BCAT News

Burlington Public Schools is “Planning for Success.”

At a recent Burlington School Committee meeting, Superintendent Eric Conti presented the BPS Planning for Success. Planning for Success is a process the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education promotes for districts to develop a three-year plan that includes school improvement plans. Planning for Success documents will be developed for the elementary schools, middle and high school by their respective staffs.

Integrated into the Planning for Success will be the ideals of BPS equity, Conti said. 

“Every child belongs and receives whatever support his/her/they may need to develop his/her/their full academic, emotional and social potential to learn and thrive everyday. This begins with kindness and valuing the humanity of every child or individual,” Conti read from a statement.

The focus of the BPS plan is learning, equity and thriving. Under the plan, there is a district pre-K to 12th grade review process to align BPS standards, outcomes and potentially pilot new ideas. The plan includes ELL (English Language Learners), special education and social-emotional learning, Conti said. The process will be transparent and public with ways for parents and students to comment on the curriculum. Outcomes of the plan could have possible budgetary impacts, he added.

The subject of diversity was brought up at the meeting, in which Conti said is already baked into the success plan.

The plan, in general, will be an ongoing effort.

“It’s meant to be a sort of a living document that tries to keep us moving in the same direction,” Conti said.

Changes will be incorporated into Planning for Success as needed.