it adds critically needed childcare, time at school and socialization time it does not add any in person instruction.
My understanding is that the plan was/is to hire part time people – Grad students were the target (understand increased exposure) – that will supervise the kids during the 90 minutes lunch break/recess and the afternoon zooms.
Elementary teachers are busy instructing the alternate cohort during the one hour afternoon instruction time.
Honestly unless I’m proven completely wrong my Kindergartner and 1st Grader will be picked up at 12:30 even if the district switches to full day for them.
I would like to point out that there is NO negotiation with NTA currently- what this means is that teachers returned to work under the guidelines, plans, and schedules put into place by NPS and the School Committee with no negotiation and no input. The NTA did not negotiation, for example, the high schools only being remote- David Fleishman singlehandedly is responsible for this choice. In fact, the NTA and SC are STILL negotiating the original entry agreement from the beginning of summer (which has more to do with managerial sick leave time and safety protocols than it does scheduling or student experience) even though teachers and students have been “in school” for months. So far all that has happened by the way of teacher (NTA) input is that they filled out a survey and proposed a plan. The SC and NPS then went forward with their own plan. NOTHING our students are doing right now is because of NTA input- they are still trying to negotiate.
In fact, they just overwhelmingly voted to approve the negotiated contract (the same one they’ve been working on all summer)- which allows us to move forward in negotiating new models. On the other hand, the School Committee has now delayed their vote after criticizing their own negotiations team and hinting they plan to vote it down. Ultimately the SC wants to be able to unilaterally make decisions and therefore wants to renege on. They don’t want to have to return to the table to negotiate future changes (which would include returning in person on some level). By doing this they are not only delaying the process, but they are bargaining in bad faith- which could end up in the courts, as it’s illegal for members of a negotiations committee to then vote down their own agreement. We wonder why nothing gets done…
The reason the district does not have more in-person or hybrid modeling is not that there is not enough staff alone, although that is an issue (which SC is handling by now enforcing than any teacher with an at risk person at home would need to take a year of unpaid leave instead of teaching remotely if the schools return in some form, as initially promised- reneging on another stipulation initially put in place). The buildings are too small, NPS and SC have dragged out simple requests like building inspections, interrogatories for information (which has led to the NTA filing complaints with the BBB), and a lack of initiative and desire to compromise.
So it completely unfair and uninformed to look to the NTA or the teachers to place blame when our own SC is refusing to follow the due process that is required to get anything done. Mayor Fuller is blaming the other side because she wants to get her way 100%- and as we’ve learned- without compromise, we don’t move forward. We wonder why the NTA has such distrust and why nothing gets done, why it’s always such a conflict? We’re directing our anger at the wrong people.