LPS News
Quick District Information:
School Administration Offices are located at 146 Maple Street .
Vehicle Access via 328 Lowell Street
National Recognition for Lexington's Professional Development Program
School Committee
Click here to view and apply for open LPS positions
Transportation Information
Financial Assistance Program: The School Committee provides financial assistance to families who meet income requirements. Annual applications are available as of May 1.
LAST DAY OF SCHOOL! Last day of school for all schools
except Estabrook will be June 22nd. Estabrook's last day will be June 24th. Both the 22nd and the 24th will be half days.
Online Payment Center for Lunch Tickets and Student Fees
School Lunch Program - Purchase Lunch Tickets
eSchool Online Payment Center
Frequently Asked Questions
LPS Health and Safety Information(Information posted May 24, 2011)
Estabrook PCB Health and Safety Updates (NEW! Information posted May 24, 2011)
Student Risky Behaviors: Updates on Anti-bullying and Stress Management
LPS Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan (Approved: December 14, 2010)
Reducing Stress and Developing Resiliency web site launched October 28, 2010
FY 12 Budget News:
NEW! School Committee's Recommended 2011-2012 Budget (presented March 28, 2011)
School Committee Budget (voted February 15, 2011)
FY12 Budget Documents and Updates
FY 12 Budget Guidelines (presented October 5, 2010)
FY 12 Budget Calendar (presented October 5, 2010)
Prior Year Budget Information and Financial Reports
Current Public Procurements:
All Lexington Public Schools procurements are posted on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Comm-Pass system. Enter "Lexington" in the keyword field to find open solicitations.
{https://www.ebidsourcing.com/}
Extended Day After School Child Care (Status: Submissions under review)
Art Supply Bid The Lexington School Committee is requesting bids for Art and Classroom Supplies for FY12. Sealed bids are due at the School Administration Building, 146 Maple Street, Lexington, MA 02420 by 1:00 P.M. on March 4, 2011, at which time they will be publicly opened.(Status: Submissions under review)
Upcoming Procurements:
LHS Photography (school pictures and yearbook)
Recent Reports:
NEW! English Language Learner Program: Update (presented May 10, 2011)
NEW! Superintendent's Evaluation (March 1, 2011)
Medications Policy (First Reading Feb. 8, 2011)
NEW! School Committee Operating Norms (adopted February 8, 2011)
Four and Ten-Year Enrollment Forecasts Report (presented January 4, 2011)
District Management Council Report -- Student Services Staffing and Financial Assessment (presented: December 14, 2010)
FY12 Athletice Fee Propsals (presented November 30, 2010)
Proposed Renovations to the Bridge and Bowman Schools (presented November 30, 2010)
Bowman/Bridge Renovation Project Presentation (presented November 30, 2010)
MSBA Green Repair Program for LHS (presented November 30, 2010)
Addressing the Achievement Gap (presented November 16, 2010)
2010-2011 Goals (Approved November 2, 2010, 2010)
LPS 2010 MCAS Report (presented November 2, 2010)
Facilities Report and Update on the Ten-Year Master Plan (presented October 19, 2010)
New In-House Model for the Delivery of Substitute Teacher Services (presented Sept. 7, 2010)
Preliminary 2010-2011 Enrollment Numbers (presented Sept. 7, 2010)
Standards for Acceptable Use of Technology (First Reading Approved Sept. 7, 2010)
Best Practices for School, Family, and Community Engagement Subcommittee (presented June 8, 2010)
Final Report and Presentation of the Mathematics Curriculum Review Committee (presented June 8, 2010)
Science Curriculum Review - Year 3 Update and Presentation
(presented June 8, 2010
2011_2012 School Calendar (August Start) (Approved June 8, 2010)
Equity and Excellence Committee - Progress Report (presented May 11, 2010)
Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS)Program Report (presented May 11, 2010)
Lexington High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey - 2009 Results (presented April 27, 2010)
Other School Information:
School Cancellations
Superintendent's Bulletin - May 17, 2011
From the Office of the Superintendent of Schools, Paul B. Ash. Ph. D.
Our Schools - June 9, 2011
During the past few weeks, three high school teachers announced their personal decision to retire after many years of dedicated service. I deeply respect these teachers and our other retirees and thank them for their many years of outstanding teaching
Soon after these retirement decisions were announced, some residents asked the School Committee if these retirements were linked to a more general morale problem in the Lexington Public Schools. The School Committee members and I take these residents' questions seriously. One of our core values is "creating caring and respectful relationships" for all students and adults.
To ensure we are listening to the voices of all teachers, two years ago we participated in school-wide teacher surveys sponsored by the major education organizations in Massachusetts (the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Massachusetts Teachers Association, Massachusetts Association of School Committees, and the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents). The district-wide report showed high levels of teacher morale, confidence in leadership, and appreciation for the level of parent and community support. The report showed one major area where needed to improve - the quantity and quality of the LPS professional Development programs.
Using the report and other information, we decided to allocate a major portion of new federal stimulus dollars to launch a comprehensive professional development program for all teachers. The program has been a huge success. In this past year alone, approximately 600 teachers voluntarily took the courses we offered, on their own time after work. On November 10, 2010 Lexington's professional development program received nationwide recognition in the leading educate newspaper, Education Week. As a school system, we are committed to continuous improvement in every way, every day.
More recently, Deputy Commissioner of Education stated that Massachusetts might repeat the teacher survey next school year. LEA President Phyllis Neufeld and I had already discussed sending out the same teacher survey ourselves, if the state does not repeat the survey. We made this decision well before the three teacher retirements were known to us. Regardless of who initiates the teacher survey, the Lexington Public School system is committed to repeating the teacher survey. I look forward to sharing the district-wide results with the entire professional staff and the community.
In addition, next Fall, the administration will continue its practice of reporting personnel changes at the September School Committee meeting. In the past, the report has included the number of hires and departures compared with local, regional and national trends, salary and demographic information, and categories of reasons why staff members left the system. We also plan to increase our use of exit interviews to gain a deeper insight in to the reasons teachers leave our employment.
Based on prior personnel reports, Lexington has had both a low rate of teacher turnover and a high number of applications for open positions. Last year, we hired 44 teachers out of approximately 672 teachers. Lexington's 6.5% staff turnover rate is far below the typical school turnover rate of 15.1% in the nation. In addition, very few teachers have reported that they voluntarily left the Lexington schools due to working conditions. For most classroom positions, we receive more than 100 applicants per job.
The Lexington schools are strong because we value and nurture trust, collaboration, and leadership at every level. Our principals work every day to include teachers and other staff members in the decision-making process to improve the quality of teaching, learning and working conditions.
I am confident that by continuing our practice of proactively seeking staff feedback, we will continue to improve the overall quality of the Lexington Public Schools. I look forward to sharing more information with you as it becomes available.
Click here to download the full text of this article.
Click here to read past issues of the "Our Schools" series and other messages from the Office of the Superintendent.
Last Updated: June 10 14:36:15 2011
