On May 26, the City’s Chief Operating Officer, Josh Morse, hosted an online community meeting on the possible consolidation of Ward and Underwood elementary schools. He presented the findings that led him to conclude the schools should not be consolidated, citing rebounding enrollment, site limitations and minimal, if any, cost…
Posts published by “Christie Gibson”
This article provides further details on the recommendations of the Newton Public Schools (NPS) English Language Arts (ELA) Curriculum Committee presented by Director of English Language Arts & Literacy David Kloker with support from Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Gina Flanagan at the May 11 School Committee meeting (see…
This article provides further details on the recommendations of the Newton Public Schools (NPS) Math Curriculum Committee as presented by Asst. Superintendent Gina Flanagan with support from Director of Mathematics Jen Shore and Newton North HS Math Department Chair Jen Letourneau at the May 11 School Committee meeting (see Fig…
This article provides further details on the Newton Public Schools (NPS) recommendations for the Social Studies curriculum, as presented by Eva Hughes with support from Gina Flanagan at the May 11 School Committee meeting (see Fig City News report). Embodying the continued consolidation of Central Office staffing at the district…
The May 11 School Committee meeting ran four hours, which Supt. Nolin jokingly referred to as “The Superbowl of Curriculum,” complete with a “7th-inning stretch.” It included three departmental curricular reviews, a public hearing on School Choice, and updates from the Superintendent. Key votes were deferred to the next meeting. Curriculum…
Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Casey Ngo-Miller presented to the School Committee on March 11 about the Special Education services provided by NPS and some of the challenges in budgeting and funding these services. A repeated theme was how state and federal mandates have increased the NPS allocation to Special…
In the middle of budget season, Newton Public Schools (NPS) staff and School Committee members from every ward met to discuss the district’s technology initiatives. The meeting was led by Steve Rattendi, Director of Information Technology and Library Services. This is a role that, as Dr. Nolin pointed out, in…
On February 12, the Newton Public Schools (NPS) Offices of Family Engagement, Teaching and Learning, and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support teamed up to present information on the current ecosystem of assessments being used in the schools and how parents can interpret the assessment reports they receive about their students. After…
The day after an important budget meeting, Newton Public Schools (NPS) offered a detailed presentation about what is at stake for the curriculum if the schools budget cannot be augmented or significantly reworked. The meeting was initiated by members of the School Committee who had requested a Brown Bag Lunch…
NPS’s Literacy Night presentation on January 28 focused on the NPS Literacy Program and how parents of children in Grades K-5 can help them at home. It was led by Dr. David Kloker, the district’s new Director of English Language Arts & Literacy PK-12, who was hired last summer. He…










