Graham and Parks Page
FROM JUDY WEISS, on May 17, 2011:
Tonight at the School Committee meeting, I read a statement written by Sue Vargo (who is out of town) and myself, with input from a few other parents, on behalf of the Cambridge Family Information Network (CFIN), the new district-wide parent group that Sue and Julie Duncan have posted about. The statement is below, but in a nutshell, it calls on the School Committee and Superintendent Young to include parent and teacher representation on all of the committees charged with implementing the Innovation Agenda.
Also at the meeting tonight, Jeff Young presented his Innovation Agenda Implementation Plan. I just checked the CPSD website and it is not posted yet, but should be by tomorrow (5/18). I see Mary-Ann just posted it to gp21 through Marc McGovern. It is definitely worth reading as it contains a detailed timeline, as well as somewhat greater clarity of which stakeholders will be involved in which IA objectives. But much still remains murky. Parents are ONLY at the table in discussions concerning student transitions (6th and 9th grades) and out of school time, but are NOT part of any discussions of curriculum or the Upper School Program in general, other than through the Citywide School Advisory Group (CSAG). A few School Committee members requested that parents be included, but there was not much indication from Young that he is inclined to do so.
PLEASE NOTE: 2 very important deadlines are coming up in June!
1. Central Admin will be making a decision IN JUNE about humanities and mixed grades at the Upper Schools. NOW is the time to contact Dr. Young and the School Comm to let them know that a humanities curriculum is one of the ‘best practices’ that should be part of the Upper School curriculum! If you want more info on the difference between a humanities approach that combines English and Social Studies/history, and separate classes and teachers for English Language Arts (or ELA, as it is called) and Social Studies, let me know. Humanities is taught in the 7/8 grades at G&P, which is in keeping with the project-based, integrated approach to education that is the foundation of G&P.
2. Furthermore, the core subject teaching teams for the 4 new schools are being decided now and will be announced in June as well (although Barbara Allen said tonight that they may not make that deadline). Dr. Young declined to answer a question about whether they are taking certification into account in making the teams. It is not at all clear to me how the teams are being put together or who is making that decision, but no one is asking us, that’s for sure! Seems that the decision about whether to adopt a humanities model must precede the decision about who will be teaching with whom. The Deans of the 4 schools will not be hired until next April, BTW. Again, I encourage everyone reading this email to contact the school committee and Dr. Young to weigh in on this. Sarah Manz and Chris Rettig should be kept together as part of the core team at Vassal Lane.
Tonight at the School Committee meeting, I read a statement written by Sue Vargo (who is out of town) and myself, with input from a few other parents, on behalf of the Cambridge Family Information Network (CFIN), the new district-wide parent group that Sue and Julie Duncan have posted about. The statement is below, but in a nutshell, it calls on the School Committee and Superintendent Young to include parent and teacher representation on all of the committees charged with implementing the Innovation Agenda.
Also at the meeting tonight, Jeff Young presented his Innovation Agenda Implementation Plan. I just checked the CPSD website and it is not posted yet, but should be by tomorrow (5/18). I see Mary-Ann just posted it to gp21 through Marc McGovern. It is definitely worth reading as it contains a detailed timeline, as well as somewhat greater clarity of which stakeholders will be involved in which IA objectives. But much still remains murky. Parents are ONLY at the table in discussions concerning student transitions (6th and 9th grades) and out of school time, but are NOT part of any discussions of curriculum or the Upper School Program in general, other than through the Citywide School Advisory Group (CSAG). A few School Committee members requested that parents be included, but there was not much indication from Young that he is inclined to do so.
PLEASE NOTE: 2 very important deadlines are coming up in June!
1. Central Admin will be making a decision IN JUNE about humanities and mixed grades at the Upper Schools. NOW is the time to contact Dr. Young and the School Comm to let them know that a humanities curriculum is one of the ‘best practices’ that should be part of the Upper School curriculum! If you want more info on the difference between a humanities approach that combines English and Social Studies/history, and separate classes and teachers for English Language Arts (or ELA, as it is called) and Social Studies, let me know. Humanities is taught in the 7/8 grades at G&P, which is in keeping with the project-based, integrated approach to education that is the foundation of G&P.
2. Furthermore, the core subject teaching teams for the 4 new schools are being decided now and will be announced in June as well (although Barbara Allen said tonight that they may not make that deadline). Dr. Young declined to answer a question about whether they are taking certification into account in making the teams. It is not at all clear to me how the teams are being put together or who is making that decision, but no one is asking us, that’s for sure! Seems that the decision about whether to adopt a humanities model must precede the decision about who will be teaching with whom. The Deans of the 4 schools will not be hired until next April, BTW. Again, I encourage everyone reading this email to contact the school committee and Dr. Young to weigh in on this. Sarah Manz and Chris Rettig should be kept together as part of the core team at Vassal Lane.
