Mike Zilles, head of the Newton Teachers Association, spearheaded no-confidence votes on Newton’s elected mayor and elected school committee. This followed a no-confidence vote on our last superintendent, David Fleishman, because the NTA disagreed with plans to return to in-classroom education. Now the NTA is illegally striking, shutting students out of…
Posts published in “Schools”
I think that there is impartial evidence that Mayor Fuller and the NPS School Committee have not been negotiating in good faith. Superior Court Judge Barry-Smith decided today to LOWER the daily fine to the NTA to a consistent $50,000, instead of increasing it to $400,000, and he came to…
On January 26, legal representatives of the Newton Teachers Association (NTA) attended two hearings in Middlesex Superior Court, after which the judge issued a ruling that assesses a coercive fine of $50,000 per day that the strike remains in place, starting at 8PM on Sunday, January 28. No fine will…
Regarding comments by NTA President Mike Zilles about Mayor Fuller’s designation of federal pandemic funds for Newton Public Schools (NPS), I’d like to clarify the information. Mayor Fuller invested over $28 million of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and CARES funds, approximately 40% of the City’s total, in the…
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…
Kudos and thanks to the members of the Newton School Committee! They have shown exceptional diligence, patience and flexibility, offering many substantive proposals and adjustments in their responses to the demands of the teachers union. At the same time, they have, as they are expected to do, defended the taxpayers…
Google account records will be deleted. Request copies by Feb. 16, 2024 The Newton Public Schools’ Department of Information Technology and Library Services intends to destroy the Google records of all students who exited from any Newton Public School prior to June 30, 2018. NOTE: Student transcripts will be maintained by…
Although the Teachers Strike continues, and schools will remain closed on January 25, the Newton Teachers Association (NTA) and School Committee each said, in separate press conferences at the end of January 24, that they had made real progress in their negotiations – and gaps remain. Key points: NTA President…
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.