On August 15, Superintendent Anna Nolin and the Newton School Committee met for approximately three hours to finalize planning for the 2024-2025 school year and formally introduce new hires from the Superintendent’s office. All nine School Committee members, except Vice Chair Emily Prenner (Ward 5), were present at the meeting. Mayor Ruthanne Fuller and Committee member Tamika Olszewski (Ward 4) joined virtually via Zoom.
The group was joined by four members of Dr. Nolin’s team: Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education Dr. Gene Roundtree, Director of Communications and Family Engagement Christina Maryland, MBA, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Dr. Gina Flanagan, and Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education Dr. S. Ayesha Farag. All except Dr. Farag are new to Newton Public Schools (NPS).
The meeting was not recorded, and no votes were taken. There was no public comment.
State of the Schools
The meeting began with updates from Dr. Nolin’s office regarding her takeaways from the NPS State of the Schools experience, with Dr. Farag summarizing findings and recommendations for both elementary and secondary levels. Among the recommendations for the elementary level were consistent Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) centered around a district-wide vision, and increased family engagement and understanding through clear communication. Dr. Roundtree delivered recommendations for secondary schools, with MTSS development remaining a central focus. The need to close achievement gaps and further explore the future of multi-level classes was also a key aspect of the report, which as of this writing was not yet posted to the publicly available School Committee documents folder.
Dr. Nolin shared data with Committee members on student performance from iReady literacy diagnostics. She noted that the percentage of elementary school students performing at or above grade level increased by 23 percentage points, from 59% to 82%. Among middle school students, there was a 6 percentage point increase, from 71% performing at or above grade level to 77%. Dr. Nolin noted that one-third of middle school students who identified as Hispanic or Latinx were performing at one or more grade levels below their own at the end of the year – a number that was disproportionately high compared to other groups. She said that schools would internally set targets to avoid “teaching into the void” for students who are more than one grade level behind, and that the new data will have implications for staffing and training in the future.
The report then turned to attendance, with Dr. Nolin sharing data on rates of student absenteeism. She noted that students in several groups – those who identified as Hispanic/Latinx, Black/African American, English learners, students with disabilities, and students participating in the METCO program – were more likely to be chronically absent. Committee members and Dr. Nolin discussed issues surrounding high school attendance, with Committee member Rajeev Parlikar (Ward 1) expressing concern about the future of WIN blocks. While he described the program, which serves as an opportunity for high school students to work with teachers during the school day, as a “great concept,” he said he does not think high school students have grown accustomed to the program’s expectations regarding attendance and that it is “not working yet” as intended. Dr. Nolin said that the district is considering expanding WIN blocks as a part of its MTSS program, and she suggested that students might face mandated WIN block assignments should they earn a particular grade or perform poorly on an assessment.
Communication and Family Partnership
The district’s new Director of Communications and Family Engagement, Christina Maryland, formally introduced herself to the Committee and piloted her entry plan. She presented the framework for the NPS Foundational Family Partnership, centering around proactive communications, relationship cultivation, shared responsibility, and enhancing family well-being and belonging. She then briefly described her implementation plan, outlining her future efforts to build and expand trust with families and the community. Committee Chair Chris Brezski (Ward 2) and Committee members Olszewski and Parlikar briefly offered suggestions and expressed excitement for the future of the program.
Office of Teaching & Learning Report
The district’s new Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, Dr. Gina Flanagan, formally introduced herself to the Committee, piloted her entry plan, and shared her preliminary findings. She previewed her goal of coordinating an officially adopted curriculum to be used consistently in all classrooms across the district and noted that her preliminary findings suggest there is much work to be done in achieving this. She shared her plans for a 5-year curriculum review cycle to assess, redesign, refine, and evaluate a consistent and improved district-wide curriculum. Dr. Nolin reiterated support for Dr. Flanagan’s work, telling the Committee, “I want you to have the confidence that we are doing the once-over and have the robust goals in place.” Several members expressed excitement about the plans and the future of the curriculum.
Introduction of Dr. Gene Roundtree
The district’s new Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education, Dr. Gene Roundtree, formally introduced himself to the School Committee and piloted his entry plan, which he said centers around developing an understanding of NPS and its functions. He plans to conduct interviews with community members, including students and staff, to dive deeper into the community and explore ways to grow in the future.
Pledge of Allegiance in School Committee Meetings
After the Assistant Superintendents and Director of Communications left the meeting, the conversation turned to the subject of whether or not to begin future School Committee meetings with the Pledge of Allegiance. Committee member Paul Levy (Ward 6) was quick to voice his support for the Pledge, noting its presence in City Council meetings and classrooms. Mayor Fuller said that while she acknowledges “nuances” surrounding the Pledge, she supports its presence in School Committee meetings, adding that as NPS students say the Pledge, it would be “proper” for the Committee to do so as well.
Brezski mentioned that in the past, certain Committee members had refused to lead the Pledge at the beginning of meetings when offered the opportunity. He said he would be “fully in favor” of a proposal to have a fifth-grade student lead the Pledge at the beginning of each meeting, noting that “nothing would be more student-centered.” No Committee members expressed objection to Brezski’s proposal, and members Parlikar, Barry Greenstein (Ward 8), and Anping Shen (Ward 3) voiced support. Olszewski emphasized that NPS students have the right to decline to say the Pledge, but said she was willing to begin using the Pledge to open future meetings.
Other notable topics and items addressed in the meeting included:
- Diplomacy with the NTA. Dr. Nolin said that she is working with NTA President Mike Zilles to prioritize relationship-building with the union.
- NPS websites. The sites are now run by a new company. Greenstein emphasized the importance of working to build useful, accessible platforms.
- Math benchmarking. Dr. Nolin introduced eduClimber, a new program for math benchmarking, to track interventions and promote consistency.
- Ward 7 vacancy. This meeting was Amy Louise Davenport’s last meeting. The Ward 7 Committee member is stepping down due to an upcoming move. (Note: Plans for a replacement were not discussed. Per the City Charter, a vacancy occurring on the School Committee within the first 15 months of a term requires the City Council to call for a Special Election, to be held within 120 days of when it is called.)