Election 2021

LETTER: Candidate Declares Her Run for Watertown School Committee

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Rachel Kay is running for Watertown School Committee. The following announcement was provided by Rachel Kay:

Over the past year, we have all experienced great challenges. Those of us caring for school-aged children have watched them struggle with isolation, academic losses and for too many students even harm to their mental health and well-being. As I have watched Watertown Public Schools grapple with the difficult decisions they had to make this year, I have felt obligated to advocate for the needs of all our children, as well as for working families. I learned that I have a unique perspective to share, and that I will add to discussions including the critical challenge our schools now face in overcoming the educational debt our students have sustained over what was for some of them a lost year.

Around Town

LETTER: Watertown School Committee Thanks Teachers During Educator Appreciation Week

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From The Watertown School Committee:

Teachers do a job that many do not fully understand, yet everyone knows and hopefully has loved a teacher or two throughout their lifetime. This year we asked our educators to do the unthinkable — to become experts on remote education seemingly overnight, to pivot between plans, learning styles, modalities and pedagogy without everything that usually goes into making those types of switches. And our educators of WPS did not miss a beat. From the first day of the shutdown last spring, until the moment this is being read, WPS educators have put students first, have reached into their hearts, their minds, and their depth of knowledge to provide the very best educational experience for all WPS students. While they faced uncertainty and anxiety that we all faced with this pandemic — they stepped up, and they calmed their students, reassured parents, and found ways to both build relationships with students virtually, and provide a rigorous and joyful learning experience as best they could.

Government

This Week’s Meetings: In-Person Learning, Charter Review & WHS Project

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This week’s meetings include a discussion of reopening of the Watertown Schools to in-person learning, the Town’s Charter Review, and an update on designs for the new Watertown High School. School Committee

The School Committee meets Monday, March 1 at 7 p.m., and the agenda includes an update on the reopening and an update on student learning time. A group of Lowell PTO members have written a letter asking the Watertown schools to open to all in-person learning (see the letter by clicking here). Also, the School Committee will hear a presentation about social and emotional learning and health during COVID-19. Reports include a look at the draft 2021-22 school calendar.

Development

School Budget to be Presented, 2 Projects at Planning Board & Police Exam

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An illustration of the plans for the former Mount Auburn Club at 99 Coolidge Ave. A community meeting will be held Monday about the project. One of the first steps in the making of the Watertown school budget will be presented Monday night, a community meeting will be held about the redevelopment of the Mount Auburn Club site, and the Planning Board will discuss two major projects. Watertown Public Schools administrators will present the Fiscal Year 2022 level services budget at Monday’s School Committee meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. That budget shows how much it would cost to preserve the district’s current staffing and programs, with no additions or cuts. It is typically the first major step in the school budget process.

Schools

School Officials Announce Efforts to Stop Racism, Bullying in Schools

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School officials said they heard the parents and community members loud and clear at a recent forum held in response to the report by a Watertown Middle School student the she had been racially harassed at school and online. This week, School administration and the School Committee announced some steps they would be taking to stop this from happening again. On Monday, Superintendent Dede Galdston acknowledged that the Watertown Public Schools have much work to do. “I think we share the same goals which include making the Watertown Schools the safest, most welcoming and most inclusive learning environment for all our students and families,” Galdston said. “They and you deserve nothing less.”

Government

Charter Review: Library Trustees Argue to Keep Board Elected, School Committee Discussed

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The Watertown Free Public Library. Two Watertown Library Trustees told the Charter Review Committee the board should remain an elected one, saying that having to run for the position keeps them more in touch with the desires of the community. The discussion took place during Tuesday’s Charter Review Committee meeting. Members also of the School Committee gave their input to the group that is examining the equivalent of the Town’s constitution and will likely propose changes. The Committee also discussed the draft timeline of the Charter Review process, and the new website.

Schools

School Committee to Discuss Reopening of Watertown Schools

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With the beginning of school just weeks away, the Watertown School Committee will discuss the reopening plan on Monday night, Aug. 24 at 7 p.m.

At the last School Committee meeting, members voted to go with the “Bridge to Hybrid” plan, where Watertown students will start the year remotely and then move to a hybrid model where students will alternate days attending classes in person and remotely. With the goal of moving to a hybrid model when the COVID-19 outbreak allows, students will be split into two cohorts for the elementary and middle schools. These will be used when the in-person learning begins under the hybrid model, but the cohorts will also be used in the beginning when students are doing remote learning. See the draft sample school schedules by clicking here.

Reopening Plan

School Committee to Choose Reopening Plan on Thursday, Union Endorses Remote Option

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On Aug. 6 at 7 p.m., Watertown Public School officials will present their recommendation for how to reopen the public schools in the fall. They will choose between three options: in-person, remotely or a hybrid of both. The School Committee delayed the decision on which option to use from Monday to Thursday. The meeting will be held online, with option to join by Zoom, phone, or watch on cable.