The district is forming a broad-based group of 30 to 40 members of the community, including high school students, educators, parents, business and civic leaders, and higher education representatives, to meet over the next several months to develop a Portrait of a Needham Graduate and strategic priorities that can be shared, debated, and ultimately adopted by the School Committee.
An excerpt from Dr. Gutekanst's blog post:
"The conversation will reflect the many voices, wisdom, and values of this amazing community. The work will be invigorating and may challenge some of our assumptions about what the educational experience should be in the Needham Public Schools. The end product, like a portrait hanging in a museum, will reflect the nuances, perspectives, and experiences of its creators, and it may be imprecise and contain imperfections. But we will strive to use information, research, and data to create a Portrait of a Needham Graduate, one which is aspirational and will provide a framework for the critically important work ahead—the development of the education, success, and livelihood of the young people in the Needham Public Schools."
We urge members of the community to read the full letter on Dr. Gutekenst's blog, and to consider participating in the group.