Reports/Memos authored as graduate school assignments or thoughts on issues pertinent to Lexington Public Schools. Please note my views evolve when presented with fresh research, insights or community input.
Thoughts on early literacy challenges 2024 (shared in School Committee 2024)
Comparison of SPED programs spending in like Districts (shared in SEPAC candidate forum)
Narrative sections of four years of Superintendent evaluations done by me (2018 was for Dr. C, and 2023 evaluations happen later this year). FYI - Only composite evaluations are shared in school committee meetings, though all evaluations are considered public documents. Please note: I have always written the evaluations as assessments of Lexington Public School challenges and opportunities, while giving credit for accomplishments that year. The document also reads like the recent history of LPS.
LHS Graduation Requirements - A perspective (shared in School committee meeting 2023)
Ensuring Community Engagement for Re-writing graduation Requirements (assignment 2020)
Memo and Meeting Minutes for Budget guidelines and other matters (Sept 2023)
Social emotional learning + STEM: an online Scratch (MIT) Club (2020)
Transformational Models in Higher Education Assignment: at Harvard (2022)
Statements to town groups:
League of Women Voters: Candidate statement in answer to their question: What do you foresee will be the major issues confronting the School Committee during the period of construction and transition to the new High School?
ABCL: Statement in response to their question emailed to all candidates
Merriam Hill Candidate forum: statement and answers to questions emailed prior.
Graduation speeches for Lexington High School graduations, given in the years:
2021: This was the first in-person graduation after the Covid lockdown. The class graduated in four large groups with each student sitting, masked, surrounded by empty space, away from their peers. Families were scattered in the arena in small groups, and cheering was muted. The speeches were televised and available as a link. We had just endured a grueling year. Families were sending off their children to distant places. I hoped my speech (as a mother and a School Committee member) highlighted their importance to our families, school community and town.
2023 : The graduation ceremonies had now regained their former busy-ness in schedule and audience numbers. Many of us were becoming empty nesters. It was an honor and privilege to speak to the graduating class. Therefore, I reached out to parent-caregivers to tell me what they would want to say. Many of their words were incorporated into the speech including the suggestion to keep it short!
News articles:
Lexington Observer: Letter to the editor from by Lex4Literacy
Lexington Observer: Letter to the editor from LexPride, Valerie Overton
Lexington Observer: Letter to the editor Dr. Dinesh Patel
Lexington Observer: Letter to the editor Weidong Wang, CAAL PAC Chair
Lexington Observer: Letter to the editor Avram Baskin