On August 21, 2025, the School Committee held its annual summer retreat at the Newton Education Center. All Committee Members — including Mayor Ruthanne Fuller — were present at the meeting, with the exception of Committee Members Rajeev Parlikar (Ward 1) and Barry Greenstein (Ward 8).
They were joined by Newton Public Schools (NPS) Superintendent Anna Nolin, Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education S. Ayesha Farag, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Gina Flanagan, and Director of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Maria Kolbe.
Also present and observing in the audience were School Committee candidates Jenna Miara and Victor Lee, who are running to fill the Ward 5 and Ward 8 seats, respectively.
No votes were taken, and there was no public comment.
The meeting began with a “carousel walk,” during which Committee members were invited to look at various displays highlighting NPS accomplishments from the previous school year. The displays were curated by NPS’s central office.
Dr. Flanagan and Dr. Kolbe then presented an update from the Office of Teaching and Learning. They outlined the Office’s focus areas for the 2025-26 school year, which they described as:
- Curriculum alignment and goals,
- Common assessments and growth measures,
- Instructional practices and shifts,
- Data driven decision making, and
- Professional learning and leadership.
Dr. Flanagan updated Committee members on the district’s extensive process of reviewing math curricula and the next steps NPS plans to take. Dr. Nolin said that more information would be shared directly with NPS parents during the school year.
Data analysis tools
Dr. Kolbe then presented new data analysis tools to the Committee, which she framed as a method of getting “student data in a really actionable way.” The tools, she said, allow educators to see a breakdown of their students’ achievement levels based on periodic assessments.
Dr. Kolbe also presented a new set of tools for educators, the “Renaissance” ecosystem, which allows educators to assign students adaptive practice based on their levels, gives educators access to specialized lessons and activities for students based on their levels, and gives educators access to slide decks and assessments to use in their classrooms that are aligned with state standards.
“It’s saying that, ‘based on the information flowing into our system naturally through those assessments, here’s what your students require,’” Dr. Kolbe said.
Dr. Nolin said that the new system is also helpful in ensuring that students who are struggling will receive the best support possible, as it documents every previous intervention and lesson done with each student.
Dr. Nolin also announced that, for the next three years, Renaissance will be sponsoring the district. The company, she said, has given the district $500,000 worth of free products — however, NPS will need to account for those services in its budget in future years.
Other topics discussed at the meeting included efficiency or meetings, teacher events and forums, and changing the time of meetings.
Efficiency of meetings
Committee members discussed ways in which the Committee could be more efficient with its meeting time in the future.
“We’re still taking way too much time,” said Committee Chair Chris Brezski (Ward 2). “Way too many three-hour-plus meetings.”
He said that the issue could be partially attributed to long presentations, but that the membership also needs to have “a better governor in ourselves” and that members could be more efficient with their individual comments.
Committee Member Tamika Olszewski (Ward 4) said that while she did not disagree fundamentally with Brezski’s point, she was not sure if lengthy conversations could be avoided in some areas. She also said that she did not want the committee to “be engaged in the process of shortchanging or truncating” important conversations.
Committee Member Emily Prenner (Ward 5) emphasized the importance of balancing efficiency with the opportunity to have back-and-forth conversations. Mayor Fuller noted that she found the most valuable use of meeting time to be organic discussion. Committee Member Anping Shen (Ward 3) said that he appreciated the opportunity to have an open exchange of ideas at meetings.
Teacher events and forums
Dr. Nolin noted that recent teacher events and forums have been fairly low in attendance. Brezski said that based on feedback, upcoming forums would be moved to mornings and be advertised more.
Olzewski noted that at a forum she attended, union leadership was present and played a significant role in the conversation. She wondered if the dynamics of other forums were similar.
“Yes, it’s good to engage with union leadership, but does that take the direction of the meeting, or do you think you’re having organic conversations anyway, around that?” she asked.
Brezski said that other conversations have been fairly organic and a good way to hear directly from staff. “I would love it if we could just get three times as many people and have three times the discussion,” he said.
Changing meeting time
Dr. Nolin noted that changing the Committee’s meeting time from Monday to Wednesday has been “proposed by more than one member.” Mayor Fuller noted her preference for moving the meeting time to Wednesday, explaining that the Monday meeting time is challenging for staff. There was some discussion surrounding other scheduling conflicts that could interfere with a modified meeting time.
Theo Younkin is this summer’s Fig City News managing student intern, a rising senior at Newton South High School, and Co-Editor-in-Chief of the NSHS Lion’s Roar.
