By Peter Buchthal
My name is Peter Buchthal and I am running for the Lincoln School Committee.
I am a huge supporter of public education. I attended an excellent public school in Scarsdale and was excited for the opportunity to enroll my three young children in the Lincoln Public School system (LPS) when we moved to town in 2013 (even though none were born yet!). I was thrilled with LPS during the pandemic when classrooms opened early for the lower grades, since remote work is more challenging with younger kids. However, over the past year, I have become concerned about our educational standards as I have learned more about the programs for older kids.
The school administration recently released an iReady report that showed that 38% of Lincoln School students (close to 200 out of 515 students) are one or more grades behind in their studies. At first, I wondered if we were just suffering long-term academic effects from the pandemic. Our average 2022 MCAS result is 510.05 vs. 2019 MCAS of 510.79. The results are so close that we can’t ignore our poor results and blame them on the pandemic.
In 2012, LPS’s #1 goal was “striving for academic excellence.” Over the past ten years, the academic goals and expectations have continually weakened. Now in 2023, only one of the school’s “high-priority goals” (see page 27 of the Financial Section and Warrant for the 2023 Annual Town Meeting) that talks about academics and just states: “Improve student investment, academic outcomes…” If elected to the School Committee, I will work with my fellow School Committee members to refocus our academic goals and devote more time in the classroom to foundational skills in reading, writing, and math to make sure all students are meeting grade-level proficiency standards in these subjects. This may involve reevaluating our current curriculum, after school and investing in additional resources to support struggling students.
Additionally, we spend 20% to 30% more per student than most of our peer towns. Yet all our academic test scores are middle of the pack. If more students were at grade level, we might free up budget money to expand our academic and athletic offerings. We might even be able to save a little money and reduce the burden on the Lincoln taxpayer.
I propose that we add additional learning opportunities to the Lincoln campus after school. I understand that many families supplement their child’s reading and math with Russian Math, Kumon, Beast Academy, etc. From an equity view, it is unfair that many students in our school do not have sufficient resources to attend these helpful programs. As a member of the School Committee, I would work with the administration and teachers to explore creating various additional extra academic offerings on campus so all of our students can get the benefits of these courses without leaving Lincoln.
I proposed during a PTO meeting that we look into an intensive six-week summer school program to get all of our students back to grade level. With the support of participating staff, parents, and students, I look forward to trying to make this happen next year. We could also consider adding academic special weeks during some vacations to further support the academics of our students. We need to solve this problem and I will reach out to all groups (teachers, parents, administrators) to explore all the different and creative ways we can work together.
A student survey from this past spring showed that only 24 percent of our middle school students felt engaged in the classroom. It is not difficult to understand a student’s lack of engagement when 38% of the class is behind one or more grades. I believe If more students were at grade level, the pace and content of our classes would be more challenging, more engaging, and academ
As a member of the School Committee, I will work tirelessly to support the new superintendent’s effort in doing a top to bottom review of our school system. I look forward to learning how we can improve our school with new offerings, initiatives and maybe even some cost savings. Many of my concerns and supporting information have been previously shared on LincolnTalk. Please check the archives for more information or email me directly.
Please give me a chance to help improve our school for everyone and support our new superintendent. Vote Peter Buchthal for Lincoln School Committee on March 27.
Sincerely,
Peter Buchthal (pbuchthal@gmail.com)
“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.
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