Transforming Special Education in the Needham Schools

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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!