Our schools are more than places of learning. They are all individual communities that comprise the greater NPS Family. Students spend a significant amount of time in them during their formative years. Parents form lifetime relationships with each other bonding through PTA meetings, school sports, music and arts events. Educators form bonds with both, working to instill The Vision of the Graduate in each and every one of their students. It is in our buildings and on our grounds that students learn many social skills, form friendships, develop passion and purpose through success and failure, and make memories that often last a lifetime.

This vision may sound utopian, and unfortunately there are those in our community who believe our public school system is not the best environment for their children’s education. There are understandably various reasons for this: the physical condition of our buildings, the perceived inability for our district to provide adequate services for their child, standardized test scores or negative interactions with staff, other students or families. Our reliance on social media, while providing a voice to all, can perpetuate negative perceptions that are less black and white but very grey. 

Never before have parents had more options outside the traditional public school system. Private and parochial, prep, tech and public magnet schools all market the ability to provide students not only the skills but an environment that public schools struggle to do. I completely understand that we all want what is best for our children and sometimes choosing a different option makes sense for a particular family. Whatever choices parents make about where to send their student is the right choice for their individual family. That does not mean it doesn’t pain me to see so many of our students leave the district for other schools.

As a board, we must realize that we are in a competition to appeal to our students and families, a competition that is not always a level playing field. Competition will only grow as funding is increased for public magnet and charter schools. It is why we must ensure that NPS works tirelessly to create a school climate that attracts and retains Naugatuck students. 

Recent state-mandated initiatives have required educational leaders to revise school culture and climate policies. The changes that NPS has made to policy allow a more holistic approach to all the factors that create a school environment. While not ignoring the difficult topic of bullying, the new requirements recognize that conflict between students is often complicated, encompasses many forms and often involves behavioral and mental health challenges that impact students differently. Restorative practices that seek to address the root cause of student issues have always been part of our educator’s and social worker’s toolbox, but the new approach is now codified as part of our school policy.

I would challenge anyone to dispute that amazing things do happen in our schools on a daily basis. Some days are easier than others and resources do play a role, but many of our parents and families are amazed at what the district has to offer from an educational, cultural and developmental perspective. Our elementary schools particularly, create a close family community. Our building leaders, educators and support staff pepper the calendar with enjoyable events throughout the year, while attempting to identify students who have social and emotional needs at a young age. This becomes more challenging as students age, seek to find their place in world and begin their often tumultuous journey into young adults. 

Unlike many of my age, today’s students are digital natives. They know nothing other than technology, and all the good and bad that emanates from it. During this past term I initiated discussion to remove cell phones from our middle and high school during the day. While this was initially met with skepticism, educational leaders implemented the new policy flawlessly and much of the angst dissipated within the first weeks of the school year. The results have been less distraction, more interaction verbally between students and less opportunity for drama that results from negative use of social media. As parents we are responsible for that after school hours (believe me, I know how difficult that is), but the results of the change in policy have had a positive impact on school climate.

We must focus and prioritize limited resources to ensure that students have access to the counseling, behavior and mental health services that they need at various stages of their lives, both inside and outside of our buildings. The addition of behavior techs, school resource officers, social workers, security personnel and trained counselors in addition to our private and non-profit partners have begun to make a difference in improving school climate and a feeling that our schools are a safe, nurturing environments conducive to learning. As a board we must be vigilant to ensure this continues, and nimble enough to adapt to inevitable challenges that rise from time to time and address early.   

Appearance matters also as it drives perception from the outside in. Many of our facilities are outliving their educational lifespan and we need to address holistically as discussed in another post.

We will not retain every student who seeks different opportunities elsewhere. We can, however, strive to make a first-class, school environment in each and every one of our schools, and prioritize resources accordingly.