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.

A trip to Virginia to see exemplary schools for the LHS-MSBA project (shared with School Committee 2024)
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 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)
Reflections on LPS 2021 MYRBS data (2021)
Social emotional learning + STEM: an online Scratch (MIT) Club (2020)
Transformational Models in Higher Education Assignment: at Harvard (2022)
Memo on Madison Metropolitan School District (2021)

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

通告

尊敬的编辑

我为我们列克星顿镇公立学校系统和我们的社区感到无比的骄傲。我们挑选备受关注的项目，集思广益，然后在我们镇上通过广泛的辩论寻找解决方案。这是我们民主参与的一个惬意肯定。

这种做法可以帮助孩子们为生活做好准备，因为他们亲眼所见我们所作所为。他们是我们学校系统和环境的产物。列克星顿的孩子们在艺术上，运动上和学术上都是麻州最好的。我们也能教育他们成为最好的公民吗？

这些想法还有更多让我决定在三月份竞选学校委员会。我在列克星顿居住了20多年，我的孩子分别在初中和高中就读。我已经志愿参与了许多角色，比如课堂家长，科学展的组织者和PTO主席。我在钻石网站担任理事，并指导科学奥林匹克队和科学碗队。我们的孩子们在国家和国际上都表现出色。我曾辅导 F.I.R.S.T LEGO League（FLL）团队在圣路易斯的2017年世界竞赛中赢得研究奖，全球超过3万个团队。除列克星顿以外，我还曾在多切斯特和劳伦斯的学校参与义工。我目前是Hestia集团的一名助理委员会成员，这是一个城内学校的慈善组织。我坚信所有资产平等分配：教育。

伴随优质教育的进行，我们仍然受到招生，资金，学生压力和各种需求等问题的挑战。这些我们必须认真对待。我们也可以期望建立一个富有韧性，热情和富有同情心的学生社团。

如果今年3月能被授予加入列克星顿学校委员会，我将努力实现这一目标。

诚致

Deepika Sawhney

Translation kindly authored by Mrs. Penny Zhu

PK ShiuDecember 6, 2017

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