Needham Public Schools Superintendent's Blog

The 2012-13 Needham Schools Budget Proposal: The Resources we need to Support Teaching and Learning

2012-01-10T15:38:00.003-05:00

January not only marks the beginning of a new calendar year, it is also a critical time for the Needham School Committee as it considers and votes a budget for the 2012-13 (FY ’13) school year. I appreciate the School Committee members’ advocacy around the development of a budget plan that will provide appropriate resources for the 5,500 students in our schools. The task ahead of them is difficult, and I know they will certainly appreciate feedback from the community at the FY13 Budget Public Hearing scheduled for Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at Broadmeadow.

In the past few years, the School Committee, Selectmen, and especially the Finance Committee have worked diligently with us to bridge the revenue and expense gaps that have resulted from a shaky economy and diminished resources. Everyone has tightened their belts and the schools are no exception. Together we have pared back programs, reduced staff, and postponed improvements in order to adapt and to balance budgets. The schools have reallocated and repurposed available funding, increased class size, decreased funding for supplies and materials, and as part of the collective bargaining process, cut health care costs in a significant way.

This year the loss of Federal stimulus funds, growing secondary enrollment, and stagnant local and state funding has resulted in a sobering budget development process and discussion. We simply cannot bridge the revenue gap with further cuts, reduced services, and higher class sizes.

Instead, this time around, I proposed a 5.7% overall increase in the FY13 budget, which I think is a reasonable, prudent, and balanced plan that will have a positive impact on teaching and learning in the Needham Public Schools. It addresses contractual obligations, enrollment growth, state mandates (mostly unfunded mandates), and allows a tiny amount for program improvement. It is a responsive plan and one that meets the community’s high expectations for its children.

FY13 Budget highlights include:

• The total requested budget is $51,264,825, a 5.7% increase of $2.8 million over the current school year.

• 85% of the total budget proposal is for level service, which maintains existing programs and staffing levels. Level service meets ongoing contractual obligations, mandated special education services, increased transportation costs, and enrollment growth. Only 15% of the total budget proposal increase is for program improvements, and of that amount, over half is to improve mandated services (e.g., English Learner Language instruction) or to strengthen our technology infrastructure.

• In order to meet growing enrollment, especially at the secondary level, 13.5 new teachers and staff are included in the $2.8 million budget proposal.

• Special Education improvements in the budget plan also include an expansion of the Preschool and a reorganization of the PreK through Grade 12 special education program to meet student learning needs and to ensure special education services are more efficient and the costs more sustainable into the future.

Members of the School Committee and central office administration have been working closely with the Finance Committee to review the school budget plan in anticipation of a presentation to the full Finance Committee on January 18^th. While supportive of identified needs in the schools, members of the Finance Committee are concerned that the proposed school budget exceeds available resources and may require reductions in Town services to fund the requests. They have asked the School Committee and school administration to reconsider some worthwhile budget requests. However, as your superintendent I am worried that reductions in this plan will further erode services parents and students have come to expect.

Through additional consultation with Town officials, I remain hopeful the Town will support this plan. I continue to believe this budget supports our district values and goals in a fiscally responsible way and in a way that strengthens student learning. And I am confident Town officials, school administrators, and parents, working together, are up to the challenge of finding a way to meet the critical needs of our children as they learn and grow in a community that cares deeply about them.

Please attend the School Committee’s FY13 Budget public hearing at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 17^th at Broadmeadow to learn more about the budget proposal and voice your ideas, concerns, and support. You may also email the School Committee at: schoolcommittee@needham.k12.ma.us .

Transforming Special Education in the Needham Schools

2011-11-30T22:21:00.003-05:00

It’s time for us to transform special education in the Needham Public Schools.

After almost two years of surveys, focus groups, and a programmatic study of our special education services, Christine Brumbach, our Director of Student Development, tells me two things have become clear:

1. Needham teachers, administrators, and staff offer excellent programs and educational support for students with special education needs.

2. At the same time, we can become more efficient with our resources and offer even better services for special education and regular education students in each school throughout the district.

In order to become more efficient with limited resources and ensure all students are learning at high levels in an inclusive classroom environment we need to address these challenges:

• Develop an early intervening or Response to Intervention (RtI) model in each school that parents are aware of, teachers understand, and principals support.

• Provide professional development for regular and special education staff that reflects the district’s values and ensures collaboration and articulation between and among our teachers as they work to serve students with disabilities.

• Ensure vertical alignment and supervision of the district’s special education programs through a reorganization of the administrative structure and supports.

• Ensure a cohesive instructional model, including co-teaching and learning and skills centers, that meet students’ learning and developmental needs.

• Provide stronger transition planning from year to year and level to level to enable student growth and success.

• Support special educators, teacher assistants, and related service providers with a robust supervision program and opportunities to learn new skills.

• Stem the tide of out of district placements by examining the “breaking points” for existing in-district programs and by providing additional training and better supports for staff and families. Look for new program opportunities within our schools.

• Develop stronger, more trusting relationships with parents of special education students to ensure their children are well served and are growing and learning throughout their years in the Needham Public Schools.

We have a lot of work ahead of us, and we will need the support, encouragement, and assistance of parents and the community to get us there. But I am convinced we have the capacity and courage to bring an already strong special education program to the next level. Along the way, we welcome your suggestions, comments, and input.

Now, let’s get to work!

To the Editor: They're All Our Kids

2011-10-25T21:10:00.002-04:00

To the Editor of the Needham Times:

The October 20, 2011 edition of the Needham Times reported on the concern a few Newman parents have expressed over the transportation of their Kindergarteners on a combined bus in the afternoon from the Pollard modular classrooms to the Newman campus.

The bus, which first makes a run to each elementary school to pick up our Boston resident students, is successfully being deployed to make an additional stop at Pollard to shuttle and drop off Newman’s Kindergarteners to Newman before it takes the remaining students home to Boston. The use of this bus to shuttle Newman’s Kindergarteners is convenient, cost effective, and safe. Despite some logistical challenges on both campuses this fall, we have worked to ensure student safety and provide an efficient transportation plan for all students. I want to take this opportunity to thank our Newman families for their patience and cooperation as we strive to make each day smoother for their children.

I want to express my disappointment, however, at the one or two parents quoted in the article whose comments and language suggest that Newman Kindergarteners are somehow placed in an untenable situation with other Needham elementary students on the brief bus ride to Newman. That is simply not the case. I am particularly concerned about the comment: “I don’t know these children. They’re not my neighborhood kids. I don’t know what their conversations would be, and I’m not ready for my child to be exposed to that.” As reported, this comment reveals more about the parent’s own fears and prejudices than it does about the reality of a seven-minute ride on a bus, which happens to be filled with exceptional young people from our elementary schools.

The comment also is clearly not representative of other Newman parents who, like parents throughout Needham, value diversity and a sense of community that supports strong and enduring friendships between and among all students regardless of the school they attend or the neighborhood—Needham or Boston—in which they live.

Indeed, this short hop from Pollard to Newman will provide a wonderful opportunity in the coming months for Needham Public School elementary students to get a chance to learn and care about one another. That’s really what we want our children exposed to.

Sincerely,

Daniel Gutekanst
Superintendent
Needham Public Schools

Keep Massachusetts Schools Safe and Expectations for Behavior High

2011-09-30T07:45:00.004-04:00

This past week I joined colleagues from the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (MASS) to testify against proposed new legislation that would significantly hamper a principal’s ability to exclude a student from school who distributes drugs on campus or assaults a teacher. Following are excerpts from my testimony:

The proposed Act relative to student access to educational services and exclusion from school (HB178) has several practical and logistical problems rendering it ineffective and detrimental to all students.

• First, the proposed act erodes local school control, imposes unnecessary rules, and prohibits a principal from maintaining high standards for behavior and safety in schools. Each unique student situation must be handled in a way that respects the rights of that individual but balances the student’s needs with the expectation of a safe, secure, and healthy learning environment for all students. Existing law already has specific and significant due process safeguards in place. The proposed law imposes impractical procedures (e.g., A student’s hearing will be held by an impartial building administrator—What if there is only one administrator?) and actually strips students of their rights (Information and evidence presented at a student hearing could be turned over to the police—School principals should not become extensions of the police or courts!).

• The proposed act is silent on who will pay for educational services for excluded and suspended students. Many school systems simply do not have the resources to offer alternative educational programs for suspended students. I support the notion of providing alternative services to keep students on track, but the Legislature will need to provide the significant resources required.

• The data does not support lowering the bar, and it essentially guts MGL Chapter 71, Section 37H. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey data shows that from 1997 to 2009 (the latest year data is available) students who were offered, sold, or given drugs in school decreased from 42% in 1997 to 26% in 2009. Also, the percent of students threatened or injured with a weapon at school decreased over the last ten years from 8.6% in 1999 to 7.0% in 2009. Finally, some are concerned that school suspensions and exclusions exacerbate the dropout rate among minority youth. But the trend is clear: The dropout rate for students of color has decreased steadily from 1995 to 2010 for Hispanic and African-American youth. In 1995 the dropout rate for Hispanic students was 9.3%, and in 2010 the rate was 7.4%; African-American students experienced a similar decline from 7.3% in 1995 to 5.1% in 2010. Setting the bar high for all students appears to be paying off.

• The Legislature sends mixed messages when it tells school administrators there must be “zero tolerance” for bullying but leniency for drug distribution and violence in schools. What, exactly, is the direction the Legislature would like us to take? The proposed act ignores the needs of students who depend on their communities, schools, principals, and teachers to establish high expectations for their behavior. School administrators have a responsibility to nurture school cultures free of drugs, and violence. Young people are savvy—they have little tolerance for adults who coddle, enable, ignore, excuse, or defend inappropriate, unsafe, and illegal behavior. Young people know the difference between right and wrong, and they know that drugs and weapons do not belong in school. And when someone violates their sense of security and safety, they expect adults will act in an immediate, consistent, and fair way to call out and sanction inappropriate or dangerous behavior. This is a special social compact we must have with our students. If you believe in young people, regardless of their personal circumstances, and you set the bar high, you empower them to achieve and grow into responsible adults who care about themselves, each other, and their community.

As written, HB178 diminishes student and school safety, erodes local autonomy and control, and, at its worst, believes young people are incapable of becoming the exceptional young people we know they are and we know they can become. I urge the Legislature to work with the MASS to improve this bill and ensure continued student success and safety throughout the Commonwealth.

Building a Sense of Community in a New School Year

2011-09-18T13:45:00.003-04:00

I shared the following comments to teachers and staff on the opening day of school, September 6, 2011:

The opening of school marks another transition in our lives and the lives of our students. And transitions often bring about anticipation, hope, and perhaps a little anxiety. In fact, about a week or so ago I made a trip down to DC to drop off one of my daughters to school. Claire, who had just returned from Maine where she spent the summer as a bicycle and sea kayak guide in Acadia National Park, sighed as we navigated the car down Mass. Ave. through U-Hauls, boxes, and move-in day traffic at American University. “You know, dad,” she observed wistfully, “It’s a lot simpler on a kayak in Frenchman’s Bay…” Yep! Transitions sure can be tough!

The following day after saying goodbye to Claire I took an early morning run around the Mall and Capitol Hill before getting back into the car for the long trek home. The streets were quiet, clear, and clean and the Washington Monument looked bright in the early dawn. In the distance, I could see the Lincoln Memorial turn from rust to gold as the sun’s rays grew stronger. But the order and calm of the streets and the simple beauty of this particular morning belied the dissonance and acrimony that marred our nation’s capital earlier this summer as Congress and the President wrangled over the debt.

I lack the intellect and perspective to explain what is or is not going on in Washington or in our economy for that matter. But I do know that in order to solve big, sometimes intractable problems we must sit down together, speak and listen honestly and sincerely, compromise when necessary, be creative, and demonstrate great humility. I think those elements are essential if we wish to genuinely work together to improve our lives and the lives of others. And while we may not be able to directly impact the dysfunction in Washington, we most certainly can create conditions in our schools and classrooms that encourage and sustain a strong sense of community.

As educators we have an opportunity, we have an obligation, to create and support the conditions that will allow our young people to learn and become active, engaged, innovative, and civil students and citizens. We must provide the structures necessary to engage divergent thinking and respectful discourse. We are responsible for nurturing a sense of community where students can be included and participate in meaningful and productive ways.

So, my challenge to you is this:

How will you build a sense of community this year for your students, their families, and one another?

What is it you will do to ensure your school supports a strong and lively sense of community and learning? Building a sense of community and belonging is work for us all—not just teachers and principals. Students move in and out of smaller communities all day interacting with adults and others as they ride the bus to school, play together, visit the nurse, or eat lunch. What are the steps you will take to ensure that the framework exists to empower student inclusion, dialogue, equity, tolerance, and deep learning?

Educator Eric Schaps proposes that halfway into the school year teachers survey students to answer True or False to the following four statements:

• My class is like a family.

• Students in my class help one another learn.

• I believe I can talk to adults in this school about things that are bothering me.

• Students in my class can get a rule changed if they think it is unfair.

Perhaps responses to these simple statements might gauge student empowerment and connectedness to the school community. Many of you already ask questions like these, and I encourage all of you to do so. We should all agree to support the conditions that enable all students to feel safe, secure, and ready to learn.

How will you build community this year?

Young people look to adults for leadership and guidance. Therefore, it is critical for students to observe the school staff learning together and interacting as a genuine community. We must model the very traits we espouse and believe are critical to our students’ success. (You know, after watching the DC debt debacle, it is pretty clear that there are more than a few members of Congress who would benefit from a healthy dose of Morning Meeting or Middle School Advisory…)

How will you demonstrate the kind of respect, civic dialogue, collaboration, and intellectual engagement within your school, department, or cluster? How do you organize meetings, greet parents at the door, learn from one another, take care of one another, and celebrate the personal and professional achievements of colleagues and friends?

One of my favorite Boston College Professors, Gerry Starratt, wrote:

If teachers are to influence students to live as authentic persons who act out of a sense of autonomy, connectedness, and transcendence, as persons concerned about justice in their personal and social lives, genuinely caring for other people, and courageous enough to critique ingrained practices within society… then teachers will have to present themselves to students as people who strive to live their own lives this way.

Our students know; they watch and understand and follow our lead.

What example will you set, and how will you build a community of learners this year?

That is my challenge for us all as we embark on a new semester of growing and learning. Our task is critical, especially as we attempt to create and build a sense of community for our students within the current national context that is both sobering and discontent. And while the work is daunting, we must remember not to take ourselves too seriously and to find joy and laughter along the way. More than ever our students need the tools, skills, and encouragement to learn to live and work together in a way that challenges them personally and inspires them to care for others.

Seize the opportunity of a new school year to lead your students on a journey of discovery, learning, and community. In the process, you will guide them toward personal growth, academic excellence, and to their place as responsible and caring citizens.

Great Teamwork in the Needham Schools

2011-08-29T12:48:00.002-04:00

I work with a talented administrative staff and School Committee!

I just spent three terrific days in workshops with the District Leadership Team to reflect on the past school year and anticipate the challenges of the upcoming year that begins next week. The District Leadership Team is comprised of all building principals, directors, and the central office administrators who lead the schools and programs within the Needham Schools.

This year, I invited the School Committee to join us for one of our workshops to discuss our school goals and initiatives. The School Committee’s participation was meaningful on two levels: First, district administrators had an opportunity to meet with and develop relationships with School Committee members. Second, administrators and School Committee members had time to reflect on district initiatives and plans and discuss what is—and what is not—working and why in a setting that was more informal and relaxed. Here are a few of my take-aways from our collaboration:

• School Committee members genuinely enjoyed meeting with school leaders and discussing the education of our students. In the same way, school administrators were comfortable and relaxed as they answered questions and shared new thinking with School Committee members.

• We agreed that the district goals are ambitious, important, and generally reflect the district’s values and work of the schools and the district. At the same time, some action steps are no longer necessary and new action steps must be identified and prioritized to ensure we continue to move the district forward.

• There is a need to ensure classroom teachers and staff have a better understanding of the “big picture” around district goals and plans. Teachers are rightly focused on their students, but they may benefit from seeing a tighter connection between their work in the classroom and district initiatives.

Our work together reinforced my belief that the School Committee is hugely supportive of our efforts to innovate and improve student learning. At the same time, they hold us accountable and ensure our work reflects the community’s high standards and expectations for its young people.

Our work also reminds me that the best way to move forward in a school district—or any organization for that matter—is to bring different perspectives and voices to the table to discuss, share, and plan.

I’m anticipating a very good year for the students and staff of the Needham Schools!

Celebrating the Successes of the Needham Schools

2011-06-30T09:04:00.002-04:00

The Needham School Committee recently heard a report on the status and progress of the 2010-11 district goals. The administration was pleased to share the good news about the many goal accomplishments based on our four core values of Scholarship (Learning), Personal Growth (Acting Courageously), Community (Contributing), and Citizenship (Acting Responsibly).

Highlights include:

Goal One: Advance Standards-Based Learning

• Professional Learning Communities evolve in the elementary schools. Principals continue to work to provide structured and scheduled time for teachers to collaborate, review student work, and refine classroom practice and instruction.
• Common assessments developed and implemented at each grade level and school. Teachers will use the results of these assessments to collaborate on best practices, refine curriculum goals, and ensure the implementation of a consistent and high quality academic program.
• Grade Two standards-based report card takes shape. A standards-based report card has successfully been implemented in grades, three, four, and five; the grade two report card will complement that work. Additionally, a Sixth grade team will work this summer on the development of the Sixth grade report card.
• New elementary math program implemented in grades one and two. The Think Math! Curriculum will be introduced to grades three, four, and five next year. Teachers and parents have commented on the success of the program thus far in first and second grades.
• Special education program review completed. A much-needed review of special education services, including resource allocation and teacher professional development, will inform our practices and programs. The completed report will be shared with the community in the fall.
• Pilot sex education program developed for students in grades five through twelve. A newly developed ninth grade program was implemented in the spring after significant thought and community input.

Goal Two: Develop the Social and Emotional Skills of All Students

• Bullying Prevention Plan adopted. The district’s plan is rigorous and comprehensive and a new website detailing school and district efforts provides parent and student information and resources. The district also received a $58,000 Metro West Health Foundation grant to develop additional bullying prevention programs.
• Positive Coaching Alliance instituted. High school coaches will be trained in the fundamentals of developing and supporting athletes with positive messages, sportsmanship, and skills that complement the district’s efforts around social and emotional learning and health.
• Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) steering committee formed to ensure consistent and high quality programs throughout the school system. The committee met regularly to review parent programming, discuss school efforts around SEL, and to develop additional SEL staff orientation and training. The committee also oversaw the implementation of the 2nd Step elementary and middle school advisory programs.
• Disability awareness program takes shape in the elementary schools. Parents and staff have partnered to introduce the disabilities program to elementary schools in Needham.

Goal Three: Promote Active Citizenship

• Service Learning (SL) steering committee formed and SL leadership positions identified and funded at each school. Teachers and principals are taking a renewed look at community service as it relates to learning goals in each school. The goal is to complement worthwhile and traditional community service and community service fundraisers already occurring in all schools with specific service learning activities tied to the existing curriculum.
• Service learning activities increase at each grade level and school. Mitchell’s Food for Thought program integrates the school’s garden with food production and science as well as the local food pantry. Hillside’s Water Tap Project brings the science of water and developing countries into a local service project. The high school’s Senior-to-Senior Program, a partnership between 12th graders and senior citizens around fitness and exercise, was honored at a national conference.
• The Diversity Planning Team met to discuss and plan initiatives designed to promote equity for all students. One result of their work will be the development of a comprehensive student mentoring program for all METCO students.
• STEM initiatives explored. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs are quickly catching the attention of students, staff, and members of the community through new partnerships with local corporation PTC, Olin College, and parent volunteers. An EPA grant entitled Eco-Explorers provides additional learning opportunities for elementary and middle school students around environmental issues.
• New exchange program with Beijing school district formed. Over 30 elementary students and a dozen school administrators from the Daxing School District (Beijing) visited our schools this past year. This summer, five teachers will visit Daxing as part of a growing relationship between the two school districts.

Goal Four: Ensure infrastructure supports district values and learning goals.

• Newman repairs and renovations on track. Detailed planning for the relocation of PreK and K Newman students and staff to the Pollard campus in the fall continued throughout the year. Additionally, the Newman community readied for the delivery of 38 modular classrooms and the relocation of grades one through five to these modulars while the building undergoes repairs and renovations this summer and into the 2011-12 school year.
• Facilities Assessment for Mitchell, Hillside, and Pollard prepared. The School Committee reviewed a draft report of the building assessment and the building committee will review a final document in August. The report details the immediate and long-term maintenance needs at all three school buildings. The Town will next decide how it will fund these important projects.
• Collective bargaining contracts signed with four employee groups. Along with last year’s new contract with teachers, employees are afforded sustainable and competitive raises, and they will also shoulder greater responsibility for health insurance premiums, which had previously been funded by the Town. All in all, the Town will save the equivalent of approximately $700,000 in health insurance costs as a result of the new agreements.
• Introduction of new technology systems serves students, parents, staff, and community. New web-based and software applications along with hardware purchases benefited students with disabilities, tracked employee absences and professional development, and provided additional opportunities for advanced communications between the schools and home.

While challenges remain and much work has yet to be tackled, we look forward to recharging our batteries over the summer break and moving forward in the new school year. Thanks to the Needham School Committee for supporting our work, asking us tough questions, and holding us accountable for our efforts.

For detailed information about all of our work in the Needham Schools, please check out the district’s website: http://www.needham.k12.ma.us/ and look under the “News” section.

Here’s to a successful past year and great summer ahead!

Educator Evaluation: What's in an Effective Program?

2011-05-03T10:12:00.002-04:00

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is considering a new educator evaluation system that will include, among other things, the use of student achievement data to gauge a teacher’s effectiveness in the classroom. The Commissioner’s proposal has raised eyebrows among many teachers who believe that MCAS results, for example, will not be be used effectively or fairly to evaluate a teacher’s classroom performance. In fact, fewer than 20% of all K-12 teachers’ students take the MCAS each year so the reasonable and practical use of this data appears to be limited.

The proposed regulations also suggest establishing regular review cycles for teachers and administrators, shortening the time an underperforming teacher must improve before he is terminated and generally ensuring that a culture of accountability is established within a school system. There’s a lot to like in the proposed new regs.

Without arguing the merits or pitfalls of the Commissioner’s plan, let me offer some of the critical components that I believe should be part of a well-designed teacher and administrator evaluator system:

• Supporting and strengthening teacher classroom performance should be at the heart of any evaluation plan. The goal of any evaluation system should be to assist a teacher to grow, learn, and innovate. It should not primarily be designed to manage the ineffective or underperforming teacher or simply become a bureaucratic exercise that is reluctantly completed by harried administrators. Teaching is a challenging and complex endeavor, and the system should be designed to provide tools, resources, feedback, and modeling to help a teacher, particularly a new or struggling teacher, to succeed in the classroom. The process should also provide ample support for teachers to take risks and create new and innovative lessons for students. In Needham the vast majority of our teachers excel in the classroom, and the existing evaluation instrument acknowledges that reality and builds within it opportunities for good teachers to get stronger and develop additional capacity for reaching all students.

• Ensure multiple classroom observations and reflective conversations are part of the evaluation system. Over the years I have watched teachers fret and sweat as they prepare for the once-per-semester 55-minute classroom observation (also known as the “dog and pony show”). They prepare handouts, ensure the technology is working, design a beautifully crafted lesson plan, make provisions for necessary materials, and generally execute with precision. Unless, of course, the projector bulb blows. And then the administrator walks away, and eventually writes a two or three page classroom observation—sometimes a few weeks later—but typically long after there is any real opportunity for a thoughtful and reflective conversation about what happened in the classroom. Unfortunately, observation reports often arrive after the teacher, administrator, and certainly the students, are all on to something else. Frequent, briefer, and even unannounced classroom visits would allow administrators to observe and support teachers more naturally and without the anxiety the two or three seasonal and staid observations bring. Administrators can then coach throughout the year rather than judge once per term. And reflective discussions and conversations between the teacher and administrator immediately following these brief visits are essential: The administrator can ask questions, make suggestions, or offer encouragement with a promise of coming back in a day or two to see how things are progressing. The teacher can talk about an individual student’s needs, demonstrate growth of students over time, and share frustrations and new ideas as they occur. The Needham Public Schools will pilot the Marshall Model, a system designed to promote frequent classroom observations tied to clear and regular feedback and reflective dialogue between the teacher and administrator. Thus, rather than looking like an annual inspection, the evaluation process feels more like instructional coaching.

• Integrate local student assessment data, school goals, and community engagement efforts into the evaluation system. Principals should ensure schools are organized in such a way that teachers can regularly and naturally collaborate with one another to develop challenging assessments to better understand student learning, growth, and achievement. Ask teachers how this data informs their practice and facilitates student growth: What is working? How will you respond when students are (or are not) learning? How can I help you? Can you assist another teacher who is struggling with similar students? Teachers should ask: Can I work with another colleague to develop a program for advanced students? Can you find additional resources for me? What professional development opportunities exist to enhance my practice? These questions should all be part of the ongoing conversations between the teacher and the administrator. Additionally, integrating school and district goals into teacher and administrator practice is essential to school and student improvement efforts. The evaluation process should consider the teacher’s ability to participate in and even lead activities beyond his or her classroom that ultimately strengthen the school, the district, and the learning experience for each child.

• Ensure student voices are part of the evaluation process. Written student feedback, provided at least annually, should be included as a data source for teachers as they reflect on their classroom practice. In my experience, students provide candid and serious feedback to teachers, and they can help assess the quality of the classroom environment and experience. Of course teachers need to balance the extreme sentiments from students—the good and the bad—with the overall thematic comments that let teachers know if homework is turned back in a timely way or if the teacher rushes through material before the students understand it. Students thrive in a learning environment where they believe their voice is heard, and they can influence in a positive way the behavior of the adults who care about them. The same is true for administrators, including principals, who must seek out written feedback about their leadership from students, teachers, and parents, most of whom are eager to share their voices to improve the school community and enrich a school’s culture.

Let’s remember what teacher and administrator evaluation is for: Supporting educators and holding them to high standards to improve and enhance the school experience for each child. Although we have room to grow, that’s just what we are doing in the Needham Public Schools.

A Respectful (and Necessary) Conversation about Sex Education

2011-03-31T22:22:00.007-04:00

The headline in this week’s local paper claimed: The Needham Public Schools Sex Education Controversy Escalates. That’s news to me and most of my colleagues and parents in the Needham Public Schools who have been engaged in a responsible, respectful, and heartfelt discussion about a proposed sex ed program.

The article goes on to describe the objections of a few parents who have publicly expressed concern about what they perceive to be a lack of family values embedded in the program. The reporter also interviewed the district’s Wellness Director, Kathy Pinkham, who has led a robust and transparent effort to develop an appropriate and meaningful sex education program that is responsive to the Massachusetts Curriculum frameworks, reflective of good research, and grounded in school and community values.

As superintendent, I know this can be tricky and sensitive territory to cover, especially in a community with high expectations and myriad viewpoints. But the focus has been, and will continue to be, what’s good for students. Here are some takeaways worth considering:

• The staff has engaged the parent, medical, and broader community over the last two years in the development of curriculum goals for sex education in grades 5 through 12.

• The process, although imperfect, has been honest, candid, and transparent. There have been over ten community meetings on the topic and three or four School Committee agenda items on sex education. Last week Dr. Pinkham met with the Needham Clergy Association to share program goals and solicit their feedback. Bottom line? No secrets in what we do here in Needham! We have been and will continue to be open and clear about what we teach students.

• Parents are the primary educators of their children, and we will partner with them as we teach their children. Parents will be asked to participate in homework assignments designed to encourage conversations between children and their parents. Parent meetings will be held this spring to inform parents about the 5th and 9th grade programs. Parents may also opt out of any portion of or the entire program at anytime.

• The curriculum, resources, public presentations, a Frequently Asked Questions guide, and other materials are all available on the district’s website for review. Soon, additional lesson outlines and resources will be available as we pilot the new ninth grade program this spring. Please check out the district’s website for more information: http://rwd1.needham.k12.ma.us/wellness/Sexuality

• We will teach sex education within a context of social and emotional learning and help young people learn how to make good decisions about their bodies and their relationships. The program emphasizes abstinence and promotes the values of respect, commitment, and trust.

• We will constantly reassess and re-evaluate what we are doing and improve our efforts and program. We will survey students and parents to get their feedback and make necessary adjustments. We may make mistakes along the way, but we will work hard to ensure the development and implementation of a sex education program that complements and supports our parents’ efforts and meets the community’s expectations.

So far, the sex education discussion in Needham has been thoughtful and respectful. In the end, I am glad we are having a community conversation about an important topic. I am happy we are all thinking about the young people in our lives who are looking to us for good information, a balanced perspective, and an honest conversation to assist them to make thoughtful decisions as they navigate adolescence and a world that is often indifferent to their physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.

Let’s keep the conversation going and the focus on what’s best for all of our kids.

The Cost of a Better America

2011-02-27T21:21:00.005-05:00

Wisconsin’s current political and civic dissonance has prompted talk radio, water cooler, and coffee shop conversations and arguments about power hungry politicians, Tea Party activism, and budget busting union contracts and benefits. I don’t live in America’s Dairyland, so I won’t opine about what they should or should not do. I am sure they will figure it out. After all, we have our own deficits and (former) state legislators on the lam here in Massachusetts.

What is interesting to me is what has not been part of the cacophony in Wisconsin and throughout the nation as Congress, governors, mayors, and Town Meeting Members struggle with a poor economy and challenging budget plans that are increasingly unable to support even basic public services. What is missing in the national conversation is the realization that we made a bargain generations ago to live in and support a safer, more just, and healthier country—and that costs money.

Beginning with the New Deal’s Social Security Act, followed by the GI Bill, Medicare, Americans with Disabilities, the Clean Water Act, No Child Left Behind, and a host of state and local initiatives and laws, Americans, as a nation, made decisions to support programs and services designed to provide secure retirements, veterans’ benefits, medical care, food vouchers, special education classes, and accessible buildings for the disabled. The combination of American prosperity, technology, entrepreneurship, education, and—yes—hard fought political battles resulted in homes, schools, neighborhoods, and cities and towns that are healthier, cleaner and safer.

Some call it progress and some call it government run amok. But who today goes to the grocery store concerned about the quality of the beef in the freezer? When was the last time you worried about the water pouring out of your tap? Who thinks twice about whether or not firemen are on duty at 3:00 in the morning in your community? Which of us questions the need for a wheelchair ramp or elevator at the local library? Who questions the value of medical care for a returning vet or premature baby? Who will deny a special education program for a struggling and disabled learner? We don’t often think about these scenarios because we have become accustomed to a standard of living and security unparalleled in history.

In many ways, of course, we have created expectations and programs far beyond our means. And, unquestionably, some of the costs associated with these services have become exorbitant. Generous medical plans, for example, with low co-pays are no longer affordable. In Wisconsin, paying a portion of pension benefits has been a source of negotiation and angst. (Note to Wisconsin teachers: Most educators—and soon all—in Massachusetts have had 11% of their paychecks going toward their retirement benefits since 1995!) We have to treat our public servants fairly and with dignity while offering competitive wages, but we have to have an adult conversation about reasonable and sustainable benefits. We simply can’t afford to do it all.

Some would argue we have supplanted individual responsibility for a nanny state that encourages indolence and an insatiable appetite for the convenient and unnecessary. I think there is some truth in that, but I sure don’t want to return to the time when students with physical or learning disabilities were locked away or kept out of the neighborhood schoolhouse. I want to feel confident that when I pick up the phone and press 911, a local dispatcher will ask me what my emergency is.

We have created a more humane and secure society that places enormous value on human life, freedom, dignity, and education. Part of this grand bargain is that we have to pay for it.

And as we struggle to balance budgets it’s easy to demonize public servants, especially at a time when state and town revenues are failing. But let’s remember why they are there in the first place and then work together to develop solutions, promote relationships, hold one another accountable, and ensure a level of service and performance that balances our aspirations as a democratic and humane society with our ability to pay for it.

By the way, that’s why I like working in Needham: At the local level town officials, public employees, and citizens are guided by core values that ensure we collaborate, communicate, and sustain great services. In Needham we work together to find efficiencies, innovate, and, at times recalibrate our needs and expectations, all in an effort to provide excellent and responsive services for students, their families, and the entire community. It’s not always easy, and sometimes there are disagreements along the way. But I think Needham can be a model for the way this hard work is done.

Our communities and our nation deserve nothing less.

Top Ten Resolutions for 2011

2011-01-01T11:16:00.001-05:00

I have never been very good at developing—never mind sharing—New Year’s resolutions. I like to think that if I want to or need to change something I won’t wait until the turn of the December calendar. This time, however, I decided to give it a try. Here we go:

1. Participate in more professional development opportunities that will strengthen my leadership skills and deepen my understanding of high achieving schools.
2. Increase my interactions and relationships with town and community departments and organizations that will support increased student learning and growth.
3. Consider ways we can encourage additional student feedback and input to improve school and instructional programs.
4. Visit more classrooms.
5. Build support for a reasonable and prudent 2011-12 budget plan that sustains our work in the schools.
6. Ensure the upcoming repairs and the relocation of students at the Newman Elementary School are completed safely, efficiently, and under budget.
7. Review special education programming within the Needham Schools to learn how we can a) increase student learning and achievement, and b) use our resources more efficiently.
8. Speak out about senseless legislative and administrative “reforms” that only burden educators and do little, if anything, to improve learning or assist teachers. (The recently adopted Massachusetts Ethics Commission disclosure guidelines for teacher gifts come to mind, for example.)
9. Attend as many of my high school daughter’s track meets as possible this winter and spring; Skype frequently with my two other daughters; and share even more goofy stories and jokes with them.
10. Take my wife out to dinner more regularly and lengthen our walks around the neighborhood.

And, finally, don’t do all of these things in order; be more flexible. Happy New Year!

Inspiring Learners

2010-11-30T21:39:00.002-05:00

A day or two before the Thanksgiving holiday I paid a brief visit to each one of the elementary classrooms to extend best wishes to each classroom teacher and say hello to the students. I am always impressed but never surprised at the level of excitement and engagement in these classes!

These and my other classroom visits remind me of the skill, wisdom, and competence of our teaching staff here in Needham. I regularly observe students tuned in and turned on to any number of tasks, projects, and discussions. Whether the students are working alone, in small groups, or in pairs there is a joyful sense of purpose and self-discovery evident in our schools, and it’s led by talented and committed teachers. Students are clearly in charge of their learning, and they take pride and ownership in their individual achievement, creativity, and growth.

Of course, it is a skilled and mature instructor who can step to the side and guide the learning rather than stand in front and command the students. And that takes time, persistence, and patience. There are no quick routes or easy paths to become the kind of teacher who connects closely to students and can assess their personal needs and potential with efficacy and compassion. I like what Carol Steele, writing in December’s (2010) Educational Leadership, says about the stages successful teachers go through in their career: “I believe teachers progress through four stages: unaware, aware, capable, inspired.” She observes that teachers work through these stages as they develop experience, competence, and the flexibility to respond to a variety of situations and divergent thinkers and learners.

Within a collaborative structure and provided with a reasonable amount of training and support (versus a well-intentioned but overwhelming amount of professional development), our teachers can move through these stages and develop a sense of accomplishment that comes with doing something meaningful and purposeful in a classroom full of students.

We simply must give teachers the support, time, and latitude to try new ideas and even make mistakes as they grow and develop into inspired teachers who excite children. So what else does it take? Steele concludes that “desire, a curious mind, and a thirst for continuous learning” are the links in a chain of teacher growth and improvement.

In Needham’s classrooms, I am proud to say that our teachers have these prerequisite skills and attitudes, and wherever they are on Steele’s continuum, they are working hard each day to empower and inspire young minds.

Needham's Community Steps Up... and Students Benefit

2010-10-09T23:21:00.008-04:00

I shared the following remarks at the Needham Steps Up Benefit at the Sheraton on October 7^th:

Several years ago I began my teaching career in Los Angeles. I was an English teacher working in a Catholic high school set amidst the poverty and violence of Watts.

The noise of city life—screeching buses, honking horns, whistling trains—was routinely interrupted by the staccato of automatic gunfire, sirens, and the thumping of police helicopters hovering overhead. Nickerson Gardens, the largest public housing project on the West Coast, loomed over the school and was—and still is—the home of the notorious gang, the Bloods. Some of my students came from the Gardens, but many came from Slauson—Crips territory. And somehow, under one roof, students from different religious traditions, neighborhoods, family situations, and gang affiliations gathered each day to grow and learn.

To this day, the school remains an island oasis surrounded by chaotic and desperate waves of hunger, fear, and loneliness. The school nurtures the lives of young people who, in a daily act of courage, step from a battered neighborhood and into a learning environment that embraces them and challenges them to be their best.

It was in this unlikely setting that as a young man and new teacher I learned the meaning of community.

Within a neighborhood of broken and burned out buildings, vacated by families but infested with gangbangers and drug dealers, there existed a spirit of common expectations, connections, and care. There, even in this wounded city, a spirit of community thrived to serve our students. The teachers and coaches, parents and pastors, police detectives and probation officers, bus drivers and convenience store clerks and even the Bloods and the Crips figured out a way to work together to ensure the students were encouraged, supported, and loved.

There, folks from different perspectives and walks of life collaborated to ensure the young people of Verbum Dei High School received an excellent education. And the energy, pride, and support generated by a sense of community not only empowered learning, it served to diminish the factions, the fear, and the dissonance of adults and young people alike. A passionate belief in building community, I learned, breaks barriers, promotes understanding, and boosts young people.

The mean streets of Needham are a far cry from Central Ave. in LA! But I have learned that here, too, in Needham the commitment to build community is strong and it is an expectation you have of one another. Needham’s students, parents, teachers, religious and civic leaders, business owners, and older citizens understand the power of community.

As your superintendent, I have watched you work together, pool resources, and embrace uncertainty and differences to address real concerns. Your fierce dedication to young people is a vital part of a web of cooperation and commitment called community. And Steps to Success is yet another example of Needham’s steadfast support of access, equity, and opportunity for all students, including those who are often alienated and distanced from their learning and their community. Simply stated: Needham gets it!

Needham is not South Central, but we are hardly immune from pockets of broken families, economically disadvantaged youth, unemployment, ignorance, and loneliness. And Needham knows—you know—that if we participate as active citizens and work together on common problems and on behalf of young people, we will enrich their lives and, in turn, they will grow strong and achieve and become full and responsible partners in the life of the community.

Steps to Success provides high school students the opportunity to connect with a caring mentor who offers guidance, support, and friendship. And research suggests that a program like Steps to Success provides students more access to college and beyond. You should be immensely pleased that your personal contribution has enabled and empowered students! And know that your personal involvement is multiplied many times over by those around you and by many more who are not here this evening.

Working together, your voices and actions proclaim the value of young people and a commitment to their education. Thank you for all your work on behalf of Needham’s youth and families; thank you for sharing lessons of care, generosity, and humility. And thank you for continuing to demonstrate the purpose and the power of a hope-filled community.

Budget Priorities for the 2011-12 School Year

2010-09-14T14:21:00.006-04:00

Believe it or not, the Needham School Committee and school administration are gearing up for a new budget season. While one budget year concluded on June 30th (Fiscal Year ’10 or FY10) and another began on July 1st (FY11), we must now prepare for the school department budget that will begin on July 1, 2011 (FY12). It seems as if we are always in budget season!

And, like last year, the development of the FY12 budget will be a challenge. Growing school enrollment at the middle and high school level, decreasing local and state revenue due to the economic downturn, and increasing student needs have combined to make the development of a school budget an enormous undertaking for the School Committee.

Each year the School Committee establishes Operating Budget Guidelines to provide the school administration guidance as we go about the task of developing a budget that best meets the needs of our students. This year, parents and members of the community are encouraged to comment on and provide feedback to the School Committee about its draft FY12 budget priorities. Please take a few minutes to read the draft budget priorities (excerpted from the document above) and submit a suggestion, comment, or question on the blog or directly to the School Committee: schoolcommittee@needham.k12.ma.us

FY12 Draft Budget Priorities (excerpted from Operating Budget Guidelines)

The School Committee budget should reflect certain priorities that address the needs of the Needham Public Schools. These priorities should provide direction to administrators and guide staff in developing budget recommendations. The priorities also should guide the School Committee in its deliberations and the budget planning process.

The budget should reflect the following priorities, in relative order. The School Committee may sometimes choose to fund items addressing the lower priorities over items that may claim a higher priority. While not done lightly, such choices must sometimes be made to ensure that no priority is neglected.

1. The District’s mission, vision, values, and goals;
2. The need for highly qualified staff teaching within established student/teacher ratio guidelines;
3. The ongoing refinement of curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices; and
4. The need to develop and maintain educational resources and a technology infrastructure that supports student learning and meets District goals.

For a detailed description of the budget guidelines and priorities, please visit the School Committee's webpage for more information. Thanks for your feedback!

Here’s to Summer Vacation.

2010-08-18T13:16:00.000-04:00

A recent TIME magazine lamented the lazy days of summer for children, observing that a two-month reprieve from books, classes, and testing is a sentimental and archaic throwback to the agrarian age when the planting schedule dictated a need for extra farmhands to bring in the corn and cabbage. I am not so sure, however, we should ring the bell on summer vacation.

The TIME author correctly notes that many children, who often languish unsupervised at home or in urban areas without benefit of summer school, campfire ghost stories, reading, or family trips to the Cape or mountains, do lose some of the academic progress they have made during the school year. In fact, some analyses have suggested this is especially true for students with certain learning disabilities who require frequent repetition and instruction to keep up with their peers. And there is some evidence that students, regardless of race, background, or socio-economic status, may lose ground in math, perhaps because there are fewer opportunities for children in all grades to practice or discuss math and mathematical concepts in July and August.

But should we extend the school year into July, plan on a few weeks off after the 4th and return in early August? I’m not convinced. Time off in June, July, and August may be a throwback to a an earlier age, but the opportunity for children to get away from the routine of school to vacation, attend camp, visit with distant relatives, or just loaf in the backyard still makes sense, even in the high stakes environment of the 21st Century.

On the other hand, an extended school day for all children does make sense today, especially if we wish to engage students in a rich and diverse curriculum as well as teach them how to work together, problem solve, and create. Even an additional 30 minutes a day would provide needed time for students to deepen their knowledge and extend their learning. But keeping them in stuffy classrooms until mid-July seems like a loss rather than a gain.

Kids need some unstructured time to play, relax, and daydream. Summer vacation is a great time to continue learning and growing by making new friends, reading a book, or hiking a trail. The structure of the contemporary school day and the after school regimen of play dates, athletics, religious school, and music practice mean that most of our young people are “on” all the time with little chance to slow down or even try something new. Summer vacation provides relief from the routines and an opportunity to explore.

One of my friends brought his 13 year old son and another boy to work with him a couple times recently and gave them money for a Charlie Card and told them to stay in touch by cell phone but encouraged them to visit the New England Aquarium, Beacon Hill, and Harvard Yard. The boys, routinely programmed during the school year with classes, homework, and a host of other guided and supervised after school activities, were eager to be off by themselves, exploring on the T. They had a great time! Sure they got off at the wrong stop a couple times and had to ask directions and double back. They even had to figure out how to use a payphone when their cell phone died. But they had the freedom of a summer’s day to take it all in and learn a little bit about Boston, friendship, and having fun. Not a bad way to spend a couple July afternoons.

We certainly need to get it right and lengthen the school day to ensure we have sufficient time to assist children to learn a challenging and innovative curriculum. But let’s make sure we don’t wipe out summer vacation and all of its opportunities for young people to grow, explore, and, yes—even to learn.

Youthful Advice to the Class of '10

2010-06-18T08:03:00.004-04:00

To prepare my remarks for the Needham High School Graduation this evening I found it necessary to consult with some of the greatest minds available. Fortunately, Boston is home to renowned colleges and universities staffed with leading researchers and professors. We live in a metropolitan area rich in corporate know-how and populated with talented and world class artists, musicians, and writers who work alongside prominent religious, civic, and social leaders. So many resources and opportunities to secure the best advice I could to share with you today!

I spoke with over 50 brilliant scholars, all of whom have important stories to tell, and each one eagerly proffered pointed, salient, and sincere advice for the Class of 2010. Frankly, I was overwhelmed with ideas, suggestions, and insights—And I know I can’t do justice to the sages who took time out of their research, their studies…and their recess at Eliot, Newman, and High Rock to sit with me and offer a perspective on life and learning that only a 4^th and 6^th grader possess.

Yep. I leaned on the youthful wisdom of Needham’s 4^th and 6^th graders, all of whom are your neighbors and even a few are younger family members, sitting up on that hill, applauding as you receive your diploma… and watching and listening to make sure I get it right.

Now, granted, the experience and perspective of a 4th grader may be limited by age, schooling, and height. But I think the young people I spoke with have helpful advice that should resonate with us all. The advice they shared falls into three broad categories: The Practical, The Profound, and The Familiar, the latter offered by younger siblings to big brothers and sisters in the Class of 2010.

First, the Practical. Fourth and Sixth graders are remarkably sensible, and they want you to get right down to business after graduation. No wasted time or dithering with parties, beaches, or lounging around. No wallowing in nostalgia or sipping Starbuck’s late into a summer’s afternoon. Some of their more prudent suggestions include:

• Try to network and make new friends who will help you out.

• Have a curfew.

• Don’t worry about the party, worry about the homework.

• Don’t procrastinate. (That from two fourth graders! I didn’t know that word until sophomore year when my father mistakenly thought it was my middle name.)

• Drive safely around little kids and never drink and drive. (I like that one a lot.)

• Don’t do bad things and do your class work on time.

• Remember to tip well.

• Don’t sass your teachers.

• Don’t waste your parents’ money on unnecessary things. (Oh yeah, sure…)

• Have fun!

• Try new things.

• Stay calm. College is just like high school but it’s away from home.

Fourth and fifth graders can also be quite philosophical, and they offered some profound and erudite suggestions to the members of the Class of 2010 as you march off Memorial Field and onto the rest of your lives:

• A high school graduate can stand up for their beliefs to make this world a better place.

• Keep trying: You never fail; you only learn that some things don’t work.

• Think about the world around you; how can you make it greener and safer?

• In all of these years the teachers taught you tremendous things, and hopefully you remembered how important character is. (This, from a 6^th grader!)

• Don’t be afraid. Take risks. Climb the mountain.

• Be proud of the community you come from but also be willing to grow and become part of a new community.

• Follow your dreams; if you work hard you will succeed.

• Be kind to people and don’t bully.

• You’re going to have a hard time if you don’t maintain a positive attitude.

• Remember things even after the test is over.

• (And I like this one a lot: ) What you do shows who you are.

A few of the young scholars I spoke with are related to some grads, and they had lots to say. One eager sibling suggested: “You know, it’s a good time to think about moving out!” Mostly, though, their advice was a little more personal and poignant.

• Keep in touch with the family.

• Be nice to your little sister.

• No matter how far you go, Needham is always a part of you.

• You have made good friends in Needham; don’t forget them.

• I hope you keep your room cleaner, ‘cause your roommates will not be happy.

• If someone in your family pests you to be successful, don’t think they’re bothering you; being ‘pesty’ benefits you.

• (My favorite:) Don’t forget what mom and dad have taught you.

Pretty impressive advice, huh? There is a lot to consider. Of course, I don’t expect you to remember it all. What I do want you to remember is that the advice comes from the youngest among us… the neighborhood kids and little brothers and sisters who idolize you as heroes, emulate you, and who watch everything you do and say. As one fourth grader put it to me: “I look up to them to know what to do.”

Their advice is innocent, full of wonder, and reminds us to look after one another. Their advice suggests that the world you create is not for me, your parents, or our generation—it is for you and it is for them. They want you to lead, create, and sustain a world that is both exciting and innovative…and caring and humane.

Their advice to you, spoken so poorly through me, is a wish for their own future.

They are depending on you, and if you have listened carefully, their voices offer messages of courage, love, and hope. Advice for us all, and a gift to the Class of 2010.

Congratulations!

Pomp and Circumstance: One Dad's View

2010-05-24T22:46:00.006-04:00

At approximately noon on Sunday, May 17th in Washington, D.C. my wife and I officially became parents of a college graduate for the first time. Sitting in front of the U.S. Capitol where members of the George Washington University Class of 2010 assembled under a cloudless sky, we watched with a jumble of emotions, mostly pride, as our oldest daughter stepped further away from her parents and childhood and processed off the National Mall and into her future and adulthood. Yes, I told our youngest daughter seated next to me, the bright sun’s angle caused my eyes to tear up. Well, sort of.

As a high school principal and now as superintendent I have presided over 14 graduation ceremonies, signed about 4,500 diplomas, and endured countless commencement speeches, a couple of them my own. I fretted about weather on the big day and worried if we had enough seats for grandmothers and uncles. Pomp and Circumstance is practically the National Anthem of school and college administrators, and it rings in our ears reminding us of some little graduation detail we have neglected to attend to (Did I spell the School Committee Chair’s name correctly in the program? Did we ask for a traffic detail?). I chew my nails a lot in May and June, and I am relieved when the last grad, fists pumping, runs off the stage to the thunderous cheers of his friends and family. It’s over! I sigh. And no one did anything embarrassing!

This time, though, sitting on the National Mall I was not so anxious for the ceremony to conclude. This time I was not an officious administrator, and as parents and family we lingered, snapping photos, and congratulated other parents and graduates as the afternoon wore on. We laughed and joked, and we commented on First Lady Michelle Obama’s Commencement address (Thumbs up, we all agreed.). We watched as thousands strolled past, stopping for hugs and handshakes along the way. I enjoyed this moment in our lives and saw no reason to hurry. Of course, the college officials and professors made a polite but hasty exit, their academic robes and regalia flying in the wind as they raced toward the Metro or waiting cars; they wanted to get home to their families. I smiled because I understood.

This time, though, my family was together, and I was celebrating and not officiating. There we were—Karen and I and our three incredible daughters, one clad in black, diploma in hand, all grown up. How could anyone rush from this tableau and not take the time to notice the stunning brilliance and beauty of thousands of young people, all eager to take on the world? Countless stories and struggles, freshly minted degrees, untold opportunities ahead, and energy to light up New York. I got to be Dad this time and it felt great to luxuriate in the moment and take in the scene around me.

In a few weeks the Needham High School Class of 2010 will take to the stage and, once again, the principal and I will fret about distant drizzle and missing mortarboards. We will call each other about fifteen times on Graduation Day checking in on humidity, security, and our own sanity. We will be thrilled and exhausted when the ceremony goes off smoothly and parents are beaming as the sun sets on Memorial Field.

But this time, instead of rushing off, maybe I will hang back a few minutes longer to take it all in. You see, I don’t have a child in the Needham High School Class of ’10, but I am a parent and it’s a good thing every once and a while to slow down and remember that and remember what Graduation is really all about.

To the Class of 2010: Congratulations!

To their (us) parents: Savor this time with our remarkable sons and daughters.

Personnel is Job # 1

2010-04-02T10:52:00.003-04:00

When I first became a high school principal years ago my superintendent, Anthony Bent, told me: “Daniel, the most important work you are going to do is to hire great teachers.” And when I became a superintendent he advised me: “Daniel, the most important work you are going to do is to hire great leaders.”

He was right on both counts: Personnel is Job # 1. Oh sure, superintendents and school leaders are preoccupied with budget development, curriculum design, school safety (this above all), MCAS, and school culture. But the priority must be recruiting, hiring, supervising, and retaining the most qualified classroom teachers and principals around. It is critical that I spend time seeking the best folks possible to lead our schools and programs.

We might have a well researched, robust, and rigorous science curriculum with all the bells and whistles, but in the hands of a mediocre teacher the curriculum is rendered ineffective. However, a strong teacher who is skilled and intuitive can take a poorly formed or resourced curriculum and create a worthwhile and exciting learning experience for students. In the same way, a thoughtfully developed school safety plan with detailed descriptions of protocols and procedures becomes useless in the hands of a disorganized, unfocused, and careless administrator. But a strong and experienced principal can secure a school and lead students and staff to safety even if the plan is outdated, impractical, or poorly written.

Effective, skillful, and smart school and program leaders make good things happen in schools for kids. A great principal will hire and lead exceptional teachers who will instruct, inspire, and care for children throughout the year. What could be more important?

In Needham, we spend a lot of time (some complain too much time) selecting and interviewing administrative candidates. We involve teachers, community members, parents, administrators, and at the high school level, students to participate on an interview team. After narrowing the field to three or four candidates, we begin reference checking; ask candidates to spend a day visiting our district to meet with staff, parents, and students; and we will then conduct a site visit to the candidate’s school. We will also ask candidates to speak at an evening forum to parents and members of the community. The candidate is asked to complete a writing prompt and provide a portfolio of their best work. Along the way, we ask staff, students, and parents to provide written feedback and input about the candidates. My favorite part of principal interviews is when the candidates are grilled by a panel of students who ask challenging questions, take notes, and immediately following the interview provide very honest and candid feedback.

It’s a grueling and often emotional process for the candidate and time consuming for the administrators, but I believe it’s what we need to do. I think we have been tremendously successful in the last few years bringing aboard talented, mature, and savvy building and program leaders who are doing an exceptional job. It’s a joy to watch them work with teachers and students!

Unfortunately, there are times, despite our best efforts, we may still come up empty-handed. We may learn at a site visit that a candidate is not exactly the person portrayed in his interview or on his resume. Or we may discover that transcripts are incomplete, references weak, or the candidate lacks strong communication skills. One finalist told me recently “It’s clear Needham will expect too much from me, and I won’t be able to deliver.” That candidate bowed out.

I don’t like to break up searches and start over, but I won’t settle for the runner up, a mediocre pick, or the comfortable choice. We will start searches all over again to find the best match for Needham, even if it consumes more time and resources. And time and resources are hard to come by these days.

But nothing else is more important than finding the right teacher for your child and the right principal for your child, her teacher, and the school community.

Cyberbully: What’s the school’s response?

2010-03-03T17:04:00.003-05:00

The untimely death of a South Hadley (Massachusetts) teenager has prompted concern throughout the Commonwealth about the tragic effects and consequences of school bullying. Since the news surfaced about this beautiful young woman’s suicide, parents, school administrators, legislators, and talk radio hosts have clamored for answers and have assigned blame. I have received several inquiries about what our district is doing to protect young people from bullying and what steps we are taking to eliminate it from our schools. One community member offered to send a large donation to help put programs and training in place. Needham Schools have practices and procedures in place to confront bullying. But one thing is certain: Schools can’t do this alone.

The playground bully has been around since there were school playgrounds; it is not news that some bigger and stronger kids may take advantage of their peers through the use of persistent threats, intimidation, hazing, and bullying. Each of us has probably either been the victim of a bully or witnessed an encounter—even among adults!

What is new, and in some ways more insidious, is the issue of cyberbullying. The National Crime Prevention Council describes cyberbullying this way: “Cyber bullying is similar to other types of bullying, except it takes place online and through text messages sent to cell phones. Cyber bullies can be classmates, online acquaintances, and even anonymous users, but most often they do know their victims.”

Our young people can be vulnerable to a bully on the playground, classroom, or bus, but cyberbullying silently confronts children and teen-agers at home, where kids are supposed to feel safe. The widespread use of YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and other online social networking sites makes the bullying possibilities almost endless. Additionally, electronic bullying can often remain hidden to parents, teachers, and other caring adults who may not know that a child is being harassed in the online environment. Kids (and, let’s be fair, adults) will write, record, and publish things online they would never say in a personal encounter with a peer. And the videos, text messages, photos, and email diatribes can even be more excruciating than the schoolyard bully’s punches and putdowns: In the electronic age, the hurtful message is distributed instantly to a large audience, exacerbating and magnifying the shame, grief, and pain of the bully’s victim.

Most of the cyberbullying occurs at home and away from the school setting, which makes it difficult for school administrators to monitor and address. I do not believe that school administrators should assume responsibility for addressing online bullying that occurs away from school. Unfortunately, in the online environment, the “he said-she said” behavior that is standard teen drama can quickly spiral out of control and become cruel and bullying behavior. Household and neighborhood problems between and among young people need to be resolved by parents, older family members, and, if necessary, the police. The school principal simply cannot and should not referee a child’s online behavior in the family livingroom.

Sometimes, though, what happens on the walk home from school or even a late night Facebook posting can result in a fight, personal injury, or serious disruption on campus that requires a swift and unambiguous response from the school administration. In these cases, schools need to have clear, consistent, and tough reactions to those students who bully others in person at school or whose online behavior outside of the schoolhouse affects the safe operation of the school community. All students have the right to feel safe and secure on the bus, in their classroom, on the playground, in the cafeteria or locker-room, and on the playing field. School principals can’t monitor Facebook, but they can take aggressive action if cyberbullying affects the safe and orderly operation of the school.

The Needham Public Schools has invested significant energy and resources into the instruction of social and emotional skills for all children. Embedded in our curriculum and programs are messages of respect, integrity, tolerance, and care. We simply expect young people to treat one another in a way that is consistent with our core values of Scholarship, Citizenship, Community, and Personal Growth. We believe young people want to do the right thing and, mostly, their behavior demonstrates that core belief.

But we will continue to be alert and vigilant. Our school principals and staff work closely with students and families to ensure safe and secure learning environments. And the Needham School Committee is developing a bullying policy to complement the principals’ work and to ensure that we have the procedures, practices, and programs in place to address bullying behavior. We can’t guarantee a student will not be bullied while in school; but we can assure a swift and immediate response to both the schoolyard bully and the cyberbully whose online behavior at home in the evening disrupts the classroom during the day.

First the bad news...

2010-01-26T08:23:00.004-05:00

This week I will ask the Needham School Committee to vote on a budget plan totaling $46,059,078 for the 2010-11 school year (Fiscal Year 2011), a 1.49% increase, or $676,193, over the current year. Unfortunately, due to the current economic realities we face locally and as a nation, we have been unable to craft a budget that will allow us to retain the same level of service next year that we enjoy this year. Nonetheless, it is a prudent plan and one that requires us to slow down, but not halt, progress on various district goals and initiatives.

It has also become clear that the following year (2011-12) will present its own challenges as well and will require further cuts and reductions unless there is a new and stable source of revenue. We will utilize over $600,000 in one time and federal stimulus funds to balance the FY11 budget; but the following year we will face a funding cliff in the same amount because that money dries up.

Increased staff contractual obligations and rising special education costs are two of the budget drivers for FY11. Unfortunately, local and state revenues are down resulting in significant decreases in aid to the schools and town. For example, one state program we rely on to reimburse the schools for certain special education costs is down over $600,000. We must still provide the service, but we have to reduce other areas of the budget in order to make up the shortfall. Increased student enrollments, particularly at the secondary level, place additional and growing pressure on this and future budgets.

We have worked hard to avoid reductions to classroom teachers, but with over 88% of our total budget in staff salaries, most of that teachers, it is impossible to avoid classroom cutbacks. We first reduced professional development, supplies, conferences, and then cut back on administration and administrative support. Ultimately, however, we had to cut three elementary teachers, two and a half middle school teachers, and up to two high school teachers to balance the budget. These cuts, though painful, are measured, balanced and will maintain reasonable class sizes, consistent with School Committee policy, throughout the district.

Now here is the good news: A lot of good folks are working very hard to ensure an appropriate and reasonable level of support for the schools in one of the worst economic climates in generations.

The work is not over. We await news from Beacon Hill around the State budget plan for FY11. New or reduced revenue could ultimately affect decisions around the school budget. And the Finance Committee, working closely and collaboratively with the Selectmen and School Committee, will continue to review the Town and School budgets as they prepare for their budget recommendation to Town Meeting in May.

Here is the best news: Using the resources the community provides, Needham’s teachers, administrators, and support staff will continue to provide a consistent and first rate educational program to the best students around.

We know the community has high expectations and wants the staff, administration, and School Committee to work very hard to ensure we are providing an optimal level of service to each child. We will continue to scour the budget for efficiencies, seek grant opportunities for funding, and look to economize wherever possible. We are dedicated to providing each Needham student with a competent, qualified, and inspiring teacher within a supportive learning environment.

The dollars may be hard to come by, but you can take our collective commitment to the bank.

For more information about the FY11 Budget plan, check out our website:

http://rwd1.needham.k12.ma.us/finance/Budget

Living in Boston, Learning in Needham: A Sophomore’s Story

2009-12-23T09:00:00.001-05:00

I met with Tim, a high school student I mentor, the other day to check in and see how his first semester is going. Tim (not his real name) is a sophomore and a Boston resident who participates in the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (METCO) Program. As one of only 33 Boston students of color at nearly all white Needham High School, Tim manages to get up early (5:00 a.m.) for the bus ride into suburban Needham, tackles assignments, rushes to football practice or a workout in the fitness center, and heads home to complete homework or rehearse for the church choir. Like any other teen, he struggles to balance his grades, football, friends, and responsibilities at home.

But Tim is also navigating his high school career within a venue far from his Boston neighborhood and the comfort of familiar friends and faces. It’s tough enough these days for teenagers to figure out how they fit in; it’s an additional challenge to live two lives, one in suburbia where many of your friends are white and the other in the city, where most of your friends are black.

Freshman year was an adjustment for Tim. His grades suffered a bit, but with the assistance of staff and the encouragement of his parents he muddled through and is in a much better place as a sophomore. He is more engaged and focused, and he talks more seriously about his schoolwork and its importance. He is a very social young man (part of the problem freshman year!), and he seems entirely comfortable in the halls of Needham High. He told me he plans to run as a student council rep in the spring, and I have no doubt he will be successful.
“I have a lot to offer,” he told me.

Tim’s participation in the METCO Program is a real advantage for him, one that not all Boston students of color can enjoy. His parents’ perseverance, the Commonwealth’s financial support, and the Needham community’s willingness to partner with METCO these past 42 years means that Tim, and about 140 other Boston students of color, can enjoy an exceptional educational experience with Needham resident students beginning in Kindergarten.

It’s not a one-way street, by the way. Needham’s students benefit from the METCO program as much as their Boston friends. While Tim and the other Boston students attending Needham Schools are receiving a great education, Needham’s students are experiencing and interacting with young people who look different than they do and who have different social and cultural circumstances. They are all learning about each other and gaining lifelong friends whom they will depend on long after they graduate from Needham High.

The Needham/METCO connection means that all of our students are teachers: White students and students of color share their stories, assist one another, appreciate their similarities and differences, and learn powerful lessons about the human family. These are meaningful and important lessons, especially as our students study, work, and live in an increasingly diverse and global society.

My hope is that Tim—and each of our METCO students—will continue to have a successful year, although I am certain there will be hurdles and obstacles. Clearly, his parents, teachers, pastor, and Boston and Needham friends will support and encourage him along the way. Indeed, he has so much to learn and to gain from his Needham Public Schools experience. And if we all listen carefully and pay close attention to his personal story, we, too, will be enriched by his presence in our classrooms and within our community.

To learn more about the Needham/METCO connection, check out our website: http://www.needham.k12.ma.us/metco/index.htm

Honoring Song, Dance, and Play

2009-11-01T16:33:00.001-05:00

A few days ago three Needham High School alumni, Steve Gross (’85), Leslie Woodies (’70), and Lisbeth Scott (’76) received the Distinguished Career Award for their accomplishments in the fields of the arts and social service. Following are the remarks I shared at a luncheon honoring these outstanding alum:

You know, over the years I have attended many assemblies and workshops with student and community groups. And I always try to leave an assembly with at least one idea, one take away that will help me summarize my experience and what I learned. So here is my take away from today: Song, Dance, and Joy. My take away is learning that our honorees have used their skills, talents, sense of wonder, and playfulness to lead creative and exuberant lives.

Your presence here today is a reminder, especially, of the power and relevance of scholarship in our world today and the importance of the arts in a comprehensive and rich academic program. You see, embedded in our definition of scholarship, at the very core of the way the Needham Public Schools understands scholarship, is the essential role creativity plays in our lives and learning. We believe it is essential to nurture a sense of awe, wonder, and playfulness within our children so that they may innovate, invent, and create. The role of music, literature, fine and performing arts, theatre, dance, and athletics are all essential ingredients to a high performing and high achieving school community. They also happen to be the DNA of a broader community where lives are enriched, neighborhoods enhanced, and human relationships are made meaningful and joyful.

Without a sense of creativity one has little capacity to problem solve, think independently, or take risks. The schools must promote an atmosphere of learning and scholarship that helps young people learn to think outside the box, offer alternative ideas, promote diverse thinking, and develop hypotheses that may be unconventional. In my view, the juxtaposition of scholarship and creativity makes sense; one supports and complements the other. Scholarship without creativity is a stately library without books.

Two authors folks in the Needham Schools have been following lately offer cautionary tales for those schools and communities that ignore the role of creativity in our classrooms.

Yong Zhao, a Michigan State University professor who recently penned Catching Up or Leading the Way (ASCD, 2009), exhorts Americans to be careful about the disabling effect of standardized testing and increasingly reduced opportunities for students to participate in the arts, music, and play in school. He notes that in an effort to encourage higher tests scores and become more competitive with other countries we have cut art programs in schools, for example, and emphasized academic drill and rote. Zhao believes the unique success of the American education system is its ability to help individuals grow into self-discovery and fulfillment. He posits that our economic and democratic success is a direct result of an innovative and nurturing education system that celebrates both diversity and divergent thinking. He warns us about trying to emulate the rest of the world too much. He writes:

“ Two paths lie in front of us: one in which we destroy our strengths in order to catch up with others in tests scores and one in which we build on our strengths so we can keep the lead in innovation and creativity. The current push for more standardization, centralization, high stakes testing, and test-based accountability is rushing us down the first path, while what will truly keep America strong and Americans prosperous … is the one that cherishes individual talents, cultivates creativity, celebrates diversity, and inspires curiosity.”

Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind (Penguin, 2006) tells us that a heavy reliance on right brain activities—emotion, creativity, big picture thinking, and inventiveness—is the key to our continued success individually and as a nation. Like Zhao, he cautions us to reconsider the notion that only the highest SAT scores or GPAs are the sole source of success in a highly interdependent and globalized work place. He encourages us to remember the importance of creativity, design, storytelling, and play in our lives, schools, and work.

He relates the story of a greeting card artist and designer who was a frequent visitor to schools. When he walked into classrooms, he would note all the artwork on the walls and ask the same question: “My, there must be several artists in this room! Where are they?” In Kindergarten classes, every hand shot up. In second grade, 3/4 of the hands went up, and in fourth grade maybe half went up. But by sixth grade, no hands went up.

As our children grow and schoolwork and academics takes a more serious turn, do we push aside the arts and squelch the natural and bubbling enthusiasm, joy, and pride of our students? Do we turn off the music, eliminate recess, gut sports and co-curricular activities all in the name of promoting a first class educational experience and in the process deny young people a chance to discover the gifts within? Pink asserts: “The wealth of nations and the well-being of individuals now depends on having artists in the room. In a world enriched by abundance but disrupted by automation and (the) outsourcing of white-collar work, everyone regardless of profession, must cultivate an artistic sensibility.”

And that brings me back to song, dance, and joy—and to our three honorees. Using song, dance, and joyful play our three honorees have lived honorable, caring, and creative lives which have enabled and encouraged the dreams of their audiences, students, and community.

Lisbeth Scott, a singer, songwriter and composer, has lent her voice and her immense talent to several major theatrical and movie productions. She has received extraordinary artistic acclaim and has devoted herself to assisting those in need in rural and impoverished areas to break the cycle of poverty and hopelessness. Leslie Woodies, dedicated choreographer, performer and teacher, has immersed her life in the art of dance, theatre and movement. Steve Gross has inspired hope and possibility to untold number of children locally and in areas around the globe devastated by crisis and disaster. Relying on his love of athletics and theatre, Steve ensures at risk children have the opportunity to express themselves through movement and joyful play while healing their pain and trauma.

They have each shared their time, talent, and wisdom to make this a more beautiful and just world for all of us. They began their journey at Needham High School and were influenced by family, friends, and teachers to express themselves and to celebrate the creative spirit and possibility that lies within. Their lives are a manifestation of our core values, and a reminder to all of us of the power of creativity in our world and the need to rededicate ourselves as a school community to ensure that we always allow the arts, athletics, and co-curricular activities to remain a significant and integral component of the Needham Public Schools experience.

It doesn't make the headlines...

2009-10-08T21:01:00.004-04:00

Recently in Massachusetts there has been a lot of grumbling within the media and among citizens about incompetent and greedy government officials who are either on the take, unfit for duty, or milking the system for perks and pension privileges that those in the private sector could only dream of having. Regrettably, there is truth to some of the stories of state and local officials who, through their laziness or malfeasance, have tainted the reputation of the vast majority of public employees who work hard and smart every day on behalf of Massachusetts and the Commonwealth’s communities.

Yes, recently “retired” Massachusetts House Speakers have had a difficult time staying out of trouble. And there exist the occasional corrupt school superintendent or public safety official. Like you, I hope these rogues are rooted out in rapid fashion. Clearly, though, these misfits do not represent the vast majority of public employees most of us know.

Too often missing from the headlines are the hardworking, caring, and resourceful state and local employees—cops, teachers, parks employees, state officials, and numerous others—who not only put in an honest day’s work but successfully cooperate with one another to make our communities better places in which to work, play, and live.

Local officials in Needham represent the majority of public employees who do the right thing on behalf of their constituents as a routine part of their job. Over the last year and a half, for example, Needham Town and School staff, State Representative Harkins, and elected and appointed Town committees worked collaboratively with one another and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) and Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) to remedy a significant indoor air quality concern at a local elementary school. Working together we have identified the problem, proposed a solution, and learned a week ago from the MSBA that the Town is eligible for $8.6 million that is partial reimbursement for a planned renovation of the school.

The competent, intelligent, and thoughtful advice and guidance of MDPH’s Michael Feeney and the MSBA’s Katherine Craven and Mary Pichetti, among dozens of other state and local staff who work with them, was welcomed, necessary, and invaluable. And they are all public employees you have likely never heard of and certainly not read about in the paper. These folks work long and hard hours and are always available by phone or email to answer a question or help out. They are responsive and responsible, and they go about their work quietly with little, if any, recognition for a job well done. Their work is not necessarily glamorous but their humble and steady public service and commitment makes our community and our schools better, cleaner, and safer places.

I am proud to work as a public employee in the Town of Needham and in Massachusetts. I am also honored to work with all the local and state employees and officials here who may not make the headlines but certainly make this community and Commonwealth a great place to live and learn.

You can learn more about our school renovation project here: http://rwd1.needham.k12.ma.us/newman_renovation_updates/

One Superintendent's Summer

2009-08-09T13:04:00.002-04:00

I often get asked: What, exactly, do you do in the summer when all of the students and staff are gone? Well, besides getting home at a more reasonable hour during the summer weeks (my daughters don’t know what to do with me), occasionally wearing shorts to work, and enjoying longer and more thoughtful conversations with teachers, parents, and school committee members, summer provides the time for reading, reflecting, and preparing for a new school year.

This fall we will open High Rock, the district’s 8th school, and this has required the collective efforts of several folks, including the new principal. But much of my time this summer has been spent hiring teachers and new administrators. We are very fussy about our hiring process, and it consumes a lot of time: the recruitment, screening of hundreds of applications, lengthy interviews, reference checking, demonstration lessons, site visits, and final interviews in the central office all require the attention and time of principals and staff. But it is time well spent because the folks we hire will impact the education of our children in a big way and we need to get it right. Students don’t get a second chance at fifth grade if we aren’t choosy about whom we hire in the first place! Frankly, nothing is more important than hiring great people.

This summer I have also had the pleasure of observing our teachers in their summer coursework (summertime for good teachers always involves additional coursework, reading, and classroom organization), teaching in summer programs, and talking to me about their hopes and plans for next year and beyond. Indeed, the summer months are the time our teachers continue their learning and preparation for a fresh crop of students!

I have especially enjoyed connecting with individual School Committee members over a leisurely cup of coffee or lunch. Needham is fortunate to have seven School Committee members who are incredibly wise, talented, and hugely invested in and committed to the schools and their community. It’s always great to check in with them and learn about what is important to them as we work together to support teaching and learning.

I have not plowed through as many books as I would like (I never do), but I’ve finished a great little book edited by Houston, Blankstein, and Cole entitled Spirituality in Educational Leadership. No, it’s not a prayer book for superintendents (although that could sell well in my circles), but it is a series of articles from educators and researchers who posit that school administrators need to ensure schools are sanctuaries of learning and places where we encourage the development of good character and a sense of community. I’ve also managed to plow through a couple novels, including Grisham’s The Appeal, and am half way through Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals. I admire Lincoln and think he was the greatest President to serve our nation. He was a brooding leader with a broad vision who realized we could not be two nations: one free and one slave. Instead, he fought for one union without slavery and paid with his life.

It’s been a good summer so far. And there is still time to get to the beach and enjoy my family before September 1st, the opening of a new school, and the start of a school year. Maybe I’ll even get one more Grisham in…

Needham High School Graduation, 2009

2009-06-11T14:13:00.001-04:00

Needham High School graduated 306 talented young men and women this past week in a ceremony marked by much ceremony, pomp, and circumstance. They were cheered on by a supportive community and excited parents who should all be immensely proud of their children and of themselves for achieving this milestone.

After being encouraged by some parents, I have decided to post the comments I shared with the members of the Needham High School Class of 2009:

Remember that your character matters.

Over the last 13 years you have been a student, immersed in academics, scholarship, and co-curricular activities. Today this community honors your academic success by awarding you a diploma signifying your preparation and growth. Indeed, this is the community’s annual celebration of student learning, excellence, and achievement.

While we celebrate your academic proficiency, I urge you to remember—your character matters. I believe, and I know I am not alone here, that while we have supported you and will continue to encourage the growth and development of your mind and body it has been critical to nurture your heart and spirit as well. Without character, it is unlikely you will use your mind and hands to expand your knowledge, enrich your learning, or serve others in a meaningful way. The good thing is I know you get this!

Each of you has wonderfully rich, personal gifts—good looks, intelligence, charm, and athletic and musical prowess. You have thus far demonstrated the ability to hit the books, tutor a kid, or score in overtime. To do so, you relied on teamwork, diligence, sportsmanship, personal responsibility—those attributes, that character, are the stuff of your success.

Can we engage in purposeful learning and be successful without character? Without a conscience? Can we master the technical details and use our accumulated knowledge and skills to advance? Well, sure. For a time. One only has to consider our current reality and understand that it was not a dearth of advanced degrees, technological savvy, or creative financing that resulted in the economic mess we now face; instead, at its root, laziness, imprudence, dishonesty, and greed drove planning and decision-making. It has been the absence of character, not a lack of knowledge, that has prevailed.

A high SAT score, a big win on the field, or the number of community service hours racked up may get us through the college gate but by themselves they cannot be the goal. In fact, these achievements are meaningless if, in the end, we do not have the strength of character to do the right thing, the just thing, the courageous thing, when called upon. I know your teachers have challenged you in the classroom, and I hope in the process they have encouraged respect, fairness, and honesty.

Because your character matters. And your parents and your teachers know this to be true.

Haim Ginot, a Holocaust survivor, wrote a chilling letter to teachers after he survived the horrors of the Nazis. He wrote:

“Dear Teacher… I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no man should witness. Gas chambers built by learned engineers. Children poisoned by educated physicians. Infants killed by trained nurses. Women and babies shot by university graduates.

So I am suspicious of education. My request is this: Help your students become human. Your efforts must never produce learned monsters, skilled psychopaths, educated Eichmanns.”

He concludes: “Reading, writing, and arithmetic are only important if they serve to make our children more humane.”

I would add that AP courses, varsity athletic letters, scholarships, first violin in the orchestra are all important, but only if they strengthen your understanding of yourself, of others, and provide you with the tools needed to make this a better world. It is hard work, patience, tolerance, integrity, caring, sacrifice, and for many of you your faith—in short, it is your character that will enable your continued growth and success.

Use your beautiful head to get the right answer. But draw on your character to do the right thing.

When things get tough, and they inevitably will, when you are all alone, and you most certainly will be, it is your inner strength, your depth of character that will allow you to accept fear with courage, defeat with grace, and success with humility.

Congratulations for demonstrating a commitment to learning. You would not be here this evening if you were unable to prove your worthiness in the classroom and within the school community. Remember it is your humanity, your character, that will sustain you and enrich a world that desperately needs your scholarship, service, and leadership.

21st Century Learning

2009-05-06T20:21:00.008-04:00

There has been a lot of talk in education circles these days about so-called 21st Century Skills. These skills have been described in various ways but common themes emerge: Promoting creativity, critical thinking and communication, developing social and emotional competence, supporting local and global awareness and citizenship, and increasing technological and media literacy. Although the tag “21st Century” suggests innovation, the reality is these skills and areas for learning and discovery have been around for a generation. Could it be, however, they are even more meaningful and essential today? As educators, we must consider a number of questions.

So what is forward thinking and new?

In 2009 we are more explicit and purposeful about what we believe is truly important for students to know and to be able to do. We are asking students to demonstrate proficiency rather than accumulate credit. When I attended high school in the 1970s it was sufficient to complete three years of a foreign language (in my case, German) and check that off the list of requirements. It did not matter as much that I had little facility for the language at the conclusion of my experience, despite the best efforts of Herr Grove.

In today’s classroom we recognize the importance of language fluency and that the development of linguistic, cultural, and social competence are critical skills for the language learner, especially in earlier grades when children are at the right developmental stage for acquiring these skills. And there seems to be an increasing awareness that having facility with different languages; understanding contemporary geo-politics, including religious traditions, economic issues, and security concerns; and learning about history, literature, music, and art from a variety of perspectives and cultures are as critical to the success of the individual learner as they are to our nation's future.

Additionally, educators today, including in the Needham Public Schools, are focused on ensuring all students, not just those in certain schools, classes, or on the honors track, can demonstrate their proficiency in these and other skills. It is crucial, for example, that all students learn how to write and communicate effectively and with purpose. In the good old days of the 20th Century it was not a given that we would prepare all children for continued and lifelong learning.

Skills or content: What is more important?

What has gotten confusing, at least to me, about the discussion around 21st Century Skills is whether or not skills or content are more important to a student’s success. Some argue that skills must be taught at the expense of deep academic content because the skills will endure and, besides, information is ever changing. Just google it if you need to know! Others worry that without rich curriculum students may appear engaged but have little understanding of the world around them. How can one be a critical thinker if one does not have some thing to think or talk about?

I believe skills without content (or content without skills) do little to inform, enrich, and enliven the educational experience of a young person and, in fact, put the student at a disadvantage in an ever-connected and global community where knowledge, information, and context are essential. For example, how could students studying wetlands ecosystems present a worthwhile written and oral report to a science class or the community’s Conservation Commission (skill) without knowing key biology concepts such as pH, acidic and basic compounds, and light sources (content)? In this case, content is the substance of the skills demonstrated, and the demonstration of these skills in this setting assists in the understanding and meaning of the content.

How can skills and content be balanced in a way that strengthens student learning?

Ensuring our students have multiple opportunities to learn about our country’s history, for example, through classroom discussion and readings is critical to their development of vocabulary and historical meaning. Then, asking students to interview veterans about their experience or great grandparents about the Depression promotes communication, listening, and social skills while it also fills in the blank spaces or enriches what could otherwise be a staid classroom learning experience. Indeed, the classroom/teacher talk/content supports the interview/conversation/probing in this learning paradigm. One complements the other and both enrich the learning of the student and (bonus here!) the senior citizen.

Even better: Student chronicles the interviews in a journal to be exhibited in the town’s library or broadcasts them online. The student even presents his research at a meeting of the Council on Aging. More skill building here and the learning is shared with the local and global community using 21st Century technology tools.

The Needham Public Schools are committed to working towards the development of 21st Century skills and content for all students. And we will base our work on the district’s four core values: Scholarship (Learning), Community (Working together), Citizenship (Contributing), and Personal Growth (Acting courageously). I welcome your comments and suggestions as we move forward together to provide an exceptional educational experience for the best students around.