Dear Colleagues,
I hope you are all well and had a productive week across the district. For those of you following our local government affairs, you may know that a Citizen’s Petition, which garnered the required 15 signatures, will be presented at Annual Town Meeting next month. Here is the text of the petition:
MOTION: That the Town advises the Wellesley School Committee and the Superintendent of the Wellesley Public Schools that Academic Excellence shall take priority over all other programs, policies, and initiatives with regard to curriculum, text book selection, staffing, and budgeting; and that it shall expend all funds in a manner that reflects this priority in all schools and school programs with the goal to restore Wellesley High School to its historical top five ranking of all public high schools in the state of Massachusetts as determined by the US News and World Report annual high school ranking. For the purpose of this motion, Academic Excellence is generally defined by both an educational philosophy along with specific measurable benchmarks to establish a culture that prioritizes core subjects and permeates every classroom, department and school. Such benchmarks shall include but are not limited to raising performance and outcomes of the following:
- MCAS Exam Results
- National exams ranking
- The number of AP courses available and AP Course Enrollment
- SAT and ACT Exam Results
- No. of WPS seniors enrolling in college
The notion that the Wellesley Public Schools is not already committed to academic excellence doesn’t square with reality of our collective work and our results. On Tuesday night this week, the Administration presented a detailed overview of many existing indicators that provide ample evidence of the strong academic programs present in WPS. I encourage you to review that presentation on our website. Furthermore, the use of an external media outlet’s ranking system of high schools as a benchmark for the quality of WHS and WPS is fraught with many pitfalls. A quick look at the U.S News & World Report 2021 rankings of high schools shows, for example, that the overall score for the highest ranked traditional public high school (Bromfield HS in Harvard) is 98.82, while WHS has a score of 96.11. Less than three percentage points separate the number 5 ranked school from the number 26th ranked school.
Of course, I believe the main drawback of this and many ranking systems is not in the granularity of their scale, but in the many things not being measured. While we know our academic focus in schools is essential, we also know there are many other aspects of our work that are critical in the development of our students’ heads, hearts, and hands. For example, I’ve never seen stronger Visual and Performing Arts programs in any district. Our Athletics Program is equally noteworthy for exceptionally high participation rates, which are often the highest in the entire state. The quality of our in-district, specialized programs, which allow us to meet the needs of students with special needs, is also outstanding and reflects not only our legal, but our moral obligation to the students in our community.
Our district is far from perfect and we have much work to do to ensure the success of ALL students. That’s why our continued focus on Equity & Excellence is so important. However, I believe, collectively, we strive each day to embed our Core Values in our programs and in our support of our students and families.
In preparation for Town Meeting, we will continue to offer a robust defense of a school system that is not only focused on academics, but also one in which ALL students are known, are supported to stretch themselves, to explore their interests, and to develop the agency to be fully engaged in the world after they leave our care. This mission is the reason I became an educator many years ago and one I believe we collectively share. I hope you’ll join me in this important community conversation in the days ahead.
Thank you for your commitment to our students and enjoy a well-deserved February break.
Best Regards, David
Calendar
2/21-25 – February Break – No School
3/1/22 – Town Elections
3/2/22 – School Committee Meeting – 5:30 pm
3/8/22 – School Committee Meeting – 6:30 pm
3/13/22 – Daylight Savings Time Begins (Spring Forward!) – 2 am
Coaching Vacancy – Spring Season:
WHS Assistant Sailing Coach Vacancy
Season: Monday, March 21st through May 27th
Questions or to apply, please contact: Athletic Director John Brown brownj@wellesleyps.org or 781-446-6290, ext. 4614
Extended School Year (ESY) 2022: Help Wanted!
Wellesley Public Schools is hiring for the 2022 Summer ESY Program which runs from July 5 through August 4, 2022. Dates, hours, pay rates and openings are available on under the WPS Internal Job Postings and on School Spring. Please submit your application by March 31, 2022.
Questions? Please email:
Abby Kupris (PAWS): kuprisa@wellesleyps.
Ryan St. Aubin (K-5): staubinr@wellesleyps.
John DeLuca (Middle and High School): delucaj@wellesleyps.org
Human Relations Services
The Human Relation Services (HRS) can help. Wellesley Public Schools has contracted with HRS to provide up to ten free counseling visits for you and/or your family members. This program is designed to help you deal with stresses of life and work –including personal and family issues, drug or alcohol problems, and job related tension. It offers prevention and intervention to reduce these stresses and improve coping skills.
HRS is located at 11 Chapel Place in Wellesley and can be reached at 781-235-4950. This is a confidential service. Wellesley Public Schools is not aware of the names of employees or their family members who utilize this service.
Do you have a question for the WPS Human Resources Department?
Email AskHR@Wellesleyps.org. The Human Resources Department is happy to assist you.
WPS Internal Job Postings on District Website
For all Internal Job Postings, please go to “Internal Job Postings” under the Faculty tab of the District’s website.