[Superintendent's Update] Superintendent's Update

Sat Mar 28 22:14:42 UTC 2020

March 28, 2020

Dear Needham Public Schools Families:

During this extraordinary health emergency, I hope you and your families
are well.

During the two weeks since our schools closed, our teachers, principals,
and administrators have worked to provide enrichment and learning
opportunities for students as well as planning for next steps to support
our students’ social, emotional, and academic needs.  With the Governor’s
most recent announcement extending the period of school closure to May 4th
and using guidance provided by the Commissioner of the Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), we will now pivot and focus as a
district on the following priorities:

• Maintain and nurture strong connections and relationships with students
and families;

• Prepare and implement for remote learning to advance the curriculum in
thoughtful and measured ways so all students can learn and grow; and

• Provide services and supports to help meet the many needs of all
students, particularly our most vulnerable students.

When the Governor announced a three-week school closure on March 15th, our
district responded with a plan to provide opportunities for student
engagement beginning on March 23rd and carrying through to April 3rd.  That
initial plan—providing enrichment, exploration, and opportunities to
connect—will continue through Friday, April 3rd.

Before I outline for you the district’s next steps to implement the
priorities above and carry us through May 4th (and possibly beyond), I’d
like to respond to families wondering why we were not advancing the
curriculum yet, or grading work, or enforcing the educational mandates
associated with specific subjects. Needham Public Schools followed a
thoughtful approach, informed by DESE, to address an emergency health
situation and the challenges of providing equity in education when schools
are closed. Some families have suggested that Needham was doing little or
nothing for children when all other districts were providing a rigorous,
highly structured, and online learning opportunity meeting the needs of all
learners.  Of course, that simply has not been the case. Our response to
this health crisis has been imperfect and imprecise, but it has reflected
what the Commissioner of Education suggested, and it has focused on
providing opportunities for students to remain connected and engaged.

Moving forward, Needham Public Schools is committed to providing continuity
for our students as they look to make academic progress and enhance their
knowledge, skills, and competencies. The district’s plan for remote
learning, consistent with DESE’s newest guidance, will roll out in phases
and for all grade levels starting the week of April 6th. Specific
structures and schedules for remote learning will be provided and shared
with families by your principals in the coming days.  Teachers will use
different tools and online learning platforms to help stay connected with
their students, including Seesaw <https://web.seesaw.me/> at the elementary
grades and Google Classroom
<https://edu.google.com/products/classroom/?modal_active=none> or Schoology
<https://www.schoology.com/> in grades 5-12.

Remote learning encompasses a wide variety of learning opportunities,
including  large group video or audio conferencing calls, 1:1 phone or
video calls, email, work packets, projects, reading lists, online learning
platforms and other resources to effectively engage with students. While
technology can be a supportive tool, the Needham Public Schools and DESE
believe that student learning can and should continue offline. This could
include exploring the natural world and engaging in hands-on projects and
artistic creations that stem from students’ own passions and experiences.
The individual student experience will vary depending on student needs,
access, and capacity for remote learning. I expect that we will see, and
encourage, creativity from teachers and students in this regard.

Clearly, we will not be able to replicate the classroom experience in your
living room. Developing relevant and engaging lessons for over 5,700
students across 14 grade levels in multiple disciplines for an unknown
length of time in an environment that allows no personal contact with a
teacher, the critical element in the classroom, is a daunting task. Many
teaching and learning practices will look different in remote learning and,
inevitably, we will face some challenges as we embark on this new path. Our
staff remains enthusiastic, is being innovative, and is working hard to
provide each student with the programs and services needed to make progress
academically, socially, and emotionally. The teachers and staff will also
be participating in professional development to deepen existing skills and
to learn new technology to support students.

I am so impressed with how our staff is responding to this health crisis;
they have been creative, caring, and responsive.  I have observed teachers
drop off a laptop to a student without one at home; I’ve seen nutrition
services staff help out at the Needham Community Council; I’ve participated
in Zoom conferences with over 150 staff asking how they can provide more
for our students; I’ve seen principals, administrators, and teachers
meeting late into the night and throughout the weekend to prepare for a new
and different way of engaging students.  It has been impressive and leaves
me humbled. Let’s please remember to thank and be kind to our educators as
they learn to instruct and support our students from a distance.

Finally, I know that some families are feeling overwhelmed. I recognize
that it is enormously difficult to juggle work and support your own
children, especially with the newness of helping them to manage remote
learning.  Little of this is easy or clear. All of us, educators and
parents, will make mistakes, get frustrated, and, at times, become
impatient. And that’s OK. It is a time for all of us to embrace ambiguity,
maintain perspective, and encourage empathy—for ourselves, our children,
and their teachers.

We will get through this because of our amazing young people, their
families, and the caring staff I have the privilege to work with from the
Town of Needham and the Needham Public Schools. We will move forward in
thoughtful ways with the curriculum without losing sight of our primary
role in helping to nurture relationships between and among students. I am
inspired by students like high school junior and representative on the
Needham School Committee, Aidan Michelow, who shared this comment at the
March 17th School Committee meeting: “I think it’s important to keep in
mind the bigger picture… be flexible… and make sure we’re staying healthy.”

Please take care of your family and continue to reach out to me with your
questions or concerns.  My phone number is 781.455.0400, x11203 or
dan_gutekanst at needham.k12.ma.us

Respectfully,

Dan Gutekanst

Superintendent of Schools
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