Supporting and respecting girls’ athletics in our schools
There was an article this week in Newton South’s paper, The Lion’s Roar, titled “Female athletes face adversity, even at South” describing differential attitudes toward girls’ and boys’ teams at the school. On February 12, the...Rethinking high school entirely
Newton Parent Jack Cheng wrote a great piece that came out in Commonwealth Magazine over the weekend in which he called on Newton (and other districts) to entirely rethink how we approach high school. He wants us to get creative in our thinking. He offers up some...South Principal Joel Stembridge leaving Newton
Newton South Principal Joel Stembridge announced to the South community that he’s leaving to become principal of Charlestown High School next school year. Stembridge has been at Newton South since 2009. Here’s his message: Dear NSHS, This afternoon I let...How is NPS Doing with Meal Pickup and Remote Learning?
Yesterday on the local news, Somerville and Danvers were highlighted for their schools’ excellent response to this pandemic. That prompted me to wonder how things were going here. The NPS website has information about meals that can be picked up outside Newton North...Covered bike parking at NNHS!
Some lucky Newton North bike commuters are about to get the best bike parking: covered spaces! As the father of a son who bikes there regularly, this is welcome news. It’s the result of a lot of hard work by Alicia Bowman in her role as President of Bike...A tale of two high schools from the Boston Globe
In today’s Boston Globe, Malcolm Gay and Jenna Russell contrast student experiences at Brighton High School and Newton South. Read, then come back here to discuss. “Experts often say geography is destiny in the United States, that a student’s future...Globe: South teacher let go after reportedly showing student a photo of a gun
A Newton South teacher who was once a semifinalist for a statewide teacher of the year award was placed on administrative leave this month after a report was made to school officials that he showed a student a photo of a gun in class, the Boston Globe reports. “While...South teachers ask mayor not to attend graduation
According to this article from the TAB’s Julie Cohen, 80 percent of teachers at Newton South signed a petition asking Mayor Fuller not to attend graduation on June 6 because of “failing contract negotiations.” The teachers’ contract —...Israeli American group apologizes for saying there’s an ‘anti-Israel atmosphere at Newton High Schools’
One week after telling its members that there was an “anti-Israel atmosphere at Newton High Schools,” the Newton-based Israeli American Council-Boston , a group representing Israeli-Americans in the region, issued an apology acknowledging “we believe that most of our...Overwhelming support for schools & teachers on view at public hearing
UPDATES: Boston Globe story here.
Students, alumni, teachers, parents, clergy, city councilors and many others testified in opposition to citizen’s petition promoted by Americans for Peace and Tolerance, a group that has long-complained of an anti-Israeli bias in the Newton Public Schools, at a packed public hearing at Newton South High School
Over 400 Newton North grads sign letter supporting ‘our teachers and our school system’
In advance of a public hearing Tuesday night (Nov. 27, 6:30 p.m. at Newton South) more than 300 recent Newton North High School graduates have signed a letter in support of “our teachers and our school system in their mission to craft a curriculum that promotes critical thinking.”
The alumni wrote the letter in response to an on-going campaign by “Americans for Peace and Tolerance (APT), a group whose members have been targeting our school system for years and have recently begun targeting individual teachers” over discredited claims of an anti-Israel bias in Newton Public Schools.
Tuesday’s hearing is the result of a citizens petition and is expected to draw