Dear Friends,

I hope your holiday season is beginning with health and joy.

The reelection of the former president concerns me greatly, including what it means for our school communities. With inspiration from Chicago and Watertown School Committee Members, I introduced a late order at our last meeting recommitting to the Cambridge Public Schools being safe and welcoming to all students, staff, and families, regardless of immigration status, race, religion, gender identity, and other currently-protected categories. Both Student School Committee Members Barua and Shimelis, Mayor Simmons, and Member Rojas co-sponsored this motion, acknowledging that now, more than ever, Cambridge needs to stand strong on our values.  (Here is Tuesday’s agenda, which includes the “late order from November 19, 2024.”)  

As the Committee and administration think through what is required at the school building, curricular, and district-wide policy levels, I hope you will weigh in by signing up for public comment or emailing the Committee ([email protected]).  For example, I will be asking my colleagues to consider creating two FY26 budgets, one that includes continued federal funding and one that does not, in case federal funding is withdrawn from any schools teaching accurate history, critical thinking, and respect.  While we would be challenged to cut roughly 8% of our budget (that comes through the state from the federal government), I believe that would be preferable to the harm done to our students if the district, hypothetically, allowed ICE into buildings, stopped using antiracist curricula, or prohibited students from using bathrooms that correspond to their gender identity. We Cantabrigians are fortunate not only to live in a city with progressive values, but also to have robust local funding for our schools.

(Super CPS staff with students at the Family Social at FMA)

While we face potential crises at the federal level, we continue to grapple with the very real, existing crisis of close to half of our students not meeting grade level expectations on MCAS, with Black students, multilingual students, students with disabilities, and high-needs students disproportionately suffering. It is hard to source some of these outcomes to anything other than institutional racism, as even NON-high needs Black and African American students are performing lower than expected. At the same time, we continue to see wide variation across our schools and classrooms.  I appreciate that Interim Superintendent Murphy’s team is analyzing the data with us over multiple meetings, including a meeting focused on schools that are excelling, district-wide trends, and schools that are struggling. I look forward to discussing more detailed plans for providing all our students with the education they deserve in the coming weeks.

In good news, the Tobin Montessori is one of the schools where 96% of students considered “high needs” are meeting or exceeding expectations in Math, and 98% of students considered “high needs” are meeting/exceeding expectations in English Language Arts (2% above their “non-high needs” peers)!  This is just one reason why the Committee was pleased to name the auditorium in the new Tobin-Darby Vassall Upper School after Dr. Carolyn L. Turk. Dr. Turk also was among the first students in the old Tobin building, taught there, and ultimately became an administrator. I look forward to seeing students graduate from the Dr. Turk Auditorium in the coming years, recognizing this remarkable local Black woman leader.

(Two of the insightful students at the School Climate Subcommittee meeting.)

This has become a wordy update, so I will close with some quick updates:

• The School Climate Subcommittee met last week and spent our time listening to upper school students.  Hear their thoughts on mental health, relationships with adults at school, and cell phone rules here. 
• The School Committee has adopted a timeline to hire a new Superintendent.  It puts us offering the job to a candidate in early fall 2025.
• The Committee is split on whether the CEA President should have six minutes (versus three, like other members of the public) to provide public comment at our meetings. Personally, I think it serves the Committee and district to hear more from our labor partners, particularly those elected to represent our workforce.  That said, it looks like I will be on the losing side of this issue.

I wish you and yours connection and much light in this dark season.

In collaboration,

Rachel

Dear Friends,

Our school buildings are once again bustling with children and teenagers – the season feels full of promise!

The Committee has met twice since the start of school.  Alongside routine business, we have discussed plans for strengthening organizational culture in the 2024-25 year, recognized the Interim Superintendent’s revised cabinet, approved an ad hoc subcommittee focused on School Councils, and directed the school department to work with the Department of Public Works on better maintaining playgrounds.

Gathering at a back-to-school resource fair!

The most important topic the Committee has discussed is the timeline for hiring our next permanent Superintendent.  For me, the central question is how to ensure both authentic public engagement and the strongest pool of candidates.  We’ve been told fall is the best time for posting such positions.  In June, Member Rojas and I shared a draft timeline with the Committee in order to begin a public conversation about our process, hoping to get started over the summer.  Unfortunately, the Committee was not ready.  This month, we revised our proposal to discuss the pros and cons of multiple timelines.  Mayor Simmons also brought a detailed list of required tasks.  While the Committee has not decided on target hiring dates, my sense is that the majority lean toward taking this school year to define priorities with community members and develop the job description.  This could mean posting the job in August 2025.  Stay tuned.

In other policy news, we revisited a policy proposal about School Committee meeting registration which I introduced last spring.  Going forward, anyone can sign up as soon as there is a public agenda (for full School Committee meetings) or when a subcommittee either posts an agenda or is meeting in two weeks (whichever is later).  

Interim Superintendent Murphy opening the school year with all staff.

On a different and vitally important note, voting in the Presidential election is beginning.  We all know how high the stakes are, so I hope you will plan to spend time talking with voters in swing states.  Please consider this a personal invitation to join me and the group Cambridge for Kamala for canvassing in New Hampshire on Saturday, October 26.  

To help with Pennsylvania (and/or if canvassing isn’t your thing), you can textbank or phonebank from your own home (much more effectively than with postcards) to Pennsylvania voters.  

I am personally grateful to everyone who has worked and is working to preserve our democracy and freedom.

In collaboration,

Rachel

Dear Friends,

I hope you’re staying cool! 

‘A few brief updates before school lets out for the summer:

First, our School Climate Subcommittee visited Cambridge Street Upper School this month as part of our series of school visits focused on upper school culture and climate.  Our observation included a fabulous art class in which students began by breathing and stretching.  The displays in the hall were representations of their strategies for calming.  We also had a rich conversation with 8th and 6th graders who were paired for a mentoring program.  The students shared what made them feel dis/respected, as well as insights about social groups and trusted adults.  Thank you to Principal Sohn and her team for organizing such a meaningful visit.

Second, I am grateful to have participated in a walkthrough of the Cambridgeport School and in 8th grade portfolio presentations at the Rindge Ave Upper Campus.  At Cambridgeport, Vice Chair Hunter, Member David Weinstein, and I joined central office leaders to observe classes.  The group discussed effective strategies teachers used, as well as available resources for a student struggling to focus.  At RAUC, graduating eighth graders shared their strengths and challenges, highlighting particular pieces of work in each subject area.  I was very impressed with the candor and maturity of the students, who seemed ready for high school.  My thanks to Principals Jean-Michel and Sizer (whose grandfather, Ted Sizer, was a favorite college professor of mine!) for inviting the School Committee to these events.

(One of the impressive RAUC graduates)

Thinking back on my own CPS experience, one of the highlights was being in CityStep, a program in which Harvard undergraduates teach dance theatre and social-emotional skills to CPS students.  Given how current students’ social-emotional development was interrupted by the pandemic, CityStep is a more needed resource than ever.  In the decades since I enjoyed the program, it has refined and further strengthened its approach to building both individual confidence and classroom community.  A couple of weeks ago, I was truly honored to receive an award from CityStep, recognizing my “fierce advocacy for children.”

Finally, although school ends this Monday, the School Committee will continue working over the summer to appoint an Interim Superintendent for SY24-25, someone who will lead the district while we conduct a longer search for a permanent Superintendent.  The search for the permanent hire will include community input, so stay tuned for opportunities this fall.

Congratulations to the CRLS Class of 2024!

Wishing you a healthy, peaceful, and joyous summer,

Rachel

Dear Friends,

Recent months have been challenging for our school district. After much deliberation, the School Committee decided to part ways with Superintendent Greer, who will wrap up her service this summer. To be clear, I appreciate that Dr. Greer shepherded our schools out of pandemic-era schooling and oversaw gains in student achievement. Our views diverged on a number of matters, but I know Dr. Greer to be a strong, hardworking leader, and wish her all the best in her next chapter.

With my colleagues Member David Weinstein and Vice Chair Caroline Hunter at RAUC

In other news, I’m pleased to chair the School Climate Subcommittee this term. I truly believe that the vast majority of students need to feel safe and seen in order to progress academically. Since the subcommittee focuses on upper schools this term, we are reviewing data from the Teen Health Survey as well as visiting each school. Last month, we visited the Rindge Avenue Upper Campus (RAUC), where we used a social-emotional learning tool to observe classes.  We also met with a group of students to hear directly from them about their experiences of school culture and climate. I was quite impressed with educators and students at RAUC – among other things, we saw

• Young people engaging with their peers to tackle academic challenges
• Teachers explicitly asking about emotional responses to content (attending to social-emotional learning while also discussing intellectual matters)
• Students giving thoughtful, candid feedback to the school principal, who was eager to hear both kudos and constructive criticism from them.

High school students in SHADE sharing plans for a Shade is Social Justice site at Donnelly Field

A significant school climate question I continue to grapple with is the role of Youth Resource Officers in our schools.  Coming off of the accidental gun firing by a Youth Resource Officer in April, I requested a discussion at our May 7th meeting with the Cambridge Police Department and CPS leaders.  I remain impressed with the YRO program’s impact on reducing youth arrests by approximately 80%, and its stated aim to break the school-to-prison pipeline. I have personally witnessed the rapport YROs have built with our students and am grateful for their dedication to our community. At the same time, it’s notable that the first time a firearm went off at CRLS, it was that of an officer.  That raised questions about what dangers are greatest and how we mitigate risks.  CPS has an internal Safety and Security team charged with addressing daily safety matters.  The Committee approved a few new positions on that unarmed team in our FY25 budget.  In advance of the meeting, I asked CPS leaders to include the City’s new Community Assistance Response and Engagement (CARE) Team in conversations with CPD and to look at alternatives, which they did.  I appreciate Commissioner Elow and her team for their service, candor, and commitment to continuous improvement.  We are fortunate to have a police department that has made dramatic culture shifts in recent years.  

Two big takeaways from our conversation:

1. A school climate where young people trust teachers, staff, and police is the number one preventative factor in school violence.
2. Cambridge police are uniquely positioned to divert young people away from the criminal justice system.  This is what they do now and should continue to do.  

Moving forward, we need to continue to build school climates where students trust educators and administrators as much as they trust YROs.  I also think that the school district can rely more heavily on our Safety Specialists within our school buildings and lean on YROs for activity outside of literal school walls.  While I do not see these being rigid or exclusive deployments, I encourage district leadership to revise our working agreements with this orientation. 

In closing, I was delighted that Tutoring Plus recently recognized Khari Milner for his decades of service to our community.  Khari exemplifies what it means to center students and families furthest from privilege; to work explicitly on racial justice; and to collaborate deeply with young people, caregivers, educators, and community partners.  Whether backing his efforts to establish remote learning pods at out-of-school-time organizations (during pandemic schooling) or as a caregiver in a team of the Building Equity Bridges movement that he co-led, I have learned a great deal from Khari.  I welcomed the chance to recognize him publicly with a resolution at our April meeting.

In collaboration,

Rachel

Dear Friends,

True to the month itself, this March update brings a mix of sunny and stormy news.

Starting with some sunshine, this week the School Committee unanimously passed my motion to update CPS’s Basic Instructional Program policy to add “accessing, analyzing, and evaluating information in written and digital media” to the list of fundamental skills we teach.  In today’s world, students and graduates have access to facts, figures, and calculations at their fingertips.  What they need even more than content is the ability to discern reliable information.  Many of our educators teach these skills already, and district policy now reflects this priority.  (Side note: it was a constituent who brought this suggestion to me.  Please reach out with your ideas!)

What a treat to celebrate the Lunar New Year with the Chinese American Association of Cambridge, and many others!

As for the cloudier updates, some of you will remember my work with students and educators in 2021-22 which resulted in the then-Committee updating high school graduation requirements to include a second health course after ninth grade.  When we adopted this change, we specifically planned for the first students to be impacted to be the CRLS Class of 2026 (then in eighth grade), so that they could plan their four years accordingly.  However, as came to my attention this fall, the district did not adequately communicate this change to students when they were in eighth or ninth grade.  The  list of graduation requirements on the website was not updated.  I heard from families who were surprised and upset to learn that their children would have to revise their plans.  While I believe this class – collaboratively developed by students and educators – to be an important response to the troubling mental health conditions of our students (reflected in the Teen Health Survey, student walk outs, public comments, and anecdotally), I agree that it was unfair to learn about this mid-way through high school.  This week, the Committee decided to make the course optional for all students currently in high school, and directed the administration to communicate the new requirement to the class of 2028 (current eighth graders) multiple times.

What a pleasure to speak with Harvard Undergraduates in the Institute of Politics program of former Student School Committee Member Nuriel Vera-DeGraff!

On a different and troubling note, I’ve heard many concerns from the Graham and Parks community.  The district has engaged an independent law firm to review the concerns related to school climate and a toxic work environment, as well as the concerns raised regarding the hiring process for Dr. Smith.  The Committee is not privy to how the investigation is going nor when it is expected to wrap up.  The personnel aspects will remain confidential.  What I continue to do is ask questions about process, timeline, and communication with families and staff.

As always, I welcome your questions and ideas.

In collaboration,

Rachel

Dear Friends,

We have a new School Committee!  This month, I’ve enjoyed getting to know my new colleagues, Mayor Denise Simmons, Member Elizabeth Hudson, and Member Richard Harding.  I also was delighted to nominate and join my colleagues in electing Vice Chair Caroline Hunter.  I’m confident that the Committee will continue to be a team that works together well, even when we disagree on particular matters.

Inauguration Day (I go by “Member Rachel,” since two of us have the last name Weinstein!)

January also means that the budget season is ramping up.  The Committee has reviewed the budget process, enrollment, and financial projections.  At this stage, my top priorities are:

• Securing appropriate funding for implementing new curricula, which – to be successful – take extra training in the first few years.  With CPS’ adoption of Illustrative Math and Fishtank for English Language Arts, we must provide our teachers with the time and support to make these significant shifts in instruction.

• Seeing sufficient resources allocated to launching Individualized Student Success Plans, with Navigators (adults who connect students with opportunities and resources aligned with their interests and needs) perhaps working with students in a particular grade band.

This slide made my heart sing - it’s like my slogan of a Champion for Every Child.

• Completing the third year of summer camp scholarships for families with low incomes.  The district previously committed to using ESSER funds (COVID relief from the federal government) in this way through summer 2024.

Of course, I haven’t seen the Superintendent’s proposed budget nor heard from community members yet, so I reserve the right to amend the list of items for which I advocate. 🙂

The best part of the job remains seeing students and teachers engaged in learning.  I greatly appreciated visiting with sixth graders at PAUS, who shared their Stories of Self, as well as with the many CRLS students who participated in Youth Equity Summit assemblies, resource fairs, and workshops.  Thank you to the high school administration; Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging; and the many teachers who supported our students in this effort.

2024 Youth Equity Summit at CRLS

As always, I welcome your questions and suggestions.

In collaboration,

Rachel 

P.S. Do you have time to help people in Cambridge and/or fight to preserve our democracy?  Here are two volunteer opportunities:

We are so excited to be launching Cambridge for Biden/Harris and look forward to working with many of you in the coming months! Please write to both Nancy ([email protected]) and Maura ([email protected])  to let us know about your interest and availability. We will be working to ensure that Biden receives a very large turnout in the Massachusetts primary on Super Tuesday, March 5. This is a priority for the Biden campaign, given that there are two other candidates on the Democratic ballot in MA. While Biden is certain to win here, we want to see him win BIG!! 

Once the MA primary has taken place, we plan to begin partnering with a location in New Hampshire, as well as with the Biden campaign overall, to start holding regular phone banks and canvasses. There is also an open Governor’s race in NH that we will likely be coordinating with. In addition, we hope to support people who would like to go to other swing states to coordinate with each other. We will keep you posted on all of this as well.

Dear Friends,

I hope this finds you and your loved ones as well as can be. During this time of such horror, including the unmitigated violence in Gaza and the traumatization of both Palestinians and Israelis, I am quite concerned about our Cambridge Public School students. The young people I have spoken with feel unsafe and misunderstood, regardless of their different religions, nationalities, or politics. I am in frequent communication with the administration about what we can do to provide students (and staff) with spaces to listen to one another, process together, and learn through building community. I hope to have more to report on this front in the coming weeks.

Students and Math Coach Ms. Vincent at CPS’ Math Pop-Up last week

Holding on to small successes and joys is critically important in moments like this. I’m grateful to have numerous pieces of positive news to share with you!  Since Election Day, we have:

• Settled the contract with units A &B in the Cambridge Education Association. The new contract provides teachers with raises totaling 18.8% over three years. It also ensures that teachers have more time to collaborate with colleagues, and K-8 students have 30 minutes more of instruction four days a week. Here is the full agreement.

I was inspired observing this Mandarin immersion class at the MLK school recently.

• Adopted a new policy regarding transgender and gender-nonconforming students. As the lead sponsor, I am proud that we are taking new measures and making other practices official to keep our trans and gender-diverse students safe. (You may recall that CPS data is in line with national data. For example, more than half of our upper school students who identify as trans or gender-nonconforming report they’ve considered hurting themselves in the last 30 days.) I'm deeply grateful to the students, caregivers, and educators who contributed to the language of this policy, as well as those who contacted the Committee in support.

• Renamed the Vassal Lane Upper School the Darby Vassall Upper School, changing the honoree from a man who enslaved people to a man who, after enslavement, went on to advocate for civil rights and educational justice.  This is the final stage of a long process, which began with VLUS students a decade ago, included school community conversations and student research last spring, and culminated in a School Committee decision. Students, educators, and community members, such as those in the Cambridge Black History Project and the Slave Legacy History Coalition, have been instrumental in this process. At our meeting Tuesday night, when talking about why I authored this motion, I quoted the writer and poet Clint Smith: “Symbols and names and iconography aren’t just symbols, but are reflective of the stories that people tell. And those stories shape the narratives that communities carry, and those narratives shape public policy, and public policy shapes the material conditions of people’s lives.” 

In addition to this policy news, two longtime pillars of the Cambridge Public Schools and its School Committee have retired in the last month:

I will miss sitting next to Dr. Turk at School Committee meetings.

• Dr. Carolyn L. Turk was Deputy Superintendent during my tenure on the Committee, but has held many positions in our schools, including that of a student! I often refer to Dr. Turk as the heart of the district, because she has cared and tended to countless students, staff, and families. Her retirement party was, appropriately, filled with love. (Stay tuned for a school space being named in her honor.)

• Fred Fantini, the Dean of the Committee, has retired after 40 years of service. I’ve learned a great deal from Fred. I will be ever grateful for his collegiality, mentorship, and friendship. I will continue to call him for advice, but first we’ll celebrate his legacy!

May we bring peace, health, justice, and joy to 2024.

In collaboration,

Rachel

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your support and work on our campaign.  Because of you, voters across Cambridge reelected me to the School Committee.  Not only that, but we topped the ticket!

I'm honored and humbled by your confidence in me.  I promise to keep working hard so that all our students receive the education they deserve.

In collaboration,

Rachel

ICYMI, here’s the statement Mayor Siddiqui and I put out about the violence in the Middle East.  With antisemitism and Islamophobia on the rise even locally, it’s critical that we hold space for everyone’s pain and work to build bridges in our own community.

Dear Friends,

There is so much to share!

First, this is the peak of the campaign season.  I’ve seen mail-in ballots arrive at homes I’ve canvassed.  There are events and candidate forums and and and… I was delighted to be joined by many of you, including Mayor Siddiqui and “the Dean,” retiring School Committee Member Fred Fantini, at our campaign coffee a couple weekends ago.

Second, I continue to hear from educators and families troubled about our elementary school schedules.  While there is widespread agreement that our students should have the same amount of instruction in core subjects across all our schools, teachers and caregivers remain concerned that the lack of transition time and recess is making adults and children unnecessarily anxious.  I’m pleased to share that the School Committee unanimously voted to adopt my motion clarifying that the guidelines are just that, and not rigid mandates.  I will remain engaged on this topic as the administration takes action in accordance with that motion.

Third, last week’s School Committee meeting included a review of the Cambridge Public Schools’ 2023 MCAS results.  While standardized tests are an imperfect metric, the results do point to continued systemic challenges in CPS.  Yes, as a recent Boston Globe article noted, Cambridge is one of few districts in the Commonwealth to return to 2019 achievement levels.  However, while the aggregated averages of our students are back to pre-pandemic levels, there were huge gaps correlated with demographics before the pandemic and they’ve WIDENED.  Disaggregating the data shows that we are continuing to fail our students who are Black, multilingual, disabled, and/or from families with low incomes.  This holds both for achievement and for student growth. (Here are summary slides the Superintendent's team presented last week.)  At the meeting, the administration presented plans to align curricula and implement strategic tutoring, which makes sense.  Also, though, I believe more is necessary if we are going to truly prepare all our children for success after high school.  My personal theory is that we are not approaching instruction with the needed equity lens, accounting for our own implicit and explicit biases to the degree needed.  I shared this view at our meeting, and was pleased to hear Superintendent Greer say that she has instructed our Chief Equity Officer and Chief of Academics to be attached at the hip.

Less than four weeks remain until voting closes!  If you are able, I would LOVE to have your help canvassing and/or holding a sign on Election Day.  Please reply to this email to sign up.  Thank you!

In collaboration,

Rachel