PHOTO: Newton North English teachers Kate Shaughnessy and Sam Shoutis speak at a press conference at the Newton Education Center on Sept. 5. Photo by Bryan McGonigle
Newton Superintendent Anna Nolin held a press conference on Friday—joined by teachers, principals and administrative leadership—to let the public know that the 2024-2025 school year is off to a great start.
“On a personal note, I am thrilled to be starting my second year as your superintendent of schools and feel confident that as a team of NTA, administration and governance team members, we will serve our students and their families well in the coming year,” Nolin said.
Now that the 16-month teacher contract negotiation and two-week strike are in the past, the overall mood in the district has changed. Energy spent at the negotiating table can now be focused on teamwork, and tensions have eased.
“The teacher association members are our colleagues, and we share the same values for the education of young people,” Nolin said. “We have made a concerted effort and a promise to each other, in front of all of our educators, that we would be working in a collaborative fashion.”
Henry Turner, principal at Newton South High School who’s been working in the district for 16 years, said the energy this week has been good.
The district, like the rest of the world, is also recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and adjusting to a post-pandemic school “normal,” and that gets a little easier each year.
“I would say that this one of our more successful starts that we’ve had in a very long time, and I think that has a lot to do with the fact that we have a lot that’s behind us,” Turner said. “From a student perspective, from a staff perspective, we’ve had very positive opening days.”
Ayesha Farag, assistant superintendent for elementary education, has been meeting with teachers, parents and students all week, and the consensus is optimistic.
“People are excited for the year ahead, they’re excited to welcome their new group of students, they’re excited about the work that we’re about to do together as a district, and it has been an absolutely great start to the school year,” Farag said.
The vibe change can be felt in the Newton Early Childhood Program, too, according to NECP Director Kathleen Browning, who said, “Staff are smiling, staff are feeling really wonderful.”
Kate Shaughnessy, English teacher at Newton North High School, said she asked students what they’re looking forward to this year and most replies were school-related (rather than “vacation”).
“The range of things that were so specific to the school was so cool,” Shaughnessy said. “One kid was taking carpentry for the first time, and one kid was doing the rock workshop, and someone was going to join the crochet club, and a lot of kids are into athletics. It was just really fun seeing how kids are invested in all that Newton North has to offer, and it was a great reminder at the start of the year of what we do.”
You can watch the entire press conference on NewTV’s YouTube channel.