CPS Will Retain All Paraprofessional Staff From Kennedy-Longfellow

Cambridge Public Schools Interim Superintendent David G. Murphy confirmed that the district will be retaining all paraprofessional staff from the Kennedy-Longfellow school at a Wednesday budget meeting.

K-Lo — which has long struggled with under enrollment and low test scores — will be closing at the end of this school year after a December vote of the School Committee.

At a public hearing on the budget on Mar. 18, several parents and staff demanded the district hire more paraprofessionals, who assist teachers and provide students with more direct support in the classroom. But Murphy did not commit to expanding staff numbers beyond the budget’s current limitations.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Murphy said that he doesn’t “want there to be any confusion about the seriousness with which we take the issue,” adding that CPS understands the “invaluable nature” of paraprofessionals.

“These are individuals that work extremely hard, day in and day out, and more often than not, are supporting some of our students who have the greatest degree of need or who are the most vulnerable,” he said.

Murphy noted the district increased paraprofessional staffing by 20 “full time equivalents” since 2021, bringing the number of employed paraprofessionals to 300. Murphy said the district’s commitment to retaining K-Lo paraprofessionals further reflects the “consensus that we feel with those who have advocated for additional paraprofessional investment.”

“We are retaining the full paraprofessional cohort from that school,” he said.

Beyond paraprofessionals, CPS has yet to confirm what will happen to the rest of the K-Lo staff, but Murphy previously said that “a high concentration of staffing resources will be redeployed.”

As CPS works to reassign K-Lo staff, district leadership are also concerned with the lack of adequate teacher evaluations across schools. The district is currently set to increase the money spent on teacher evaluations by $300k for the upcoming budget.

“I don’t think we’re doing educator evaluation as well as we should, or as well as we need to, or as well as the law requires, or as well as students are entitled to,” Murphy said.

“We are committed to doing them better. And that's going to cost money and it’s going to cost time,” he added.

The evaluations are complicated by last November’s ballot measure, which removed the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System as a state graduation requirement. Murphy clarified that despite the change, CPS will still administer the test.

Beyond changes at the state level, CPS has committed to changing its local curriculum to implement Algebra for eighth grade students in the ’25-’26 academic year, launching a three-year advanced math curriculum implementation plan.

Murphy said that schools are well positioned for this transition because of the district’s “high level of staffing.”

“We will be well positioned to support that cohort of eighth grade students that will be taking advanced level math over the course of the ’25-’26 school year,” he added.

The district will run a second math section next year for eighth graders who need more support and enrichment opportunities. This cohort of students will have an additional Math interventionist assigned to support their needs.

The district will also bring in a math interventionist assigned across upper schools based on low income demographics data. The interventionist position will be funded by Title I, a federal program supported by the Department of Education, which the Trump administration has recently moved to shutter.

Despite the administration’s dismantling, CPS officials have ensured that there will be minimal impact on funding, and that programs funded by Title I grants will remain intact.

“I think as the finances have tightened somewhat, it’s really provided us an opportunity to try to meet the heightened standards that come with that,” Murphy said.

“It would be my hope that the information that we’ve shared with you during the updates and the round tables and all the other opportunities for public engagement are seen as evidence of the thoughtfulness that we've put into this work — and more importantly, the potential for impact,” he added.

—Staff writer Ayaan Ahmad can be reached at ayaan.ahmad@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @AyaanAhmad2024.

—Staff writer Claire A. Michal can be reached at claire.michal@thecrimson.com.