Dear Colleagues,
I hope everyone’s second week of school was productive.
I received a press inquiry this week about the recent Boston Magazine school ratings that identified Wellesley as the eighth ranked school district in the state. The reporter congratulated us on our achievement and wanted to know more about the practices that have led to our success. My first reaction was one of skepticism that anyone in our community would celebrate being ranked eighth on anything!
More importantly, this inquiry reminded me of my general anxiety regarding the many ratings that are produced today by the media and online sources. A case in point: Earlier this summer, Niche.com ranked Wellesley as the number one school district in the Massachusetts. Apparently, we declined significantly in between the release of these separate rankings.
Of course, the truth is that any of these rankings are based on the metrics that the provider chooses to prioritize, which can vary greatly. Further, even a small change in these metrics, such as the manner in which AP classes are counted, for example, may move districts up or down considerably in the rankings.
My larger concern is the degree to which the public responds to school and/or district ratings without understanding the different methodologies being used. Residents may be under the false impression that their district is rapidly improving or declining, which may be far from the truth.
Ultimately, we should be measured against benchmarks we as a community have defined as important, which often cannot be quantified through a standardized test. You have probably heard the oft-repeated adage, “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.”
I am proud to be part of a school community that believes so strongly in its core values and strives to model them each day for and with students. Let that be our point of pride regardless of where we fall on someone’s rankings.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Best regards,
David
Calendar
09/12/17 – SC Meeting – 6:30 pm – Town Hall
09/21/17 – Rosh Hashanah – No School
09/26/17 – SC Meeting – 6:30 pm – Town Hall
10/10/17 – SC Meeting – 6:30 pm – Town Hall
Message from the Wellesley Education Foundation (WEF) – Grant Applications
Welcome Back WPS Educators!
WEF announces a change to the grant application process. We have moved to ONE GRANT CYCLE for the 2017-2018 academic school year.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 2018 – DEADLINE for WEF Grant Applications
EARLY APRIL – Notifications for Grant Decisions
We thank you for your inspiring and innovative applications and look forward to funding many grants this coming year. If you have any questions, please contact us at: grants
Yolanda Tong and Judy Zimmerman
WEF Grants Co Chairs
Insurance Benefits Information
Health and Dental Insurance Benefits information is handled by the Town Hall Benefits Office. Inquiries should be directed to Joanne Liburd at JLiburd or by calling 781-431-1019 extension 2244.
WPS Internal Job Postings on District Website
Please be aware that we added a new feature called “Internal Job Postings” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website. We will post all of our internal jobs under this website tab. Therefore, you will no longer see internal job postings in the bulletin. This new way of posting will allow us to post internal positions any day of the week.