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2009-06-10: School Committee retreat; 2009-2010 bus transportation

1. School Committee retreat
This coming Monday, June 15, the School Committee will hold a a "Retreat" to provide the Committee with an opportunity to step back from its regular matters and consider higher level issues facing the district. This discussion will help to inform our administrators as they develop goals for the short and long term. The meeting, beginning at 6pm in the Public Safety Building meeting room with a (self-funded) light dinner for the Committee, will be open to the public.

Based on input from the community as well as its own planning conversations, the Committee has established the following retreat agenda.
  • 30-minute public comment period
  • Committee questions for the Administration on end-of-year reports
  • Retreat topics
    1. Long Range Strategic Planning
    2. Differentiated instruction
    3. Balance of curricular and co-curricular program
    4. Planning for administrative turnover
    5. Additional revenue sources
    6. Committee transparency
  • Closing 15-minute public comment period
Please be advised that the meeting will be a working meeting of the Committee. Community input will take place during the initial and closing comment periods. In addition, if you have questions or comments on these topics that you would like to submit to the Committee prior to the retreat, please feel free to do so using info @ waylandschoolcommittee.org.

The Committee acknowledges that there are many other worthy topics of discussion and regrets that it cannot address more of them at its retreat. Some suggestions offered by members of the public are listed below, and where relevant, the suggestions will be forwarded to the appropriate person or group within or associated with the Wayland Public Schools. The Committee recognizes the importance of these issues and appreciates the input from the community. 
  • Beginning Chinese language instruction at the Middle School
    • Already part of the discussion as one of the districts five focused initiatives: closing the achievement gap, health and wellness, technology, greening of the schools, and Chinese as a foreign language
  • Process/21st Century skills
    • The Committee will hear from the administration this fall on incorporation to date and ongoing
  • High school curriculum: AP offerings, interdisciplinary offerings, ...
    • This conversation is underway, including through the HS project educational specification effort
  • Elementary school curriculum
    • The district has recently upgraded its reading and math curriculum and will continue to push for program improvement--including "informal curriculum"--and equality across the elementary schools
  • Parent and student feedback on teacher performance
    • The Administration is discussing teacher evaluation--including the possibility of this component, recognizing its potential pitfalls--at its summer retreat
  • Superintendent/district goals
    • The Committee and the Superintendent develop goals annually. Following the Committee and Administration retreats, the Committee and Superintendent will develop goals for 2009-2010 and beyond
  • Technology
    • A strategy for deploying technology to improve educational outcomes (for instance, allowing students to work at their own pace and challenge level, and to interact with teaches and students from around the world) and control costs is underway via the Director of Technology's office
  • Special Education costs
    • Under that department's prior and current leadership, the provision of special education services with an eye towards cost efficiency is examined throughout the year
  • Transportation
    • Detailed planning for fall 2009 is underway; please see item 2 of this newsletter, below
  • Meeting schedule
    • The Committee is satisfied with its current meeting schedule
2. 2009-2010 bus transportation
School families should recently have received information regarding bus transportation and bus fees for the 2009-2010 school year. Additional information including answers to frequently asked questions can be found here.

Thank you for your attention,
Wayland School Committee
www.waylandschoolcommittee.org

The Committee welcomes community input by phone, email, letter,
and attendance at public meetings and forums (schedule).

This newsletter is archived online at www.waylandschoolcommittee.org/newsletter.htm