The
Needham School Committee recently adopted the 2014-15 District Goals. Administrators
and staff will use the goals to guide our work in the coming year as we
collaborate to improve learning. It is
an ambitious plan, and one we are proud to share with the community. I encourage students, parents, and community members
to become familiar with the plan and ask us about our work along the way.
The
document does not describe all of our work nor does it detail each step we
propose to take to address a variety of opportunities and challenges. But we believe the goals provide the context,
structure, and direction our schools need to move forward and strengthen
teaching and learning for all children. Throughout the year the School
Committee will receive updates about action steps related to the goals, and in
June they will receive a full report about our progress to date.
The
School Committee is particularly committed to communicating four key
initiatives embedded in the goals:
• Articulate building and renovation needs at
Hillside in anticipation of a construction project that will require a debt
exclusion and the community’s support.
• Articulate classroom and core space needs at
Needham High School in anticipation of a Town Meeting request for both design
and construction funds.
• Begin a community discussion and conversation
around a pathway to implementation of full day Kindergarten in the Needham
Public Schools.
• Ensure the roll out and implementation of the
iPad Personalized Learning Initiative
at High Rock is successful and shared broadly in an effort to continue to build
understanding and support at the middle school level.
You
can expect to hear the School Committee discuss and emphasize these initiatives
in the year ahead, especially as the community weighs various Town and School
building projects as part of the anticipated Facilities Master Plan due out
next spring.
The
School Committee understands that the Needham community prioritizes education
and expects results that demonstrate the commitment and investment parents, citizens,
and taxpayers have made to the schools.
They also understand that the community must be engaged and participate
in a conversation about the needs of the schools if Needham wishes to sustain
an educational program that benefits all children and makes Needham an
attractive and vibrant town.