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Write Ahead, Wellesley

Wellesley Club gets update on town affairs

March 21, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Members of The Wellesley Club, a civic organization whose beginnings go back to the late 19th century, hosted town leaders on Monday night to get the latest on big issues as we head toward next week’s Annual Town Meeting—the first to be held in person in 3 years.

We were grateful to be invited as guests to the event, which took place at Wellesley Country Club. Though imagine our brief confusion and disappointment when we found out that the meeting topic of Town Affairs Night wasn’t actually about those kinds of affairs.

wellesley club

The night’s speakers were:

  • Doug Smith, vice chair of the Advisory Committee
  • Lise Olney, chair of the Select Board
  • Leda Eizenberg, chair of the School Committee

They shared updates on a slate of hot issues in town, all of which we’ve covered at some point, from the stormwater enterprise fund to school building projects to a proposed equity audit and the latest plans to develop housing.

Smith, who started off with an explanation of what the Advisory Committee does (see also “What the heck is Advisory Committee anyway?“)  got the biggest laugh of the night when he assured the crowd near the end of his presentation that there will be “no pickleball” articles at Town Meeting. He also earned the biggest groan when he mentioned an article to increase dog licenses from $12 to $15. During his talk, Smith lauded town departments for coming in so close to budget guidelines, praised the Department of Public Works’ approach to handling the PFAS water contamination challenge, and celebrated the town’s current financial strength.

Select Board Chair Olney described the “somewhat challenging and uncertain economic environment” that the board faced during this budget cycle given the ongoing impact of COVID, supply chain issues, inflation, and higher interest rates. But she noted that projections for local receipts and new growth have risen so far during fiscal year ’23. Departments were asked to keep budgets within a 3% increase over the previous year, which she acknowledged has been challenging as they seek to find and retain good employees in a competitive labor market. The town has taken steps to address the labor situation in part by by working with Wellesley’s Human Resources Board on cost of living adjustments, and has budgeted for new expenses, such as those to strengthen the town’s cybersecurity.

School Committee Chair Eizenberg reviewed the latest on the proposed budget, ongoing labor negotiations with the teachers’ union, and development of a new strategic plan. Strategic investments, meanwhile, have been made in areas such as adding AP courses and reducing student fees. Harkening back to last year’s Annual Town Meeting and Article 44, focused on academic excellence, Eizenberg pointed to changes the school system has made in response to getting “a lot of feedback.” This has included budgeting for smaller math classes and more coaching at the middle school as well as a Spanish class for heritage speakers.

Wellesley Club
School Committee Chair Leda Eizenberg addresses the club

Before the night was over, the Club revealed its new roster of officers and directors including President Sara Jane Shanahan, whose mother Barbara Shanahan served as president 20 years ago, marking a first for this organization steeped in history.

Learn more about Wellesley Club membership.

Wellesley Country Club
The Wellesley Country Club hosted Town Affairs night

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Filed Under: Clubs, Government

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Wellesley Hills Junior Women's Club

Wellesley Symphony Orchestra to perform family concert on March 26

March 21, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

symphony orchestra family concertThe Wellesley Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, March 26 at 3pm will present a family concert featuring Benjamin Britten’s “Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra” narrated by Brian Hagar-McKee, and cello soloist Brian Lee playing Shostakovich’s first cello concerto.

Britten’s guide features an overview of the players and each instrument in the orchestra, and ends with a fugue paired with a brass chorale.

Among the familiar music being played will be “Frère Jacques” (also known as “Brother John” or “Bruder Martin”) as interpreted in the third movement of Gustav Mahler’s first symphony, which features one of the greatest double bass solos in the orchestral literature.

Also being performed:

  • Modest Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain, which was most famously featured in Walt Disney’s classic “Fantasia” movie as well as more modern commercials.
  • Contemporary American composer, concert pianist and conductor Joan Tower’s Sixth Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman—her response to Aaron Copland’s famous Fanfare for the Common Man.

Also, Brian Lee, winner of our 2022 Michael H. Welles Young Soloist Competition, will play the first movement of the Cello Concerto No 1 by Dmitri Shostakovitch.

Tickets are available online and are pay-what-you-can ($30 is suggested).

The concert is at MassBay Community College, 50 Oakland St., Wellesley. There is plenty of free parking.

All audience members are asked to show proof of COVID vaccination at the door and to wear masks at all times.


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Filed Under: Music

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Wellesley Lacrosse

Wellesley High parents pan standards-based grading, school leaders say improvements planned

March 20, 2023 by admin 2 Comments

By contributing reporter Jennifer Bonniwell

Wellesley High School parents laid out their concerns about standards-based grading at an in-person open forum on March 9, while school leaders continued to press the case for the new grading model.

Parents overwhelmingly criticized the standards-based grading model that launched during the pandemic in fall 2020. Parents said the grading system is causing more stress for their children, is not consistent between classes, is hurting high achieving students, and makes it harder for parents to learn if their children are struggling in classes.

Even before the meeting, WHS leaders said they planned to adjust the grading system and plan to propose changes before the end of this school year.

“The reality is that in the implementation of standards, we’ve left some students and families really confused and that has caused stress,” said Wellesley High School Principal Dr. Jamie Chisum said during the Jan. 31 School Committee meeting. “We haven’t done a good enough job of getting the information to families on what feedback we’ve given to kids. We haven’t done a good enough job of being really clear with kids on how those grades are determined after we’ve given feedback.”

“We will make significant adjustments. Where we are isn’t working,” Chisum said during the March 9 forum.

What is Standards-Based Grading

Standards-based grading assesses students based on their mastery of a single skill rather than an average of tests at the end of each section of material. For example, a class may have five to eight skills during a single quarter and students are graded on their mastery of each. Some teachers give a full letter grade for each skill mastered; others grade based on a weighted average of scores for each skill.

In a presentation to the School Committee on Jan. 31, WHS leaders said one of the benefits of standards-based grading is that students receive specific feedback on skills they have not yet mastered so they can focus on learning those skills to get a better grade.

“Standards prevent a student who gets a bad grade from thinking, ‘I’m just bad at math.’ This allows students to get feedback and find out what they are good at and what they can work on,” Superintendent Dr. David Lussier said during the Jan. 31 meeting starting at about 28 minutes into the Wellesley Media recording ( also see a slide presentation). “Students should not be graded on their worst day.”

Chisum said that since WHS transcripts only show the final year grade—not the quarter grades—standards-based grading more accurately reflects a student’s progress by the end of the year.

“If I get to the end of the year and my proficiency in English is the same as yours, and you had a really bad first quarter but you know every bit as much English as I do by the end of the course, why don’t we deserve the same grade?” Chisum said. “If you know the same amount I do at the end of the class, the argument under standards is that you should get the same grade as I do.”

Chisum noted that this extreme version of standards grading —only your final skills matter —is not yet in place at WHS. Instead, most standards-based classes assess skills using tests and quizzes that are weighted to give more credit to more recent work.

This is most apparent in the foreign language department, which has been using standards-based grading for nearly 15 years. As an example, a first-quarter grade in Chinese is weighted less than the fourth-quarter grade. A student who gets a C for the first two quarters and As for the final two quarters could end up with an A as a final grade on her transcript.

Recent WHS Grad Speaks Out

One of the most impactful comments in the March 9 forum was by recent WHS graduate Tom Cahaly, who was in 11th grade when WHS adopted standards-based grading for his math and history classes (See video at about 53 minutes).

Cahaly, who was named a 2022 valedictorian with a near perfect GPA, said that in practice the grading system added more stress for students. In math, for example, the most recent assessment in each skill accounted for 50 percent of the grade in that standard, he said.

“The justification for this was that our skills were supposed to improve over the year with feedback. It was also supposed to remove the stress of making mistakes earlier in the semester. However, I and others thought this policy actually added much more stress because the beginning of the year barely mattered in the grading calculation while the last bit was worth 50 percent of the grade, which makes no sense.”

Cahaly urged the district to allow “teachers to enact their own fair and equitable grading standards in their class. As someone else said, they’ve been doing this for decades. It should stay that way.”

Confusion Reigns

Parents repeatedly urged district leaders to better explain how the grading system works and why it has supplanted traditional grading.

“I came tonight to learn, and you guys were talking in circles,” said the father of a 9th grader at WHS to a round of applause.

More applause followed a mother of two students at WHS who said, “No offense, David [Lussier], but I don’t really understand what you are saying.”

High Achievers Confused, Too

Several parents complained that while struggling learners might have a better chance to show improvement, it left high achievers confused about how to get top grades. For example, a mother gave examples of students who earned all top grades for assessments but was given a B in the class.

Several current WHS students said they didn’t know how to earn an A in classes, naming specifically 10th grade English and AP French. One student said she found the new standards even harder to understand than traditional grading because the skills were described as “explain” or “analyze.”

“How can a teacher decide when I’ve done enough to explain or analyze?” she said.

Lack of Feedback for Parents

One mother also complained that she hasn’t been able to tell when her son is floundering because of the complicated scoring system in standards-based grading. She said that at one point, her son was so confused by the grading system that he “quiet-quit school,” meaning he stopped doing homework and studying without telling her for several weeks. While she is disappointed in her son, as this resulted in a flurry of extra work, she was even more shocked that she didn’t receive any alert from his teachers or counselors. Further, neither the parents’ Powerschool site nor his Canvas online folders kept track of homework assignments, so she couldn’t tell he had stopped participating.

Chisum admitted the Powerschool app that is available to parents to view grades doesn’t show the nuances of standards-based grading. He told the School Committee that the district was looking at alternatives to better communicate with parents.

Being Graded on Worst Day

Several parents took issue that standards-based grading was intended to ensure “students are not graded on their worst day,” as both Chisum and Lussier said repeatedly.

One father reiterated, “I don’t think there is any class in which a student is judged by any single event. They do homework, they do papers. I don’t see any problem here.”

Parent Neil Glick said traditional grading should be able to adjust for a student who had a bad first quarter and then improved dramatically.

“If there’s a teacher who doesn’t recognize that improvement and that’s not reflected in their grading system, then you have a problem with your teacher and not the grading system,” Glick said.

How WHS Got Here

WHS has been using standards-based grading in its foreign language instruction for 15 years and its optional Evolutions program for nine years, Chisum said.

Then, in fall 2020, WHS expanded standards-based grading because pandemic shortened teaching time and forced teachers to dramatically change curricula. The school year started late in 2020, resumed in a hybrid class model, and after just a few weeks forced a full online schedule again due to a COVID outbreak.

“We knew we wouldn’t be able to cover the same amount of material because we didn’t have the same amount of time with kids, and we had really different ways we had to connect with kids during the time we did have,” Chisum said during the Jan. 31 School Committee meeting.

“Because of that, we said we need to boil these down to the really essential things that the kids need to learn in these courses because that’s probably all we’ll be able to get to: standards.”

Chisum and Lussier also said that some of the change was in response to the NEASC Accreditation process from 2018. Chisum told the School Committee that NEASC’s recommendations included developing more specific grading criteria, better communication from teachers to students about learning expectations and revising grading to ensure consistency.

Next Steps

WHS plans to propose improvements to grading before the end of this school year to launch in fall 2023. Chisum said the changes will be released in writing and parents will have a chance to review and comment.


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Filed Under: Education, Wellesley High School

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Voting rights expert to give talk at Wellesley College

March 20, 2023 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

World of Wellesley, author visit

Author of Give Us the Ballot, by Ari Berman will be speaking on Tuesday, March 21, 6:30pm-8:30pm, at Tishman Commons in the Lulu Wang Campus Center at Wellesley College.

Tickets are $5 for this event. Register here.

Ari Berman is a journalist, national voting rights correspondent at Mother Jones, and Reporting Fellow at Type Media Center. Countless books have been written about the civil rights movement, but far less attention has been paid to what happened after the dramatic passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 and the turbulent forces it unleashed. Give Us the Ballot provides new insight into one of the most vital political and civil rights issues of our time.

This event is sponsored by World of Wellesley, in partnership with the League of Women Voters, Wellesley College and Wellesley Books. You can purchase a copy of Give Us the Ballot through Wellesley Books.

Previous WOW Community Book Reads

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Books, Embracing diversity

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Is this our Swellesley Stonehenge?

March 19, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley resident and artist Chelsea Sebastian shared this photo of the mural at the LINX building on Linden Street, commenting on the remarkable shadow from the house next door. “Was it the artist’s intention? Is it our Swellesley Stonehenge?”
Good questions…
Linden Street mural
Photo courtesy of Chelsea Sebastian

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Filed Under: Art

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Wellesley Public Schools news: Union issues vote of no confidence as negotiations continue; DE&I director ditches ‘interim’ tag; ‘Emotional Lives of Teens’ program

March 19, 2023 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The latest Wellesley Public Schools news:

Union issues vote of no confidence as negotiations continue

The Wellesley Educators Association, which gathered on Saturday for another rally at Town Hall, issued a vote of no confidence in Supt. Dr. David Lussier and the School Committee.  Members of the union have been working without a contract since July of 2022, and the state’s Department of Labor Relations is now stepping in by assigning a mediator.

The resolution issued by the WEA stated that members voted no confidence in the superintendent and School Committee “due to their failure to support common-sense, student-centered proposals that are critical to preventing the deterioration of the quality of education in the Town of Wellesley…”

The School Committee holds its next public meeting on March 21, and the agenda includes a closed-door executive session regarding negotiations with the union.

School Committee member Catherine Mirick, part of the bargaining team, said in a statement: “The School Committee has been bargaining in good faith for more than a year with the Wellesley Educators Association.  We have agreed to 34 of the proposals that the WEA brought forward and, in the month of February, we offered more concessions.  Despite all of this movement, including an unprecedented financial package, the Committee has seen no similar movement from the WEA.  Negotiations require both parties to find common ground and compromise and, thus far, the WEA has been unwilling to do this.”

Mirick said the Committee is hopeful that working with a mediator will result in a resolution.

The WPS website includes  an FAQ with updates on the collective bargaining progress, and says the School Committee has scheduled mediation sessions with the WEA coming up on March 22 and April 6 (the first was on March 17).

wea protest

DE&I director ditches ‘interim’ tag

The Wellesley Public Schools issued a vote of confidence for Dr. Jorge Allen, who was named director of diversity, equity, and inclusion effective July 1. He’s been serving in that role on an interim basis since June.

jorge allenAllen joined the school system at the start of last year as K-12 program coordinator of English language learners.

WPS will be seeking a new English Learners director effective July 1.

‘Emotional Lives of Teenagers’ to be explored on March 23

Dr. Lisa Damour will discuss “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers” at an event on Thursday, March 23 at 7pm at the Wellesley Middle School auditorium. The program is sponsored by the Wellesley High and Wellesley Middle School PTOs. RSVP required.


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Filed Under: Education, Embracing diversity

EXPLO Junior summer program launches at Regis College in Weston

March 18, 2023 by admin Leave a Comment

SPONSORED POST: Thirty years ago, EXPLO reimagined camp—and launched the EXPLO Junior Program, a groundbreaking residential and day program for bright and curious 9-12 years olds. EXPLO Junior is a place where kids joyfully chase their curiosity by choosing from scores of highly engaging project-based courses. Plus, they dive into a wide array of activities, sports, arts, and adventures. It’s a place where they can exercise their minds and bodies. Young people from around the world and across the U.S. come to EXPLO Junior.

EXPLO summer camp
Bright and curious 9-12 years olds will find their happy place at EXPLO Junior.

Now they’re nearby at Regis College in Weston with an immersive day option running 12+ hours a day. Bus transportation is available. Exciting programming from morning until night gives parents and families maximum flexibility. Work running late, errands to run, friends to see in the evenings?  While your kids are having the time of their lives at EXPLO, you can relax and know you are doing good for them and for you. Learn more.

SUMMER PROGRAM: EXPLO Junior, https://explo.org/explo-junior-overview
LOCATION: Regis College, Weston
PHONE: 781-762-7400
OPTIONS: Residential or day programs

EXPLO summer camp
EXPLO Junior offers sports, arts, adventures, and more.

Filed Under: Camp, Education, Entertainment

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