Page 8 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, JunE 26, 2026 EPS Concludes Strategic Planning Process Plan will be Published this Summer T he Everett Public Schools (EPS) held its sixth and fi - nal Strategic Planning meeting on Monday, June 22, 2026, as the district moves closer to formalizing the document that will establish its priorities and create its vision for the next three years. Monday’s Stakeholder Group meeting, held in the Everett High School Cafeteria, included parents, teachers, administrators, principals, assistant principals, elected officials, city leaders, and community partners. In total, the Strategic Planning process included three Stakeholder meetings and three EPS Leadership meetings, totaling 19 hours of directed work led by facilitator and longtime educator and consultant Meg Mayo-Brown. Over the summer, Superintendent Hart, Ms. MayoBrown, and EPS leadership will fi nalize the Strategic Plan, which will be published and widely distributed to teachers, families, and residents before the start of the 2026-2027 school year. “Stakeholders gave us valuable input, which our Leadership Team turned into Strategic Priorities that refl ect our vision and EPS’s needs,” said Superintendent William D. Hart, who launched the district’s fi rst community-driven strategic planning process this spring. “This plan comprises the thoughts and priorities of the constituencies that care about, and depend upon, the success of our students and district,” said Mayor Robert Van Campen, who attended all three stakeholder meetings. “Schools are central to the community, and the community was central to the Strategic Plan.” The EPS Strategic Plan includes academic priorities that impact all subject areas and grade levels, emphasizes inclusivity and belonging, and leverages EPS’s standing as one of the most diverse districts in Massachusetts. The priorities include action and implementation plans, as well as methods for measuring progress and impact, all of which adhere to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s established frameworks. “I commend Superintendent Hart and his team for including civic and business leaders in the Strategic Planning process,” said Everett Bank President and Chief Executive Offi cer Richard J. O’Neil Jr., Esq. “This is how you form genuine, impactful, and lasting community partnerships.” LEGISLATION | FROM PAGE 4 ed by the Legislature at $35 million. However, some school districts have yet to fully adopt evidence-based literacy curricula that have been proven to be most eff ective in improving reading outcomes. The bill requires DESE to extend its free, high-quality K-2 literacy curriculum, currently available to Massachusetts school districts through grade 2, to include grade 3. DESE will be required to continue its practice of maintaining a list of other evidence-based K-3 literacy curriculum options that is kept up to date with current best practices and new curriculum releases. The bill also allows districts to apply to DESE to use a K-3 literacy instruction curriculum that is not on DESE’s approved list, provided DESE verifi es that the curriculum utilizes evidence-based literacy instruction and meets quality standards. The bill requires school districts to assess students’ reading abilities and review their progress at least twice each school year from kindergarten through third grade. For students who perform sigMayo-Brown led the structured and well-paced Stakeholder and Leadership meetings, which generated robust discussion, respectful debate, and consensus on how best to refl ect the strengths and aspirations of the EPS. “The success of a Strategic Plan is equal to a district’s commitment to the process,” said Mayo-Brown. “Everett’s team embraced this reality and exhibited the levels of trust and respect needed to produce a clear and actionable plan.” Superintendent Hart agreed, saying, “I appreciated our sincere and engaging exchange of ideas and the care with which we found the right words to express our vision. I look forward to sharing it with everyone before we return to school in August.” nificantly below established benchmarks, schools must notify families of the screening results and provide a plan to address the student’s needs. The bill also formalizes dyslexia and literacy screening requirements by requiring schools to develop protocols for identifying potential neurological learning disabilities, including dyslexia, and to report their screening practices annually. To track progress, DESE must collect, aggregate and publish annual statewide data on districts’ use of literacy curricula and instructional practices. In addition, literacy curriculum requirements will be incorporated into the district’s improvement plans that school districts are already required to develop every three years, ensuring that implementation of and compliance with the new literacy requirements are regularly monitored and addressed. Teacher preparation The bill supports educators by requiring DESE to provide tools and resources that help school districts offer profesLEGISLATION | SEE PAGE 9
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