Some interesting links on Newton:

Mass. suburb develops into a Russian enclave. The Mass. suburb that the Boston.com article refers to is Newton!

Russian immigrants have become part of the character of the Boston suburb of Newton. More than 9% of people in the town report Russian ancestry, according to the U.S. Census, and residents say it is common to hear Russian spoken there. Newton’s Russian community also has set up schools and community centers to preserve its language and culture.

Report finds more low-income students in Mass. special education. Newton is not a low-income school district but special education is expensive so this is an interesting twist.

Students from low-income school districts in Massachusetts are about twice as likely to be placed in special education than those in more affluent districts in the state, a new report shows. The study’s findings are counter to the belief by some that more affluent families are driving a push for more accommodations and services for students. The study recommends districts work to prevent the over-identification of students for special education and strive to educate more students with disabilities in inclusive settings.

• Seventeen percent of Massachusetts students are in special education programs — the second-highest rate in the nation.
• …  many kids are identified as special needs students because they don’t get the help they need early on.

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