Dear CPS Families,

January finds me with my sleeves rolled up and my hands deep in the engine of the Cambridge Public Schools. There is much work for the School Committee, the principals, my administrative team, and me to focus on.

In another city or town, the machinations of a high school renovation project might take center stage. Here, the spotlight shines on how we shape the future of middle grades programming, and most important, how we resolve a sizable budget gap facing us in the 2010-2011 school year.

As I’ve told the many school councils, school staffs, and community groups I’ve met with in recent weeks and months, the budget gap we face is very real. We have two solutions: We can increase revenues or decrease expenditures.

Obviously, we aren’t in a position to increase revenues so we are looking at our entire operational plan and examining where cuts and reductions might be made. We are looking to see if there are things we can do in a different way that might save us money. We are looking at areas that may be outdated or outlived their usefulness. We are also looking to see if perhaps there are areas in which we have a duplication of services.

Let me be clear: we will have tough, hard, uncomfortable decisions to be made. But if done correctly, when we are through this process I believe we will be a more efficient and more effective organization.

This budgetary review is not unlike the way in which we are reviewing our middle grades programming and planning the future of middle grades in Cambridge. Having gathered tremendous information and data as well as survey that produced an abundance of fascinating comment on the state of our middle grades, we feel confident in making a recommendation on how we structure our middle grades programs at our School Committee meeting in February.

While the School Committee and I work on these issues, I urge you to stay tuned to these issues, to stay involved in your child’s schooling, to help them with their homework and talk with your teachers, and to encourage your son or daughter to participate in afterschool activities.

As always, should you have any questions or comments, please email me at info@cpsd.us.

Regards,
Jeff Young

Dr. Jeffrey Young, Superintendent
jyoung@cpsd.us
617-349-6494

Mary-Lou Wright, Executive Secretary
mwright@cpsd.us
617-349-6494

Elaine Carrieri, Administrative Assistant
ecarrieri@cpsd.us
617-349-6494

159 Thorndike Street
Cambridge, MA 02141

Fax 617-349-6496