Newton Public Schools (NPS) marked the beginning of the 2025–26 school year with the formal launch of the NPS Family Engagement Center, created to strengthen connections between schools and families.
At a press conference at the Education Center, Superintendent Anna Nolin introduced the initiative alongside Massachusetts Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Pedro Martinez, who was making one of his first public appearances since starting in that role July 1. Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, School Committee member Emily Prenner, and members of the superintendent’s senior leadership team also attended.
Christina Maryland, NPS Director of Communications & Family Engagement, will lead the Center. She said it is designed as a single point of contact for families who need help with enrollment, attendance, or finding their way to the right person inside the district. It will also serve as a communications hub, ensuring that families who might otherwise feel disconnected will know where to turn.
Maryland stressed that the Center is meant to complement, not compete with, the connections that parents and caregivers already build within their individual schools. She said its purpose is to make district systems easier to navigate and to provide referrals or “warm handoffs” when families need additional support, adding, “We want parents and caregivers to feel they have an entry point into Newton Public Schools.”
Dr. Nolin highlighted that in its first few weeks of operation, the center has assisted more than 100 families with translation services for newcomers and guidance on school registration. She described the initiative as central to the district’s effort to view education as involving not only students, but the families that support them.
Parent Academy
The center will also offer the Parent Academy, a workshop series…