Watertown Public Schools
30 Common Street, Watertown MA 02472
WATERTOWN SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
ACCEPTANCE STATEMENT
Ann Koufman-Frederick, April 6, 2009
Thank you for your remarks and your strong support. The work of leading in education is the most worthwhile work to do. I am honored and excited to accept your offer to be Watertown’s next Superintendent of Schools. I believe my 25 years of experience working as a school psychologist, teacher, researcher, graduate instructor, curriculum director, and assistant superintendent make me uniquely qualified to be successful in Watertown as Superintendent. Education reform, the emphasis on 21st century skills and learning, a focus on assessment and accountability, the potential of technology, as well as budget concerns and contract negotiations make this an exciting and challenging time for all of us.
The direction we have set to improve education is exciting and unique. I am excited to be superintendent here and do this work because Watertown Public Schools is unique. I don’t see any other school district that is progressing like this one. We have great commitment from the community. Watertown is a community that supports education and young people. There is financial support, incredible school spirit, and passion for education. Over the past month you could feel the passion by just spending time at a championship high school basketball game, a robotics competition, a high school or middle school musical, an elementary school poetry reading, a district art show, a parent meeting on athletics, or a public forum on the budget.
The Town supports the schools financially and I hope this will be even more apparent as the budget process proceeds in the next month. The Town Council understands the importance of technology for students and teachers. We are using the $1m for technology from the Town to ensure that our students and teachers have access to the digital tools and the learning materials that make it possible to deliver a 21st Century education. The Town is significantly helping to ensure that our students are prepared to be successful citizens. Right now we are one of the only districts in Massachusetts that is seriously investigating the use of netbooks and cloud computing. However, we need to remember that access to these tools and resources is just the beginning; it is simply the first step. Equally important is the readiness and ability of our teachers and students to use technology, and information and communication networks - efficiently, effectively, and productively. I will make sure that our professional development guarantees that our staff knows how to use technology smartly. I believe that Watertown’s success in changing and improving instructional practice will be a model for how to organize and deliver the best education possible for all students.
A glimpse of the vision of what this kind of education can look like, was apparent last week right here at our high school. We had a spontaneous visit of twelve high school principals from Denmark because a colleague from Harvard sent them to visit me, expecting I’d explain what forward-thinking, innovative teaching and learning looks like in action. So after we talked, I took the Danish Principals on a short walk through the high school. We started in a social studies class where students were using laptops to take notes and expand on a discussion about a Newsweek article on their teacher’s blog. The teacher and one of the students also gave us a virtual tour of the teacher’s course website. Next we visited an English class where students were online grappling with grammar questions and then having a class discussion using video trailers they created about The Great Gatsby. We ended our tour in the Cable TV Studio, with a demonstration of the Watertown students’ YouTube stream of documentaries. Within this hour, we experienced a “quicktake” of students engaged and learning in new and exciting ways. I want and expect all teaching and learning in our schools to be as enriched and inspiring as this.
The School Committee’s new goals of High Academic Achievement, Self Actualization, and Global Citizenship exemplify forward thinking and inspire creativity. We need to get back to working on these goals because they articulate more clearly the work we have started during the past several years.
Last week I also wrote a grant proposal, and it needed to include a mission statement. I took the liberty of crafting a new Watertown Public School’s mission statement based on our newly articulated values and goals. This is what I wrote:
Watertown Public Schools is committed to providing all students with a learning environment that is engaging and relevant, sets high expectations, and stimulates inquiry, collaboration, problem-solving, creativity, and hard work. A Watertown education nurtures a capacity for life-long learning through immersion in a broad and deep universe of knowledge, comprehensive skill development and intellectual challenge, and support for diversity of learning styles, personal interests, and future plans.
The grant proposal also requested a list of the three strongest initiatives in teaching and learning over the last three years. This is what I wrote:
- Technology Access: 1x1 Access with Laptops, Netbooks, and Cloud Computing
- Professional Development: Technology-In-Practice and Classroom Websites
- Curriculum Articulation K-12: Teacher-to-Teacher collaboration through K-5 Curriculum Task Forces and 6-12 Curriculum Reorganization
Obviously I am very committed to the solid foundation and the direction we have set for our work going forward. I am excited about working with you on the strategic planning based on this foundation, and to the action planning and the actual implementation of our plans.
I am prepared for the responsibility of leading Watertown schools into the future through difficult times. My main priority is preservation with innovation. Together, we will concentrate on preserving the close relationships between students and teachers, as well as preserving the programming we have initiated at the building level.
During the past several years, I’ve been intricately involved in the start of many innovative programs and activities - that we will continue to develop. The list is impressive, and the level of maturity of each initiative varies. New programming includes, at the High School: robotics, engineering, civics, Virtual High School, China Pathways, interactive journalism, and the newspaper. At the Middle School we have: Literacy Blocks, Academic Assistance, Academic Enrichment, a Language-based classroom, and the Library Learning Lab. At the elementary schools we have a new math curriculum, a more focused reading assessment, and curriculum task forces in math, reading, science, and instructional accommodations. District-wide we have improved mentoring and induction for new teachers, provided more robust professional development, reorganized the 6-12 curriculum structure, renovated the district website including classroom websites, improved Autism services, and begun development of a new supervision and evaluation process for teachers and administrators. Every school has its first significant installment of laptop carts for students. Every administrator, every classroom teacher and most specialists have new laptops, and everyone is learning how to use them most effectively. We’ve got a lot going on; it’s really amazing.
I will make sure that we continue to improve education and bring it to the next level. It is my responsibility to always be looking further into the future and think with you about other initiatives that are important. The challenge for all of us is to look into a future that is unknown and have the vision to design and develop an educational environment that will help students reach their potential and their goals. I believe that bolstering the arts, bringing foreign language to the elementary level, and redesigning instruction are part of that preparation.
Ahead of us are budget and contract negotiations. Getting through the next three years with continuing to grow as a school district, despite financial difficulties is our most pressing issue. I am already steeped in that process, which has included planning for FY11. As Superintendent I will lead the process with School Committee and maintain a collaborative relationship with the Town Council and the Town Manager. I believe in the collaborative process because we have a responsibility to the children and the tax payers in the town. During the past month, it has been great to see the commitment and engagement from parents. I think that is what builds a strong community around education.
Next year, contract negotiations are also a top priority and responsibility, and I anticipate that I will continue to build a strong relationship with the teachers union. Ultimately, my filter is what is best for children and I look forward to working with the teachers and the School Committee on what is most important in order to accomplish the best for staff, students, and the community.
I am collaborative by nature, and extremely persistent. I’m also thoughtful, and sometimes quiet. Those who have worked closely with me know not to underestimate my quiet perseverance and strong leadership. I am available to talk, and work out concerns; just call or email - to set up a meeting. As Superintendent, I want everyone to know I’m still very approachable. I will answer any questions. When I make a decision, I will make my thinking clear and help you understand the reasons why I made a decision. If you don’t understand, then ask. I am committed to the partnerships we have, and I will continue to grow them. Also, I will continue to be in the schools and classrooms as much as I can, because that is always the best part of my day. In the fall I will meet with the Site Councils and I’ll attend PTO meetings, because that will help us know each other better and work together more effectively.
We will spend the next three months ensuring that the transition is smooth. Tomorrow we will post the ad for Assistant Superintendent. We will find an Assistant Superintendent who is collaborative, has a strong academic and teaching background, has building-based leadership experience, is creative, and is a big-picture thinker. I am looking forward to finding a colleague who is on the same wavelength about innovative education and the intense hard work it takes to accomplish it.
Finally, the best part about Watertown for me is the people I’m working with everyday. I know that I am entering into one of the most exciting jobs not only in education, but in any field. In Watertown, I intricately understand what still needs to be done and how invested everyone is in this direction. I am very well prepared to take on the challenge. We will work hard but we will also have fun working together. As a School Committee you like working with each other. I have a terrific administrative team that likes working together. In Watertown we have a creative and hard-working staff who are poised to improve their practice for all our students. We are a school system headed in the right direction, with strong traction moving forward. Thank you very much, I’m inspired and very happy to accept this new position.
Ann Koufman-Frederick, Ph.D.
Assistant Superintendent
Office/617 926-7700
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