Weston School Committee Adopts Goals, Advances New Computer Science Course

WESTON — December 12, 2022 — Weston School Committee unanimously adopted its 2022-23 goals and approved the 2023-24 academic calendar at its December 12 meeting. The committee also heard a detailed presentation from all five district instructional coaches, who reported that a third-grade math coaching cycle lifted student proficiency on one area concept from 29 percent to 95 percent, with gains holding through the spring 2022 MCAS. Chair Daina Selvig led debate on fiscal policy language, with the committee unanimously amending a draft Massachusetts Association of School Committees phrase — "centering equity" — to read "excellence and access for all students." WEA President Ed Woodlockman used public comment to press for faster contract talks, stating that "5.75% over three years does not reasonably fit the definition of COLA" and that roughly 65 percent of Weston teachers on the top salary step have received no raise since the contract lapsed. Two budget-neutral high school course proposals — a two-year rotating engineering curriculum and a new AP Computer Science Principles course to replace the Python programming elective — were continued to the January 9 meeting for a first formal vote, alongside final action on the D-series fiscal policies. The committee approved a consent agenda including two grants totaling $5,455 before moving to executive session on collective bargaining.