Yesterday the Governor called for a “robust summer school program for students to help combat learning loss from the pandemic.” He also said that “if Mass. doesn’t have a robust summer school this year, shame on us.” This was reported widely, including in the Boston Globe.
I agree with Governor Baker. While my politics are liberal, I give the Governor tremendous credit for using the authority he has to move our schools to in person learning faster than would otherwise have been the case. Governor Baker has been out front on school openings for several months. He’s pointed to our private schools as examples to show what could be accomplished. For the most part he’s been proven right. Our schools are opening, and the sky hasn’t fallen.
But I have to ask, where is our local leadership on summer school and other learning alternatives? Why are we always reacting to our Governor’s initiatives, versus showing leadership and creativity of ideas? Since the pandemic has started Newton has consistently lagged, and we seem not to have learned from our mistakes. We’ve been cautious and conservative. We’ve had labor/NTA challenges. But we keep forgetting our kids. Why?
Summer school needn’t be mandatory. Teachers needn’t be required to work through the summer. However, with all the federal money we’re about to receive we ought to be able to offer great compensation for any teacher who does want to work. At the HS level I can easily see offering any number of for credit classes in person, and in a relaxed way, free of charge to our students. Why aren’t these things happening? Why do we again seem flat footed and unprepared? It’s already April. Where are our leaders and what are they doing?
What do you think?
It is too late already for a lot of kids. I would have enrolled my youngest in summer school, but I had to make a choice between camp and a not yet formed up summer option from the school. We paid for the camp last week. Got the notice about SPACE camp the next day.
Feels like a lot of parents don’t wait until April to figure out the summer. Because you really can’t and expect the kids to be in organized activities. Most camps are full by this point.
In the scheme of things not the biggest deal but it does feel like Newton Public is just not able to keep up with everything. Glad to be going back 5 days next week, counting my blessings on that at least.
Not a single incumbent on the school committee deserves your vote in November. Nor do the candidates that The Machine puts up. If you see an endorsement from the current members of the school committee, vote for the other candidate. If there is not another candidate, leave it blank or do what I do and write in “Lizard People”.
This had me thinking about grades. I see the principals had their everyone gets an “A” grading system shot down by Fleishman. Thank you DF.
Speaking of summer school. My niece and nephew are both teachers in an affluent MA community. Both told me there is no chance the best teachers will teach summer school. Niece said, “no matter how much they offer me to do summer school I’ll be at the beach mask free with a cocktail.” Can’t blame her.
So if you want summer school you will get inexperienced teachers who likely are just trying to get their foot in the door.
Our son and daughter both just secured internships that trump any type of summer education. Freshmen used social media to connect with a few executives…Junior sent old fashion letters. I’m so proud of them. I didn’t have to make one call or send one email. More kids should do it themselves the old fashion way.
Now we are going to start to discuss summer school? Many camps are already filled, and if your child has struggled this school year, do the kids WANT to be in a classroom? Boston (and many other large urban school systems) have brick old school buildings. Nothing says “WE LOVE STUDENTS” and then putting them in VERY HOT classrooms.
I agree that the best teachers don’t normally teach during the summer. Some do, but traditionally summer school isn’t robust.
It is a bit too late.
I really disagree with those saying it’s already too late, or that the best teachers won’t be available. Sure, it is late and for many Summer plans are already made. This could and should have been arranged for weeks ago. It’s yet another failure of our school system and local government.
But many kids, especially as they get older tire of camps and move to Summer jobs. As for the teachers, of course many will pass, but many who take jobs over the Summer might find this attractive, or as a way to gain experience teaching new material….a growth opportunity. Everything about the pandemic is far from perfect, but to not offer something because 1) we started planning too late so let’s do nothing, or 2) some families are already committed is just dumb. If you offer something worthwhile the kids will show. This is still Newton. People are competitive and want their kids to learn and have every advantage. If you build it they will come.
Forgetting the pandemic for a moment, NPS is woefully lacking a robust, for-credit summer school program at the high school level. Students should be able to choose from a wide range of for-credit classes (both core and electives) during those months, not just “makeup”/credit recovery classes if they failed. This is helpful for both the go-getter students trying to impress colleges and pile up AP credits (or those who want to graduate early) and for students that struggle with a full course load during the regular year.
In other parts of the country, this is sometimes achieved with more “regional” summer school programs so there’s critical mass. And maybe some veteran teachers can afford a summer on the beach (and they’ve certainly earned it in many cases this year) but there are plenty who need and want the extra cash, particularly if they’re trying to afford rent and mortgage payments around here.
I guess the summer camp lobby has convinced the state that this shouldn’t be the case, just like the ski resorts conned them into thinking a random week off in February was a good idea 😉
The process of aligning students who want to attend summer school with appropriate staff with credentials to teach a particular class/grade and who want to teach in the summer sounds like a Rubik cube exercise.
It’s probably best to find out if the city has sufficient staffing for an extensive summer school program before making plans.
At Jane, you’re absolutely right. The planning should have happened long ago. The people who dropped the ball shouldn’t remain employed. That’s how the real world works. If we keep waiting for perfect nothing ever happens. It’s a great excuse. I’m tired of it. Our state rolled out Covid shots before everything was ready. There were black eyes. But lessons were learned, processes fixed, and now a third of our population has at least one shot. Some form of Summer School can follow the same pattern. If we don’t start the Newton school’s mediocrity where we live off of reputation and not results will continue. It’s not acceptable, and every Newton resident should be demanding better…and real leadership change.
Trust me, employment in public education is the real world.
Sufficient staffing is a minimum standard for running a school.
I believe there will be a sweep of incumbent School Committee Members this fall. The challengers will prevail.
We should absolutely have academic offerings over the summer. Let’s focus on young children for a moment. Would a few weeks of school before Labor Day, to focus on reading and basic math and try to get students up to standard, be a bad idea? Absolutely not, especially given the learning loss that has undoubtedly happened this year. It’s only April – mid/late August is almost 5 months away. Plenty of time to make a plan and execute.
Also, very grateful to Gov. Baker for getting schools open. Without him, we’d likely be stuck in a spiral of additional surveys and committee discussions, resulting in vague promises to try to try to get the schools open full-time again.
The idea is good. The execution of the idea must be doable – enough credentialed staff to teach students whose families want them to attend. We’ve been through this before – you need teachers in the classrooms.
Assessing the availability of funding is step #1; step #2 is assessing the availability of staff. Then you know what to plan for.
Sorry for going off topic, but I’d be much more grateful to Gov. Baker if he also took steps to prevent a fourth surge while reopening the schools and didn’t gut our public transit during the final stages of the pandemic. He got some of it right, but that’s not great leadership.
And for those who advocate voting for any demagogue on the ballot haven’t been paying much attention the last four years. Shame on you.
Does anyone here have a link to the original radio broadcast or a transcript of it?
Because from what I’m reading (here and elsewhere), it seems like this might be a funded recommendation though Massachusetts’ statewide ARP dollars, but it might be Baker dictating how towns allocate the dollars already given.
I guess the question is, given this was a radio address, how much time (labor $) should Newton – and other towns – put into planning this and how many co tracts should be signed on the basis of this? Should plans be based on reprioritizing existing dollars, or contingent on extra cash?
As always, this is a personal statement. (I really would appreciate the source, though..)