Supt. Durkin Outlines District Goals For 2015-16 School Year

Superintendent Pia Durkin presented the School Committee with her district wide goals for the 2015-2016 school year Wednesday night.

A key focus is on increasing involvement by parents and students.

Durkin wants to see a 10% increase in community survey participation and 70% of those participants to demonstrate a favorable response concerning the overall direction of the school system.

The superintendent also plans to set up focus groups with students representing the middle schools and the high school and learn what concerns they may have.

"I'm going to be meeting with 20-25 students from each school that are representative of the student body and with their principal I'm going to be asking some key questions that are important for me to know as their superintendent," Durkin said.

Durkin will check in with those groups of students three times during the school year.

Other goals mirror previous goals including consistent evaluations of teachers and principals, constructive feedback, increasing resources for both administrators and students and continuing to implement a new discipline system across the city's three middle schools.

While Durkin plans to put her goals into action as soon as possible, the School Committee will take a vote of approval during next month's meeting.