Meeting agenda: Introduction of new elementary principals, capital projects update
The September 19 School Committee began with a single public commenter, Dr. Phoebe Olhava, applauding the NPS commitment to creating a “culture of fairness and belonging.” However, Dr. Olhava went on to say the NPS Statement of Values and Commitment to Equity does not emphasize students’ individuality enough. Rather, the Statement of Values focuses on tailoring educational supports to a student’s group identity.
Dr. Olhava is known to the NPS community as an advocate for asymptomatic Covid-19 testing during the 2020-2021 school year via the Safer Teachers, Safer Students initiative. She was also a signatory, along with 144 other Newton physicians of a letter imploring the City to increase in-person learning at NPS during the pandemic. Fig City News contacted Dr. Olhava to clarify her position, and she replied on behalf of herself and two additional parents with whom she collaborated on her statement: Toby Kumin and Vanessa Calagna.
FCN: What benefit to educational outcomes do you seek through increasing NPS’ focus on unique individuality within its Values Statement?
Dr. Olhava: “We hope to ensure that our school system is a place that creates opportunity for all and prepares all of our students with the best possible education to fulfill their human and academic potential. Newton should be an inclusive community where all people should be treated equally and fairly, regardless of their skin color, ancestry or circumstances of their birth. Each student is a distinctive, intrinsically valuable individual. We believe the academic, social and emotional needs of each individual student can be best addressed by understanding each students unique experiences, feelings and abilities.
“No group is a monolith; every culture has diversity within it. Assuming student needs, interests or experience based on their skin color or other group identity essentializes our students. Essentializing flattens students into representatives of their groups, rather than allowing them to develop their own identities. We believe that all Newton students would benefit if we work toward cultivating learning environments that recognize students’ unique identities while also promoting diversity, fairness, understanding and a sense of our shared humanity.”
FCN: Did something in particular occur at NPS, or are there specific school policies or activities, that motivated you to make a public comment?
Dr. Olhava: “We made a public comment in response to the recently published System Wide Goals, dated September 2, 2022. The Goals state that they are ‘in alignment with the Statement of Values and Commitment to Equity.’ While the Values Statement is a well-intentioned first step toward creating a culture of fairness and belonging for all members of our community, we are concerned that the Statement presents only one perspective of how to counter racism and bigotry.
“We believe that Newton should be an inclusive community where all people should be treated equally and fairly, regardless of their skin color, ancestry or other traits. We want to help NPS avoid assumptions about what students might need based on their group identity. A pro-human and constructive approach to creating an inclusive community embraces each member as unique individuals while also emphasizing our shared humanity.”
FCN: Do you plan on proposing specific language to the School Committee to amend the existing Values Statement?
Dr. Olhava: “Yes, we look forward to partnering with the School Committee to offer some revisions to improve and broaden the content of the Statement. Our revisions will address our concern that the Statement might unintentionally create division and foster negativity by essentializing students and overlooking their uniqueness as human beings.
“As NPS parents and community members, we believe that the Values Statement should include an antiracism perspective that recognizes that we are all unique, even within identity groups and that we are all united by our common humanity. We urge NPS to revise its draft Statement to be more inclusive of all members of our community by focusing on shared values. We believe all students, families, and educators, regardless of skin color, ancestry, or other circumstances of birth, must feel a sense of belonging in NPS classrooms. In the words of Daryl Davis, an expert on race reconciliation, ‘It is not enough to be antiracist; we must also be pro-human.’”
Following Dr. Olhava’s public comment, the meeting’s regular agenda included the introductions of Dr. Maura Morse as Lincoln-Eliot’s new principal and Andrea Vargas as Peirce’s new principal. Following that, Newton Public Buildings Commissioner Joshua Morse gave an update on NPS capital projects, and School Committee members Emily Prenner (Ward 5) and Paul Levy (Ward 6) discussed their progress on the Finance Working Group. See NewTV’s video of the meeting.
