Schools

Unlike Other Districts, Watertown Prepares to Open School With Nearly Full Staff

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Watertown Superintendent Dede Galdston was interviewed by WBZ Channel 4 about hiring teachers. (Screenshot from WBZ)

On Monday, Superintendent Dede Galdston welcomed 42 teachers who are new to the district during the orientation at Hosmer Elementary School. When school opens on Sept. 3, Watertown will be in a position that is enviable to other communities. According to WBZ Channel 4, there are nearly 4,800 open teaching positions in Massachusetts, and the TV station approached the Watertown Schools while doing the story, Galdston said.

Schools

School Officials & Police Believe Bomb Threats on 4 Schools Are Linked to Recent Publicity of Middle School Hit List

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Watertown Middle School

School officials and Police believe the bomb threats on four Watertown schools on Tuesday were the result of recent publicity of an incident at Watertown Middle School in January when a student’s hit list was found. In a statement from the Watertown Schools and WPD, they said the schools are committed to “ensuring the safety and well-being of all of our students,” that “Watertown is a kind and caring community,” and they “stand together against these hateful actions.” The hit list was discovered in January, and Watertown School officials and Watertown Police determined that there was not threat. At the time, some parents expressed concern about their children’s safety and questioned the response by School officials. On Jan.

Schools

Superintendent Given Four Year Extension Which Will Take Her to Over a Decade in Watertown

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Watertown Superintendent Dede Galdston. The School Committee thanked Superintendent Dede Galdston for her efforts in Watertown this week when they approved an extension to her contract. On April 8, the School Committee unanimously approved a four-year extension for Galdston. Her salary increased by more than $26,000 to $220,000 in the first year of the contract, with future year’s salaries to be set by the School Committee after her annual review. Galdston said she looked forward to finishing some of the initiatives that have started in her time in the Watertown Public Schools.

Schools

School Committee Gives Superintendent High Marks

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The following School Committee Update was provided by Kendra Foley, the Chair of the Watertown School Committee:

The Watertown School Committee has been active this summer, meeting monthly to prepare for the upcoming school year and to address routine business. At our July meeting, the School Committee presented its annual evaluation of Dr. Galdston’s work as Superintendent. The review found that Dr. Galdston is meeting her goals, with all 7 members of the School Committee giving her a proficient or exemplary rating in her overall job performance. You can read the full review, with comments from each member of the committee, here. The committee is grateful for the Superintendent’s steady and thoughtful leadership. We are lucky to have her leading the Watertown Public Schools.

Schools

Watertown Superintendent Given Raise, Makes Salary Close to Average for Comparable Districts

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Watertown Superintendent Dede Galdston. Watertown Superintendent of Schools Dede Galdston received a 3 percent raise from the School Committee, which will put her around average for comparable school districts. The raise makes her salary $193,636.91 for Fiscal Year 2023, which runs through the end of June. The Superintendent deserves the raise, said City Council President Mark Sideris, who works with her on three boards. “I believe that that is a very reasonable request and I believe that from where I sit in positions on the School Building and School committees and the City Council, we have a superintendent who goes above and beyond constantly,” Sideris said.

Schools

Superintendent Gets Good Grades in Annual Review

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Charlie BreitroseWatertown Superintendent of Schools Dede Galdston. Watertown Superintendent Dede Galdston received good marks on her annual performance evaluation from the School Committee. The School Committee discussed their job review for the leader of the Watertown Public Schools on Monday night. On the overall performance, Galdston received two “exemplary” evaluations (the top mark) and five “proficient” (second highest), said School Committee Chair Kendra Foley. “This is a very positive evaluation.

Schools

Watertown Superintendent Gets High Marks from School Committee in Annual Evaluation

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Watertown Superintendent Dede Galdston. Superintendent Dede Galdston received high marks from the School Committee, especially for handling the return of students to school in the pandemic, during her annual performance evaluation. The School Committee announced the results of the annual performance review for the head of the Watertown Public Schools on Aug. 2. Six of the seven members of the School Committee gave Galdston the highest rating in overall performance, and all seven gave her top marks on the reopening of schools after being closed for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Around Town

Watertown’s Galdston Joins Superintendents Asking for Educators to Get Vaccine Sooner

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Watertown’s Superintendent of Schools joined school leaders from around the region who are urging Gov. Charlie Baker to move educators to a higher priority in Massachusetts’ COVID-19 vaccination plan. Currently, the Watertown Public Schools are operating with a hybrid learning model, where students are split into two cohorts and alternate days they attend school in-person. Some have also chosen to go all remote. At the Jan. 26 School Committee meeting, Superintendent Dede Galdston said that a survey found that parents and teachers would like to see increased in-person learning, but she said under current restrictions that would be difficult. She mentioned that vaccination of teachers and staff could help the move toward bringing more students back into school.