The November 4th regular School Committee meeting ran almost four hours across a meaningful agenda including a stark update about the state of Newton Community Education’s budget, a curriculum update, the 2025-2026 school calendar, and private school busing provided by Newton Public Schools (NPS). Prior to the published agenda, however,…
Posts published by “Adam Bernstein”
Among the five ballot questions Massachusetts voters will face on Election Day next Tuesday, Ballot Question 2 – Elimination of MCAS As High School Graduation Requirement – has received significant attention within the Newton Public Schools community. MCAS Background The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) – a series of statewide…
In public comments, union demands full-time Kindergarten aides. The October 21 School Committee meeting began with an unusually long (45-minute) public comment period with 14 speakers — the majority of whom were Newton Public Schools (NPS) educators who spoke in favor of the restoration of full-time Kindergarten aides in Newton’s…
The October 7th School Committee meeting was dominated by a two-and-a-half hour presentation and discussion of substantial changes that Newton Public Schools (NPS) is implementing to Special Education (summarized on page 42 of the presentation). NPS Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Casey Ngo-Miller and NPS Director of Multi-Tiered Systems of…
School Committee discusses District Goals, Gender Identity Policy, Budget Surplus. Angier awarded National Blue Ribbon The September 23 regular School Committee meeting began with public comment and approval of the consent agenda, and then Superintendent Nolin began her regular update by announcing that Angier Elementary was one of only 9…
Newton Public Schools (NPS) Superintendent Dr. Anna Nolin met with Fig City News at the start of the school year, as she did last year. This interview transcript has been edited for clarity and length. FCN: What are some different perspectives you have about Newton going into this school year…
The September 9 School Committee began with a 5th grader from Cabot elementary school leading the School Committee in the Pledge of Allegiance. Beginning meetings with the Pledge is a new protocol implemented for the first time in at least several decades at this meeting. Following the Pledge, Alex Pascal,…
This past winter, on Monday February 12 — a week after the end of the teacher’s strike, when most NPS parents were thrilled to no longer open emails sent by “Newton Public Schools” to know whether or not their children would have class the next day — NPS sent a…
“Couldn’t be more different than last summer” — Superintendent Anna Nolin Superintendent Anna Nolin and all nine members of the School Committee, including Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, met for approximately three hours starting at 4:30PM on July 24 for a summer session to begin to plan the Newton Public Schools (NPS)…
On June 29, the first official day of summer vacation for Newton Public Schools (NPS) students, Superintendent Anna Nolin sent a lengthy email to families in which she thanked educators, parents, and City officials for their partnership with NPS. The email contained links to the reports discussed at the June…