Skip to content

Weston Portrait of a Learner Survey

A Message from the Superintendent:

Thank you for taking a moment from your busy day to share your thoughts with us. We’re eager to hear your perspective on the skills students need to thrive in the future, as well as your views on the role schools play in their growth.

Your input is invaluable as we shape the Portrait of a Learner—an exciting initiative designed to transform education from preschool through senior year. By fostering essential skills and mindsets across all grade levels, this vision aims to deepen learning and better prepare every student for success in college and their future careers. Ultimately, the Portrait of a Learner will serve as a guiding “north star” for our district, helping us strategically improve and support our schools in meaningful ways.

Thank you for your time,
Dr. Karen Zaleski
What is your relationship to the School District (check all that apply)?(Required.)
How do you identify your gender?(Required.)
How do you identify your race and/or ethnicity (check all that apply)?(Required.)
What is your current grade or stage of life?
In the next two sections, you'll see the same list of skills. In this section, please indicate how important you think these skills are for Weston students.
For each of the following, indicate how important it is for Weston to develop each specific skill in students.(Required.)
Not Important
Slightly Important
Moderately Important
Important
Very Important
Master & apply academics for success in college & career
Think critically
Be innovative thinkers
Have the ability to be problem solvers
Apply technological skills to advance learning & solve problems
Access, evaluate & analyze information across contexts
Foster a lifelong love of learning
Display effective written & spoken communication skills
Make connections between interests & careers
Understand the education & training needed for chosen career
Be able to adapt to an ever-changing workplace
Demonstrate initiative
Effectively work independently 
Demonstrate a strong work ethic
Be detail-oriented within a work environment
Work collaboratively as part of a team
Understand, respect & communicate with people from different cultures/backgrounds
Care for themselves physically, materially, mentally & emotionally
Manage & understand personal finances
Nurture healthy and rewarding relationships at home, school & beyond
Manage one’s time amid competing priorities
Identify interests, purpose & envision possibilities for the future
Prioritize & implement long- and short-term goals
Gain an entrepreneurial mindset
Take part in difficult conversations
Actively oppose bias, discrimination & racism
Actively listen to learn, understand & acquire the perspectives of others
Value & prioritize service to others
Be curious, creative, open-minded & flexible in new situations
Demonstrate empathy & kindness
Engage in leadership roles & opportunities
Have the knowledge, skills & values to contribute to the civic life of the community
Influence others/demonstrate negotiation skills
Display good judgment & decision-making
Advocate for themselves & the things that are important to them
Know their strengths and weaknesses & engage in self-reflection
Evaluate choices & consider possible outcomes
Give, receive & respond to constructive feedback
Have coping skills & manage stress
This section lists the same skills, but now you are asked to indicate how effectively Weston is currently fostering these skills in students.
For each of the following, indicate how effectively Weston is CURRENTLY developing each specific skill in students.(Required.)
Not Effectively
Slightly Effectively
Moderately Effectively
Effectively
Very Effectively
Master & apply academics for success in college & career
Think critically
Be innovative thinkers
Have the ability to be problem solvers
Apply technological skills to advance learning & solve problems
Access, evaluate & analyze information across contexts
Foster a lifelong love of learning
Display effective written & spoken communication skills
Make connections between interests & careers
Understand the education & training needed for chosen career
Be able to adapt to an ever-changing workplace
Demonstrate initiative
Effectively work independently 
Demonstrate a strong work ethic
Be detail-oriented within a work environment
Work collaboratively as part of a team
Understand, respect & communicate with people from different cultures/backgrounds
Care for themselves physically, materially, mentally & emotionally
Manage & understand personal finances
Nurture healthy and rewarding relationships at home, school & beyond
Manage one’s time amid competing priorities
Identify interests, purpose & envision possibilities for the future
Prioritize & implement long- and short-term goals
Gain an entrepreneurial mindset
Take part in difficult conversations
Actively oppose bias, discrimination & racism
Actively listen to learn, understand & acquire the perspectives of others
Value & prioritize service to others
Be curious, creative, open-minded & flexible in new situations
Demonstrate empathy & kindness
Engage in leadership roles & opportunities
Have the knowledge, skills & values to contribute to the civic life of the community
Influence others/demonstrate negotiation skills
Display good judgment & decision-making
Advocate for themselves & the things that are important to them
Know their strengths and weaknesses & engage in self-reflection
Evaluate choices & consider possible outcomes
Give, receive & respond to constructive feedback
Have coping skills & manage stress
The following section asks your opinion about "The Purpose of Schools." Here you are asked to what extent you agree with a series of statements about Weston schools' purpose.
What is the purpose of Weston schools?(Required.)
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Agree
Strongly Agree
Providing all children with a high-quality free & appropriate education regardless of their differences
Providing social & economic mobility via universal access to the means for a better life
Developing responsible citizens, educated in civics & democracy
Providing places where individuals from diverse backgrounds can develop relationships, learn together, & learn from each other
Learning from past injustices in order to make a more equitable society
Teaching children the basics, including how to read, write, speak, spell, & compute accurately and effectively
Teaching children life skills
Teaching children to read so they can become capable of learning anything
Providing children with the skills & mindsets needed to succeed in their futures
Enabling children to understand, question, & change their world
Connecting children with the world in which they live, including the natural environment, culture, & greater society
Making mistakes & learning from them
Building confidence in children
Instilling & rewarding the virtues of effort and perseverance
Allowing children to become who they want to be
Ensuring all children get care, compassion, and even meals, regardless of their home life
Developing relationships, having social interactions, & learning how to be active members of society
Teaching children kindness & compassion
The "Purpose of Schools" is debatable, with some questioning the applicability of what children learn to the real world, the long-term retention of what was taught in school, etc.

Thank you for your participation in this survey.

Your input is important in our development of the Portrait of a Learner for the Weston Public Schools.