Sue Flicop

In perusing some of the School Committee websites of nearby communities, I’ve observed that there are some standing committees that we don’t have in Newton.  In particular, I think we should consider establishing a Finance Subcommittee, which would be useful in supporting the development of a long-range financial planning system, and a Curriculum Subcommittee.  In both cases, the members would be the “point people” who can communicate with the public specifically on these issues, as well as review and comment on the recommendations of staff.

I recently wrote this on the Newton Parents Group listserve in response to a question about the problem of class size in Newton.

I think the issue of class size is complicated–it’s not just about money. Over the years I’ve been involved in the schools, the problem has been a moving target, affecting some schools for a year or more, and then jumping to others in the next years. Adding teachers can solve the problem temporarily, until class size issues hit the next school.

If one were to add enough teachers to keep class sizes at the ideal level every year, we would run out of space in some schools. A few years ago, Bowen had the problem of getting a reasonable number of teachers for an endlessly growing student population, but not enough classrooms for them. Even after adding one modular, we still had two teachers sharing a classroom space. But the current plan to add extra capacity as schools are rebuilt/renovated to alleviate some of the potential space crunches in Newton’s future hasn’t received a lot of support.

Our community also values neighborhood schools, which also puts stress on class size. Margaret [Albright] suggests redistricting, but this is an extremely painful process–people volunteer neighborhoods other than their own to be moved to another school. To me, it’s not fair to redistrict unless you can at least “grandfather” in the current students and their families. This means that redistricting is not a short-term solution that can alleviate immediate class size problems.

I met with a Swampscott School Committee member and their superintendent last spring–they changed from neighborhood schools to a system where the school department added new families/students to schools that had capacity in the appropriate grades. This essentially did away with large class sizes across their three elementary schools. However, Swampscott is far smaller–both in terms of population and geography. Still, there might be some hybrid solution in Newton, if we are willing to be more flexible and feel that smaller class sizes are worthy of rethinking an established element of our school system.

These issues haven’t been discussed very much, partly because parents are often focused on their own school and don’t get a chance to see what is happening from a larger perspective. The idea of changing neighborhood schools is also a bit of a “third rail” in terms of discussions. It’s been far easier to figure out how to add a teacher or an aide rather than work on the underlying problems.

In terms of what to do right now, we should be looking carefully at the new model this year at Countryside and Peirce–instead of thinking about 1 teacher to 25 students, they are thinking of a whole grade with a team of teachers, aides, and other support staff. In the end, we are all concerned all about how well the school system meets our students’ educational needs–perhaps this new model can do this well and allow more flexible staffing.

Why don’t we talk more about the middle schools? Let’s face it…parents whose children are in the middle schools or who have moved on to the high schools often believe that the middle schools are really the weakest part of our school system. I don’t mean to imply that there aren’t exciting things going on at the middle school level, or that there aren’t dedicated and passionate staff, but it feels like it happens to a far lesser degree at the middle school level.

In general, middle school parents are less engaged–either because they are “burnt out” from elementary school involvement or because their middle schoolers are trying to keep them at arm’s length. Programs like BRIM (Breaking Ranks in the Middle) are not well explained and parents can’t see the direct connection or benefit to the curriculum. Too often middle school is treated as something for the students to “get through” so that they can reach the wonderful high schools.

As a middle school parent and a School Committee candidate, I want three years where our increasingly independent children are challenged academically, are learning the 21^st century skills needed for future success, and are developing the social skills important for successful and enriching lives. We also want our children to have a memorable three years that maintains that excitement for education that was sparked at the elementary level and the positive connections with teachers who are engaged and challenged themselves.

So what can we do to support and enhance the middle schools? Parents can become more involved and knowledgeable and advocate for more attention TO the middle schools and FROM the middle schools. Let’s figure out what BRIM is about (and explain it to each new batch of middle school parents) and how it fits into the new Strategic Plan. Let’s do more pilot programs at the middle schools—especially those that build upon the strategic plan. Currently there are two classrooms that are piloting new technology, and that number is expected to grow. It would be great to see some surveying done of the faculty and the parents about their perceptions. Can we have more multidisciplinary courses and projects? These are just a few ideas to bring middle schools into the limelight.

We should always be open to exploring new innovations in education.  There are many ideas on how to improve education that would be interesting to pilot here in Newton.  With proper planning,  support, and review, we can evaluate which ones are helpful and sustainable over time.

One example to consider is the idea of expanded learning time (ELT).  I recently heard Chris Gabrieli, author of Time to Learn, talk about this subject, along with two staff people from a Framingham school with a longer school day.  It’s true that most of the schools that have an expanded day have very different concerns than we have here in Newton–issues like low graduation rates and low MCAS scores.  But Newton still does have challenges in the school system that might be addressed by having a longer school day.  It is worth exploring this idea and how it might be applied to a school in Newton.

It is important, though, when considering all these different ideas to be sure there is consensus in the particular school community among parents and staff to try a new program.  Additionally, resources needed for a pilot must not take away from those needed in other schools, and should be integrated into a long-range financial plan in order to ensure sustainability.

Now that the Board of Alderman has voted to approve the local hotel-motel tax but not the local restaurant tax, it is unclear whether or not the School Committee will have enough money to bond for four new modulars at Oak Hill, in addition to using the full $1.75 million for capital improvements.

In my opinion, the School Committee needs to more fully explore the possibility of adding two modulars at Oak Hill next year, while still planning and designing for four.  If the student projections remain the same, the second set of modulars could be purchased next year instead.  This might not be the most efficient method of meeting Oak Hill’s space needs–the numbers need to be run and presented before a decision is made.  This could be a pragmatic way to move forward with much of the original CIP (Capital Improvement Plan) list, while still working to solve the space crunch in the system.

As I watched the School Committee deliberate on how to spend $1.75 million in capital funds, I kept asking myself how I would vote if I were sitting at the table.

This is an extraordinarily difficult situation, though quite simple to explain:  there simply isn’t enough money to pay for the capital projects the School Committee would like to undertake this year.  This means that some projects need to be put on hold–the question is how to determine which ones.  Among the choices were:  roof improvements; new second boilers; new windows and doors at an elementary school; an elevator in an elementary school; and four new modulars for a middle school.

There was an extensive discussion that addressed many alternatives and needs.  The only area I would have like to see explored was the possibility of adding only two modulars at Oak Hill next year, followed by two the following year.  While this would not be the most cost-efficient method for design and construction, these inefficiencies might be offset by the ability to continue to move forward with other projects.  I’m not suggesting this is the way to go, but it is another alternative that could have been evaluated.

In the end, the argument that made the most sense to me was to focus on the items that would have a substantial impact on the educational program–the ones that would lead to significant impact on education if they weren’t done now.   To me, this includes the roofs, the elevator, and the modulars.  Clearly, a roof failure could mean a class or classes need to shut down or be moved until repair can be done.  This could also mean a substantial repair expense–far more than a proactive repair would cost today.  The elevator is a no-brainer–it not only means giving all students the ability to move easily around the school, but also it gives them dignity and self-sufficiency.

The Oak Hill modulars are necessary because in September, 2010, a large cohort of students begins entering the school, causing a space crunch.   Not enough space leads to large team sizes (predicted to be greater than 100 students) which will substantially affect students’ education.

I forsaw the Oak Hill space situation  several years ago when Bowen and other Oak Hill feeder schools were struggling with increases in student population.  However, without a comprehensive capital plan that includes both municipal and school needs, it is impossible to properly plan for and meet the capital needs and the associated financing necessary to avoid these difficult situations.

Unfortunately the current funding difficulties require placing the needs of one school over the needs of another, and in the end no decision satisfies everyone.

Apologies for my absence to those who are following my blog!  I was overwhelmed by the avalanche of recitals, portfolio viewings, and other end-of-the-year school activities, not to mention all those meetings that need to be “fit in” before the end of the school year.

In reviewing all the interesting meetings I went to in the last half of June, I realized that I have spent a great deal of time thinking about my visit with Neil Bernstein, a School Committee member in Swampscott.   Neil has been the driving force in bringing long-range financial planning to Swampscott Public Schools (SPS), and is an avid ambassador for extending this to other school systems.

Two years ago, SPS had a year-to-year budget, just as Newton does now.   However, SPS did not have actual budget updates, accurate numbers, or a line item budget.   Newton, with a far larger budget, does have accurate and regular reporting on the budget, and is therefore starting off in a much better position to develop a long-range system.   It will still require a great deal of work, especially since Newton’s budget is so much larger.

One appealing aspect of the SPS system is its complete openness.  There is a line item in the on-line budget for each staff person, making any proposed cuts very visible and, in a sense, personal.   Everyone, including the parents, teachers, union representatives, and administrators can see exactly how much each person costs the system, and can determine how any increases (COLA and other contractual increases as well) will affect the school budget.

I’m sure that many of you have wondered like I have, if it is possible for someone to tell from Newton Public Schools’ proposed budget line items how much of a COLA increase is included in school budgets, especially during the years when a contract is still under negotiation.  It is such a complex figure–I haven’t been able to do it, but it is possible that someone might.  This year was unusual in that the Superintendent made clear that there were no increases for COLA in the FY2010 budget.

Budget openness in Newton that is similar to Swampscott’s, with a staff that includes about 1000 teachers, would lead to an incredibly cumbersome spreadsheet for the public (and the staff) to maneuver.  One issue, then, is how to bring a similar openness to Newton’s budget and still make it manageable and useful.  I think that this will be a work in progress over the next year.

I’ve recently been in touch with Neil Bernstein, a School Committee member in Swampscott, MA. Neil responded to my guest column in the Newton TAB about instituting long-range planning for our public school system. The School Committee and administration have recently done this in Swampscott, where information is posted on their website: Swampscott Public Schools Financial Information.

The planning model is very similar to the work the CAG did in this area. One of the most interesting results is that the Swampscott Superintendent has a five-year budget strategy—a natural outcome of a long-range financial planning document. This makes far more sense than the annual budget guidelines that our School Committee develops—which can be very different from year to year and not provide sustainable support for important programs.

The other interesting item is that even though there are 5 School Committee members in Swmapscott, there is a Finance Committee. As far as I know, there is no such sub-committee of the Newton School Committee. While it seems to me that all the SC members share the responsibility for keeping within the annual budget, I think a Finance Committee could be very helpful in designing, evaluating, and presenting a long-range financial plan. This could become a very important element in moving forward, especially if there is no agreement on hiring a Chief Financial Officer until a permanent Superintendent is in place.

Click here to read my first guest column in the Newton TAB: Newton TAB Guest Column 5-12-09.

School Committee Meeting—Budget Info
April 27, 2009

There were a few non-budget related items to report on tonight, as well as another budget proposal:

Swine Flu Update: The Health and Human Services Commissioner, David Naparstek, with members of his staff, presented at tonight’s meeting about the swine flu outbreak. They reviewed the school policies in place to handle illnesses, and added that the school nurses are specifically looking for children suffering from fever and respiratory problems. People are reminded that the US cases have been mild so far, and that we have a good surveillance system. Dori Zaleznik added that people with symptoms should stay home and call the doctor to get their advice. Going to an office, hospital, or school will only spread the infection.

Last Day of School: The last day of school for students will be a half day on Tuesday, June 23rd. The last day for teachers is on Wednesday, June 24th.

Fees Discussion:
• Certain discounts for C permits (mainly for-profit or non-Newton organizations) will be eliminated to result in an additional $18,025 in increased revenue. [NOTE: This does not affect PTOs, the aftercare programs or other Newton non-profits.]
• Student parking fees at the high schools were raised by $20 to $200 per semester.
• Student bus fees have increased by $40 per student for next year. [NOTE: A report with full-scale analysis of transportation fees and recommendations is expected soon.]

Budget Discussion: Click here for the latest budget update: April 27 budget update. This was presented by the Superintendent, who explained that cuts in the circuit breaker (State money which helps cover the costs associated with certain out-of-district tuitions for children with special needs) could range anywhere from $500K to $1 million. This will remain unknown for several weeks at least.

In the meantime, the Superintendent proposed how to spend the Federal stimulus money for special education—this includes items moved out of the operating budget as well as additional enhancements to student services for a total of approximately $1.7 million. (IA and IB on the budget update table)

With $1.8 million in savings from the stimulus money and from additional allocations, the Superintendent proposed adding a combination of direct services to students (requiring FTEs) and one-time expenses. (II on the budget update table)

As a response to the uncertainty of the circuit breaker funding, $750k was proposed as a reserve fund to be allocated as outlined depending on how much is finally made available. (III on the budget table)

The School Committee asked a number of questions about the items, but did not propose tradeoffs or other changes due to the lateness of the meeting. There will be a special meeting to do just this—and possible vote on the budget—tomorrow night, Tuesday, April 28, at 7 p.m. in Room 210 at the Ed Center. If you would like to contact the School Committee to comment, you can email them at schoolcommittee@newton.k12.ma.us.