August 26, 2022

Dear Framingham Families:

Welcome to the 2022-2023 School Year! 

Whether you have a long-standing relationship with the Framingham Public Schools or if this is your first encounter with our incredible school district, I want to acknowledge the difficult journey that we have endured together over the last couple of years. As you and your family prepare for the start of a new school year, I hope that you found time to enjoy the company of family and friends during the summer months. 

Staffing shortages and supply chain delays seem to be a lingering impact of the pandemic in nearly every aspect of our lives, and our schools are no exception. We will continue to onboard new staff and remain proactive in our supply orders to head-off delays so that our students have the best possible educational experience that they deserve in the Framingham Public Schools.

I am particularly excited this year to spend quality time in each of our schools. In fact, I won’t be in my office until January 2023 because I will be engaging in an in-depth residency program that I started when I began leading the Framingham Public Schools six years ago.

School-based residences are week-long intensive school visits that afford me the opportunity to engage with students, families, faculty, staff, and administrators. During my week-long visit to each school in the district beginning September 1, 2022 and lasting through January 20, 2023, I will follow the school schedule and be an active participant in the daytime and evening activities in each respective school community. I will devote my time to being in classrooms, participating in school-based meetings, hosting open office hours for staff, students, and caregivers, attending PTO and/or School Council meetings/events, riding school buses, and generally becoming acquainted with and involved in the vibrancy of each unique school community. 

I am eager to renew my commitment to the work happening directly in our school buildings and to help strengthen my relationship with students, families, staff, and administrators. Please check the FPS Website to view my residency schedule and to learn how you can be part of this journey with me as partners in your child’s education!

Let’s make this school year an amazing one!

Very truly yours,

Bob Tremblay

Dear Framingham Community:

As your Superintendent of Schools, I am pleased to present my professional goals for the 2022-2023 school year.

District Improvement Goal: Superintendent Residency & District Strategic Plan Development 

July 30, 2022 marked the completion of my fifth full year as Superintendent of the Framingham Public Schools and so much has changed in our schools during that time. In an effort to gain a renewed sense of how our schools are working and how the investments that we have made in our programs and staffing have helped to create consistency across our schools and programs, I am preparing to dedicate several months of time to engage in Superintendent Residencies, similar to what I did when I entered the District in April 2017. 

School-based residencies are week-long intensive school visits that afford me the opportunity to engage with students, families, faculty, staff, and administrators. During my week-long visit to each school in the district beginning September 1, 2022 and lasting through January 20, 2023, I will follow the school schedule and be an active participant in the daytime and evening activities in each respective school community. I will devote my time to being in classrooms, participating in school-based meetings, hosting open office hours for staff and students, attending PTO and/or School Council meetings/events, riding school buses, and generally becoming acquainted with and involved in the vibrancy of each unique school community. 

This model that I have developed over my career as a Superintendent presents an opportunity for me, especially as I start my 6th full year in the District, to renew my commitment to the work happening directly in our school buildings and to help strengthen my relationship with students, families, staff, and administrators. I look forward to inviting members of the District Leadership Team to join me during each school-based residency so that there is a deep and shared understanding of programs, practices, and needs. Residencies will also afford me and members of the District Leadership Team with the opportunity to get direct input into the development of the next Framingham Public Schools Strategic Plan: 2023-2028. 

Residency & Strategic Plan Development Schedule

Professional Practice Goal: Portuguese Language & Brazilian Cultural Studies

As Superintendent of a culturally rich school community, I want to do more to create strong relationships between our families and the schools that serve them. It is my hope that through (1) Portuguese language and cultural studies with a language tutor and (2) the development of a partnership between the Framingham Public Schools and Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais that couples language skill development with a deep understanding of culture that I will be able to use my language skills and cultural competency to be a more effective school district leader.

In an effort to better communicate with Framingham families, I will commit to learning Portuguese with increased proficiency. Specifically, by June 1, 2023 I will be able to carry on a basic conversation with families, including caregivers and students, as they arrive at the Framingham Public Schools Welcome Center.

Student Learning Goal: School Start Times Study

The National Library of Medicine (2017) cites that “ a number of school systems worldwide have proposed and implemented later school start times as a means of avoiding the potentially negative impacts that early morning schedules can have on adolescent students.” In their study, Later School Start Times for Supporting the Education, Health, and well-being of High School Students, the authors noted that “even mild sleep deprivation has been associated with significant health and educational concerns: increased risk for accidents and injuries, impaired learning, aggression, memory loss, poor self-esteem, and changes in metabolism.” 

The research is clear that the circadian rhythm of adolescents and need for sleep is not aligned with the current start time of high school in Framingham. Consistent with the goals set forth by the Framingham School Committee specifically to “research different start times for FPS Schools” as it relates to “the impact on student health, behavior, and academic achievement,” this student learning goal aims to be a first step in gathering data about Framingham Public Schools start times, specifically the logistics and impacts of any change to the current model.

It is an honor to lead such a dynamic school community. As always, please feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions, comments, or simply to have a conversation about our district efforts. Engagement is a cornerstone of this critical work and fostering a personal relationship with our families and community partners is what will ensure our continued success.

Very truly yours,

Robert A. Tremblay, Ed.D.