The School Committee meeting scheduled for March 20 will focus on the budget for Newton Public Schools (NPS) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, which corresponds to the academic year from fall 2024 through spring 2025. The proposed budget totals $286.3 million, which is a 5.17% increase over to the current…
Posts published by “Adam Bernstein”
The scheduled March 4th School Committee meeting contained a limited number of agenda items, and the longest discussion within the two-hour meeting was regarding the physical condition of the eight Newton Public Schools (NPS) elementary schools that have not recently been rebuilt or renovated, and are not imminently confirmed for…
Following the week of February 12, when Superintendent Anna Nolin, School Committee Chair Chris Brezski, and Mayor Ruthanne Fuller conducted a presentation and discussion for Newton’s City Council regarding next steps for the Newton Public Schools (NPS) after agreeing to the recent contract with the Newton Teachers Association (NTA), the…
NTA Lawsuits Resolve and Evolve, Assistant Superintendent Departs. On Monday February 12, Mayor Fuller, School Committee Chair Brezski, and Newton Public Schools (NPS) Superintendent Nolin conducted a public meeting with the entire City Council. The meeting’s topics included discussion of the provisions of the recent contract agreement with the Newton…
The scheduled February 8 School Committee meeting — the first meeting since the end of the Teacher’s Strike — exceeded three hours to complete its full agenda. Superintendent Anna Nolin began the meeting with the Superintendent’s Update, and she used this time to address the School Committee with prepared comments…
On a cold Monday morning — following a weekend of behind-the-scenes discussions among Newton Public Schools (NPS) administrators, staff, and PTOs regarding appropriate ways to welcome student back — Newton Public Schools opened for classes on February 5 for the first time in 18 days. Superintendent Anna Nolin told Fig…
Fig City News recently spoke with David Helfman, a Newton resident with significant experience in labor strike negotiations, advising unions on collective bargaining packages, as well as serving as a trustee on pension funds. The notes from this discussion are condensed for this article. FCN: You have a background serving on…
Following reports on January 24 of meaningful progress being made in the negotiations between the Newton School Committee and Newton Teachers Association (NTA), January 25 brought progress to a standstill, with a significant decline in rapport. The two sides once again held separate press conferences that night. At 9:37AM on…
The teachers strike continues, and schools remain closed at least through January 24. New information includes a comprehensive proposal document from the Newton Teachers Association (NTA) and a spreadsheet prepared by Newton Public Schools (NPS) comparing the stances of the NTA versus NPS. During the bargaining session on Monday, January…
On Tuesday, January 22, Newton Teachers Association President Mike Zilles sent Fig City News this response to the analysis that former Newton School Committee Chair Matt Hills had provided to Fig City News the previous day.