You Asked, They Answered: Q&A With SPS Committee Candidates

Sudbury Public Schools Committee candidates Scott Nassa and Matthew Barach agreed to take part in a Q&A where the voters submitted questions on Sudbury Patch.

Sudbury Patch editor Robert Fucci randomly chose four questions that were submitted. Neither candidate voiced concerns over the questions chosen.

Here are their answers.

1. As a member of the SPSC, how would you work to restore the broken trust that many people feel after the negative events of the past year?

SN: I think the key to rebuilding trust is to work towards improved two-way communication. It is not enough to send formal emails, the SPSC must work better to invite stakeholder comments, and be ready to respond. Here are a few specific thoughts if you chose to elect me:

• In regard to human resource issues no student will be questioned without prior notification of their parent. In other critical matters, if a student is a questioned parent should be notified within 24 hours.

• SPSC will work with teachers, administrators and parents to establish and announce a procedure for teachers breaking up fights.

• Any stakeholder concern brought to the committee in written, email or public forum will be responded to in public or written and resolved within 30 days of receipt. Also as mentioned in my announcement letter, I will host monthly office hours for all stakeholders every month for at least 2 hours.

• All critical teacher or administrator issues will come before the SPSC (in closed session) before any formal action is taken.

MB: It will be one of my primary goals to ensure that the Sudbury School Committee is open and transparent and that every parent, teacher and resident feels that they will be heard by the School Committee. Every individual will always have a voice, and I will always do my best to listen.  It is critical that we build greater trust in the community, ensure that the public is well- informed and that we work along all town boards to ensure confidence in our schools and in the decisions of the School District.

2. As a member of the SPSC what would be your strategy to move the communications into the current century? In essence how do you propose to change the culture regarding technology?

SN: Honestly, I think one of the first steps is reaching out to our educational front lines, teachers, to hear from them as to what tools would best serve our students. Technology improvements cannot happen in a vacuum, and to work well, must be go hand-in-hand with a strong infrastructure and education for instructors. I am personally a strong advocate for technology advancements, but we need to make sure that we are chasing the right goals. Do all K-8 teachers have active boards? Are they all using them and if not, why? There is a temptation to sometimes throw technology at a situation in order to feel we are giving our students everything they need, but first, I want to make sure that stakeholders feel we are ready and in agreement about what those investments should be.  I also want to personally thank our amazing PTO’s for the technology we currently have. Without many of their efforts I think the age of our current classroom technology would be frightening.

MB: I propose the updating of the SPS technology plan to address the current technological needs of our schools and for the SPS Policy Manual, currently being updated, to include our school’s technological goals.  At present, the SPS Administration is studying various methods of moving to a 1:1 computing model in our schools.  We must support this effort and the eventual implementation of this initiative in a cost-effective manner. As part of this effort, I will work with the Committee and Administration to determine the feasibility of a model program for iPads or similar computing devices for our sixth-graders, utilizing private and public partnerships to fund.

3. Where do you stand on consolidation of SPS, L-S into a k-12 system?

SN: I am for consolidation and find the idea very appealing from both a budget and operational standpoint. That being said until we dive into the issue, who knows if it’s in Sudbury’s best interests. I am confused as to why as a town we have yet to take a head on approach with this issue. Years ago a group of very smart people known as the Budget Review Task Force (BRTF) were brought together and determined that a consolidated K-12 Sudbury School System had large upside. As a realist, I know it would not be a simple move, but at a minimum, I think we could look at comparable school systems, such as Concord-Carlisle, and use them as a blueprint. As a member of SPSC, I would propose forming and taking part in a separate committee with members of L-S and LPSC to discuss the potential benefits of such a merger and how it could be implemented in Sudbury. Not doing so potentially keeps us from providing our residents and employees with the best Sudbury that we can.

MB: One of the first issues that I would address is to work toward the establishment of a joint panel between Sudbury and Lincoln to explore the possibility of K-12 Regionalization and other consolidation options.  I envision this panel’s work to include working with the Selectmen from Sudbury and Lincoln, all three School Districts (Sudbury, Lincoln, and LS), and the residents of both towns.  Regionalization’s potential cost savings and academic benefits must be further explored by this panel.  In the meantime, we must continue to seek additional cost-saving opportunities through greater collaboration between SPS and LS.  This should include additional shared professional development programs and seeking ways for greater academic integration to strengthen both of our school districts.  

4. What is your position on teacher accountability and how might you work with the district administration and teacher's union to establish equitable and fair assessments?

SN: Making teachers a greater part of our conversations and decision-making process would be a top priority for me as a member of SPSC.  In attending and watching SPSC meetings over the past couple years; I’ve often been struck by how infrequently teachers are invited to the conversation.  In addition, I don’t think the SPSC and Administration did themselves any favors by rewarding some administrators 10% and higher raises while teachers had to fight for far less than that.

I want to work hard to stop the perception that it’s SPSC/Administration vs. SPS Teachers in Sudbury. I think that by working together to make sure we have the right-district wide standards is an important first step. It is difficult to expect accountability when those in charge have established unclear goal posts.  

There are constantly evolving standards in teacher evaluations, but I think these are best applied by working together to establish the best ways to implement them. Here are a couple of specifics I would propose:

• Contracts of administrative leadership will be negotiated in closed session. Once negotiations are finalized the details will be discussed, opened to public forum and voted on or approved in public session.

• Yearly ratings of SPS schools by the Commonwealth of MA will be discussed in open forum with all principals and the superintendent and assistant superintendent present within 60 days of the release of the ratings and which time a plan of action will be discussed and implemented where applicable.

MB: I will support the effort to establish a rigorous assessment model that aligns the performance and deliverables of all educators (teachers, administrators, and the appropriate support staff) with School District goals and continued improvements in classroom instruction and safety. Sudbury Public Schools is, at present, in the midst of a two-year implementation of a new Educator Evaluation System that was developed by and is required by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.  As a member of the SPS School Committee, I will work with the Administration to ensure the implementation of this new system and its alignment with our objectives of accountability and equitable and fair assessment of our teachers.