There is a School Committee meeting, Monday night, October 3rd. The meeting is at the Education Center, 100 Walnut St, Room 210 and is also on Zoom.
Meeting begins in Executive Session then public meeting begins at 6:30 PM.
Here is the Zoom meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/390017072
Here is the agenda …
- 6:00 Executive Session
6:30 Re-Convene School Committee meeting in open session
6:31 Public Comment (30 min)
7:01 (6:31) Interim Superintendent Update (15 min)
1. Spotlight: Academic Opportunities
7:16 (6:46) Discussion/Updates (90 min) - 1. Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) (FY24-28)
2. Literacy Curriculum Update
3. 1st Read – Policy Revisions: Crown Act: ACE Non-Discrimination, GBA Professional Staff Hiring, GCF Equal
Employment, JB Equal Educational Opportunities, JFBB School Choice, JICA Student Dress Code
Home School: IHBG/IHBG-R and Student Discipline: JIC
4. MASC Resolutions
5. Superintendent Search Update
8:46 (8:16) Discussion and Votes: (30 min) - 1. Discussion and Vote: Revised FY23 System wide Goals and Metrics
2. Discussion and Vote: MASC/MASS Conference Delegate and Alternate
3. Discussion & Vote to approve Overnight & International Trips
4. Discussion & Vote: Minutes: May 23, 2022, June 6, 2022
5. Discussion & Vote: School Committee Secretary
9:16 (8:46) Adjourn
Thank you for posting the meeting reminder and agenda. I encourage everyone to pay attention to item 2 on the agenda which is the literacy curriculum update.
The Mayor has committed to using ARPA funds to purchase a much needed new literacy curriculum however the curriculum that is being recommended is Fountas & Pinnell Classroom.
This is very concerning considering that the nonprofit EdReports (among others) have rated this curriculum as NOT MEETING EXPECTATIONS for alignment to college and career- ready standards. https://www.edreports.org/reports/ela
MA DESE also does not recommend the F&P curriculum through their CURATE Program (curriculum aligned to MA standards) https://www.doe.mass.edu/instruction/curate/
Please tune in to hear from not only parents but those in the field of education who will speak in the public comments and write to both the School Committee and District Leadership if you feel, like I do, that this curriculum is not the best one for “Equity and Excellence.”
Thank you Sarah for adding context here.
Hi Sarah. I am a student reporter for the Boston Globe. I would like to hear more of what you have to say! Email me at [email protected] so we can talk further
Thanks for posting this. Our MCAS scores have been very poor in English Language Arts compared to peer schools. The School Committee needs to take this seriously and get to the bottom of this. They should have done so 10 years ago.
My kids never learned proper grammar. They did not do enough writing, and when they did there was not enough feedback (and redlining) from the teachers. Writing takes practice.
Here are two passages that I found most alarming in the Ed Reports.
3rd Grade. “…students may never grapple with grade-level text during the year….There is very limited grammar instruction provided in the program, and many of the standards are not addressed. “
5th Grade. “Students do not have robust, necessary opportunities to engage in evidence-based writing. There is very limited grammar instruction provided in the program, and many of the standards are not addressed.”
I completely agree with Jeffrey that there needs to be more emphasis on writing. Though some of the course description refer to covering grammar in writing about literature I have not found much emphasis in practice. One of my kids had a year in hs where they wrote only one paper. I would rather see a course on the foundations of writing. Good writing takes practice and feedback.
I don’t understand how we are thinking about a literacy program, that ISNT endorsed by DESE. I was an elementary education major back in the day, and we were taught that if kids aren’t reading, we need to FLAG the kids early (first grade) and get them into reading recovery or an intense program. The longer we wait to get them reading, the more expensive it is and the worse it is for a budding reader. It is time to get the literacy and math specialists INTO the classroom for daily one on one instruction for the kids who fell behind during zoom school and for those who need the help. It is our responsibility as adults to get the kids the programs they need. These kids need us to advocate for them.
Reading Recovery is not an effective reading intervention program. Check out the short podcast series “Sold a Story” for some great reporting on how Reading Recovery, and Fountas & Pinnel have become so popular while failing to teach children to read.
https://features.apmreports.org/sold-a-story/
Hello! I am a student reporter for the Boston Globe. I would like to hear more of what you have to say! Email me at [email protected] so we can converse further
How did we get here?
Here is an example of why we have a problem. 5 years ago, I spoke with someone on the School Committee about the failures of the English program. Much to my surprise, she agreed with me about how crummy of a job NPS does with ELA. She was darn-knowledgeable (as always) about the details and described the program as being ineffective, untested, and not used by peer districts.
Despite this, I never once heard her speak up in a school committee meeting about our ELA failure. She never gave the administration any pushback, only accolades. In many respects, she was like Mayor Fuller. The desire to be liked by the administration and other school committee members was more important than improving the education of ten thousand students.
The school committee needs to work with the administration. I get it. That being said, when students are not getting the education that they deserve, they need to get pushy. Regarding the current school committee, I continue to be optimistic that Levy and Brezski will make the kids’ education a top priority. I had no expectations about Parlikar before this term started. During the second to last meeting, I was impressed that he pushed back on the administration’s nutty efforts to eliminate level-based instruction. Maybe there is hope. On the other hand, I originally hoped that Anping Shen would share the education values of many Asian parents that I know. From the school committee meetings that I have watched, he has yet to stand up for these values.
So is the insinuation here that Anping is responsible for speaking for the Asian community in Newton? Or that all Asians share the same educational values?
I’m not a frequent attender of School Committee meetings, but when I do, I find his comments and contributions thoughtful and representative of many families that I know. Personally I think he does a good job at representing a wide swath of Newton families (and I’m not just saying this because I’m Asian). ;-)
Matt, to answer your questions in order; No. No.
I have not been watching the school committee meetings closely this year. So, it is possible that recently Anping has exhibited the values that I originally hoped that he had and he stood up for these years, and I missed it. If so, I am eager to learn from my error.
My broader point is that meaningful change at the SC level requires two things–the right values and the grit that is needed to stand up for these values.
“On the other hand, I originally hoped that Anping Shen would share the education values of many Asian parents that I know.”
What a gross thing to say.
Interesting that your comment does not sound remotely racist to you.
Hi Jeffrey. I am a student reporter for the Boston Globe. I would like to hear more of what you have to say! Email me at [email protected] so we can converse further
Rumor has it that the Newton school committee has hired a hot gun union buster lawyer for its imminent negotiations with the NPS. Does the gentleman have any association with Paul Levy? The latter is known for his rancor towards organized labor. Therefore, one can deduce that these negotiations are going to be long, drawn out, and fraught with tension.
Newton failed my three kids rather miserably when it can to writing but history, math and science were nothing to brag about either. Not nearly what I thought I’d be getting for the premium of living in this city. Oh well, live and learn.
In what way Elmo? Can you speak to this issue in greater detail? I had a similar experience.
Anyone know anyone on the Superintendent search committee?
Who are the SC members on the committee?
Who are the community reps?
Or is this not announced yet?
An email went out today and it isn’t encouraging. Let’s just say that academic rigor isn’t on the bottom of the list- it isn’t on the list at all.
Tamika Olszewski, Co-Chair, School Committee Member
Emily Prenner, Co-Chair, School Committee Member
Rajeev Parlikar, School Committee Member
Ayesha Farag, NPS Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education
Kathy Lopes, NPS Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Diana Beck, NPS – Zervas Elementary Principal
Jackie Mann, NPS – Day Middle School Principal
Terri Bancroft, NPS – Newton North & South Special Education Reading Specialist
Jesse Brackett, NPS – Memorial Spaulding Senior Custodian
Jessie Champion, NPS Parent/SEPAC Board Member
Natasha Goddard, NPS Parent & Educator in another district
Phoebe Anthony, NPS 11th Grade Student
Carl Finn, Newton Resident & Newton South Alumni
I’m a bit stunned that there are no classroom teachers on the committee. Seems like an odd decision.
@ Mary:
I too am stunned there are no classroom teachers. But they are not the only unrepresented group! They offered 4 spots for community members, 1 is the SEPAC Chair (fine to include, but not as a community member as they are in the system), 1 is a DE&I focussed leader in Wellesley (again, fine to include but we already have Kathy Lopes), 1 is >70 (not representative of an NPS parent) and the last is a student.
There is not a single parent of an elementary school student, you know, the ones who will have the most to gain or lose from a new Super given their future time in the system. There is not a single Asian representative. There is not a single representative who CARES ABOUT ACADEMIC RIGOR.
No parents and no representation for non-SEPAC/DEI. What a disaster. Tamika should be fired for creating such a politically biased group for what will be the most important decision for the future of the >13K students in NPS. I cannot believe she did this.
What do teachers know? They are only involved with the learning process 180 days a year. All of these other folks are pros at reading and interpreting test results to suit their own biases or to satisfy their bosses.
@ Jackson, @ Craig:
This list doesnt include nearly as many constituent groups as it should. Academic rigor, I hate to say it, is FAR MORE IMPORTANT than equity. Equity is important, dont mistake my point, but the goal of a school most fundamentally is to educate its students.
Should we educate them in a way that gives equal opportunity to all, equal representation to all, equal access to all – YES. BUT…here is the failure of Newton. We care so much about the peripheral stuff that we let the core goal fail.
Equity does not mean outcome, it means opportunity.
@Kathy Lopes, @Tamika, @School Committee Members – How can you possibly justify this group. A majority of people in Newton with kids in NPS came here for the schools. For the Education afforded by the teachers, for the rigor and preparation for college or career. NOT FOR POLITICS, not for fake equity, etc.
This is a disaster and to the degree to which they are related, we must all vote no on the override unless Mayor Fuller fixes this. Why would we agree to a good faith downpayment on a school system with this horrific group selecting the future leader?!
Jerry, can you please make a new post for the announcement of the superintendent search committee announcement?
Why isn’t Paul Levy on this committee? He’s the person on the school committee most experienced in hiring leadership. I am happy to be corrected here but there doesn’t appear to be anybody on this committee experienced in hiring a leader for a large organization.
It appears that Tamika Olszewski wants to stack this committeee with people aligned with her agenda and rubber stamp her unilateral decision.
A good inclusive leader assembles the best people and a diverse team to cover blind spots and offer different perspectives, and to help get buy in from important constituencies. Ms. Olszewski fails this basic test of leadership.