On January 26, legal representatives of the Newton Teachers Association (NTA) attended two hearings in Middlesex Superior Court, after which the judge issued a ruling that assesses a coercive fine of $50,000 per day that the strike remains in place, starting at 8PM on Sunday, January 28. No fine will…
Fig City News
Following reports on January 24 of meaningful progress being made in the negotiations between the Newton School Committee and Newton Teachers Association (NTA), January 25 brought progress to a standstill, with a significant decline in rapport. The two sides once again held separate press conferences that night. At 9:37AM on…
Although the Teachers Strike continues, and schools will remain closed on January 25, the Newton Teachers Association (NTA) and School Committee each said, in separate press conferences at the end of January 24, that they had made real progress in their negotiations – and gaps remain. Key points: NTA President…
The teachers strike continues, and schools remain closed at least through January 24. New information includes a comprehensive proposal document from the Newton Teachers Association (NTA) and a spreadsheet prepared by Newton Public Schools (NPS) comparing the stances of the NTA versus NPS. During the bargaining session on Monday, January…
Today — January 24, 2024 — NewTV’s Newton News proves wrong the admonition, “Don’t trust anyone over 30.” Established in 1994, the city’s longest-running news program today marks three decades as a trusted source of local news for Newton. Newton News is a weekly local newscast produced by NewTV, an…
On Tuesday, January 22, Newton Teachers Association President Mike Zilles sent Fig City News this response to the analysis that former Newton School Committee Chair Matt Hills had provided to Fig City News the previous day.
On January 22, at the end of the fourth consecutive day of negotiations, the Newton Teachers Association (NTA) and the School Committee again held separate press conferences. The Teachers Strike remains in effect, and schools will remain closed for a third day, on Tuesday, January 23. The NTA presented a…
Late in the afternoon of January 22, the Middlesex Superior Court issued a ruling on the Commonwealth Employment Relations Board (CERB) motion of civil contempt order submitted earlier in the day. This motion was filed because the Newton Teachers Association (NTA) did not comply with the Court’s ruling to call…
This weekend, Fig City News discussed the dynamics surrounding the current Newton Teachers Strike with Newton resident Matt Hills. A former member of the Newton School Committee (2010-2018; Chair 2014-2017), Hills is currently Vice Chair of the Board of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Interview notes are…
City Council meeting with the School Committee on the State of the Schools scheduled for Thursday, January 24 at 7PM has been canceled. Newtonville Area Council will meet virtually (Zoom link) on Thursday, January 25 at 7PM. The agenda includes the following:
Congratulations to the eight recruits of the Newton Fire Department who recently graduated from fire academies and will become Probationary Firefighters starting Sunday, January 28:
On Wednesday, January 17, Josh Ostroff, outgoing Director of Newton’s Transportation Planning Department, presented a proposal before the Public Facilities Committee to allow reconfiguration of Washington Street from Lowell Avenue to Chestnut Street to make it “safer, more welcoming and enjoyable” for residents and businesses. The design phase and construction…