Detailed findings shed light on major NPS deficiencies accumulated over prior years
At the November 20th School Committee meeting, new Superintendent Anna Nolin presented a lengthy report of insights she had gained by canvassing the Newton community since March of this year. The Entry Plan Analysis document contains information that is likely salient to any person connected to the Newton Public Schools (NPS). While the report is too detailed to describe all of its finding here, several main themes emerged throughout the analysis, including:
- Improved HR processes (the NPS head of human resources, Dr. Joany Santa, was recently hired this academic year.)
- Strengthening district-wide data collection and analysis
- Improved educator training and development
- Expansion of Diversity Equity and Inclusion resources to include groups previously under-prioritized
- Ending chronic budget shortfalls and reversing the effects of recent funding-related cuts
The report contains many examples of the positive attributes of NPS and its community, however its conclusion is that significant additional resources within a sustainable budget are prerequisites for remedying the delinquencies that presently permeate the district.
Additional items on the meeting agenda included elementary and secondary student social and emotional health updates, a negotiation update regarding the Newton Teachers Association, including a comparison of neighboring district educator compensation, and a report on recent MCAS scores compared with pre-pandemic scores.
At the time of this writing, NewTV’s video of the meeting was not available. This article will be updated with a link to the video when it is available.