Director of School Nutrition Danielle Collins has announced that the Reading Public Schools will be offering Grab and Go Breakfast and Lunch meals this summer (Until August 31, 2020) for any child 21 years or younger.  All children are welcome regardless of town of residence or school attended.  No ID is required and parents may pick up for their children.

Pickup for the meals will be every Tuesday, beginning June 23rd from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the Reading Memorial High School, 62 Oakland Road, Reading, Massachusetts.  Pickup location is at the bridge adjacent to the field house.

For further information, please contact Danielle Collins at Danielle.Collins@reading.k12.ma.us.

Good Afternoon, Reading Public School Families,

The Reading Public Schools is committed to providing the safest work and learning environment for our staff and students.  To that end, we are in the process of planning for the start of the 2020-2021 school year. This is the first of at least two surveys that will be administered over the next several weeks regarding the opening of school.  This survey is anonymous and your responses will help inform us as we move forward with plans for a school opening.  Please note that school opening plans will be contingent upon guidance that we receive from CDC, DPH, and DESE.

The Link to the Survey is below.  Please complete one survey per family.   Multiple children per family may be answered on the same survey.  The deadline to complete the survey is Monday, June 22nd. 

https://forms.gle/yLot2ocpfcXjwsVm6

Thanks and have a great week!

Good Afternoon, Reading Public School Staff and Community,

Last week, I wrote a letter to staff and families regarding the recent events that have happened in our country on the death of George Floyd and the subsequent riots that have plagued our country.  In that letter, I fully supported, and continue to fully support the press release that was proactively sent by Chief Clark on May 30^th condemning the actions of the Minneapolis Police Department.  The Reading Public Schools and the Reading Police Department have worked as partners over the last several years to create a safe welcoming environment in our schools with a commitment to equity and social justice.  In this letter, I would like to expand my rationale further in support for the Reading Police Department and the work they have done in our community.

Over the last 11 years as Superintendent, I have had the honor of working with three outstanding Reading Police Chiefs, James Cormier, Mark Segalla, and now David Clark.  It was under Chief Cormier that we began instituting School Resource Officers in our schools with outstanding community police officers who have become leaders on our police force, Lieutenant Rich Abate, Sergeant Corey Santasky, Detective Mike Muolo, and now Officers Brian Lewis and Matt Vatcher.  It was Chief Segalla and then Deputy Chief Clark who advocated for a second School Resource Officer for our schools because they saw the importance of having a strong police relationship with our principals, staff and students.  These police officers over the years have provided an invaluable service and are highly regarded as a pivotal resource within our school district working across all schools and all grades and have formed lasting connections with students of all ages and abilities.  The School Resource Officers are also instrumental in assisting the administration, guidance and staff in ensuring a safe and supportive environment within the school community.  One example of this assistance is their participation on the districtwide crisis team, where they help plan and implement safety drills, as well as, act as liaisons between the schools and the police department on student issues.  In addition to the traditional role of the School Resource Officers, I am so impressed to see our Officers take the time to read to younger students, engage in activities such as pick up basketball games, dance-offs within the schools, assist students in the special Olympics program and so many other community events.  They are very visible and engaged in all aspects of the student community.

During his tenure, Chief Clark has focused his priorities on strengthening police and community relations. One example of the incredible community policing is how the Community Service Officer, with the support of the Police Chief, suggested and subsequently worked closely with the Reading Public Schools Food Nutrition Department to coordinate Officers serving lunch at each of our five elementary schools.  The feedback from the students and staff has been incredibly positive and helped to reinforce the relationship building between the students and officers.  I have also had the opportunity to work with many other outstanding Reading Police Officers on a variety of safety, security, and substance education issues over the years.  In each of my interactions, I have always found our police department professional, courteous, dedicated and with the right moral compass on what is best for our students.

Every profession, including education, has employees that are outstanding and employees that should not be in the profession.  Nationally, we have seen examples of police officers who should not be in the profession.  However, in Reading, the opposite is true.  We should be proud of the work that our police department has done for our community.  They are an exemplar of how to be a police department that focuses on the community aspect of law enforcement.  Like several school department employees, many of our police officers live in Reading and their children attend the Reading Public Schools.  They are fully committed to making Reading a welcoming and vibrant community.

As part of the Black Lives Matter movement, each organization and community needs to take a look introspectively as to what they can do differently to combat racial injustice.  As a Superintendent of Schools in a predominantly white community, I am looking at my own practices and how I lead and model.  Some of our schools have been focusing on equity for the last two years, but we know that we have to be more consistent and have a long way to go.  We need to look at our hiring practices, curriculum selections, and staff training.  It will definitely be a focus for our school district in the upcoming year.  This work includes inviting the Reading Police Department to join us with this goal. As community leaders, we have a lot to learn, and together, grow.

On Saturday, there is a rally for racial justice on the Town Common.  The Reading Public Schools is not a sponsor of the event, however, we do have several staff members speaking and participating at the event.  If you are attending this event, we ask that you practice proper health precautions and peacefully practice your first amendment rights.  This rally is to support equity and racial justice for our students and community members of color and should not be a demonstration against police.

In 1963, Martin Luther King said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”  We are right now in times of challenge and controversy and we need to all be working together for the same common cause of racial justice and equity.

John F. Doherty, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Dear Reading Public Schools Staff and Families,

Over the past week our country has experienced significant unrest in the wake of George Floyd’s death. The actions by the Minneapolis police officers involved reflect the racism that still exists in our country.

The actions of these officers led to a myriad of strong feelings, including rage. This reaction is fully justified. The inequality and structural racism that exist in our country are problems we must each own as individuals, and collectively as a community.

While anger and frustration are understandable under these circumstances, I would encourage each of us to look for moments of grace and hope in this very dark time. Most of our community members, including our police department, want to be part of the solution. This event and the subsequent unrest affirm the need for us as citizens to continue to speak out and advocate for what is right and just in our society. Further, as adult citizens and public servants, this is our duty to our youth.

The Reading Public Schools and the School Committee take this duty very seriously.  We strive every day to create an educational environment that is inclusive and safe for all.  We will continue to look for ways to support all of our students, and to thoughtfully educate them about the horrid history of racial oppression in our country, so that they may one day lead us to create a more peaceful and just society.

We applaud and support the statements put out by the Reading Police Department, Select Board and Human Relations Advisory Committee.  We stand with them in our desire to engage in productive dialogue, educate each other, and work towards a more just world together.

Sincerely

The Reading School Committee

Good Morning, Reading Public School Community,

I wanted to give you a few updates as we continue along during this unique and challenging school year.  We appreciate your patience and feedback that we have received as we navigate through these turbulent waters.

• Videoconferencing tool-As I mentioned in a previous update, we will be adding Zoom as a videoconferencing tool.  The purchase order and student privacy agreement for a one year subscription was given to Zoom several days ago and we are still awaiting for their approval.  As with all purchasing right now, everything is happening at a much slower pace than normal.  We will continue to monitor this situation.

​

• 2020-2021 School Year Opening-Over the last two weeks, I have been part of two videoconferencing calls with Commissioner Riley from DESE on a variety of topics, including the opening of school in September.  Commissioner Riley has indicated that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will be sending out very prescriptive guidance in two weeks that all school districts will be following for the opening of school.  In both calls, he indicated that most likely we will begin the school year in a hybrid model, which means that we will be reducing the number of students who attend the physical school building on any given day.  In this model, approximately half the students will be attending school following proper CDC/DPH guidelines (i.e. social distancing, wearing a face covering) and the other half will be doing remote learning at home.  There are different types of schedules that could be set up including an alternating day model (M/W or Tu/Th) or an alternating week model.  The schedule most likely will be determined by the state.

I wanted to inform the community that we have been working on these contingency plans for several weeks and have been preparing for a hybrid opening. We have four committees that are preparing for the opening of school.These committees will consist of teachers, administrators, and directors and will be meeting over the next few weeks to develop and implement plans in the following areas:

• Continuity of Learning
• Special Education
• Social Emotional Learning and Student/Staff Transition
• Communication and Operations

Over the next few weeks, we will be updating the Community regularly on our plans moving forward and getting input on the areas that we will have flexibility.  There will be more to come in this area.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or your building principals.

Thank you.

John Doherty

Superintendent of Schools

Dear Reading Public Schools Staff and Families,

This past week, our country has experienced another sequence of tragic events, which began one week ago today with the death of George Floyd by police officers from the Minneapolis police department, and continued with several days of riots in American cities, including Boston.  In response to these actions, this past weekend, Reading Police Chief Dave Clark, the Reading Police Department, and Town Manager Robert LeLacheur posted a press release condemning the actions of the Minneapolis police officers.  On behalf of the administrators and staff of the Reading Public Schools, we fully support the message that Chief Clark, his department, and Town Manager LeLacheur communicated to the community.  In addition, our hearts go out in full support for all of the families who have been impacted by this senseless act of violence and the riots, including our Boston and Reading families of color.  We are with you in spirit and solidarity, even during these times of social distancing.

What this event and the last several weeks of social isolation has taught us is that we have a long way to go when it comes to equity and race relations.  As educators, we realize that everyone is dealing with a series of emotions, perspectives, and feelings right now ranging from COVID-19 to politics to race relations to the tragic death of George Floyd.  This has generated a significant amount of anger in our country.  This is a time for all of us to take a step back, support each other, and treat each other with respect.  We also need to take a look at ourselves and ask how we can support those impacted the most, how we can educate our community and our families, and how we can strengthen our culture to be able to address these events.

The links below provide some resources that families could use during this difficult time.  These include two articles from the National Association of School Psychologists on Understanding Race and Privilege and Supporting Vulnerable Students in Stressful Times: Tips for Parents.  In addition, here is a link to 18 Powerful Children’s Books About Race and Racism.  We hope that these resources can provide support as you help explain to your children what is currently going on in our world.

The American Novelist James Baldwin once said that “not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”  Over the last few years our community has traveled a road where the various acts of hate and graffiti that have impacted different groups in our community.  It is time for us to stand up and support others in this time of need.

Thank you.

John Doherty

Superintendent of Schools

Dear Reading Public School Families and Community,

As all of you know, we are in an extraordinary time in our world and in the manner that we are providing education to our students.  As I have communicated to you on several different occasions over the last few months, we have strategically and thoughtfully provided a remote learning experience for all students that addresses the social emotional and foundational needs and provides exposure to content and skills. This has been a journey that we never could have predicted.   Throughout this period, our educational system has adapted and will continue to change tremendously in numerous unprecedented ways. It has been an incredible undertaking where our educators have risen to the challenge and calling to support our community.

Throughout this period, I have been reflecting on my own personal journey and the next steps as both an educator and as a Superintendent in the Reading Public Schools.  I am immensely proud of our educators and feel that our collective success has been a journey that is following a strong course forward. With this in mind, I have made a personal choice and have decided that I will fulfill the remaining time on my contract and leave the Reading Public Schools at the end of my contractual obligations.  I have chosen this time to announce this decision because moving forward, I would like our collective focus to be on making a successful transition back to school and doing what is best for students.  I will use my remaining time in Reading to lead us through this transition of the pandemic and work to setup the schools for continued success.  Please be assured that I will continue to provide the leadership, hard work, and effort that I have always provided during my 32 years as an educator in the Reading Public Schools.  My focus has been and always will be to benefit students and I will do everything I can to position our school district for the next educational leader to be able to come in and continue to move this district forward.   This decision is not one that I make lightly, especially in what we are facing, and yet, I feel that it is the right decision for me personally in my own growth and professionalism.

I will have an opportunity in the future to provide further reflection on my career here in Reading, one in which I am very proud, but I would be remiss to not take a moment to thank the people who have supported me along the way.  First, and foremost, I want to thank my family, my wife, Laurie, and my daughters, Erin and Shealagh.  They have supported me and inspired me in more ways than they will ever know throughout this journey.  There are also many others who I have worked with over the years.  You know who you are and it includes current and past Town Officials, Principals, Directors, Central Office Administrators, School Committee members, parents, and teachers.  We have always led by our moral compass as to what is in the best interest of all students and not the select few.  We have always done the best that we could with the resources that were available to us, even during very difficult financial times.  During my time in Reading, I have been a teacher, Department Head, Assistant Principal, Principal, Assistant Superintendent, and Superintendent and led during many different crises and challenges that changed the way that our schools have operated:  Columbine and Sandy Hook, failed overrides in 2002 and 2016, September 11th, the 2009 economic downturn, the H1N1 pandemic, the 2013 marathon bombing, successful overrides in 2004 and 2017, and now the COVID-19 pandemic.  During each of those times, my focus and decisions at the level that I was a leader have always been on the children of Reading.  It will never be any different as at my core, it is my full belief that we are here for our students.

I am proud of the work that our building principals and directors have done over the past few years with their schools and programs.  Collectively, this is the best team that I have ever worked with at one time.  We have improved our academics and social emotional learning, as well as our food service, technology infrastructure, and facilities.  Over the last several years, we have managed our budgets as effectively and efficiently as possible and have positioned ourselves for this current crisis.  I am grateful to the work that our leadership has done in these areas.

As I reflect on my time in Reading, I have not always been perfect, no one ever is as a leader.  I have made mistakes along the way and have learned and grown from them. I have also learned that as a leader, I recognize that in doing my job effectively, I was not going to please everyone.  I have had to make difficult decisions, many were not popular at the time, but in my heart, it was the right thing to do for kids.   Yet, by focusing on the needs of our students, we were stronger in each decision made. In my 32 years in education, there have been a few constants in my beliefs and values. I have always led with integrity, ethics, and my morals.  I have worked within the fiscal parameters of our Town, working to maximize our learning within a limited budget. I have listened and changed based on the feedback that I have received.  I have always prioritized the things that matter, safety and security, social emotional learning, and the academics.   This is the heart of our school system.

Finally, I want to thank the Town of Reading and the Reading Public Schools for taking a chance and giving me this opportunity 32 years ago, when I was first hired as a middle school science teacher at Coolidge.  When I first started, I never imagined where I would end up.  The journey has been and will continue to be amazing and I hope that I have made a difference in the lives of many children and adults along the way.

It has been a privilege. More to come.  Take care.

Good Evening,

There will be a School Committee Meeting this evening, beginning at 7:00 p.m. on RCTV and Microsoft Teams.  The link to Teams is here.

The packet is attached.

Thanks and have a great evening.

SC MEETING 5.28.20

This morning, the community held a special parade for the RMHS Class of 2020.  The over 300 car parade of seniors, police, and fire vehicles began at Jordan’s furniture, continued along Walker’s Brook Drive, to Washington Street to Main Street to Birch Meadow Drive to Oakland Road, and then around the entire RMHS Campus.  Hundreds of community members and staff lined the streets and campus to watch the event.

A special thanks goes out to the Reading Police and Fire Departments, NEMLEC and RMHS Principal Kate Boynton who planned the event.  Thanks to Jordan’s Furniture for allowing the parade to begin in their parking lot. It was a special day to remember for the Class of 2020!

Good Evening,

This morning, I was pleasantly surprised when I was greeted outside my office with the following Staff Appreciation display.  On behalf of our staff, who clearly deserve this tribute, thank you, we appreciate it.  I know it made my day, month, and year!