Schools

Watertown’s New Special Education Director Speaking at SEPAC Meeting

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The Watertown Special Education Parent Advisory Council will host the district’s new special education director during a public meeting on Sept. 28. Watertown SEPAC sent out the following information:

The Watertown SEPAC meeting will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at the Phillips School Conference Room, 30 Common St., from 6-8 p.m.

This meeting will be an informal coffee with our new Director of Special Education, Kathleen Desmarais. Bring your kids – child care, beverages and fresh baked goods will be provided.

Letters

LETTER: Resident Disappointed to See Superintendent Leaving Watertown

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To the Editor of Watertown News,

I was very disappointed to hear the news that our school superintendent, Dr. Jean Fitzgerald, has decided to retire. In her letter to the community, Dr. Fitzgerald explained she was ready to start a new chapter in her life. But from my perspective, it seems she was driven out of her position by a negative and unsupportive environment. With Dr. Fitzgerald’s retirement, we have lost a passionate advocate for our children, and a deeply knowledgeable educator who understands the complexities of teaching and learning. We as a community need to ask ourselves why we allowed our kids, and the teachers, staff, and administrators who are educating our kids, to lose the benefit of such a leader.

Jean Fitzgerald

Parents, Teachers Worry About Who Will be the Next Superintendent

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MIWith the unexpected announcement that Watertown Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald will be retiring, parents, teachers and others already began worrying about who will come in to fill her shoes. Fitzgerald made the announcement at Monday night’s School Committee, saying she will be stepping down in early October. “Each new school year represents a fresh start and an opportunity to explore new challenges. We reflect on what we have accomplished, set new goals, and begin the work required to moved forward,” Fitzgerald said. “As this school year begins, I have decided to make such a change in my own career as an educator.

Schools

Watertown Parents Start a Petition Asking for Vote of No Confidence for Superintendent

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A group of Watertown parents have started a petition asking for the School Committee to take a vote of no confidence for Watertown Superintendent Jean Fitzgerald. The petition, which would also be sent to the Town Council, was started on Change.org, and as of 5:45 p.m. had 20 supporters. The first paragraph of the lengthy petition reads:

“We, the undersigned Parents of children who are attending or have attended Watertown Public Schools, and community members who share similar concerns, have composed this letter to express our dissatisfaction with the current superintendent, Jean Fitzgerald.” The organizers, who were not named in the petition, wrote that “it is the petitioner’s’ position that the Superintendent has acted inefficiently, incompetently, and with conduct unbecoming of a Superintendent.” This, the petition says, is enough to terminate and dismiss Fitzgerald under her contract.

Letters

LETTER: Elimination of Half Day Transition by Schools Hurts Working Families

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This letter was originally sent to School Administrators and the School Committee:

I am sure by now you have received considerable feedback from your decision to eliminate coverage on half day transitions to extended day. While your reasoning might have been sound and based on contractual and financial considerations, the impact your decision has on working families in Watertown is far greater than you might have considered. We have enjoyed the advantages of the Extended Day Program at the Hosmer for the past three years. Your staff is accommodating, the program is engaging and the convenience is exactly what we need. By eliminating the bridge period between scheduled half days and the extended day program, you have effectively caused us and most of the families that pay for your program a great deal of hardship and confusion.

Letters

LETTER: Thoughts on Superintendent Evaluation, District Goals & Enrollment Projects

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This is the account of the most recent School Committee meeting provided by the Watertown Strong Schools parents group. Look at the end for commentary. Unofficial Minutes: School Committee Meeting 7/18/16 – Key Points and Commentary

Note: These are NOT official minutes. Commentary can be found at the bottom of the minutes. Written by: Kate Coyne, Alyson Morales, and David Stokes.

Bilingual

Bilingualism is a Gift Campaign Resonates in Watertown and Beyond

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The Watertown schools started an effort to not only include students learning English as their second tongue in school, but to celebrate their first language and their culture. And the Bilingualism is a Gift campaign has been a hit. Two instructors have spearheaded the effort: Hosmer English Language Learner teacher Lauren Harrison and Maryann MacDougall, team leader of the Speech and Language program the Watertown Public Schools preschool program. The pair told the School Committee Tuesday nigh that they have received high marks not just from people in Watertown, but from educators across the United States and around the globe. In the fall, the Bilingualism is a Gift (or BiG) campaign started with a poster put up around the Watertown Schools.

Entertainment

LETTER: Candidate Sees Shortcuts in Watertown Schools’ Goals

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Dear Watertown,

I want to encourage Watertown citizens to consider the 2015/2016 Superintendent’s goals and the learning goals discussed at the August 10th School Committee meeting. Goal setting is a powerful tool that school districts use to achieve purposeful results. Goals help schools focus energy, attention, resources, and motivation. They inspire commitment and action or, in their absence, inaction. Watertown Public Schools (WPS) is a ~$45 million per year education system, serving 2700+ diverse students with a staff of approximately 550 people.