How ‘crowded’ are Newton schools? And can they handle new development?
Frequently on Village 14, various list serves and wherever and whenever new development is discussed, someone inevitably raises understandable concerns about how new growth will lead to overcrowding of our already “too-crowded” public schools. So just how...Newton to offer full-day kindergarten starting next year
From Superintendent David Fleishman:
December 11, 2018
Dear Newton Community,
I am very excited to announce that all Newton elementary schools will offer full day kindergarten (FDK) in the ’19-‘20 school year. We believe this change has tremendous benefits for both students and families and will provide the opportunity to improve our already strong kindergarten program.
Beginning in September, all kindergarten students will follow the same schedule as other From today’s Boston Globe: Thirteen history teachers in the Newton Public Schools are expected to miss some class time this week in order to gather documents for a public records request filed by an advocacy organization that has accused the district of anti-Israel bias in its high-school world history curriculum. The Watertown nonprofit Americans for Peace and Tolerance has submitted 16 public records requests to the school system so far in 2018. also from the article… Indisputably, the most important news from the Nov 27 school committee public hearing was the overwhelming public push back from teachers, students, alumni, community members, mayor, school committee and other elected leaders strongly refuting unproven claims of an anti-Semitic bias in Newton school curriculum. But there was also a side drama from Newton Republican City Committee Chair Tom Mountain. During his three minute testimony, Mountain never even raised the curriculum matter. Instead he seemed to be calling for the hiring of public school officials based on political party registration. And then Mountain then broke some news when A statement released today from the Newton School Committee …. Dear Newton Families, As a result of a formal petition alleging anti-Semitism in the Newton Public School history curriculum, the School Committee was required to hold a public hearing on the petitioners’ requests. On Tuesday evening, approximately 400 students, faculty, staff, and community members attended the public hearing at Newton South. We fully recognize that anti-Semitism, as well as bigotry and outright hate and intolerance against Muslim, Immigrant, Black and Brown and, LGBTQ members has become more pronounced in this country in the past few years. It is deeply distressing and we should all be working together to address it. However, we categorically rejected that Newton Public Schools’ curriculum is anti-Semitic or that there is an anti-Semitic bias inherent in our schools. At the hearing, students, parents, teachers and other community members overwhelmingly Former Newton School Committee member Margie Ross Decter has just launched a new series on NewTV called “School Matters,” a program that aims to raise “awareness of educational issues of local and national importance, and the efforts of students and the school community to make an impact by improving our community and the world around us.” Here’s the premiere episode School Matters: Student Activism from NewTV on Vimeo. School Matters airs Monday-Friday at 5:30pm, Saturday and Sunday at 7:30pm on NewTV’s Education Channel (Comcast 99, RCN 3, 582 (HD), Verizon 32).
Crazy Divers: Men be like...
drivers man be likeNewton students miss classes so teachers can answer 16th APT record request
In December 2017, the Jewish Community Relations Council and Massachusetts Board of Rabbis issued a statement calling Jacobs and his organization “purveyors of hatred and division” after they
Tom Mountain says he’s leaving Newton
Fuller: I categorically reject the allegation that Newton Public Schools’ curriculum is anti-Semitic
Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller released this through her email newsletter today Last Tuesday evening the School Committee held a public hearing as a result of a formal petition alleging anti-Semitism in the Newton Public School history curriculum. It was a powerful meeting, and I’ve been reflecting on what I heard from students, teachers and members of our community. Here are my thoughts
And now this from cartoonist Mark Marderosian
What’s going on with the length of High School days?
Who knew that shortening the school day for Newton high-school students was on the table? Well, anyone who closely follows School Committee meetings, I guess. Jeffrey Pontiff recently wrote an open-letter email on this topic (entitled “Save Newton...School Committee: Attacks are having a ‘chilling effect’ on teachers, school atmosphere
Kids Robotics Event on Saturday
It’s that time of year again when the LigerBots host a FIRST LEGO League tournament. We do this every year and it’s a great time. This one is a “qualifier” round with the Eastern Massachusetts State Championship coming up in December. On...NewTV and Ross Decter launch ‘School Matters’
BBJ: Six Newton elementary schools among top 25 in state
Six Newton elementary schools were ranked among the top 25 elementary schools in the state, according to this list in the Boston Business Journal. Mason Rice (No. 3) Cabot (No. 10) Zervas (No. 13 Ward (No. 14) Peirce (No. 19) Memorial Spaulding (Np. 25) The rankings...
