BARNSTABLE – A report by Barnstable Public Schools new superintendent identified the district’s strengths and opportunities for growth, including a need to connect after the impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Sara Ahern presented her Superintendent Entry Plan Report of Findings to the Barnstable School Committee at a recent meeting of the group.
Ahern said that people have shared with her that they feel disconnected and they have a sense of loss after the COVID-19 pandemic upended education for students and staff.
“People are reflecting feelings of fatigue and stress and trauma-based responses. We’ve all been through a huge collective trauma with the pandemic,” she said.
She added that children and teachers have their own stressors outside of the pandemic and Barnstable schools have seen more maladaptive behaviors. She noted that the return of field trips, certain senior events, and other enrichment activities have helped.
Ahern also wants Barnstable schools to keep focusing on academics and social-emotional learning. She commented on some increased skill gaps observed in the district, particularly from grades 4 – 7.
“Teachers are working really hard to address them but we might need to work smarter and provide the right supports to do so.”
On the matter of staffing development, Ahern said issues like the Cape’s high cost-of-living and the housing crisis affect trends, but that Barnstable has above state-levels for retention. She said she wants the district to keep those levels.
“We want to make sure it stays that way, especially for educators from diverse backgrounds, who both here and in the field, don’t always feel like they fully belong.”
For future planning, Ahern noted that Barnstable is waiting on an enrollment forecast. She said that long-term there has been a decline in student numbers but there are signs of growth at the elementary level.
Ahern began her presentation by listing several strengths of Barnstable’s schools, including the district’s diversity, the commitment of its educators, and enrichment opportunities.
She also highlighted stand-out courses Barnstable offers like fashion, coastal ecology, cartooning and animation, understanding diversity, and finance.
“Just offering all of these gives students an opportunity to see what they might like or what they might not want to do.”
Ahern met with community members in the district, gathered data, and did school observations when compiling her report.
When meeting with students, Ahern had children provide a word they felt was representative of their school experience.
The two most frequently used words were ‘diversity’ and ‘fun’. Ahern noted that ‘fun’ came more from younger students.
‘Seguro’ and ‘dificil’ were some responses submitted by multilingual learners, which mean safe and difficult in both Portuguese and Spanish.
Ahern said one student chose the word ‘racism,’ which led to the discovery of previously unreported bullying.
“I assure you that the principal is following up with the appropriate response,” Ahern said.
Committee members thanked the superintendent for her thorough report. Member Andre King said that the data Ahern provided to the group could be used as a decision making tool with an empirical approach.
Ahern was hired last year and succeeded previous superintendent Meg Mayo-Brown.
By Brian Engles, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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