Last night the Newton School Committee held a public Zoom meeting in which the middle school principals gave a status report. Newton parent Sigal Yawetz wrote this open letter in response and asked that it be shared here on Village 14 as a Guest post.
Dear School Committee members,
I was listening last night to the school committee meeting and could not help but wonder where this wonderful, utopian, middle school system we were hearing about, was. Because I’d like to move there. Such rosy presentations are clearly not the best use of the school committee’s time these days. The disconnect between the presentation and the reality on the ground was striking. We fully appreciate the great challenge the teachers face, and how they have tried to rise to the occasion. Their work is hard, and greatly appreciated. But things for most children and families are far from this rosy. Painting it in cheerful colors just widens the disconnect and mistrust that already exists between parents and NPS. A transparent presentation acknowledging the community’s struggles and thinking together how to move forward would have been much better. Also much more honest. And in community I mean the entire school community: school administrators, teachers, elected SC officials, students and parents alike. We’re all in this together, and we should acknowledge each other’s struggles rather then congratulate ourselves on a “job well done”. Afterall, many of us feel things are not going well, despite the teachers’ efforts. In fact they are going quite poorly. This was a tough year for everybody.
If you talk to middle school parents you will hear anger and frustration at NPS. You will hear that most kids are not thriving. That they are not engaged. To address one example from last night, most kids already know very well how to use google and email. Their generation had been on devices since being toddlers. They also know how to appear as though they are attending school, while doing other things. If you ask parents, we know well our kids participation is far below the 93-97.5 percent presented last night. In the interim we know they are clearly losing skills. Spending too much time alone on a screen, becoming agitated and inattentive. They are isolated and many of them are very unhappy. And for the most part their teachers don’t see it.
Also, as you well know many affluent Newton parents pay for pods, tutors, supervisors, so their kids stay on track. Others have left the public school system all together. The education gap is widening. If social justice is our mission, and if our school system is truly committed to reducing disparities, and to equitable education, than our main goal ought be getting kids back in schools.
Newton could have done much better. Even with our old buildings, and the NTA’s negotiating skills. Even with having to find a solution to how to have lunch at school. We could have been the beacon showing the light on how to educate during a pandemic. Yet we had less in-person education than most of our neighboring communities. But as much as we wanted this to be different we accept this is now water under the bridge. However, after 12 months of this pandemic leading to a disappointing (albeit now somewhat improved) online and hybrid education, what many parents wanted to hear about last night was not just a success story (which somehow many of us have not witnessed) but an honest and transparent discussion of what went wrong. Then, a more in-depth discussion of how we can fix it. How do we move from here to having our kids engaged and back in school. For the parents who saw their kids fall behind emotionally and academically this is a true emergency. One that should have been acknowledged and discussed.
To move forward, there has to be a process of reconciliation between NPS, celebrating its success, and the parents who feel their kids were abandoned. Such reconciliation cannot come without more transparency and willingness to have more difficult and balanced presentations.
Respectfully,
Sigal Yawetz
100% agree.
NPS and SC should now spend all their time and effort to bring back the kids full time to school.
Let’s not spend our time telling how great this year was. It was not. It was tough.
Let’s focus on a fast, effective return ASAP
I believe it can both be true that (1) the teachers are working incredibly hard and doing an amazing job and (2) our children are not learning, are not engaged, and are suffering in the remote and hybrid systems. I understand the middle school team wants to highlight their hard work and successes (which are impressive) but the school committee should also be seeking to hear publicly (not just public comment) from the many many families with children who are struggling and/or disengaged.
What a fiasco. But most school committee candidates run unopposed, so I guess we get what we get.
Hopefully Rajeev Parlikar, Paul Levy, and Chris Brezski can bring some desperately needed competence to our city.
Letter sums up the situation nicely. You cannot keep voting for the same people and expect different results. If you want change, make your voice heard at the ballot box.
Thanks for writing this Sigal.
It is nauseating to listen to these meetings with all of the congratulatory “shout outs.” I have two kids. One we pulled out of NPS for private school. One is a senior so he remains. Only half of his classes have in-person teachers. When I speak to other NPS high school parents, they tell me that this is normal. When I speak to parents of high school students in our peer districts, they tell me that all of their kids’ teachers are in-class. What is wrong with NPS? Why does the School Committee pretend everything is wonderful?
The middle school report illustrates a big problem with NPS. The school committee and the administration never focus on what is going on with math, English language arts, and science. These are our problem areas compared with our peers. If the School Committee never prods, we will never leave the bottom of our peer group.
That you for sharing that letter – I believe it speaks to what many parents are feeling right now. I sensed general disbelief among many NPS families last night watching a 1 hour, 20 minute presentation that resembled a curriculum night at middle school. That statement takes nothing away from our middle school program, its educators, students or families. I am simply saying that every ounce of NPS administration and School Committee’s energy right now has to be focused on safely returning our kids to the classroom – that applies to every NPS family that desires to have their child learn in-person this Spring.
We know that the ad hoc medical advisory committee met the week of Feb 15th. There were slides prepared that were never discussed (available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1sC6mtgvpxVECWYZBCSefFEZYdA9CKQ37). We need to focus on the relevant. Right now that is safely returning our kids to the classroom.
What a brave, well-written post. I’m not a middle school parent, but the comments about the disconnect between the School Committee and ground truth rings familiar.
I agree with the earlier commenter – the best thing we as parents can do is to reject the status quo and support new leadership in our community. Chris, Paul and Rajeev will bring sorely needed private sector governance capabilities our school committee needs. I hope the community shows up to the fall School Committee elections in full force, with a clear message to the current “leaders.” And let’s not forget the upcoming City Council election — another opportunity to show a clear voice to the city, that parents are engaged voting bloc looking for leaders who prioritize children and families above inertia and special interests.
“Also, as you well know many affluent Newton parents pay for pods, tutors, supervisors, so their kids stay on track. Others have left the public school system all together. The education gap is widening. If social justice is our mission, and if our school system is truly committed to reducing disparities, and to equitable education, than our main goal ought be getting kids back in schools.”
AMEN. In my experience, this year has been a lesson in the haves vs. the have-nots and it solidified the feeling that my family is a have-not.
This letter sums it up accurately. The SC and NPS in general are showing minimal interest in reopening the in-person system, and instead keep dragging their feet in self-indulgent shout-outs. Such a shame, considering the huge budget the NPS runs by.
Elected personnel changes are evidently due, but I would like to also hope that the time will not get lost in pointless presentations, and instead there will be some sort of remediation introduced in this school year still.
Thank you Sigal! I can’t agree with you more, every word is spot on!
What can be more evident of this past year’s failure than the recent comparison that shows Newton almost at the bottom for every measured factor?!
When we moved from Brookline to Newton, I was sad but I figured it won’t be too bad as at least they have a great public school system – what a joke!!
If there isn’t a huge change coming, we’ll definitely have to reconsider our next steps for our kids’ education.
My comment below is made in jest, pls dont take it seriously:
The Mayor finally found a solution to the high cost of housing in Newton. Destroy the public schools to make living here less desirable to allow developers to build luxury high density housing for the childless
Trying to inject some humor into the situation. Not to be taken seriously!
Eventually, there will need to be be a prop 21/2 override vote, pandemic or no pandemic. In Newton, these are always contentious votes. The way the SC and NPS have handled in-person schooling will make an override vote very difficult to pass.
I thought it was just me about the constant self congratulations at SC meetings. Apparently, it really is nauseating to a lot of people.
My children graduated from NP schools long ago. In my neighborhood I see the school age children are in class 2 half days per week. I find this unbelievable. At this point in time their class time should be at least 2 full days per week. What is going on? The rest of the year there ought to be full days for every child.
I could not have said it better. Our kids are not thriving and are not engaged (even if they are trying). We need to do everything humanly possible to get them into classrooms (and not into a building to do more zoom). They need to interact with peers and teachers not on a screen. We need to make big changes.
Bruce is dead on. The current contract expires 8/31/23. There isn’t money for any increases without an override. It is going to be a tough sell.
If we consider that the public schools create the fabric of our community, then the public’s confidence in their administration and governance is one of our city’s most important assets. What we see in Dr. Yawetz’s letter and in the comments on this post is evidence of a deterioration in that confidence.* Even people without children in the schools depend on a strong school system to maintain the attractiveness and prosperity of the city, so this is a matter of concern to all. I dearly hope that this situation can be turned around quickly and effectively, or we will live with the ramifications for many, many years.
*To be clear, this is not a statement about lack of confidence in the teachers, the school nurses, or the other school staff. I think most appreciate the special efforts they have all made.
To my mind, there are two clear, urgent tasks:
(a) Re-open NPS fully in-person to all grade levels
(b) Recover from the education deficits created these past 12 months, and return the school system to academic excellence
Every SC incumbent needs to face a challenger with a laser-like focus on the above two items.
Excellent letter, thank you for sending it.
None of our efforts to get all kids back in school full time and with no masks will be effective unless we address the 6 ft. rule head on. There is simply no way of accommodating everybody with that rule in place.
We will also need a solution for those kids that refuse to come back to school in the fall. Who will teach them and how will we ensure this experience is up to standard.
Rather than take promises for a return to school at face value, we ought to lead with the most difficult questions now instead of playing defense with the clock running out this summer.
@Sigal – thank you for posting this heartfelt letter. We need more of a “Yes We Can” attitude when it comes to restoring in-person instruction. I highly recommend watchingthis meeting from last Sunday afternoon put on by John Oliver and Tarik Lucas.
Speakers including Dr Stefanos Kales, about how the data supports bringing students back in the building; Dr. Kate Nyquist on how much kids are suffering; Stephanie Marcucci, Head of Walnut Park Montessori School in Newton, on how they decided in April to open for full time in Sept and worked collaboratively with parents and teachers to make it happen.
Thank you Dr. Yawetz! A most thoughtful discussion of what occurred last night and what is actually going on with our city’s children.
As an elementary school
parent of K and 2nd I waited with baited breath to hear the Elementary School plan. It was the first time this year I was optimistic that our beloved NPS school system was about to finally come through for our children.
Instead I listened to 1.5 hrs of what you so accurately described :(
To be clear, my children have the BEST most dedicated teachers. The three days at home are the problem and any parent of any age school child can tell you why.
Finally at 9:30pm last night it was time to hear about the planning that has been going on behind the scenes to get the Elementary school children back to school in person where they safely belong :)!
Instead of any specifics, all I heard was a potential start date for full in person (which we all already knew from the state mandate) and a host of excuses about how complex all
of this was and what a “conundrum” the planning is for the administration. I agree – it is complex and it is going to take a lot of hard work, hours, and ingenuity.
My question is – Why is this hard work and planning taking place in March of 2021? It’s been a year of this pandemic and online home school. The writing was on the wall late spring and summer. It was fine to start with hybrid this fall but we should have kept the momentum going, as every other peer district did, and had at least our youngest learners back 4-5 days a week.
There is no excuse for lack of planning at this point. If it wasn’t for the state mandate I’m not convinced that full in person would happen in Newton at all this school year. The children have unnecessarily suffered for far too long.
Kudos to you, Dr. Yawetz. You are absolutely right. While I did find the Middle School presentation impressive for how teachers are innovating and adapting (and that does need to be showcased in some way), it should have been shared directly to middle school families as a special forum on innovation and creativity in a pandemic. It is valuable to recognize that teaching in this hybrid is so hard, so showing great work is important, especially when morale is likely low or plummeting.
I listened in to the meeting as I was hoping to hear an update from the back-to-school medical advisory and a plan for increasing in school learning . . . crickets.
The School Committee does not seem to be shouting that the house is on fire. They need to be all-hands on deck, especially, what is our plan for getting kids back in school and budget for the remedial help and mental help services that are going to be required for kids and staff after this year? They need a launch plan, a crisis management strategy.
And the basics of getting a middle school sports program going or figuring out how to get kids to each lunch outdoors in a tent should be easy wins. Heck, they don’t even need a tent, my daughter at South said it would be nice to have a few more tables and she will wear a coat! I heard transportation issues too is a gating factor, my daughter has 4 people on her bus to South in the morning – yes 4! I struggle to see why buses should be an issue to getting more in person school hours.
The recent State of the from the Mayor said that “For me, reopening our schools full-time is an urgent priority. I will do everything I can from City Hall to not just open fully in September but also to help students this spring who want to be in person more. . . . we will have all the key ingredients in place for more in-person teaching and learning.”
Once again, I did not see the sense of urgency last night.
P.S.
I took a look at the endorsement of the 5 candidates in the current City Council race, I am voting for anyone who is endorsed by Councilor Laredo – that would be Tarik Lucas and John Oliver. After the election on March 16, these two new City Councilors will have an urgent opportunity with their peers to be involved with oversight and engagement on a return to school plan this spring. So, if you are concerned about our kids’ education, really evaluate this vote closely. Look at who signed the letter to the Mayor advocating for urgency and transparency last fall and compare to the endorsement of the candidates.
For me, I am supporting the candidates that Marc Laredo endorsed as he earned my respect with his tenacity, especially after the response from the School Committee Chair that City Council involvement in the schools is “outside your purview” and “undermining”! You may recall Marc as the primary City Councilor who asked the Mayor, “What funding do you need to get our kids back in school?” He pressed Health Commissioner Youngblood for transparency and advocated for a medical advisory board and he pushed for monthly updates on the ventilation system upgrades with public Q & A, something the School Committee didn’t do. So, when Marc endorses Tarik Lucas and John Oliver, this stands out for me. https://village14.com/2020/10/27/city-council-weighs-in-on-schools/
Liz Padula: More than a little bit off-topic, but, based on his leadership regarding getting kids back to school, would you support Marc Laredo as a candidate for mayor?
My daughter is a high school teacher in Harlem. Teachers in NYC of any age are eligible for vaccination.
(My daughter also has already had Covid 19, probably caught during school at the very beginning of the pandemic, last February/March).
If we did that I’m sure a lot of things would move smoother. Why can’t we do that?
Oh and my 26 year old son in San Jose just texted me that he’s got his first Vaccine appointment.
I’m 62 and still waiting. What is wrong with this state?
Why did your 26 year old receive it? Is it due to his job or having comorbitites? If not, a 26 year old receiving his vaccine isn’t a sign of a successful campaign. I know many friends and family in CA in need of the vaccine due to their jobs and they haven’t gotten it yet.
@LaurenBerman, can’t speak for Liz, but I wound vote for Marc Laredo for Mayor in a heart beat!!!
@sigal, lovely letter and spot on! Thank you for sharing.
Couldn’t agree more with the commenters who listened in disbelief/exasperation while principals rattled off the issues they’re looking at with regard to getting kids back in person. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE YOU ARE JUST “LOOKING AT” THIS NOW?!
Thank for the well thought out letter. As a parent listening to the school committee call last night, it was another night of too much self congratulatory and rosy commentary that is completely out of touch with how families and children are really feeling. We need much better leadership and have the power as citizens of Newton to “vote in” during the upcoming elections with folks that will be self accountable, empathetic, and have the drive and determination to make meaningful change at a much faster pace then what we are receiving.
I spoke with my son, he’s a licensed arborist and so qualified as an agricultural worker and they are considered essential.
Seems wrong but, I don’t blame him for getting it.
Thank you @sigal for writing so clearly what so many of us feel. Our kids are being left behind on so many levels, and Newton can do so much more for them. The administration needs to step up, now!!
Sudbury middle schools going back full time next month. Just announced.
Thank you for sharing your letter Sigal. NPS enough of patting each other on the back. You cannot learn from mistakes made if you don’t acknowledge them.
I listened to the SC meeting on New TV https://newtv.org/recent-video/24-newton-school-committee-meeting/6675-school-committee-meeting-march-1-2021.
When asked about pressure points that are being reviewed that might prevent getting more kids back in person for middle school, Toby Romer states @2:07:00 that they would need to re-look at the ventilation system data. HUH? Josh Morse was very clear when he said back in October and again when the ventilation project was wrapping up that he was approaching the HVAC project to be able to handle full capacity.
Does anyone know if the public comment session that was scheduled for this evening, March 8, on return to in-person learning is still happening?
This was in the Feb 22 Newton School Committee email update: “Additionally, there will be a Public Hearing on Monday, March 8 at 7:00 PM, via Zoom Meeting linked here, regarding the Citizen’s Petition requesting Newton Public Schools form a Medical Advisory Committee consisting of Newton Residents for the purpose of returning to in-person learning.”
I think this is the Zoom link, but I was having trouble copying and pasting it from the email: https://zoom.us/j/390017072#success
According to the NPS School Committee website it is. This meeting is unique in that it says there will be an opportunity to also raise your hand to speak in real time. Normally public comments are made and the SC doesn’t respond to those comments.
“Public Hearing – March 8, 2021
Pursuant to Article 10, Section 2 of the City of Newton Charter, the School Committee will hold a Public Hearing on Monday, March 8, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom Meeting linked here regarding the Citizen’s Petition linked hererequesting Newton Public Schools form a Medical Advisory Committee consisting of Newton Residents for the purpose of returning to in-person learning.
If you wish to speak at this Public Hearing, please complete this form with your name and address.The form will be closed at 6:00 pm on March 8, 2020. There will be an opportunity to sign up in “real time” during the meeting by using the “raise your hand” feature on Zoom. Speakers will be called in the order in which they signed up, first come – first speak. The Public Hearing will start at 7:00 pm via Zoom.”
I assume their normal zoom instructions apply:
Computer) Zoom meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/390017072
(Phone) Call-in information: 1-646-558-8656
Call-in meeting ID: 390 017 072
Thank you for your post @Sigal. I feel the same way so disappointed and worried for the students. Let’s get it together. The lack of urgency is pathetic. The School Committee and The Mayor do a lot of patting each other on the back but have no plan for and no date to return to more in person learning in the HS and MS.
There is a SC meeting tonight at 7.
Yes, everybody believes since the pandemic, the school years have been tough, no matter how hard our teachers,
administration and parents worked! However, your children’s lives are not ruined! Even if they weren’t getting as much from on line teaching as to in classroom teaching, they will catch up! Make the vaccine mandatory (like other childhood vaccines)! Then kids will be allowed back in school, where the Newton School System will make it possible for kids to maintain their education. I worked at NNHS for 10 years, I was also a very involved parent activist through the Newton School System. I know how great and caring the teachers and administration are! Also, I personally went through The Brookline School System (they are not better)! Take a breath, your kids will be fine!