Dear NPS Families, It is hard to believe that I have served as superintendent in Newton for 12 years. At times it feels like yesterday that I returned to Massachusetts to take on the challenge of leading one of the larger districts in the state. At other times, especially given the pandemic, it seems like a lifetime ago. I have cherished every moment in this role, working in partnership with you to support your children and our schools. However, as so many of you know, there comes a time in one’s professional life when an opportunity presents itself that is the right next move and a natural next step. And so, it is with very mixed feelings that I share with you that I am leaving the Newton Public Schools at the end of this year to become the President/Chief Executive Officer of JVS Boston, one of the largest providers of adult education and workforce development services in New England. While very different from a school district, the core mission of JVS aligns with my personal and professional commitment to advancing issues of economic and social justice through the lens of education, skill development, and support. Over the past 12 years, with the support of the Newton community, we have achieved so many important goals. I am particularly proud that we have embraced diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as social-emotional development, and made them part of the fabric of our district. At the same time, NPS students continue to thrive academically by engaging with dynamic educators committed to providing both challenge and support. It has also been wonderful to have played a role in lasting improvements such as full day kindergarten, 1:1 technology, and our new and renovated school buildings. While the last few weeks have indeed been challenging, I am very pleased with the mayor’s announcement last night that additional funding will now be available for our schools. This added funding will help to preserve many of the outstanding initiatives and supports we have created in recent years. Although the work ahead will not be easy, I am confident that the talented and dedicated faculty and staff in our district will continue to meet the needs of our students. I leave you with a strong and highly skilled district leadership team in place. It is a team that knows this district well and will steer it safely and smoothly through this transition. I also feel privileged to have hired a majority of our principals, who continue to lead their communities with thoughtfulness, care, and compassion during stressful and challenging times. I know the School Committee will be in touch in the coming days regarding next steps for district leadership. Newton has shown perseverance and resilience through tough times, and I am confident that the future is bright for this special district. It has been the privilege of a lifetime to work on behalf of our students, staff, and families and I am truly grateful for the experience. Sincerely, David Fleishman |
Boston Globe story here
Interesting that the school committee renewed his contract during Covid, but he isn’t staying. . . .
Hope to see positive academic changes going forward. Open to override if the change is serious
It’s the NPS administration under David Fleishman that holds back academic excellence. Many are the same people who were under Jeffrey Young. Idealists who will not be swayed by decades of research or experience in education. The same people who tried to tell me years ago, Newton adopting the K-8 math program used in New York City was a good thing. Ignoring NYC public schools massive achievement gap and overall low achievement. The same people who supported a middle school English teacher, who sent me an e-mail explaining she didn’t correct spelling in student’s work because spelling was an elementary school skill.
I’m so glad he’s leaving! Now if only the SC can put together a knowledgeable search committee to get a competent superintendent…
Still, even with an excellent superintendent, it will take years to undo the damage Fleishman has done to NPS.
That’s a really well written letter. I wonder who the original author is?
Exactly. I can’t believe he stayed on the job after that story.
And then I really cant believe he was given an extension! What a failure by Ruth G as chair of the previous SC.
The current group is far better and hopefully they actually put academics over fake equity bullsh!t and hire the right person.
I was in the graduating class for this speech. It was a hell of a life lesson after having the terrible consequences of plagiarism ingrained in my for four years
So droll! What a card! Who does YOUR writing.
Best comment ever. LOL.
We need Turner as super but that won’t happen Bc he is going on national book tour with asst super Cathy Lopez. Guess that eliminates Cathy from becoming interim super. Maybe Zilles can fill the role.
Henry Turner? That would be even worse than DF.
The same Principal Turner that told the entire High School that, because Kyle Rittenhouse was found innocent based on self-defense against three white trouble-makers, America’s judicial system is racist? Oh yeah, Turner would be quite a pick.
I’ve never understood how he and Mayor Fuller eschewed the *free* personal counsel of nationally recognized infectious disease docs such as NPS parents Drs Rochelle Walensky and Ashish Jha— let alone DESE— when creating their return to school plan for 2020-2021.
For the record, the Medical Advisory Group lacks a single epidemiologist. Not one. Clinicians are great but pandemics are not their jam. There are many qualified epidemiologists in this town (who are also NPS parents) who came forward and were rebuffed by DF. No shade on Jha, but he is neither an epidemiologist or an infectious disease specialist; his scholarly focus was health policy (hospital readmissions, Medicare reimbursements, etc.). Kudos to him for parlaying an opportunity to ascend to bigger stages. NPS’s failures here are multiple and reflect the myopic, reactive leadership of DF and the mayor. (We can also talk about the completely opaque formation and operation of the MAG but that deserves its own thread.)
Now, perhaps social emotional learning (SEL) can be released from its shackles put on by the resigning Superintendent and the Mayor whose budget shortchanged student support services.
Magically, $1million has appeared after the School Committee took a stand. Kudos to them. She said in today’s email, “NPS financial team scrubbed their books.” Really? Placing blame on them is really not worthy of the Mayor of Newton.
The Mayor, by her actions, does not support emotional well-being of our children (words are not action) and has not addressed the Youth Behavior Risk Survey at all.
I hope everyone asks her:
“What are doing about the 80 students each year the survey was administered who have admitted that they tried to kill themselves or the 400 who have harmed themselves or the 800 in clinical depression?” What plan does she have? She won’t talk about it or offer any suggestions. Go ahead. Ask her.
I hope the new Superintendent search includes candidates who will be a real advocate for our children instead of just rubber stamping the Mayor’s budget that favors business instead of our children.
Let’s have a progressive superintendent who is transparent, who communicates well with the public about her or his decision-making, and is not fearful in taking on the Mayor’s incorrect priorities.
100%. You nail it.
Next superintendent should hire principals and administrators who’s focus is educating kids, giving them the tools to make their own decisions about the world around them, and who doesn’t feel the need to attach “progressive” “conservative” or any other political identifier to their professional biography. Politics OUT of our schools!
@Adam, I couldn’t agree more.
We need to refocus on academic excellence, nothing more. The kids deserve the best education we can give them, not one tainted by politics of any kind.
Yepper, schools are for teaching and learning. There are plenty of mental health experts in Newton to handle the the issues raised by Mitchell Lyons. Mission creep is plaguing the school system in the same way that it has law enforcement.
Mental health issues are often first observed in the school context, are often exasperated by it, and are inextricably linked to school performance and school-based social interaction.
Kids whose mental health needs aren’t identified in school are simply less likely to have their challenges addressed early in their lives. That holds doubly true for families with fewer resources. Access to mental health treatment is more important but harder to get in the shadow of the pandemic.
Divide the responsibilities for staffing and paying for it any way you want. But schools and mental health are fundamentally tied together.
And that’s setting aside the public safety risks that may exist when the most extreme mental health crises aren’t identified and confronted.
100%
It is not hyperbole to say that this is appointment is the most consequential event in Newton in decades. This is an opportunity to pivot our district back to academic excellence, and choosing a leader that fits whatever political buzzword of the moment has the potential to be catastrophic.
We’ve lost over 1,000 students from Newton Public Schools.
The next superintendent needs a clear mandate to restore the quality of schools across the board.
Honor Roll
Honors Classes
Homework
Class Rank
Athletic Excellence
Foreign Languages
Stem
We as a community can do this if we demand it from our School Committee.
@Craig. 100%
In giving you a golf clap in honor of the Masters. Spot on, a school’s goal is to provide an excellent education. We arent doing that as well as we should or could. We need to refocus as you described. No more bullsh!t.
Schools are not, cannot be and should not be medical providers. Social/emotional learning may have a place, but it is not to address depression or other serious mental health issues.
“Progressive” was not meant as a political statement, but as “open to new ideas” That’s my fault for the bad choice of word. My apologies.
Mitchell – thanks for follow up note. I agree that the year of remote school and ubiquitous screen time has caused a lot of emotional damage which we’re still seeing now, and our kids need support.
Pat P. 100%. The confidence gained from succeeding at academics is one of the best social and emotional lifts there is.
Totally agree, Adam. Any success children can have is a big plus for their confidence to try new things.
Btw, what is “Pat P. 100%”? Just curious.
Adam, students should be required to join your theater program at NN. I’ve seen many of your shows in person and I must say they are well done. Kudos to you and the students. Does the staff still do the improv show?
Ken – I’m not that Adam B. I’m an NPS parent of elementary kids.
Mitchell – 100% meaning I 100% agree with that statement.
Given that our community received Fleishchman’s resignation with near universal acclaim, anybody involved in hiring him (Claire Sokoloff), not firing him after his plagiarism scandal (Matt Hills), or voted to renew his contract (Tamika Olszewski, Emily Prenner, Kathy Shields, and Anping Shen), should stay FAR away from the search process/committee for his replacement.
We need to do an override to attract a great superintendent. Nobody in their right mind will take this job until the fiscal situation is on better footing. I would only trust the new members of the school committee Paul Levy, Chris Brezski, Cove Davis and Rajeev Parlikar to participate in this search to ensure that our added tax dollars are not wasted. Mr. Levy, in particular, was the only one who ran a contested election, which was essentially a referendum on the old regime that hired and supported Fleischman. Mr. Levy also has the experience of leading and serving on public and not-for-profit boards. He should lead the search.
Great points, Bruce. Who conducts the search matters.
And since you mentioned “tax dollars not wasted”, Dr. Fleishman’s departure is but a first step before I could even feel comfortable considering an override. His recent leadership focused on every politically laced catch phrase and acroymn, instead of those that mattered… ABCs, SATs and MCAS. The focus needs to return to education excellence and the social/emotional well being of our students, and not Covid stipends. As we are now seeing, even “progressive values” ultimately has a price tag and does not magically grow on trees.
To the next Superintendent!
Matt and Bruce:
I’m sure the School Committee will take your suggestions regarding who you deem worthy to make this particular decision the time and consideration those suggestions deserve…
But to state the obvious, this is not how any of this works. The hiring process. The school committee. Elections.
It is certainly a big decision though. The School Committee (all of them, not just a chosen few) will have a difficult time with this one, especially considering the funding gap that currently exists.
Truth be told, if these decisions (elections, school committee) were not made to the wishes of the citizens, why have them at all? I think all citizens of Newton need their voices to be heard and not to be labeled or cancelled because their views/wants might differ from others. Look at what happened in San Francisco recently when the citizens voted out some of the incompetent school committee members for doing nothing to further academics but pander to progressive politics and what paint colors to paint over murals. I think Newton parents need to band together and stand for what they want in their children’s education.
Completely agree. Hence, any parent advocacy via these blogs, is quite important. As we all saw, the additional ARPA funding from the mayor was a direct result of parents’ advocacy combined with NTA demonstrations.
I agree parents needs to connect together to advocate for their children’s education instead of just shifting the entire burden to SC. It is not even fair for the SC, to be following all angles and multiple issues. I believe SEPAC has done a fabulous job for advocacy in a respectable manner, and can be a model for others. This advocacy becomes even more important since vast majority of officials get re-elected unchallenged, and without a debate that highlights differences in their policies.
As re: Bruce Wang’s comment on structuring the search committee – there is an element of truth to it. I for one think Paul Levy as the winner of the most city-wide election is an important voice. He won the largest number of votes for competitive SC races. I hope he volunteer his time for the search committee.
The new superintendent represents an opportunity for Newton to change its course. A course where “Excellence for All” is practiced and where teachers are supported by all. I hope we are deliberate and thoughtful in our choice.
Jimbo I couldnt agree more. Keep bullsh!t politics out of our schools. That goes for far right and far left policies. There is no place for that in our schools…which brings my to my next point…
Next person who needs to go is Henry Turner. Captain Bullsh!t himself, cares more about pandering to progressive identity politics than the academic excellence in his school and city.
We need to get back to basics, return ourselves to academic excellence, and get back to core education.
Mr. (presumably) Wang clearly has no notion of how searches like this work. A search firm is hired. The firm has a rolodex of candidates they push very heavily (almost) regardless of the feelings of the committee. Almost surely, one of these people will be hired. Moreover, the assertion that “nobody would take this job blah blah blah” is not true. People take jobs with challenging characteristics for all sorts of reasons.
Then we have Mr. (presumably) Wang’s exclusion list. Up until COVID, Dr. Fleishman was a fine superintendent. Perhaps not awesome, but far better than his predecessor. Anyone whose panties were or remain in a bunch over the plagiarism incident really should get over themselves. Dr. Fleishman made a mistake, arguably egregious depending on who you are, but certainly not deserving of the career ending screeds so prevalent in this “forum.” Unless you are anticipating sainthood after your passing, it is the height of Newtonian misplaced moral superiority to be so uncompromisingly critical of Dr. Fleishman’s failing.
What defines failure?
Fact: Newton’s academic state rankings have been in steady decline year after year.
There is nothing “fine” about that. Mr elmo
If the city wants to at least attempt to reverse the decline, the search should be focused on a candidate which puts academic excellence first.
Or do we just end up with someone whose priority is the fiercest defender of the teachers union?
Education in Newton has been deteriorating for over 20 years. The new superintendent represents an opportunity for the school committee to pull the NPS out of a tailspin. The administration will try to exert influence over the process, perhaps going as far culling the candidate pool to a short list. Allowing them to do so would be a major mistake. The problem goes beyond the superintendent position. A good new superintendent needs to clean house and bring in new administrators whose top priority is delivering a first-rate education. The SC needs to put on their big boy/girl pants and run the search.
Here are few examples that illustrate that we have a crisis at the administrative level. A running theme is deception aimed at making NPS/NPS leaders look good, or promoting their agenda, at the expense of education.
First, blatant malfeasance. You can’t make this stuff up. https://www.newteach.org/post/nta-ebulletin-january-17-2022 Scroll down to the labor relations update. Does anyone think that the assistant superintendent, who was a couple years into her job, acted independently in falsifying documents without the involvement of anyone else in the administration?
Second, purposeful misinterpretation of surveys, and dissemination of the misinterpretation long after acknowledging such. One example is high school start times. The administration uploaded guidelines for a delayed high school start, claiming that the survey supported the guidelines. After years, the SC admitted that the claims were not supported by the survey. Was this misinformation removed from the website? No.
Third, presenting forecasts that are hardwired to get the result sought by adding in ludicrous assumptions. For example, the enrollment projections for this year assumed that every single student who was pulled out of NPS during Covid would return. Not 0% (the outcome), not 50%, rather 100%. Well, we know how that ended.
I can go on and on. My point is we need more than mere change in superintendent. The school committee, particularly the new members, need to control the selection process such that the new superintendent is empowered to clean house.
I couldnt agree more!
I want Chris, Paul and Rajeev to lead the search, not those who gave Fleishman an extension!
Returning our focus as a district to academic excellence should be easy, but for some bizarre reason people still like to pander to the bullsh!t.
I still hope we can change course and hire someone who cares more about teaching kids fundamentals than fake equity garbage.
You forgot Ms. Cove Davis! She has the most impressive credentials as an educator among the members of the school committee.
Sorry yes Cove too, my bad. You are correct
@Frank D – Is “bullsh!t” some kind of signature for you? I think the last dozen comments you’ve left included it.
Calling card baby. I like to throw it in there! A little pizzazz.
I am happy with the tack that the new SC Members took regarding the budget. I feel that they were asking the right questions. By wanting to see what expenses were actually incurred due to covid and asking for information on how that was reimbursed from federal funds specifically meant for that purpose, another $1.5 M was found by the Mayor. I also feel that they were completely correct in not supporting the proposed budget via a straw vote. As Paul and Chris communicated even though they liked the direction that the process was taking, they did not have enough concrete information as NPS had not flushed out the specifics yet. It was the proper thing to do to show that they are expecting accountability from NPS. To have another member say that the straw votes is just that and can be changed just doesn’t get to the core of the matter. NPS needs to be questioned and probed for detail. This is the first step in making the schools better. I’ve felt that previously the SC acted like Fleishman was their boss rather than the opposite. They were unwilling to challenge things at times and did not hold Fleishman as accountable as they should have,
The second step in improving our schools is finding the right person to be the next Superintendent. I echo other posters thoughts..the focus needs to be on brining back the excellence in our schools. We need to be meeting all students needs so that they can be best prepared for their next phase in life. Removing differentiation and rigor is not the way to go.
I view these comments, especially the ad hominem attacks on Superintendent Fleishman, with mixed emotions. Yes, his failure to attribute his comments at graduation to the former governor was a moral failure. All he had to do was preface those brief comments with “As Governor Patrick recently stated….” Still, he acknowledged the error, and I also believe, “Judge not that ye be not judged.” He learned from the experience, as did the brave students who had the courage to report the gaffe in the first place. It was a learning experience for all with no long-term harm to anyone.
The NTA never viewed Mr. Fleishman as “in their pocket”- quite the contrary. He tried, with some success, to tread a difficult path between the demands of the staff and the fiscal realities of Newton’s budget. On a personal level, he was nothing if not warm and supportive of the efforts of the best educators in the system.
The accusation that the Newton schools engage in too much insubstantial “virtue signaling, ” at the cost of academic rigor, might have some truth to it. But the world of students, especially teenagers, is complex these days, and they are prone to imbibe all sorts of biases from social media. With most families having, at best, a tenuous connection to traditional sources of moral teaching, e.g. religious institutions, schools have moved to fill the void. Many families are themselves in turmoil, a primary source for student angst. As for the pervasive racism in society (who can deny it?), schools feel obligated to respond in some way to these moral and spiritual challenges. We can all argue about the best method of addressing these societal issues without sacrificing academic rigor, something that I absolutely believe in.
When a classroom teacher, I often doubted the efficacy of programs consisting mostly of “consciousness raising,” as we used to call it in the 60s. To me, the best way to overcome inbred biases is through activities in common, such as being teammates on sports teams or members of the school newspaper or similar activities. Seeing through the stereotypes and getting to know the inner person: these are time-tested ways to build the unity and empathy so needed in these days of spiraling racism, sexism, and anti-Semitism. Videos and inspirational presentations have limited staying power, in my view, and students get cynical about them after a while. But that doesn’t mean that schools shouldn’t try.
At the end of the day, the undeniable fact over the last decade+ shows state NPS rankings steadily declining when compared to peer districts.
No amount of excuses or mental gymnastics changes that fact.
If Newton is OK with steadily decline school district then go ahead and hire another clone.. else take this opportunity to clean house
I agree with the people who advocate for a change in direction of NPS. David Fleishman was hand picked by Claire Sokoloff, Anne Lardner and Susie Herman. DF represented their vision for the future of NPS. These 3 people led the charge to revise the city Charter and thankfully they failed. Their biggest failing is that they believe in form over substance. They think Newton schools are great because of fancy, expensive school buildings. They do not give a damn about the well being of the students. With Paul Levy’s leadership Newton has an opportunity to change direction for its people. I am sorry to say Ruthanne has not provided good leadership. Her best friends and supporters are those who have led the city for the past decade. Clearly, their values are not proving to be best for Newton’s future well being.
Correction: Anne Larner, Susie Heyman
I’ve never heard of Anne Larner and Susie Heyman. If they are indeed the ones that also picked Fleischman (I’ve only heard the name of Claire Sokoloff associated with this disaster of a superintendent), they too need to stay far away from the selection process.
However this process is run, it needs transparency and the heavy involvement of NTA leadership and some NPS parents in this community which are education experts. There are several that come to mind.
I’m curious as to how the last process was run (I wasn’t a Newton resident yet). Whatever that was, we need to do the opposite.
Good riddance. Time to bring in a new leader that focuses on academic excellence and bringing up our rankings to get both Newton high schools in top 5-10 group in the state. Look at the latest USNews rankings here https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/massachusetts/rankings. Everyone is beating us. I know this is just one ranking but when a collective of similar rankings start showing Newton schools consistently lower, we are in trouble.
All of our neighboring districts are beating us handily. Yikes. Enough of this non academic nonsense focus. We have great teachers and amazing students that we should be able to put them through more rigorous and advanced curriculum through. Let’s beat Weston, Wellesley, Needham, Belmont on our way to match Lexington.