Nantucket superintendent outlines conference takeaways: co-teaching, cellphone pouches and dignity index

The superintendent updated the Nantucket School Committee on takeaways from the annual Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (MASS) conference, saying the district will pilot co-teaching for English learners, pursue an electronic-device pouch program at the middle and high schools, and explore adopting a dignity-index communication framework in schools and the community.

The superintendent said the conference emphasized co-teaching models that pair general-education and special-education teachers and noted that several districts are using co-teaching for multilingual learners; Nantucket will pilot the approach in elementary and intermediate grades next year. The superintendent said the model will keep many English learners in the general-education classroom while providing additional supports for higher-level learners; beginning English learners will still receive pull-out instruction as needed.

Conference sessions also highlighted a pouch-based approach to reduce student cellphone distraction. The superintendent described results from another district that began a cellphone-pouch policy after the pandemic and reported a large drop in class failures — “the percentage of students who failed individual classes went down significantly, like, 30 percent,” the superintendent said — and said Nantucket is in the process of setting up a similar program and will hold a parent meeting.

On school culture, the superintendent described Timothy Shriver’s “dignity index,” a scoring concept that ranks interactions on a continuum and offers language for maintaining respect amid strong disagreement. “We would love to bring the dignity index to the school, but also to the community,” the superintendent said, and offered to provide materials in a mid-summer update.

The superintendent also reported special-education funding and legal sessions at the conference. An attendee from Lexington who presented on special-education finance reportedly saved that district “over $500,000” by digging into circuit-breaker claims and Individualized Education Program (IEP) wording; the superintendent said she has the contact information if the district wants follow-up. The conference included federal-policy updates from AASA that the superintendent described as “a little bit bleak,” with indications of slower or reduced federal releases for Title and IDEA funding.

The superintendent credited sessions by school-attorney Kelly Gonzalez for updates on recent legal rulings affecting dress and curriculum disputes. The conference keynote speakers included Dr. Leona Tate, one of the New Orleans Four who integrated schools in the 1960s, and the state’s new commissioner of elementary and secondary education, Pedro Martinez, whom the superintendent described as approachable and experienced.

The superintendent said she will share links and further information in a mid-summer update and invited staff and committee members to follow up on specific conference leads.

The superintendent’s comments were presented as informational updates and did not include a committee vote or formal policy adoption. District staff described next steps — parent meetings on the device-pouch program, a pilot year for co-teaching, and a planned mid-summer packet of materials on the dignity index — that the committee may revisit during the fall planning cycle.

The superintendent also noted that some federal Title funding streams, including Title III for English learners, may see reductions or reallocation at the federal level, potentially affecting grant timelines and the speed of fund releases.

Less-critical details discussed at the meeting included other conference keynotes, networking takeaways and an offer to contact presenters who have practical experience with circuit-breaker filings and device-pouch rollouts.

The committee did not take a formal vote on any of the conference items during this meeting; the remarks were informational and framed as steps staff will pursue or return to the committee with details.