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…
Posts published in “Education”
The persistent budget shortfall facing Newton Public Schools is no longer a temporary hurdle; it is the fiscal crisis that remains the unspoken backdrop of every discussion about NPS. While the constraints are real, the way our leadership handles them is a choice, and currently, those choices are failing our…
The “carryforward” item within the Newton Public Schools (NPS) budget — the amount of cash unspent by NPS in the current year, which is then assumed to be expended in the next year’s budget — is a consistent source of confusion, taking much airtime during public budget meetings. NPS continues…
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…
During March 9-16, the School Committee and NPS convened three public budget meetings to review detailed information from NPS departments regarding their budgetary methodologies and priorities. These meetings continued the dichotomy of the Superintendent, Mayor, and School Committee all acknowledging what they say is an improved budgeting process and working…
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…
On March 2, the School Committee, including Mayor Marc Laredo, met with Superintendent Anna Nolin and NPS Chief Financial and Administrative Officer Liam Hurley in a public but unrecorded budget meeting at the Education Center. The meeting was also attended by Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education Ayesha Farag and observed…
In a time of nationwide turmoil in the 1960s and 1970s, the Newton Public Schools (NPS) took a lot in stride: a homemade bomb exploding, major changes in school governance, and the beginning of significant cultural wars. On a Friday morning in November of 1968, a homemade bomb exploded in…
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…
Newton Community Education has amazing Winter Programs and Summer Camps, and registration is open now. Learning that grows with you and your family – from Newton Public Schools! Winter Programs Registration is open now! For Adults: Day and evening classes for adults, including Painting, Real Estate Planning, Mah Jongg, Yoga, Cooking, Guitar,…
Newton Schools Foundation (NSF) will host its second annual Trivia Night fundraiser on March 13, 7PM-10:30PM, at American Legion Post #440 (295 California Street). Proceeds from the event will fund grants for teachers to bring innovative programs and educational approaches to students in the Newton Public Schools. “Trivia Night is…