Olivia addressed the importance of academic ability grouping at the recent forum at Brown Middle School.

Do you support academic ability grouping, even if it means groups of students may move through the curriculum at different speeds?

Olivia: Yes, I support academic ability grouping in many areas. This is the fundamental concept behind “differentiated instruction,” which means students will be taught material that is at their optimal level of challenge.

When I taught 4th grade, I would give my students a pre-test at the beginning of a math unit—for example, on geometry. The students who already knew most of the material would not go through the lessons that the majority of the class did. Instead, those children who were ready for advanced geometry work would have the opportunity to move ahead to challenging geometry projects—applying what they knew to real-life situations and learning advanced concepts. Similarly, students who had not mastered even the basic concepts on the geometry pre-test would get assignments specifically designed to provide the foundation they needed to move ahead to the grade-level work.

Students must be able to move between groups as they master the material. Ability grouping needs to allow students to put forth effort, make progress, and be promoted to accelerated groups. If students are simply put into a track without the possibility of movement, the advanced kids may not put forth their best effort and many kids in the basic track get discouraged and won’t achieve to their potential either.

To summarize, I support ability grouping when the groups are temporary and frequently evaluated to ensure students are working to their potential.

Read the complete transcript of the Q&A w/ School Committee Candidates in Contested Races From the School Committee Forum at Brown Middle School, June 2, 2009

In the recent article in the Tab, Mathews, Sokoloff present different views of Newton School Committee, Olivia debates Claire Sokoloff and emphasizes the value of her experience as a educator:

Mathews said the committee needs the input of someone who’s taught and administered in public schools. She taught elementary school and was an assistant principal in Cambridge, and said she has experience analyzing data and using it to work with teachers.

Read the full article online

You are invited to join this week’s standout on Thursday, September 24th, 5:30-6:30, at the intersection of Watertown & Walnut Streets. Please RSVP to kelly@momentumyoga.com if you plan on participating so we have enough signs. Children are welcome — this election is about their schools! You can also just stop by to meet Olivia.

Watch Olivia “on demand” on Newton Newsmakers with Charlie Shapiro:

Meet four Newton residents who decided to challenge incumbents for seats on the Newton School Committee.  Why did they decide to jump head first into Newton politics? What do they hope to accomplish? If you care about the quality of education in Newton, please join us for a lively discussion.

(You can also watch the segment on YouTube)