2009-2010 Posts

Autumn was very busy!  The more projects I took on, the less inclined I was to stop & write...

So I am going to aim for monthly updates & hope that is realistic.  Since my last post things have changed quite a big.  We're in a campaign season again.  We await news on local aid figures from the state.  Dr. Ash presented two FY12 budgets for our review.  One was a "level service" budget.  The second is his "recommended" budget.  The basic concept is that very few people would run identical services for two years in a row.  Students change, programs change, the curriculum changes.  Assessments inform our understanding of best practices.  We strive for continuous improvement and want to make the adjustments in our programs that will meet the needs of this year's learners.

The major component of the recommended budget's changes are new positions for technology.  I support improvements in technology, but I have explained that I also feel it is very important that we continue to undertake curriculum reviews.  Dr. Ash was instrumental in re-starting these multi-year K-12 reviews.  Curriculum reviews strengthen the transitions between K-5, 6-8, 9-12.  

After the failed override of 2006, the K-5 Social Studies Curriculum coordinator position was cut.  (Originally the K-5 Science Curriculum Coordinator was also slated to be cut.  Advocacy helped save the Science Curriculum Coordinator -- but was not successful in saving the Social Studies position.)

The recommended budget for FY12 informed School Committee that the Social Studies review, originally scheduled for 2010-2011, was to be postponed because we did not have a K-5 Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator.

At the SC meeting, I raised concerns over this and advocated for a reconsideration of the review.  If we believe in the district's curriculum reviews, continuous improvement and the value added by our curriculum coordinators, I find it distressing to have gone this long without a social studies coordinator.  It is unsettling to me to find that we have gone this long without having any educator dedicated to this core academic subject area.

Dr. Ash reviewed this issue with his leadership team and reported back to us at the last SC meeting.  He supports the idea of having this position and recommended a way to fund the position. 

Today's EDCO Board meeting began at 10:00 a.m. and lasted until about 1:00 (with some time for informal conversation at the end).  It was excellent opportunity to get a sense of the different towns in our region.  Superintendents and School Committee members joined together to review EDCO's budget, policy priorities and strategies for the year.  I learned more about our collaborative efforts to save money on special education transportation.  My favorite part was simply being part of a circle of strong advocates and educational leaders.

This evening was back-to-school night at Diamond.  I'm writing this after 10:00 p.m.  Trying to walk in the shoes of both of my children tonight left me feeling tired!  We have excellent teachers who are engaged with students and the subjects they teach.  

I was reminded again of the high impact social moments our children experience throughout their school day.  You literally pass hundreds of faces (friends, old friends, acquaintances) in just a short walk from one class to another.  I made a personal vow to try to give my children a little extra down time when they come home from school.

EDCO Board Meeting Thursday at 10:00 a.m.

Part One...

Tonight was the second School Committee meeting of the year.  It was great to see parents in attendance (including a few who stayed out past 10:00 p.m.!).  One of our shared goals is to try to keep meetings on schedule -- and to shorten them, if possible.  We understand it is difficult to have meetings run too late at night.  We were able to stay close to our target, despite having two major topics scheduled with 45 minutes each. The second sparked a great conversation and did take a bit more (well-spent) time. 

Our first major item was a report on the district's Mentor Program for new teachers.  The Agenda left 45 minutes for the presentation and discussion -- and, we were right on time with this item.  Bob Harris gave us an excellent overview of the program.  Phyllis Neufeld (President of the teacher's union, LEA) presented further details. A trio of educators from Bowman introduced themselves to us and demonstrated collaboration between principal (Mary Anton-Oldenburg), mentor (Jackie Crowe), and mentee (Julie Selhub).  The presentation concluded with Mr. Len Swanton's description of the program for second year teachers.  It was great to see mentors, to hear their direct feedback, and to learn that both mentors and mentees have found the program a useful tool to enhance teaching and learning.

Our second discussion item was the Superintendent's Recommended 2009-2010 System Goals.  Dr. Ash reviewed last year's goals, and stressed that several goals are ongoing.  The math curriculum review was not able to be completed in three years, so it has been dubbed a 3 1/2 year review.  The science review continues.  This is the first year of the literacy review.  Work on the Equity and Excellent Plan continues, as does the district's attempt to increase staff diversity.

My major questions were these:

1. Could we look forward to seeing a goal that identified any improvements we might need to make in the social-emotional arena -- for example, around stress/anxiety?  

2. Can we/Dr. Ash identify new strategies that might help us increase staff diversity?  This is an ongoing goal, and we did not see significant improvement last year.  The strategies outlined are similar to last year's strategies.  

(Web Note:  Does anyone in the community have suggestions?)

3. Can Dr. Ash please articulate the district's goal to improve math instruction to not only support students who need remedial help -- but to differentiate instruction in a way that also challenges advanced learners?  

(Web Note:  Dr. Ash first began a reply that discussed the role gifted and talented programs play in some communities.  I clarified that my specific request had to do with highlighting the positive work done at Bowman to pilot flexible groupings in math.  My understanding of this practice was that teachers could use their ongoing formative assessments to group students for one lesson -- then re-group to help move each student forward (some might need to review a lesson, some might be ready to dig deeper).  Dr. Ash was responsive to this suggestion.

I have heard some educators who worry that if a school district states they are doing something to meet the needs of advanced learners, then there will be parent pressure to include too many students in the program.  My experience with parents is that most parents support true differentiation, where their children are supported and challenged based on each child's needs and abilities.  

Parents with two or more children are quick to note that child A might need extra support in math, child B might need extra challenge, and child C might need something in the middle.  

This isn't to say that there aren't some parents who push for more or less support/challenge for their child.  

But, my sense is that the community supports being in a district where students are supported and challenged as appropriate.)  

What do you think?    

More notes on the meeting  -- tomorrow!

EDCO's Policy Group was terrific.  I met School Committee members from neighboring towns, including Belmont and Winchester, Brookline and Waltham.  We reviewed shared concerns and brainstormed topics for future meetings.  

One very interesting discussion item had to do with collaboration between towns.  While attending Stand for Children's Summit (last spring), I heard an extended presentation on the benefits of regionalization, or consolidation.  Clearly, cost-savings can be achieved, especially in rural areas, when districts collaborate.  

The question is: what level of local autonomy do towns want when making decisions about their schools?

Do you feel the same way about sharing a bus company or food services provider?  What about sharing curriculum reviews with another town?  On the one hand, we all must provide education that meets the state frameworks -- on the other hand, towns now have the autonomy to select text books!

It takes a great deal of work to coordinate K-12 curriculum in Lexington's nine schools.  What would it look like if we tried to share curriculum with the towns closest to us?  We're such a large district, it is unlikely that we would be pressed to form an even larger district.  Yet, it is interesting to place ourselves in the shoes of the School Committees who are grappling with these questions.

I will spend part of Thursday afternoon with members of the Policy Group which meets under the umbrella of the Education Collaborative.  One of my School Committee liaison roles is with EDCO.  In the spring, I enjoyed attending a School Committee member roundtable where I met School Committee members from neighboring towns, including Belmont, Lincoln, Carlisle and Sudbury.

I'm looking forward to learning what the Policy Group does!

Yesterday I attended the "PTA Presidents Group" -- where leaders of our schools' PTA/PTO/PTSA organizations gather to discuss their best practices and common challenges.  

The monthly meetings are attended by the Superintendent, a representative from School Committee and special guests.  I will attend as the School Committee's liaison for the 09-10 year.  In addition, fellow School Committee member Mary Ann Stewart, President-Elect of the Massachusetts PTA, will attend to speak to state and federal issues.  

Mary Ann and I collaborated to create small "thank you" cards for this year's presidents:  Nancy, Betty, Sue, Amy, Deb, Liz, Carin, Kara, Jen, Betsy, Suzanne, Mary Ellen, Suzanne, Carla, Janine, Gretchen, Nicole, Jennifer, Andrea, Kathleen and Margaret.  Here is a snippet:

These community leaders, and the hundreds of volunteers they support, bring the following to their school communities every day: Perseverance, Personality, Persistence, Patience and Productivity.

While you certainly couldn't run a school district solely with volunteers, our public school students wouldn't enjoy the same rich quality of education without the dedication of our volunteer force.  

I would love to document the number of volunteer hours given to our schools -- and will discuss this with our Superintendent.  How many hours are given in any month -- in classroom help, enrichment programs, organizational work, resource gathering, event planning, and so on...

My theme for this month's meeting was "Pass it On".  When you learn something helpful, the best thing you can do is tell someone else.  Remember the old shampoo commercial -- "tell two friends, and they'll tell two friends, and so on, and so on..."

For today, I pass along the value of membership in parent volunteer organizations.  Consider joining your school's PTA or PTO today!  The school benefits from your membership dollars, and you'll probably get back 10 times the value of whatever you give (or far more).  That's a wise investment in this fiscal climate...  

State links:   Massachusetts PTA    PTO Today  

Local links:    Jonas Clarke JCSA   Diamond Middle School   Lexington High School PTSA

Disturbing news has brought unsettled feelings to these first days of school.  With the matter under investigation, all comments should be directed to the Superintendent.  However, it is a sobering reminder of the dependency of children and the trust parents place in those who provide care for their children.  

Hope to see you there as we kick off the first meeting of the 2009-2010 academic year.  Over the summer we have been tag-teaming to follow work of the Ad Hoc Facilities Sub-Committee, signing warrants, and supporting issues as needed.  Each member serves as liaison to other groups.  My assignments include:  Council on Aging, Diversity task Force, EDCO, Human Rights Committee, MA Association of School Committees, Policy Subcommittee, PTA/PTO Presidents' Council and Youth Services Council.  

School Committee is a relatively new role for me.  I have learned quite a bit in my first five months.  In fact, it has been 178 days, almost the same number of days in a child's academic year.  The question is, what will I learn next?  

We hold out high expectations that, in a single academic year, students will learn a vast array of facts, explore extensive theory from multiple vantage points, form new friendships, conform to a host of rules and regulations while fostering relationships with teachers, administrators and coaches.  So, of course we can too:  reading, listening, questioning, trying, experimenting, observing, reflecting...

Through my work as a school volunteer, advocate, (former) School-Council member, (former) PTA President and Town Meeting Member I've tried to find ways to extend "parking lot conversations" which explore community values around education.  

We can't all attend every meeting, some can't attend any.  Take the example of my dear friend who cares a great deal about math -- but couldn't make it to the School Committee meeting when the Math Curriculum Review was scheduled for discussion around 10:00 p.m.  How can we stay connected?  How can I foster more widespread conversations while I am a member of the School Committee?  What's the best way to collaborate as we tackle district-wide challenges?

I propose to try this blog and see how it goes.  If it can foster an exchange that is constructive, I'll aim to keep it going for the entire school year.  If people lurk and don't send comments, I'll evaluate whether it is still helpful for readers to know what is on my mind.

The Open Meeting Law is very specific about the restrictions put in place to promote transparency in our government.  I support these goals and abide by the restrictions.  Any content that I write and post is only reflective of my views as an individual -- and, because I am committed to lifelong learning, some of my views may change when I learn new information, do new research, or gain new perspective.

Read on...

School Committee highlight:  attended Youth Services Council meeting this afternoon.  When you sit around a table with people who share a common concern & a sincere interest to improve the community, it's like discovering a wellspring of hope.  Many share the feeling that a community center would be the best answer -- the question is what to do right now.  Can we work collaboratively to create new programs using shared spaces, volunteer time and limited resources?

How often would students attend community evening programs?  What would be more exciting:  concerts? dances?  activities?  What types of programs would draw an intergenerational crowd?

If you were asked to donate to a Virtual Teen Center/a collective of events -- would you?  Would it make sense to start a savings account for private donations to construct a Community Center?  Is it better to use any available funds to alleviate immediate needs?

As more community leaders come to take a seat at the Youth Services Council table, I'm optimistic that we will continue to make measurable short-term improvements.  If we target an affordable/free menu of bi-monthly activities, we will have accomplished something significant.  

Determined to post my first blog entry on the first day of the Lexington Public School's 2009-2010 Academic year, I will keep this brief.  As Brief as possible given it is seven minutes before midnight.

This morning, as I drove my son to his first day of middle school, I stopped at the first intersection on our route.  A familiar family was approaching to cross the street.  We exchanged waves as they passed in front of our car.  I paused an extra moment to watch as they continued their climb up the hill toward Hastings.  I measured the moment as they proceeded to the right, and we turned left -- heading away from the past & toward the middle school.

With Day One being an early release day, I only needed to wait until 1:00 p.m. to learn that my son's first day went well.  The hours passed as pleasantly for him as they had for my daughter, who had been enjoying her last day of summer vacation.  (Students in grades 7 and 8 have a day of leisure while the 6th grade students attend orientation.)

After two years with two children in different schools (one in elementary, one in middle school), I look forward to having them attend the same school.  Each has a new set of teachers and subjects to explore.

For me, it is the second day of school.  In my new role as a member of the Lexington School Committee, I accepted the invitation to attend yesterday's "Opening Day ceremonies" for nearly 800 staff members of the Lexington Public Schools.  Sitting on the stage, I enjoyed looking out into an auditorium packed with energetic, smiling educators.  After volunteering in our schools for eight years, it was wonderful to recognize so many faces -- and to see many more passionate educators I may have the chance to meet.

I am grateful to have many new paths to explore.  I will write about the intersections I encounter -- and the people I meet along the way.