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Greetings,
Now that the kids are back at school, and everyone is
adjusting to their fall routines, CNS would like to bring
you up-to-date on matters relating to the Needham
Public Schools.
District Updates
School Building Projects: Marianne
Cooley,
the School Committee liaison to the Permanent
Public
Building Committee, updated us on this summer's
school building projects: Pollard technology,
High
Rock, and Needham High School.
Pollard Technology: Thanks to the April
debt-
exclusion override, the entire Pollard
network was
upgraded this summer to make it stable,
standard,
and high-speed. The extension cords are
gone, and
the building has sufficient power. Also,
every room
now has a projector, giving teachers more
flexibility
in
planning their classes. The project was
completed
under budget; the extra money will become a
contingency for the High Rock project.
High Rock: The PPBC spent the summer
refining the High Rock plans and getting more
accurate cost estimates. The project will go
out to bid
in November; PPBC hopes to award the contract in
December and begin construction in January or
February. So far, the project is on budget
and on
schedule.
The PPBC investigated
ecofriendly
construction elements but included only those
that
produced cost savings. Thanks to new
technology in
heating and windows, High Rock will be
approximately 25% greener than standard
construction.
Needham High School: The new wing of
NHS is open; it contains classrooms and the new
cafeteria. The work on the original building
has
begun, as has the building of a new gym.
That work
should finish in January; then the Webster
Street
building will start coming down and the new
traffic
loop will be built. The project is on
schedule to finish
by September 2008.
K-8 Science: In June, the K-8 Science
Program Review Committee completed its work by
reporting its findings to the School
Committee. The
report is on the district website at http://
district.needham.k12.ma.us/reports/K-
8SciFinalRept2_CMTE.pdf
The committee recommends:
· Providing a curriculum leader for
elementary science.
· Aligning the curriculum with the state
frameworks.
· Making science a core subject at all
grades and developing guidelines for the
amount of
time teachers spend on science.
· Retaining the Science Center.
· Collaborating with industry, universities
and other organizations.
We thank the parents, teachers,
administrators, and
School Committee members on the committee for
their hard work.
On July 1, Mary Rizzutto became Needham's new
K-5
Science Specialist. Mary is the
instructional leader
for
the elementary science program, and she runs the
Science Center. Mary, the Science Center
staff, and
Terry Duggan, Director of Program Development
and
Implementation, are working on implementing the
rest
of the task force's recommendations.
Technology Program Review: This year,
the
Superintendent and School Committee are
reviewing
the technology program. They are seeking
volunteers
to serve on the committee. Details are at
http://
www.needham.k12.ma.us/
news_recruit_volunteers.htm
Teachers' Contract Ratified: In early
September, the teachers' union ratified a new
three-year contract with the Town. Don Gratz, School
Committee chair, described the contract at the
September 18 School Committee meeting:
cost-of-living raises of 2.5% for the first year (1%
of which
had
been negotiated in the previous contract) and
2.875%
for the next two years, increased preparation
time for
elementary teachers, increased funds for
mentoring
and graduate-level courses. Gratz described the
contract as sustainable: it meets the needs
of the
teachers but also respects the financial
constraints of
the town. Mike Hirsch, teachers' union
representative,
and Kate Fitzpatrick, Town Manager, also
spoke in
support of the contract.
Performance Report 2007: The Needham
Public Schools Performance Report 2007 was
delivered to every Needham household in late
August. Please be sure to read it; it
provides a
comprehensive yet succinct look at our
schools. The
Financial Performance section and the inside
back
cover are particularly helpful; they clearly
summarize
information that can be difficult to gather.
If you have
misplaced your copy, you can pick a new one
up at
the
School Administration Building.
Needham Public Schools Core Values
Statement:
Scholarship, Community, Citizenship, Personal
Growth - after working with parents, teachers,
administrators, and students, Superintendent
Gutekanst has identified these qualities as the
qualities we most value in the Needham Public
Schools. The School Committee will next discuss the
Mission, Vision, Core Values, and District Goals on
October 6. The final version will be adopted after
approval by the School Committee.
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State Funding Update |
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State funding for the Needham Public Schools
increased for the second year in a row.
State funding
is still less than it was in 2002, however,
and there's
lots of talk between state and local
officials about
how
to solve that problem. The Governor submitted a
package of ideas that would help, but would not
solve
the whole problem. The Legislature passed two of
those ideas.
First, municipalities will be allowed to join
the state
health insurance system, which has managed to
keep
health insurance costs in check. The Needham
Town
Manager and her staff are studying this
option to see if
it will save Needham significant dollars.
Second, the state will now require towns with
underperforming pension funds to join the state
system. Needham voluntarily joined the system
quite
some time ago. As a result, we already have
one of
the better performing pension funds.
Also included in Governor Patrick's package
are two
revenue-generating measures: closing a tax
loophole
for telecom companies, and allowing
municipalities
to
institute local taxes such as hotel or meal
taxes. The
tax loophole measure could gain enough
support to
pass, but the local taxes idea is facing
significant
opposition.
There are three other initiatives worth noting:
1. The Governor recently formed a task force
called
the
Readiness Project, to look at all aspects of
education funding, starting with preschool. The
task force
should have a report next year.
2. The Joint Committee on Education is
considering several proposals for an adequacy study
to determine what makes an adequate education and
the cost of providing such an education. This study
could guide funding proposals as well as state
educational requirements. While such a study could
inform the education debate, some lawmakers
suggest that it would lead to further disparity in state
funding between cities and
suburbs.
3. The Massachusetts Municipal Association, with
support from the School Committee Association
and
The School Superintendents Association, is
renewing
its call for 40% of each year's state revenue
growth to
be added to local aid. As part of this
proposal, the
state would pay 50% of the total statewide
education "foundation" budget. Clearly, this
will be a
very difficult sell at the State House.
Please let Representative Harkins and Senator
Brown
know where you stand on any of the issues
mentioned in this update.
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Please Help CNS at the Harvest Fair |
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Citizens for Needham Schools will have a
table at this weekend's Harvest Fair. The
Harvest Fair takes place
this Saturday, September 29 from 10 a.m. - 3
p.m., in front of Town Hall, and it's a terrific
opportunity to sign
families of young children up for the CNS
newsletter.
We could use some help. The work is easy:
apply a
play tattoo on cute kids and tell their
parents how
much you like receiving the newsletter.
Please email
us at info@needham
yes.com
if you can help.
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Next CNS Meeting: Sunday, November 4 |
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Please join us at our opening meeting of the 07-08
school year. We'll meet at 7:30 p.m. at the Needham
Historical Society's Old Schoolhouse on the Newman
School campus. We'll discuss this year's challenges
for the schools; we'd love to hear your questions and
comments. Please come, and please bring a friend.
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CNS Welcomes Your Donations |
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CNS has become a 501(c)4 organization. As a result, we can now
accept donations. Your donation will help us expand our readership
and continue to build support for the Needham Public Schools.
If you would like to donate to CNS, please write a check to
Citizens for Needham Schools, Inc and send it to our treasurer:
Wally Johnston, 188 Highgate St., Needham, MA 02492
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