State Officials Back Newton STEM Effort

Posted on February 17, 2011 by Steve in Curricula and Learning

NewtonSTEM (science, technology, engineering and math), a new organization created by Newton parents to promote interest and opportunities around STEM careers for Newton students, held a kickoff event at the Newton Senior Center on March 7th. State Representative Ruth Balser introduced STEM advocate Lt. Governor Tim Murray, who spoke on the state government’s growing emphasis on STEM promotion. This effort is about helping our kids since 21st century jobs will be increasingly STEM-related, and it’s about helping our economy and our global competitiveness too. Continue reading →

Co-Taught Classrooms Pilot

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Steve in Special Education, Teachers

I was fascinated by the presentation given at the February 14th School Committee meeting on co-taught classrooms for students with special needs who previously received one-on-one aides. An alternative being piloted at Countryside and Mason-Rice involves structuring a classroom with two full-time teachers each trained in elementary education and special education. These teachers lead blended classes with up to 1/3 special need and 2/3 mainstream students. Continue reading →

Trees in the Contract Negotiation Forest

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Steve in Budget, Teachers

Former Newton mayoral candidate Tom Sheff, commenting on contract negotiations with our teacher union recently stated: “… It’s possible to give a 1-2% payraise if the city gets back in return a 75-25% split on healthcare. It all depends upon the party’s priorities.”

Yet those details are the trees. The forest is the question “What can Newton both justify and afford to pay our teaching professionals?” Continue reading →

Creative Proposals to Improve Deliberation Quality

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Steve in Transparency

I would love to see a blog on the Newton Public Schools site where School Committee members could explore issues with each other at anytime without having to wait for the formal bi-monthly meeting. The blog would be viewable by anyone with an internet connection but nobody other than a SC member would have posting privileges. This would allow for group exchanges on topics that deserve more airtime and deliberation than is available at the regularly scheduled bi-monthly meetings, while keeping discussion in the public view. Continue reading →

Day Expansion, Modulars, and the New Sprinkler Law

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve in School facilities

The following Newton TAB Blog thread addressed the expectation that the application of a new state sprinkler law would result in less funds to directly solve the short-term space needs at 6 of our schools.  DAY EXPANSION AND MODULARS LIKELY TO BE SCALED BACK.  Here are some of my thoughts on this issue:  Continue reading →

METCO and its Impact on Newton Finances

Posted on November 14, 2010 by Steve in Budget, METCO

There has been much discussion of late regarding whether the elimination of the 40 year old METCO program will save Newton money. I have spent considerable time studying this question, and believe that the challenge of understanding the financial impact of METCO on NPS is hampered by a lack of complete information. Continue reading →

Planning for School Infrastructure

Posted on November 12, 2010 by Steve in School facilities

One comment made at the recent Board of Aldermen presentation on school space needs by an astute alderman (with apologies, the identity of the speaker escapes me!) is the need to work the intersection between short and long term planning.

The acquisition of Aquinas serves as a perfect example. COO Bob Rooney spoke on this and noted that there is no swing space need this coming year, and it is hard to justify acquiring Aquinas and then leaving it vacant for a year or two while developing a use plan.

But consider that 2 years ago the “bubble” was only 5 years wide; now it is 10 years wide and it sensibly should be considered as permanent growth. If Aquinas is a legitimate infrastructure piece of a permanent growth scenario, we must look seriously at it now while it is still available. Continue reading →

Aquinas as a Magnet School – Good for Academics, Good for Space Crunch

Posted on November 8, 2010 by Steve in Curricula and Learning, School facilities

A K-8 magnet school at Aquinas offers an intriguing double-bonus:

1. It gives us an opportunity to strengthen our academic program with a math/science academy, a Montessori program, or world language immersion (e.g. Framingham’s math charter school, and the highly regarded Holliston French immersion and Montessori offerings);

2. It will draw off every single elementary and middle school in Newton, reducing enrollment pressures at every single school in the district. If spending on Aquinas eliminates the need to spend for expansion at some of our other schools that must be added into the economic equation. Continue reading →

A Data Approach to Curriculum Assessment

Posted on November 7, 2010 by Steve in Curricula and Learning

I am looking forward to watching how Dr. Fleishman applies a data approach to curriculum assessment. Non-data folks have dismissed the proliferation of math tutoring schools to the ultra-competitiveness of Newton students. Others, including me, would like to understand whether the quality of our Math programs, including Everyday and Impact Math, are also having an impact. I consider this to be too important of a question to answer with gut feelings and speculation, which are the tools that Newton has used to evaluate this question until now.

The Impact of Math Schools?

Posted on October 9, 2009 by Steve in Curricula and Learning

In 2004, a limited NPS survey found that 25% of our students received tutoring or outside math school support. Since then at least three high-profile math schools have opened and are thriving around Newton. We haven’t surveyed our student population again, but we must determine whether the instructional credit for our high math scores should go to our expensive Everyday/Impact/math coach effort, or the local Russian Math school. Are we getting good value for the NPS program, or are we spending money and getting poor results, results that are only hidden by an affluent parent population who can afford outside math support? We must focus on educational results, followed immediately by the cost to achieve them. We must ask good questions, and be willing to act on the answers.