[4:11] Good evening and welcome to
[4:12] this meeting of the Boston
[4:13] School Committee.
[4:15] I'm chairperson Jerry Robinson.
[4:18] We'll begin with the Pledge
[4:18] of Allegiance.
[4:25] I pledge allegiance to the flag
[4:28] of the United States of America
[4:30] and to the Republic for which
[4:33] it stands one nation under GOD,
[4:36] indivisible with liberty and
[4:37] justice for all.
[4:47] I want to welcome everyone who
[4:50] is joining us tonight in person
[4:52] on Boston City tv and on zoom.
[4:55] I'm going to ask everyone here
[4:57] in the chamber to please turn
[4:59] off the volume on your laptops
[5:02] or other devices so it does not
[5:04] interfere with the audio for
[5:05] tonight's meeting.
[5:06] Thank you for your cooperation.
[5:10] Tonight's meeting documents are
[5:11] posted on the committee's web
[5:11] page.
[5:15] Boston Public
[5:15] schools.Org/school committee
[5:17] under the SEPTEMBER 16th
[5:20] meeting link for those joining
[5:20] us in person.
[5:23] You can access the meeting
[5:25] documents by scanning the qr
[5:27] code that's posted by the
[5:27] doors.
[5:30] The meeting documents have been
[5:32] translated into all of the
[5:34] major languages.
[5:36] Any translations that are not
[5:38] ready prior to the start of the
[5:41] meeting will be posted as soon
[5:42] as they are finalized.
[5:45] The meeting will be rebroadcast
[5:48] on Boston City tv and posted on
[5:50] the School Committee's web page
[5:51] and on YouTube.
[5:56] The committee is pleased to
[5:58] offer live simultaneous
[6:00] interpretation virtually in
[6:03] Spanish, Haitian Creole, Cape
[6:05] Verde and Creole Cantonese,
[6:07] Mandarin, Vietnamese and
[6:09] American Sign Language.
[6:12] The zoom interpretation feature
[6:13] has been activated.
[6:16] Zoom participants should click
[6:18] the globe icon at the bottom
[6:20] of your screen to select your
[6:21] language preference.
[6:24] I'd like to remind everyone to
[6:27] speak at a slower pace to
[6:28] assist our interpreters.
[6:31] We'll begin the meeting with
[6:32] the approval of minutes.
[6:35] I'll now entertain a motion to
[6:37] approve the minutes of the JULY
[6:40] 8th, 2026 meeting and the
[6:43] AUGUST 5th, 2026 Special grants
[6:44] meeting.
[6:46] Is there a motion so moved?
[6:46] Thank you.
[6:47] Is there a second?
[6:48] Second.
[6:48] Thank you.
[6:50] Is there any discussion or
[6:51] objection to the motion?
[6:55] Is there any objection to
[6:56] approving the motion by
[6:56] unanimous consent?
[6:59] Hearing none.
[7:00] The minutes are approved.
[7:03] Will now move on to the
[7:04] superintendent's report.
[7:06] I present to you our
[7:07] superintendent Mary Skipper.
[7:09] Wonderful and welcome back
[7:11] everyone for the new school
[7:13] year and welcome to those in
[7:13] the audience as well.
[7:17] Um, so before I start tonight's
[7:19] report, I just want to take a
[7:21] moment to acknowledge members
[7:23] of the community that have
[7:24] passed away over the summer.
[7:28] Beloved colleague and long term
[7:30] staff member Frank Hill was an
[7:32] administrative assistant in
[7:33] teaching and learning.
[7:35] He also worked in food and
[7:37] nutrition services,
[7:38] transportation, family and
[7:41] community engagement and the
[7:42] former curriculum and
[7:43] instruction department.
[7:45] Over his 21 years in the bp's.
[7:47] He also worked with the Boston
[7:49] Plan for excellence previously.
[7:53] We also mourn the loss of Tanya
[7:55] Scarlet, who was a first grade
[7:57] teacher at the Ellis Elementary
[7:59] School who worked for the
[8:00] district for 25 years.
[8:02] Jody Hall, a beloved theater
[8:05] teacher at the Frederick Pilot
[8:06] Middle School who was
[8:07] appreciated and loved by
[8:08] students and staff alike.
[8:12] An educator for nearly 30 years
[8:14] Meg Goodwin, a long time
[8:16] teacher at the Edison k eight
[8:18] school who also served as a
[8:20] union representative and was a
[8:22] fierce advocate for her fellow
[8:24] educators around issues that
[8:24] impacted students.
[8:28] Frank, Tanya, Jody and Meg
[8:30] brought incredible talent,
[8:32] dedication and compassion to
[8:32] the district.
[8:34] They will be missed by the
[8:38] community if we could all join
[8:39] in a moment of silence.
[8:52] Thank you.
[8:57] So as we transition to talk
[8:58] about the school year, I'm
[9:00] happy to report that the school
[9:03] year 20 2627 is off to a great
[9:05] start and I'd like to share a
[9:06] few updates and highlights from
[9:07] our first few days.
[9:08] Uh.
[9:12] I know that as you entered the
[9:13] room tonight there was a slide
[9:14] show that was running.
[9:17] Um, I want to thank the
[9:19] communications office, the
[9:21] mayor's office tech Boston
[9:23] Academy and School Committee
[9:26] executive secretary Lena Parks
[9:28] for sharing these photos here
[9:29] from around the district.
[9:31] The first day for students in
[9:33] grades 1 to 12 which was
[9:35] Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 8th and the
[9:36] first day for our littlest
[9:37] learners Thursday SEPTEMBER
[9:37] 10th.
[9:40] Um these images really capture
[9:41] the excitement and the spirit
[9:43] of the day as we kicked off the
[9:43] new school year.
[9:45] I also want to thank Chief
[9:47] Robinson, Vice Chair Skerrit
[9:48] School Committee members Torres
[9:50] and Tran for greeting our
[9:51] students in the first days
[9:52] of school.
[9:54] I spent my first day of school
[9:55] in Dorchester where I greeted
[9:57] students from grades one
[9:59] through 12 and their families
[10:00] first at the Holland Elementary
[10:00] .
[10:02] Then at the Lila Frederick
[10:05] Elementary where it was uh,
[10:07] coming back to life as a new
[10:09] new pre-k to sixth school the
[10:11] uh Doctor Albert Holland School
[10:13] of Technology where I also got
[10:14] to see Doctor Albert Holland.
[10:17] Uh, in tech Boston Academy we
[10:19] started our day at the Holland
[10:19] Elementary.
[10:21] There were quite a few visitors
[10:22] and guests there.
[10:24] Chair Robinson, mayor Wu was
[10:24] there.
[10:26] Massachusetts Secretary
[10:28] of education doctor Drake,
[10:31] Commissioner of education Pedro
[10:33] Martinez, btu union PRESIDENT
[10:35] Eric Berg, PRESIDENT Of the
[10:36] American Federation of Teachers
[10:38] Jessica Tang and state rep
[10:40] Chris Warrell and state Senator
[10:41] Liz Miranda.
[10:43] So, uh, everyone turned out to
[10:46] greet our students at Holland
[10:47] Elementary and that was the
[10:49] first time Holland Elementary
[10:50] was being reintroduced to the
[10:52] community as Holland Elementary
[10:52] .
[10:55] It had previously been in state
[10:56] receivership with Up Holland so
[10:58] it was lots to celebrate.
[11:00] Uh, it certainly was a festive
[11:02] and fun first day across the
[11:02] district.
[11:04] There were hugs and smiles as
[11:06] students reunited with their
[11:07] teachers in their friends while
[11:09] parents and caregivers captured
[11:11] these special moments in back
[11:12] to school photos.
[11:13] Our new students found
[11:15] supportive school communities
[11:16] ready to help them find their
[11:16] way.
[11:19] Teachers and staff welcomed Lee
[11:21] warmed welcome Lea welcomed our
[11:22] students back into schools by
[11:24] greeting them with cheers and
[11:25] banners and balloons and music.
[11:28] Uh pom poms I had pom poms.
[11:30] Uh visits from costumed
[11:31] characters including Elmo,
[11:32] Mickey Mouse and Holland Tiger
[11:33] .
[11:35] Volunteers from the mayor's
[11:37] office handed out water bottle
[11:38] stickers that read it's a Good
[11:40] Day to Learn, which was a
[11:41] positive message setting the
[11:42] right tone for the entire
[11:45] school year on the first day
[11:45] of kindergarten.
[11:47] I visited the Line Elementary
[11:48] School in Brighton where we
[11:50] greeted students k0, k1 and
[11:51] k-2.
[11:53] Students received a joyful
[11:53] welcome.
[11:55] There were certainly a few
[11:56] tears mostly from parents and
[11:59] caregivers as they say goodbye
[12:01] students went right in but the
[12:03] line this was especially uh, an
[12:04] important start for the line
[12:06] elementary as they actually
[12:07] relocated buildings as part
[12:08] of the long term facilities
[12:08] plan.
[12:10] Uh, and so there was uh quite a
[12:12] bit of effort to go into that
[12:13] facility at the high school to
[12:15] get that ready for our youngest
[12:15] learners.
[12:17] Uh, I really want to thank all
[12:19] of our students our teachers,
[12:21] uh, school leaders, volunteers
[12:22] ,everyone who just made the
[12:25] launch of 2627 a real success
[12:28] on the first day of school,
[12:31] busses transported more than
[12:33] 18,000 students on 609 routes.
[12:36] They were supported by 730
[12:39] drivers, 650 bus monitors and
[12:40] 750 busses.
[12:43] Transportation achieved a 61%
[12:45] on-time performance rate or
[12:47] what we call otp, which was the
[12:49] second highest first day on
[12:52] record with 81% of the busses
[12:54] arriving within 15 minutes
[12:56] of the bell and 92% arriving
[12:59] within 30 minutes, while also
[13:00] reducing the number
[13:01] of uncovered routes from the
[13:02] start of last school year.
[13:05] We certainly will continue to
[13:07] monitor the average otp in the
[13:09] coming days, weeks and months
[13:11] as we anticipate continued
[13:12] improvement similar to last
[13:13] year.
[13:15] Um in the afternoon to get
[13:17] perspective we were at 73%
[13:20] of our busses on time, 88%
[13:22] arrived within 15 minutes and
[13:24] 95% within 30 minutes.
[13:25] So it was certainly a very
[13:26] strong start.
[13:30] Um, that said, I think there's
[13:31] challenges that happen every
[13:34] school year as bus drivers are
[13:35] new to routes or new to the
[13:37] city as busses for the first
[13:38] time are rolling.
[13:40] So sometimes we get a
[13:41] mechanical failure on a bus
[13:43] that has to get repaired and we
[13:44] have to send a coverage bus.
[13:47] Sometimes we have a driver who
[13:48] is still learning the route and
[13:51] they can get, you know, lost
[13:53] and have to get redirected and
[13:53] supported.
[13:55] Um sometimes we can have the
[13:57] gps because all the busses
[13:58] haven't been used all summer.
[14:00] Uh sometimes that can
[14:02] malfunction and then we have to
[14:03] walk the bus driver through
[14:04] that.
[14:05] And so there are those
[14:06] occasions even though we're
[14:09] having very strong ottps where
[14:11] there's a particular family or
[14:16] student that is delayed um, and
[14:16] sometimes delayed longer than
[14:16] we would ever want.
[14:18] And so we always do our best to
[14:21] apologize to the families, make
[14:22] communication, uh, and work as
[14:24] hard as we can to ensure that's
[14:26] the rare exception and not
[14:27] practice.
[14:29] Um, I also want to share that
[14:31] at the end of last year it was
[14:32] a it was a big celebration for
[14:34] the transportation team in the
[14:36] district as we reached 5,095%
[14:38] morning otp in JUNE.
[14:40] Um, that was the highest
[14:42] monthly performance for Veeps
[14:43] and I think it really
[14:45] underscores the system level
[14:46] of improvements we've made the
[14:48] commitment to continuously
[14:50] improving and to try to get all
[14:52] of the issues worked out so
[14:54] that our students very safely
[14:56] and on time, get to school and
[14:57] get picked up and brought home.
[14:59] Um, we're also encouraging our
[15:01] parents and caregivers to use
[15:03] the zoom app, which tracks the
[15:05] students in real time.
[15:07] Drivers have successfully used
[15:09] the zoom app to track more than
[15:11] 97% of trips so far this school
[15:13] year, and more than 95%
[15:14] of families are currently using
[15:16] the app to track their bus.
[15:18] So this has been a tremendous
[15:20] effort to get that information
[15:20] out.
[15:22] We want families to continue to
[15:22] register.
[15:24] Uh, if you are currently a
[15:25] parent and your student is
[15:27] using our school busses and you
[15:28] don't have the zoom app, you
[15:30] can download it from our
[15:32] website at the Boston Public
[15:33] schools.Org and it's under the
[15:35] Family Resource tab.
[15:37] Um we also have executive
[15:39] Director Dan Rosengard who's
[15:40] here with us tonight to answer
[15:41] any questions.
[15:44] But again just really want to
[15:45] pledge our continued
[15:46] improvement.
[15:48] Um and also just applaud a lot
[15:49] of the great work that that
[15:51] transportation team has done to
[15:52] get the results that we are
[15:54] getting as we do every year.
[15:56] We're also monitoring our
[15:56] attendance very closely.
[15:59] This is a big message that we
[16:01] want to continue to push out to
[16:03] our parents and caregivers on
[16:05] our first day of school.
[16:07] School attendance was 81.4%.
[16:10] This was up 2.6 percentage
[16:11] points over last year's first
[16:12] day.
[16:13] Big improvement.
[16:14] So far the attendance has
[16:16] increased every day over the
[16:19] same day last year and steadily
[16:21] increased to 92% today.
[16:24] That's again a 2.8% overall
[16:25] performance increase.
[16:28] Can't stress it enough to our
[16:30] caregivers, our parents and our
[16:32] students high school students.
[16:34] There's a direct correlation
[16:35] with achievement and
[16:37] performance in being in school.
[16:39] And so we need you here every
[16:41] single day unless there's a
[16:42] reason such like you're sick or
[16:43] something like that.
[16:47] We also know um you know that
[16:48] we every at the start of every
[16:50] school year there are students
[16:52] who last year were chronically
[16:53] absent or who might have been
[16:55] disengaged from school.
[16:56] So every year we start the
[16:57] school year with our
[16:59] Re-engagement Dornoch event.
[17:00] Um, it's actually one of the
[17:02] most impactful events that I
[17:03] think we do.
[17:05] Um, as a district we have
[17:06] certainly with chronic
[17:08] absenteeism driven down chronic
[17:11] absenteeism is 38% in the 2223
[17:14] school year and we saw 30% last
[17:15] year.
[17:16] Um, and this is just a
[17:18] continuous effort of reminding
[17:20] our students and helping remove
[17:21] barriers for students coming to
[17:22] school regularly.
[17:25] Um, at the start of school we
[17:27] go out and we Dornoch.
[17:29] So uh, the mayor and I and a
[17:31] group of volunteers across the
[17:33] district uh, led by the
[17:35] re-engagement center come out
[17:38] and we greet students that we
[17:39] know last year struggled to get
[17:40] to school.
[17:42] We welcome them back.
[17:43] We tell them how much we want
[17:44] to see them back.
[17:46] We ask what we can do better or
[17:48] what we can do to help support
[17:48] them.
[17:50] And it's just always really eye
[17:52] opening being able to sit.
[17:53] It's like a grace being able to
[17:54] sit with students and their
[17:56] parents in their homes and have
[17:57] that conversation.
[18:01] It always um amazes me how
[18:03] honest our kids are and our
[18:04] parents about what they need.
[18:07] Uh, so on SEPTEMBER 4th we held
[18:08] that event that with 36
[18:09] volunteers we targeted.
[18:12] We knocked on 197 doors and we
[18:14] focused on the Jamaica Plain,
[18:15] Roxbury and Dorchester
[18:15] neighborhoods.
[18:19] Um, we met and made contact
[18:23] with 37 students and that's 37
[18:26] more students by doing that
[18:28] than we would have been invited
[18:29] back into school.
[18:33] Um, I think that what we got a
[18:35] sense from students is how
[18:36] important a sense of belonging
[18:37] is to them.
[18:38] And so this is another big
[18:40] piece of what we're emphasizing
[18:41] with our schools is having a
[18:42] welcoming environment where
[18:44] students see themselves and
[18:45] have a sense of belonging.
[18:48] They articulated they want to
[18:49] be part and need to be part
[18:50] of the school community.
[18:52] And so that focus on culture
[18:54] and climate continues to be a
[18:56] big effort on the part of our
[18:58] school leaders and our
[19:00] educators to make environments
[19:01] that are that welcoming.
[19:04] As far as staffing goes, our
[19:05] classrooms are fully staffed
[19:07] across 104 schools in the
[19:07] district.
[19:09] Uh, thanks to our dedicated
[19:11] hiring efforts, uh Chief Canty
[19:13] and oha uh, we've already
[19:15] reached 96% fill rate for our
[19:17] teachers and counselors and the
[19:19] team is actively working to
[19:20] fill the last few final seats.
[19:23] Last month we also welcomed
[19:25] more than 150 new teachers at
[19:27] our annual New Educator
[19:28] Institute.
[19:29] The events hosted by our new
[19:31] Teacher Development Program,
[19:32] which is designed for educators
[19:34] who are new to teaching or new
[19:34] to the.
[19:35] Bpp's.
[19:39] Um I know the union has a
[19:40] strong presence at it.
[19:41] We do it jointly.
[19:42] Uh, and it's always wonderful
[19:44] to welcome that group of new
[19:46] educators into our school
[19:48] system as part of that family
[19:50] for permanent p2 educators
[19:51] whose positions were
[19:51] eliminated.
[19:53] This was a big part of the
[19:54] conversation at school
[19:55] committee last year, especially
[19:56] at the end.
[19:59] Um, just as a reaffirmation dps
[20:01] is required to place or resign
[20:04] or um reassign them into
[20:06] comparable positions and that
[20:08] work was well underway and
[20:09] continued all through the
[20:11] summer on a normal time frame
[20:12] for members of the beats
[20:14] teachers unit, there were 374
[20:17] permanent or tenured educators
[20:18] who were without permanent
[20:20] positions at the start of the
[20:20] hiring season.
[20:23] As of today, they have all been
[20:24] hired or signed into a
[20:26] permanent position within the
[20:26] BEPs.
[20:29] Another concern had been like
[20:31] as we reported in JULY there
[20:33] were 205 paraprofessionals with
[20:34] seniority who are members
[20:36] of the btu paraprofessional
[20:38] unit who were without positions
[20:39] for the start of the hiring
[20:40] season.
[20:42] All 205 were hired or assigned
[20:46] to positions for the 2627, with
[20:47] a small number either resigning
[20:49] or retiring, which is very
[20:49] typical.
[20:52] Um Chief of Human Resource
[20:54] Frances Canty is also here
[20:55] tonight where there to be any
[20:57] questions uh, for anything
[20:58] relative to hr.
[21:03] Uh, on AUGUST 26th, uh, the
[21:05] office of an Inspector general
[21:07] released a report detailing
[21:08] concerns about procurement and
[21:12] payments apps from years 2019
[21:13] to 2024.
[21:15] The report included a series
[21:16] of recommendations for how we
[21:20] can make as the improvements
[21:23] going forward as recommended as
[21:26] recommended as recommended by
[21:27] the Aygo.
[21:29] Uh Mike Firestone Corporation
[21:31] counsel and indulgence who is
[21:32] my senior advisor.
[21:34] Uh, as in the superintendents
[21:36] office they have been appointed
[21:38] to lead the city and in the
[21:40] building on the momentum to
[21:42] review the findings and
[21:43] operationalize the
[21:44] recommendations contained in
[21:45] the report.
[21:46] Uh, together with the working
[21:49] group of and city leaders.
[21:50] They're going to be helping to
[21:51] in drive and ensure that
[21:53] essential reforms are happening
[21:53] .
[21:56] Um, as a first step, we
[21:58] instituted a ten day pause on
[21:59] non-essential payments to
[22:00] review and ensure proper
[22:01] compliance.
[22:05] Um and I will continue to
[22:07] update the committee as we go
[22:10] through the review process and
[22:11] uh, go through the timeline
[22:14] with the ag's office, uh,
[22:16] providing updates at the 30, 60
[22:17] and 90 day marks.
[22:22] The our city just uh in recap
[22:24] uh, we always do kind of bright
[22:24] spots.
[22:26] Um and I know not only do I
[22:28] bright spots but I know that
[22:29] Member Torres has bright spots.
[22:31] Um, our city experienced a
[22:32] memorable summer.
[22:35] We joined the nationwide
[22:37] celebration of America 250.
[22:39] The 2026 World Cup brought
[22:41] visitors from around the world
[22:42] to our city, giving our young
[22:44] people the opportunity to learn
[22:45] about the different countries
[22:46] and traditions at special
[22:48] events across the
[22:48] neighborhoods.
[22:50] Earlier this week I joined
[22:52] Mayor Wu at New Mission High
[22:53] School to celebrate the success
[22:54] of this year's summer job
[22:56] program and transition into the
[22:58] school year jobs program.
[22:59] This approximately there was
[23:02] approximately 10,500 young
[23:03] people who are connected to
[23:05] summer jobs and we look forward
[23:07] to continuing that momentum
[23:08] throughout the school year.
[23:12] There were approximately 9000
[23:13] students who took part in the
[23:15] district's annual fifth quarter
[23:17] programing the Exam school
[23:18] initiative and the extended
[23:20] extended school year.
[23:24] Uh approximately uh 2550
[23:26] students participated in the
[23:27] extended school year.
[23:29] And then there were another
[23:30] 2500 students who participated
[23:32] in the fifth quarter credit
[23:34] recovery and that was primarily
[23:35] high school students.
[23:38] Um, certainly to help our
[23:39] students and families start the
[23:40] school year off strong.
[23:42] The Office of Family and
[23:43] Community Advancement hosted
[23:45] our annual Back to School
[23:47] webinar on Tuesday, SEPTEMBER
[23:49] uh, which was located earlier
[23:50] in SEPTEMBER.
[23:52] Uh it was attended mayor Wu
[23:54] came to it as did 700 families.
[23:56] All of our departments were
[23:58] there to be able to answer
[24:00] questions, provide information
[24:00] .
[24:01] Uh, in what I've appreciated
[24:03] about this event is that every
[24:05] year we get more families, we
[24:06] get great questions, we build
[24:08] off of those questions.
[24:10] Uh, in a way that provides a
[24:11] real strong packet
[24:12] of information for our
[24:13] families.
[24:16] Uh, last week we also welcomed
[24:18] more than 750 attendees at
[24:19] Around the park.
[24:22] Um which was they represented
[24:23] 50 of our schools.
[24:25] We gave away a total of 205
[24:28] backpacks, 20 raffle prizes,
[24:29] tons of food.
[24:30] Um, there was a police ice
[24:32] cream truck there that visited
[24:33] the park as well.
[24:35] Uh, there were mascots so it
[24:36] was just it was a wonderful
[24:36] family event.
[24:38] There were also free health
[24:39] screenings that happened.
[24:42] There were a lot of resources
[24:44] and information given away as
[24:46] well as free books and games
[24:48] from more than 22 partners, uh
[24:49] ,departments.
[24:51] And tonight we have a short
[24:52] video to share with you that
[24:54] highlights some of the fun
[24:55] activities that happened during
[24:56] the summer.
[24:59] Uh, we will definitely return
[25:00] to school committee as we
[25:02] always do in OCTOBER to give a
[25:04] more comprehensive presentation
[25:05] on summer 2026.
[25:07] But I think chair we want to
[25:08] show the video.
[25:34] That allows um.
[25:49] People.
[26:59] It's a great so thank you to
[27:01] the comms team and to to off
[27:01] the.
[27:06] She's so great seeing our kids
[27:07] doing so many different
[27:08] activities.
[27:10] Lots of academics embedded but
[27:12] lots of enrichment and fun and
[27:14] the kinds of things that our
[27:15] students say they would like to
[27:16] learn about and do and get
[27:17] active.
[27:18] So great summer.
[27:19] So with that chair I will turn
[27:20] it back to you.
[27:21] Thank you superintendent.
[27:23] I'll now open up the floor for
[27:24] questions and discussion.
[27:26] I'd like to remind my
[27:27] colleagues about our agreed
[27:29] upon norm that we have five
[27:30] minutes per member per round,
[27:32] not including district response
[27:32] .
[27:34] This project will remind us
[27:35] when one minute remains and
[27:37] when your time is up.
[27:38] Please make sure your questions
[27:40] are on topics related to the
[27:41] items in the superintendent's
[27:41] report.
[27:44] Other topics not related to the
[27:45] superintendent's report can be
[27:47] raised during new business
[27:48] later in the meeting.
[27:51] Staff please keep responses
[27:52] brief and speak slowly to
[27:53] support our interpreters.
[27:54] Thank you.
[27:57] Oops and I think MISS Torres
[27:59] has member Torres has some
[28:03] bright spots so um I so I it uh
[28:05] JULY AUGUST and SEPTEMBER I
[28:09] MISS Schools and um many places
[28:10] uh summer schools there but
[28:12] it's very important to see how
[28:14] it gets out working so hard.
[28:15] So I want to thank uh thank
[28:17] you, chair superintendent and
[28:19] all my school committee members
[28:20] and the public.
[28:22] I had the privilege of visiting
[28:24] fact sites and see the work
[28:26] that was happening across all
[28:28] summer schools this year.
[28:31] Side to side educators, state
[28:33] coordinators and program
[28:35] leaders for their hearts into
[28:37] keeping the students happy,
[28:40] learning, growing and connected
[28:42] to summer long and to all our
[28:44] students who showed up doing
[28:47] the work pushing themselves to
[28:49] grow academically even in JULY
[28:49] and AUGUST.
[28:51] We see you and we are proud
[28:53] of you in AUGUST.
[28:55] I blessed the Summer Institute
[28:58] for teacher uh Residency
[29:00] Network alongside ten best
[29:02] teachers coming together to
[29:05] share the best practice with
[29:07] the new teachers and each
[29:07] other.
[29:09] Great community building
[29:13] activities a day of it I our
[29:16] incredible 25 educators
[29:18] ambassador from 24 school who
[29:20] stepped up to lead the charge
[29:23] in changing the future
[29:24] of teaching and learning.
[29:26] Together they are spearheading
[29:29] the launch of the bpa I led is
[29:32] the initiative now it's the
[29:34] tember my first day of school
[29:36] at the Samuel Mason and the
[29:38] first day of kindergarten at
[29:41] the Sarah Robert we learned a
[29:43] we a huge shout out to all the
[29:45] educators, leaders and
[29:47] co leaders for the energy you
[29:48] brought to the first day
[29:49] of school.
[29:51] It was such a joy to be part
[29:53] of a dual language gender two
[29:55] classroom where our students
[29:57] proudly introduce themselves
[29:59] and share their favorite color
[30:00] or in Spanish.
[30:05] Not only was the the main uh
[30:08] color share a shout out to into
[30:11] a welcome center here at
[30:11] Bolling.
[30:13] They were on top of their game
[30:15] with explaining the
[30:16] registration process and making
[30:19] sure families well welcome and
[30:21] heard in my last year I.
[30:24] Uh I blessed our school with uh
[30:26] doctor right today to the
[30:29] office personnel administration
[30:31] educators and all the students
[30:33] from Kennedy to fifth grade
[30:35] sharing what makes the school
[30:35] great.
[30:38] The best and what will need to
[30:39] happen next to get better.
[30:42] So thank you.
[30:43] Thank you.
[30:43] Thank you.
[30:45] Comment.
[30:49] Okay.
[30:49] Yes.
[30:54] Thank you superintendent for
[30:55] your report.
[30:57] Um I want to refer in
[30:59] particular to the Inspector
[31:04] General report when when I told
[31:07] my one of my best friends who
[31:09] happens to be a teacher that I
[31:11] was appointed to the school
[31:12] committee.
[31:14] His reaction was in
[31:15] congratulation was great.
[31:18] See if you can do something
[31:20] about the the vendor of our
[31:22] school getting paid on time
[31:23] because they don't want to work
[31:25] with us anymore and he was
[31:27] referring in particular to a
[31:28] very interesting project that
[31:30] he does with his students where
[31:32] they publish a book at the end
[31:33] of the school year and the
[31:35] vendor was saying is taking
[31:37] forever for vbs to pay me for
[31:38] for producing those books?
[31:43] That's one stream that the
[31:45] other stream is what happening
[31:47] that we are wasting money in
[31:49] that it sounds like trying to
[31:50] solve that problem.
[31:52] It sounds to me that we have a
[31:53] systemic problem.
[31:55] So I would like you to comment
[31:58] on what systemic actions and
[31:59] steps are you and the district
[32:01] taking to address this
[32:01] situation.
[32:03] Uh thank you.
[32:04] So I welcome that question.
[32:07] Um, first of all, because we
[32:09] have a report that we need to
[32:10] give to the inspector general
[32:14] and intend to uh that is we
[32:15] will first discuss as we
[32:17] continue the review and the
[32:18] team that is both city and
[32:20] district comes up with what
[32:21] those action steps are going to
[32:21] be.
[32:24] Uh, and so when that report
[32:26] comes to where we're going to
[32:28] do staff the inspector general
[32:29] I will report out to school
[32:30] committee the contents of that
[32:30] .
[32:33] But we're still in the process
[32:34] of identifying those steps.
[32:38] Um, I do think that some
[32:40] of what has been was identified
[32:42] remember the report was looking
[32:47] from a period of 2019 to 2024.
[32:48] Uh, there were a number
[32:50] of things that had been
[32:51] identified that we've been
[32:52] actively working on and
[32:55] correcting and for the field it
[32:57] has been a lot of adjustment as
[32:59] we have put controls and
[33:01] measures into place of how
[33:02] contracts are done versus how
[33:03] they had been done.
[33:07] That often does delay to ensure
[33:08] we have the appropriate
[33:10] paperwork, uh, to be able to
[33:12] both initiate a contract and to
[33:13] pay it.
[33:14] And so there's been a lot
[33:15] of you know, for the field I
[33:16] think a lot of adjustment.
[33:18] We've done um a number
[33:19] of meetings with partners and
[33:21] number of meetings with
[33:23] schools, uh, in school leaders
[33:24] to be able to explain over the
[33:25] course of the last several
[33:27] years what why those changes
[33:28] were necessary.
[33:31] So a lot of this work has been
[33:31] underway.
[33:34] I think what the report allowed
[33:37] us to see was where that is
[33:38] taking hold and where it is not
[33:38] yet.
[33:40] And so that is really the areas
[33:41] that we'll be drilling down
[33:42] more.
[33:45] Um and I do think we have some
[33:46] good suggestions already from
[33:48] the team in terms of even
[33:50] things like consolidating the
[33:52] way procurement and payment is
[33:54] done under one branch as
[33:56] opposed to transportation and
[33:58] food service, uh, in facilities
[34:00] all having different processes
[34:02] where it's more likely that
[34:02] there's fracture.
[34:06] So I do think um we are
[34:08] certainly taking the
[34:09] recommendations with the
[34:11] strongest consideration we've
[34:12] dropped in many of them
[34:12] already.
[34:14] Um, and I do look forward with
[34:15] School Committee to being able
[34:17] to give a broader report as we
[34:20] start to update the the ig.
[34:21] Thank you.
[34:22] You're welcome.
[34:28] Thank you for the chair.
[34:29] Thank you for the report.
[34:32] Cairo comments are uh great to
[34:33] see and though I like Trabajo
[34:37] and Burano thank you very much
[34:38] all I would like to start
[34:40] appreciating the entire team
[34:41] that worked over the summer.
[34:44] Gracias por trabajar para crear
[34:46] memorial bonita para nuestros
[34:46] Estudiantes.
[34:47] Thank you very much for working
[34:49] on creating beautiful memories
[34:50] for all our students.
[34:53] Ida McKerrow Felicita uh and I
[34:55] asked we keep all porque es la
[34:57] primera vez get the vimos angel
[35:00] this Dominicana Rosa if we move
[35:03] to what we are is to represent
[35:06] yourself and the same party.
[35:07] I would like to appreciate
[35:09] of the job that Anna did
[35:10] because it was the first time
[35:12] that we have we had a carriage
[35:14] in the Dominican uh festival
[35:15] actually and we felt that we
[35:17] were represented as well.
[35:19] Thank you very much to another
[35:21] team and Tommy Poderoso and por
[35:24] supuesto for uno de la persona
[35:25] trabajo para nosotros pudiera
[35:30] Rosa I bandera dominicana it
[35:31] was very powerful scene uh
[35:34] Annie and sharing everything
[35:36] there and I felt very sorry was
[35:38] not able to lift my Dominican
[35:40] flag there I felt sorry I was
[35:43] not present at that time.
[35:47] Um I'll reporting a local cargo
[35:49] in algunas escuela el transport
[35:52] sido Fantastico and tiempo
[35:53] puedo demonio than me.
[35:54] Sorry.
[35:56] No, as a matter of fact.
[35:56] But I can't hear.
[35:58] We got through a transportation
[35:58] report.
[36:00] It's been on time and it's a
[36:02] very, uh, rewarding report.
[36:03] I can actually provide
[36:05] testimony regarding my own
[36:06] nephew as it pertains to
[36:09] transportation and we fairly
[36:10] purchased this item with at
[36:11] least porque es tiempo todos
[36:14] Los dias successor related.
[36:15] I am very happy because the
[36:17] busses are arriving on time
[36:18] every single day.
[36:19] Very happy.
[36:21] Pero Como a todas las familias
[36:23] no todo esto perfect over that
[36:26] y tambi\n tenemos algunos padre
[36:26] diciendo hey.
[36:28] Retro.
[36:32] No granddaughter ample yet
[36:35] algunas familias so Trevor or
[36:36] than the one in trabajo
[36:40] entonces me is Kim aquellos
[36:42] voces can with underground or.
[36:47] In alguna only thank you okay
[36:49] okay okay es la lista de la
[36:52] familia porque no those outside
[36:56] salon I no Sapulpa so I was the
[37:00] at the okay so as we say
[37:01] transportation it is not
[37:02] perfect it is not perfect he's
[37:04] been arriving on time but I do
[37:06] know that there is some
[37:08] dissatisfaction from some
[37:09] of the families.
[37:10] So the question that I do have
[37:12] for you it is what is it that
[37:14] we are doing for those families
[37:17] where transportation is not
[37:18] arriving on time but things
[37:19] systems are not perfect and we
[37:20] are aware of that.
[37:21] But there's been some
[37:22] complaints regarding
[37:23] transportation as well.
[37:26] Eloy e algunas familiares estan
[37:27] receiving the warnings
[37:27] of trabajo.
[37:30] Moreover, some of the families
[37:32] are getting warnings because
[37:33] they are not being able to
[37:36] arrive on time to other works
[37:37] to their jobs in El Nino.
[37:41] Answer you don't know if a
[37:42] Punto is a matter of fact, the
[37:43] point that I would like to make
[37:45] is that they are being uh,
[37:47] reported as being tardy without
[37:49] any justification.
[37:50] That is the point that I would
[37:52] like to make how the families
[37:53] are being impacted by
[37:53] transportation.
[37:55] Yeah, yeah.
[37:57] And I know that, um, our
[37:59] executive director Rose and GOD
[38:01] will want to comment on this,
[38:03] but what I will say is we
[38:06] strive to have every student be
[38:08] able to get to school and get
[38:09] picked up and driven home
[38:10] safely in on time.
[38:14] I think 18,000 students with so
[38:16] many different roads and busses
[38:18] there will be situations like
[38:20] there are for all of us when
[38:22] we're getting across the city
[38:23] that impacts it.
[38:25] I think in each of the cases
[38:27] when something is reported, Dan
[38:28] and his team do an excellent
[38:31] job reaching out to the family
[38:33] looking at repeat situations.
[38:33] Right.
[38:35] And that was when we left last
[38:38] year we definitely had a group
[38:39] of roads where they were
[38:41] uncovered and so that's been a
[38:43] big focus with Dan and the
[38:46] vendor to really assure enough
[38:47] drivers and that the busses
[38:49] mechanically are running fine
[38:51] and sound as a way to be able
[38:52] to address the uncovered
[38:54] because that's really when
[38:56] there isn't a bus to pick the
[38:57] student up.
[38:58] That's when parents really have
[39:01] to figure that out or the bus
[39:02] isn't coming in.
[39:04] A uh replacement bus has to be
[39:05] issued and that's where the
[39:06] like longer delays happen.
[39:08] So Dan and the team are
[39:09] certainly working on that.
[39:11] They've been on top of it this
[39:11] year.
[39:13] Many like much much less when
[39:14] it comes to the uncovered
[39:16] routes in any of the routes
[39:18] that are really longer.
[39:19] That's what Dan and his team
[39:21] start right away to identify
[39:23] and look at the data to be able
[39:24] to figure out is it a reroute
[39:26] uh is it splitting the route?
[39:27] You know, what is it?
[39:29] Um but in each case they really
[39:30] do strive to contact the
[39:32] family, be in contact with the
[39:33] family so that they know if a
[39:35] student's going to get home
[39:36] late or is going to get picked
[39:38] up late to that the the parent
[39:39] has as much notice as possible
[39:39] .
[39:41] Dan I don't know if there's
[39:42] anything now.
[39:43] Yeah thanks superintendent and
[39:44] thanks Member Garcia for the
[39:45] question.
[39:47] I think um the only other thing
[39:49] that I would add on top of what
[39:50] the superintendent said is each
[39:53] year now with with zoom and
[39:54] with some of the you know, the
[39:55] reforms and improvements that
[39:58] we've made is a big focus for
[40:00] us is trying to get to steady
[40:01] state and stability faster.
[40:03] There's always going to be some
[40:04] adjustment at the start of the
[40:06] year, you know, both for
[40:08] drivers and monitors and
[40:09] students and staff coming back
[40:10] to work.
[40:12] But also just there are still
[40:14] students who are transferring
[40:17] schools will have the the dnr
[40:20] process um I think tomorrow uh
[40:21] students families who are
[40:23] submitting requests for drop
[40:25] off at a after school program
[40:27] and so there's a lot of route
[40:28] adjustments that get made
[40:29] throughout the first few weeks
[40:29] .
[40:31] And I think a big focus for us
[40:32] this year and over the last few
[40:34] years is how do we get to that
[40:35] steady state faster to reduce
[40:38] that period where uh, families
[40:40] and students are experiencing,
[40:41] you know, delays at the start
[40:43] of the year and I think along
[40:45] with um, the reduction in the
[40:46] uncovered routes which is about
[40:48] half what it was last year this
[40:50] time so far, um, we want it to
[40:52] be at zero um, the other big
[40:54] focus for us and where we've
[40:56] seen improvement is in just
[40:58] kind of ramping up faster and
[40:59] getting to that steady state
[41:00] faster.
[41:00] Right.
[41:01] And then maybe just explain
[41:03] also like when you have a stew
[41:05] like an unattended student and
[41:07] you an undeliverable student
[41:08] like how that can impact.
[41:10] Yeah, yeah.
[41:14] So um you know most most busses
[41:16] will complete I think as you
[41:18] know, multiple trips in
[41:19] succession each afternoon you
[41:21] know, at 2:00, 3:00, 4:00
[41:23] school and especially at the
[41:25] start of the year as as
[41:27] everyone you know, drivers,
[41:28] monitors, families are
[41:30] adjusting to new routines.
[41:32] Uh, we will often see uh,
[41:34] higher um, instances of what we
[41:36] call undeliverable students
[41:38] where you know that connection
[41:40] to make sure there's a, you
[41:41] know, safe adult to adult
[41:43] handoff particularly for door
[41:44] to door students or our
[41:46] youngest students, um, you
[41:48] know, doesn't happen exactly as
[41:49] scheduled.
[41:51] And then there are you know,
[41:52] depending on the specifics
[41:55] of the situation, our team and
[41:57] the vendor safety desk will
[41:58] work with the family and school
[42:00] to coordinate, uh, you know,
[42:02] that safe drop off but that can
[42:04] lead to you know, sometimes a
[42:06] bus that maybe has to loop back
[42:07] and can't make it to its next
[42:09] school on time and so then
[42:11] we'll you know, either send a
[42:13] covering bus or communicate the
[42:14] delay and try to work through
[42:15] it as best we can.
[42:20] So um let me say Linda Pregunta
[42:21] is.
[42:25] So my second question is
[42:26] regarding the uh teachers in
[42:28] the report there.
[42:31] Um the superintendent there is
[42:33] the key question to.
[42:36] Cuatro maestros wearing rain
[42:36] umbrellas.
[42:40] According to the report I do
[42:41] believe that superintendent
[42:43] Dean mentioned that hundred and
[42:46] 40 teachers were reappointed.
[42:48] Is that but the report says so
[42:50] for it to be at the beginning
[42:52] of the hiring season we had
[42:54] approximately I think it was
[42:56] 374 84 teachers who are
[42:58] permanent so they are owed a
[43:00] position but their position was
[43:02] either eliminated or they chose
[43:04] to come out of their position
[43:05] and look for a new position.
[43:08] Different reasons we were able
[43:10] in all of those cases to find
[43:12] them a position to teach.
[43:14] Similarly with
[43:16] paraprofessionals there were
[43:17] 205 who have what we call
[43:19] seniority so they are entitled
[43:22] to a position and we once again
[43:24] were able to go through and
[43:27] find those 205 a position to be
[43:28] able to be a para uh.
[43:35] And and they'll they'll then
[43:36] they they lose.
[43:38] A position as the maestro.
[43:41] So I do believe I wanted to
[43:42] clarify something I do believe
[43:46] that uh, about more than 500
[43:48] positions belonging to teachers
[43:51] were lost.
[43:53] 500 approximately was not the
[43:55] right number is mas is correct
[43:55] .
[43:59] Quiero cuantos maestros per
[44:00] Demarai Gray dollars.
[44:03] So they're uh as part of every
[44:05] budget regarding closures uh
[44:06] it's going to take each which
[44:08] is regarding closures I just
[44:09] needed to know exactly how what
[44:10] is the right number?
[44:13] Was it 500 teachers that lost
[44:14] their chief Kante?
[44:15] Do you remember what the
[44:16] overall number was?
[44:20] I think it was roughly five
[44:21] 5512 I knew you would know that
[44:22] exactly.
[44:26] Uh so 512 that was a
[44:28] combination of the permanent
[44:30] and other teachers who were
[44:30] provisional.
[44:32] That could have been because
[44:33] the school was closing, a
[44:35] classroom was closing.
[44:37] A teacher chose to exit out
[44:40] of a uh school um or they
[44:41] didn't have licensure.
[44:42] They couldn't be rehired.
[44:44] So there's a whole range
[44:47] of reasons why it started off
[44:49] with 512 but the important
[44:50] thing to know is all of the
[44:53] teachers who were owed a
[44:55] position were given a position
[44:57] it also there were lots
[44:58] of other teachers who also
[44:59] secured positions who might
[45:00] have been provisional.
[45:03] Um and we'll report that out in
[45:04] OCTOBER what the total numbers
[45:07] were but the the main thing was
[45:09] the three seven the 384 that
[45:11] were guaranteed a position.
[45:12] We were able to find that
[45:14] otherwise we would have been in
[45:15] a layoff situation for those
[45:15] teachers.
[45:18] Chief Canty, anything else to
[45:18] add on that?
[45:20] Thank you.
[45:21] Chief Canty thank you so much.
[45:25] For that.
[45:26] Thank you.
[45:31] Um just to follow up on the
[45:32] concerns raised by member
[45:36] Peralta and member Garcia, I
[45:40] will focus pretty much uh,
[45:45] specifically in the, uh, area
[45:50] of diversity involving layoffs
[45:51] ,especially through that last
[45:55] round of uh, budget uh, um,
[45:56] problems that we have.
[46:00] Um, before I do this, I will
[46:02] premise my questions with the
[46:06] fact that, um, I appreciate you
[46:09] having been the leader in
[46:15] ensuring that, um, diversity in
[46:17] hiring retention, uh,
[46:17] promotion.
[46:24] Uh, within within the criteria
[46:26] that I think it be commendable.
[46:29] However, it could be even
[46:29] better.
[46:31] Um, the reason I'm saying this
[46:37] is because even within the
[46:40] retention of teachers, the
[46:44] retention of uh, professionals
[46:47] uh, who are affected by by uh
[46:48] the last round.
[46:52] I have received.
[46:55] I'm not going to say the number
[46:57] but I can tell you that
[47:00] numerous uh, professionals had
[47:04] reached out to me with concerns
[47:09] that and I do think you also
[47:11] are aware of it numbers of uh a
[47:14] number of of of these are uh in
[47:17] the hand or at the office of uh
[47:20] the Union at this point, uh,
[47:22] dealing with the
[47:22] administration.
[47:24] I hate to see that but there
[47:26] are a number of uh
[47:28] professionals who are affected
[47:33] by this, uh, moved uh given
[47:34] positions that are not
[47:38] comparable to their experience
[47:41] and they were not given the
[47:42] choice or they were not given
[47:44] the chance to apply for
[47:45] something that that are
[47:50] comparable to their um,
[47:53] experience because the job
[47:56] posting new jobs that are
[48:01] posted listed only certain
[48:02] number of languages.
[48:06] Despite the fact that that
[48:10] office or those offices that
[48:13] deal with all languages but
[48:15] there are only a number
[48:17] of languages that are listed as
[48:19] one of the preferred
[48:21] requirements so that pretty
[48:23] much preclude a number
[48:25] of professionals who are.
[48:30] You know, who are I believe
[48:33] more than qualified absent that
[48:35] preferred language even though
[48:38] the person has other language
[48:39] that could not apply and the
[48:41] other language is also part
[48:44] of the the office um uh
[48:44] service.
[48:48] Um so that is something I, I
[48:51] think Human Services should
[48:56] look into because and if you
[48:57] want to I can I can give you
[48:59] the number of uh because they
[49:02] are they already in the back
[49:06] of me to appear to talk about
[49:09] them rather than to talk to you
[49:12] directly rather than through
[49:13] the union.
[49:15] And I think I think, you know,
[49:18] in the spirit of upholding
[49:22] diversity equity even within
[49:24] the more than the multi
[49:28] languages, uh, community it
[49:33] should also be applied fairly
[49:34] and equally and evenly.
[49:37] So these are the kind of issues
[49:41] that I'm I'm um hearing for the
[49:44] last two months or so.
[49:45] Um.
[49:52] Hiring retention promotion are
[49:58] not really I like I prefaced
[50:01] before I put this question out
[50:07] that I have no I have no
[50:11] suspicion that your office and
[50:14] uh the superintendent
[50:16] superintendent's ages is doing
[50:17] a heck of a job.
[50:24] Um, in dealing with this but
[50:29] often time small minor issues
[50:30] create tensions among them.
[50:33] My time is out.
[50:33] Thank you.
[50:34] It's great.
[50:36] I would I would say just two
[50:38] suggestions or well common and
[50:40] suggestion number one is I
[50:41] think it's a great idea to
[50:43] suggest to educators to reach
[50:44] out directly to Chief Canty
[50:46] because if they have a concern
[50:48] it's on us to be able to talk
[50:49] to them about it and explain
[50:49] it.
[50:51] I do think there's a handful
[50:54] of positions where language is
[50:56] specific interpretation
[50:57] services like for instance
[51:00] might be one testing uh one for
[51:03] our um our uh English language
[51:05] learners as they come into the
[51:06] district might be another that
[51:07] I can think of.
[51:08] And then where there's
[51:10] bilingual education with a
[51:12] specific language that would be
[51:12] another case.
[51:14] Um, but I think it's best
[51:16] solved if we can get the
[51:18] educators with Chief Canty so
[51:20] that we can figure out like how
[51:23] we can strengthen our process
[51:24] and make it clearer.
[51:25] So thank you for raising it.
[51:26] Thank you.
[51:29] Any questions?
[51:32] Okay.
[51:36] Um you thank you for the update
[51:36] .
[51:38] Um wonderful to hear that all
[51:40] permanent team members and
[51:43] Perez have been placed uh,
[51:45] considering the consolidations
[51:46] and closures appreciate that
[51:47] update.
[51:50] Also appreciate the um, uptick
[51:51] in daily attendance over our
[51:53] first day last year and the
[51:54] increase there.
[51:56] Uh, I know that we are still in
[51:59] the middle of the state before
[52:01] um, students are dropped from
[52:02] the rolls after a certain
[52:04] number of days of not reporting
[52:04] .
[52:06] Uh, so would the next meeting
[52:08] be the appropriate time to ask
[52:11] about enrollment trends as
[52:13] they're looking uh, this year
[52:15] compared to last year and as
[52:15] projected?
[52:17] But would that be a clearer
[52:18] view by the next meeting?
[52:21] Uh, we can give some loose
[52:22] observations at the next
[52:22] meeting.
[52:23] It's generally we wait until
[52:26] the OCTOBER 1st report that we
[52:28] um with Sims that we give that
[52:29] we can then start to crunch the
[52:31] numbers officially it we're
[52:32] still in a transfer period with
[52:34] with students as well coming
[52:36] into the district tomorrow is
[52:39] the last day of official report
[52:41] um which we we call a dnr did
[52:43] not report that's how we should
[52:43] refer to it.
[52:47] Um, and but there's still an
[52:49] extensive shuffle going on kids
[52:52] coming in, kids you know, some
[52:54] kids moving between schools
[52:55] waitlist being called.
[52:58] So um, I think by the next
[53:00] school committee meeting in
[53:02] mid-OCTOBER, uh, we should be
[53:05] able to give you a pretty good
[53:06] idea of the enrollment pattern.
[53:06] Yeah.
[53:07] Thank you.
[53:09] Or even the trends as you did
[53:10] today compared to last year at
[53:11] that time around.
[53:12] Yeah.
[53:13] I mean one of the one of the
[53:14] trends that we've been tracking
[53:16] all along and I just think it's
[53:17] continuing unfortunately is
[53:19] that we're just not seeing
[53:20] newcomers.
[53:22] Uh, we're not we're not seeing
[53:27] uh, our llc Emily students
[53:28] coming into the district.
[53:29] Yeah.
[53:33] So um, on that related piece in
[53:35] terms of the 37 students on
[53:36] every student counts and we
[53:37] want every student to be able
[53:40] to take advantage, um, of the
[53:41] education available to them.
[53:44] Um, the 37 students with whom
[53:45] um the staff made contact for
[53:47] the door knocking is there
[53:50] tracking related to those 37 in
[53:52] terms of who followed up with
[53:53] re enrollment, whether they're
[53:55] placed and settled?
[53:57] Um and is there another circle
[53:59] back for some of the students
[53:59] who MAY not have.
[54:00] Yeah.
[54:01] So I really appreciate this
[54:02] question uh because this is
[54:05] actually a passion for me but
[54:07] um, we actually uh the team
[54:09] knows uh sort of from day one
[54:11] with the did not reports and or
[54:13] students uh that last year were
[54:14] chronically absent.
[54:17] Um we have had like our schools
[54:21] have engaged very intently on
[54:23] contacting homes, contacting
[54:25] families, visiting in an effort
[54:27] to be able to account for every
[54:29] student the ones that we MAY
[54:30] contact through the
[54:32] re-engagement event um we
[54:33] follow up with the
[54:34] re-engagement center follows up
[54:36] with those students if they're
[54:37] engaged with the re-engagement
[54:39] center, if they are on a
[54:41] school's rolls, uh, we would
[54:42] alert the school that we do not
[54:44] had conversation if the student
[54:47] young person expressed I don't
[54:49] intend to go back to the school
[54:51] um at for these reasons we will
[54:52] redirect that student to the
[54:53] re-engagement center will make
[54:54] an appointment.
[54:55] In fact, one of the young
[54:57] people that I happened to visit
[54:58] with the mayor had an
[55:00] appointment that afternoon with
[55:01] the re-engagement center.
[55:03] So the goal is every student
[55:06] accounted for um and even after
[55:09] the did not report time frame
[55:10] goes on.
[55:12] We then are also tracking
[55:14] students who are starting to
[55:16] compile absences because
[55:19] chronic absenteeism starts
[55:20] honestly after day one when
[55:22] they don't report that is that
[55:24] student is now accumulating
[55:24] absences.
[55:25] So if they don't report for
[55:27] eight days where they report on
[55:28] the eighth day they've already
[55:30] been absent seven days 18 days
[55:32] is chronic absenteeism.
[55:33] They're already moving in that
[55:34] direction.
[55:36] So this is um the reason that
[55:37] we've been able to be
[55:40] successful lowering chronic
[55:41] absenteeism is because we're
[55:42] accounting for every kid.
[55:46] Similarly, the other group that
[55:47] sometimes is more susceptible
[55:48] to dropping out and you know
[55:50] this well from the high school
[55:52] lens, those students that did
[55:54] not graduate with their class
[55:56] did not graduate in the summer
[55:56] .
[55:57] We actually have that list.
[55:59] We've been reaching out and
[56:01] engaging them to either allow
[56:03] them to finish the credits that
[56:05] they need to graduate for the
[56:07] fall, which would count in this
[56:09] graduation cycle or to be able
[56:11] to get into a placement that
[56:12] would allow them to graduate
[56:13] during this year.
[56:15] Um, thank you for that update.
[56:19] Um, my last two fast questions.
[56:21] The first is um some additional
[56:23] buzz follow up uh, appreciate
[56:25] the illustrative examples
[56:27] of some of the occasions where
[56:29] on time does not happen.
[56:31] Um, I think that's helpful for
[56:32] folks to have an understanding
[56:35] also wondering about the
[56:36] available levers at the
[56:39] district's disposal to uh,
[56:42] remedy issues that fall more on
[56:44] um the bus company um namely
[56:47] fines or other um levers that
[56:49] could be used uh, to make sure
[56:51] that they're running as
[56:52] efficiently as possible and
[56:54] just wondering if we're using
[56:55] all of those available levers.
[56:57] This is a topic and I have
[56:58] spoken about much.
[57:00] Um, no thank you for that
[57:00] question.
[57:02] Member Skerrett um, yes.
[57:05] So we have a number of both
[57:07] incentives for improved
[57:09] performance and liquidated
[57:10] damages for nonperformance
[57:11] available to us through the
[57:12] contract.
[57:15] I think we've you know, those
[57:17] are not the only levers
[57:18] available to us.
[57:19] They're not always the, you
[57:21] know, most effective or most
[57:22] appropriate for any given
[57:23] situation.
[57:25] But we have found in certain
[57:27] situations they are very
[57:28] important and effective.
[57:31] Um, for instance, last school
[57:32] year when we were seeing issues
[57:34] with uncovered routes compared
[57:36] to prior years we you know,
[57:38] first uh put them on written
[57:40] notice and then when we did not
[57:41] see the improvement that we
[57:43] expected to see begin to issue
[57:44] liquidated damages for
[57:48] uncovered trips, um, that I
[57:49] think had the intended effect
[57:51] and by the end of last year we
[57:53] were seeing significant
[57:54] improvement there that has
[57:55] continued this year.
[57:58] Transdev knows that they will
[57:59] continue to receive uh
[58:01] liquidated damages for
[58:02] uncovered trips.
[58:04] Um and so far this year we've
[58:05] seen uh significant improvement
[58:07] on that compared to prior
[58:07] years.
[58:11] We also saw um last spring was
[58:14] the when they hit 95% in JUNE
[58:17] and 92% for the the last three
[58:18] months of the year.
[58:21] That was the first time that
[58:22] Transdev had hit one of the
[58:24] performance incentives in the
[58:24] contract.
[58:26] So that was you know great to
[58:27] see as well.
[58:28] And so I think that we've we've
[58:30] seen that those are effective
[58:31] levers and you know we will
[58:33] continue to use those to make
[58:34] sure we're you know driving
[58:36] improved performance and does
[58:38] thank you for that.
[58:40] Does performance incentive mean
[58:43] that they would be gaining some
[58:44] additional financial benefit
[58:46] from the on arrival.
[58:47] Exactly yes.
[58:48] And is that budgeted or are we
[58:50] budgeting assuming that they
[58:54] make those milestones where
[58:55] we're budgeting assuming that
[58:57] they're making you know some
[58:58] percentage of those and we've
[58:59] you know been within the budget
[58:59] there?
[59:00] Thank you.
[59:03] Um and kind of moving into
[59:05] budget um, following up on some
[59:07] of the members, um questions
[59:10] and interests around um the uh
[59:12] report around contracts, uh,
[59:13] understanding that you have
[59:16] some formal reporting to do
[59:17] that needs to take place before
[59:19] our full update.
[59:21] Um, just also thinking how this
[59:24] connects to some of our
[59:26] interests last budget season to
[59:29] start discussing budgets and
[59:30] having a clearer lens into
[59:33] financial processes and systems
[59:35] earlier in the school year so
[59:36] that we're not just thinking
[59:38] about the next fiscal budget in
[59:40] real time but more around how
[59:41] these processes work.
[59:44] Um, so just wondering if you
[59:46] know, in partnership with Chief
[59:47] Bloom, uh, in addition to these
[59:50] 30, 60, 90 day reports that we
[59:52] can think about um, a budget
[59:55] presentation cycle, um, that
[59:56] would begin earlier than the
[59:58] typical I believe we usually
[1:00:00] have our first one in DECEMBER.
[1:00:03] So I think Chief Bloom can hear
[1:00:04] the request.
[1:00:06] Um, and we'll look to see if
[1:00:07] there's a time in NOVEMBER to
[1:00:09] be able to give some of that
[1:00:09] update.
[1:00:10] Thank you.
[1:00:13] So I have just two quick
[1:00:14] questions.
[1:00:15] Um wanted to circle back around
[1:00:17] the door knocking is the door
[1:00:19] knocking focusing on students
[1:00:21] of a particular age group?
[1:00:23] Is it more high school or is it
[1:00:23] across the board?
[1:00:25] Yeah it's more um it's a great
[1:00:25] question.
[1:00:28] It's it's a great question and
[1:00:32] uh I would say it's more uh 9
[1:00:34] to 12 occasionally we will have
[1:00:36] uh 16 or 15 year old eighth
[1:00:38] grader, right that we will want
[1:00:40] to engage or reengage but for
[1:00:42] the most part it's going to be
[1:00:43] high school age that we go out
[1:00:45] visit what do we do about
[1:00:47] students at the lower ages that
[1:00:48] are chronically.
[1:00:48] Yeah.
[1:00:51] So we we started implementing
[1:00:53] um attendance plans for the
[1:00:55] kids three years ago.
[1:00:58] We use Panorama which is our um
[1:01:00] student platform uh, for any
[1:01:01] kind of intervention planning
[1:01:03] and when a student reaches a
[1:01:04] certain threshold with
[1:01:06] attendance there's been calls
[1:01:07] home already.
[1:01:09] Uh, those could be happening
[1:01:10] from the family liaison to the
[1:01:12] school counselor to the social
[1:01:15] worker, um, or to the frankly
[1:01:16] administration of a building.
[1:01:19] Uh, we log those, make notes,
[1:01:21] um, and also start to try to do
[1:01:22] some appropriate intervention
[1:01:24] to get at what's causing the
[1:01:26] student to be late all the time
[1:01:27] or to be absent.
[1:01:30] And when a student reaches near
[1:01:32] thresholds for chronic
[1:01:33] absenteeism, the plan then goes
[1:01:35] into more of like a tier two
[1:01:38] tier three um, where it could
[1:01:39] be home visitations that we're
[1:01:40] doing.
[1:01:41] Uh, it could be looking at the
[1:01:43] overall picture of the student
[1:01:45] and seeing if like uh a
[1:01:46] reevaluation is needed, we
[1:01:48] start to ratchet up what the
[1:01:50] different kinds of student
[1:01:52] interventions are for them.
[1:01:53] It's also brought to the
[1:01:55] student success team um, for
[1:01:56] each school uh the student
[1:01:57] support team for each school
[1:01:59] um, you know, they're meeting
[1:02:00] as the professionals they'll
[1:02:02] engage the parents and the key
[1:02:03] piece of it is engaging the
[1:02:05] parents at the high school
[1:02:05] level.
[1:02:07] It's engaging the parents and
[1:02:08] the students together.
[1:02:09] I would say even middle school
[1:02:11] the students as well because
[1:02:12] they're old enough to vote with
[1:02:12] their feet.
[1:02:13] Right?
[1:02:14] Yeah.
[1:02:14] Thank you.
[1:02:18] My last question is about um,
[1:02:18] teachers.
[1:02:22] Um, the question is about the
[1:02:22] provisional teachers.
[1:02:25] How many provisional teachers
[1:02:27] were either let go or still
[1:02:29] waiting to be placed.
[1:02:31] Chief Canty, do you have that
[1:02:35] some of that information you
[1:02:36] can come on up.
[1:02:40] I ask that because you also
[1:02:42] said that we have 150 new
[1:02:42] teachers.
[1:02:42] Yeah.
[1:02:45] So my question is for sure.
[1:02:45] Yeah.
[1:02:55] The evening so out of the 512
[1:02:59] um non renewed educators we've
[1:03:01] hired about 200 of them.
[1:03:03] Um we have some that are
[1:03:04] currently in the process that
[1:03:05] are still being hired.
[1:03:09] Um what we are doing is um
[1:03:11] people who have not been hired
[1:03:14] they're about 100 about 200
[1:03:18] of that 500 about 291 of that
[1:03:20] 512 were because of licensure
[1:03:20] issues.
[1:03:22] So I think so when we talk
[1:03:24] about this number we have to
[1:03:26] parse out what is it that we're
[1:03:27] looking at.
[1:03:30] Um it's not as clean like
[1:03:31] everyone was not renewed
[1:03:33] because of positions or there
[1:03:35] is a variety of the reason as I
[1:03:36] stated was because of licensure
[1:03:37] reasons.
[1:03:40] Um, but we have hired about 200
[1:03:42] of those people back and people
[1:03:45] are as positions become
[1:03:46] available there are people who
[1:03:49] are that we've um we've taken a
[1:03:51] uh few of them who are now long
[1:03:53] term subs um that are still
[1:03:55] within the um the confines
[1:03:57] of bp and are still around so
[1:03:59] that when the opportunity in
[1:04:01] fact presents itself if we can
[1:04:03] hire these people in other
[1:04:04] capacity we are we are doing
[1:04:07] that and we uh one of the
[1:04:09] things that I think um, uh,
[1:04:11] Chief Canty and her team do
[1:04:14] well is as new positions open,
[1:04:16] uh, people have life
[1:04:18] circumstances change, uh, or
[1:04:19] they they take another job,
[1:04:20] they move out of state,
[1:04:21] whatever it MAY be.
[1:04:24] Um, Chief Canty in her team are
[1:04:26] really good at reaching back to
[1:04:28] provisionals who it was clear
[1:04:29] they were looking for a
[1:04:31] position and you know,
[1:04:34] encouraging them to apply uh,
[1:04:35] and look at the board all the
[1:04:36] time with what's open and that
[1:04:37] that's just going to be an
[1:04:39] ongoing process okay.
[1:04:40] Thank you.
[1:04:40] Welcome.
[1:04:44] There any other questions okay.
[1:04:46] Thank you all I will now
[1:04:47] entertain a motion to receive
[1:04:49] the superintendent's report.
[1:04:51] Is there a motion so moved
[1:04:52] thank you.
[1:04:53] Is there a second I think I
[1:04:54] heard just a second there two
[1:04:56] is there any discussion or
[1:04:57] objection to the motion?
[1:04:59] Is there any objection to
[1:05:00] approving the motion by
[1:05:03] unanimous consent hearing?
[1:05:04] None.
[1:05:05] The superintendent's report is
[1:05:05] approved.
[1:05:10] Okay.
[1:05:13] We will begin with one report
[1:05:14] before moving to public
[1:05:14] comment.
[1:05:17] Our first report this evening
[1:05:18] is the Massachusetts School
[1:05:20] Building Authority for Madison
[1:05:23] Park Technical Vocational High
[1:05:25] School chapter 74 programing.
[1:05:27] Let's aim to keep the
[1:05:29] presentation within ten
[1:05:29] minutes.
[1:05:31] Superintendent skipper will
[1:05:32] share introductory remarks.
[1:05:33] Wonderful.
[1:05:34] Thank you.
[1:05:34] Chair.
[1:05:36] Uh, so as we remember this body
[1:05:38] approved submitting Madison
[1:05:40] Park Technical Vocational High
[1:05:42] School for the msba core
[1:05:44] program in MARCH of 2025.
[1:05:47] In DECEMBER of 2025, Madison
[1:05:49] Park was invited into the msba
[1:05:51] eligibility phase as part
[1:05:53] of the eligibility period that
[1:05:54] concluded this summer.
[1:05:57] The msba requires a proposed
[1:06:00] chapter 74 program list as well
[1:06:02] as the approval of the School
[1:06:03] Committee as part of the
[1:06:05] eligibility period, which is
[1:06:06] the first phase of the core
[1:06:07] program.
[1:06:10] The approved chapter 74
[1:06:11] programs will be formally
[1:06:12] studied and evaluated during
[1:06:14] the feasibility period.
[1:06:17] This is the second phase of the
[1:06:17] core program.
[1:06:19] The final programs for the
[1:06:20] future Madison Park are
[1:06:22] determined during feasibility
[1:06:23] and design.
[1:06:25] Chief of Capital Planning Del
[1:06:27] Stanislaus is here tonight and
[1:06:29] will provide more detail about
[1:06:31] the proposed list of 22
[1:06:33] programs and the next steps in
[1:06:33] the process.
[1:06:35] Predictions are assistant
[1:06:37] superintendent for Secondary
[1:06:40] schools and college career and
[1:06:40] life readiness.
[1:06:42] He's also here with us to
[1:06:44] answer any questions that you
[1:06:44] MAY have.
[1:06:47] Uh I also see Brian McLaughlin
[1:06:48] who's uh, senior project
[1:06:50] manager at the facilities
[1:06:51] department in the city.
[1:06:52] Um, he's also here.
[1:06:55] Uh, I approve this list, which
[1:06:57] is also been reviewed by
[1:06:58] Madison Park School leader Paul
[1:07:01] Neil capital Planning
[1:07:03] department, the schools
[1:07:05] division, the mayor's office
[1:07:06] and the city's public
[1:07:07] facilities department.
[1:07:10] Later on in the meeting we will
[1:07:11] ask this committee to vote to
[1:07:13] approve this list.
[1:07:15] So at this point I will turn it
[1:07:17] over to Chief Stanislaus and
[1:07:19] uh, Brad Dickens.
[1:07:22] Thank you.
[1:07:23] Superintendent.
[1:07:26] Um, good evening to members
[1:07:29] of the school committee tonight
[1:07:31] I am providing an update on the
[1:07:33] Madison Park Technical
[1:07:35] Vocational High School project
[1:07:38] and requesting confirmation
[1:07:40] of the chapter 74 programs that
[1:07:42] the district will formally
[1:07:44] study during the Massachusetts
[1:07:45] School Building Authority
[1:07:46] feasibility study.
[1:07:49] This represents an important
[1:07:52] step in the msba process and in
[1:07:54] our broader commitment to
[1:07:56] creating a modern, high quality
[1:07:57] technical and vocational high
[1:07:59] school for Boston students.
[1:08:03] Tonight's action does not
[1:08:05] finalize Madison Park's future
[1:08:06] programing.
[1:08:08] It established the portfolio
[1:08:09] of programs that the district,
[1:08:13] the msba and Dassey will
[1:08:15] evaluate in greater detail
[1:08:17] during the feasibility study.
[1:08:23] I will begin with a brief
[1:08:24] overview of where the msba
[1:08:28] project stands and the msba
[1:08:30] process.
[1:08:33] In APRIL of 2025, the district
[1:08:34] submitted a statement
[1:08:35] of interest to the msba for the
[1:08:37] Madison Park Technical
[1:08:39] Vocational High School project.
[1:08:41] That submission followed with
[1:08:42] followed School Committee
[1:08:46] approval on MARCH 20th 2025 and
[1:08:50] City Council approval on APRIL
[1:08:50] 2nd 2025.
[1:08:54] On SEPTEMBER 30th 2025, the
[1:08:56] msba conducted a senior study
[1:08:57] at Madison Park.
[1:09:00] This visit helped the msba
[1:09:01] better understand the school's
[1:09:03] existing building conditions,
[1:09:05] educational programs,
[1:09:07] enrollment and facility needs
[1:09:09] and DECEMBER of 2025 the msba
[1:09:12] board formally invited Madison
[1:09:13] Park into the eligibility
[1:09:14] period.
[1:09:16] The district began the
[1:09:19] eligibility period on JULY 1st
[1:09:20] 2026.
[1:09:21] This is the first formal phase
[1:09:23] of the msba grant approval
[1:09:24] process.
[1:09:27] On AUGUST 26th, 2026, the msba
[1:09:29] Board of Directors voted to
[1:09:31] invite us into a feasibility
[1:09:32] study stage.
[1:09:34] This is a major step in the
[1:09:37] msba process as it allowed the
[1:09:41] city to complete the 270 day
[1:09:42] eligibility period in
[1:09:44] approximately 60 days,
[1:09:46] resulting in the project moving
[1:09:48] forward roughly eight months
[1:09:50] sooner than previous projects
[1:09:53] in the msb a process the next
[1:09:54] step in the process is to
[1:09:56] select an owners project
[1:09:57] manager and designer.
[1:10:00] The opm oversees the entire
[1:10:02] project lifecycle from planning
[1:10:04] and design to construction.
[1:10:06] The opm ensures the project is
[1:10:09] completed on time within budget
[1:10:10] and according to budget
[1:10:11] specification.
[1:10:15] The next slide provides more
[1:10:16] details around the requirements
[1:10:19] that are the requirements that
[1:10:21] are completed during the
[1:10:22] eligibility eligibility period.
[1:10:26] The the MSPs eligibility period
[1:10:29] is typically a 270 day process
[1:10:31] that establishes the foundation
[1:10:33] for the project.
[1:10:35] During this period the city
[1:10:37] must demonstrate that we have
[1:10:41] the governance, planning,
[1:10:43] funding and educational
[1:10:44] information necessary to move
[1:10:46] into the feasibility study
[1:10:46] stage.
[1:10:48] We have completed the initial
[1:10:50] compliance certification and
[1:10:52] established the School Building
[1:10:52] Committee.
[1:10:55] We must also submit the chapter
[1:10:57] 74 Program Viability Form,
[1:10:59] which is the focus of tonight's
[1:10:59] presentation.
[1:11:01] In partnership with the msba,
[1:11:04] we have conducted a
[1:11:05] comprehensive enrollment
[1:11:07] analysis and reached an
[1:11:09] agreement on the enrollment
[1:11:11] capacity that the project
[1:11:11] should study.
[1:11:14] The district also secured the
[1:11:16] needed approval for funding
[1:11:18] from the city for the
[1:11:20] feasibility study and schematic
[1:11:21] design phases.
[1:11:23] Because we completed these
[1:11:25] requirements early, the msb
[1:11:27] moved us into feasibility phase
[1:11:28] this past summer.
[1:11:30] The feasibility study will
[1:11:32] allow us to evaluate
[1:11:34] educational programing,
[1:11:36] enrollment space needs,
[1:11:37] potential design options,
[1:11:39] project cost and overall
[1:11:41] approach to the Madison Park
[1:11:41] campus.
[1:11:46] One of the key eligibility um
[1:11:47] requirements is confirming the
[1:11:49] chapter 74 programs that will
[1:11:51] be evaluated through the study
[1:11:51] .
[1:11:58] The chapter 74 and viability
[1:12:00] form allows the msba and Darcy
[1:12:02] to understand the district's
[1:12:04] current vocational programs and
[1:12:06] the programs we MAY want to
[1:12:08] offer in the future.
[1:12:10] The form identifies which
[1:12:12] programs the district proposes
[1:12:15] to continue expand, merge
[1:12:17] sunset and add our
[1:12:18] recommendations.
[1:12:20] Consider several factors
[1:12:22] including current student
[1:12:24] interests, current enrollment,
[1:12:27] workforce demand, projected
[1:12:29] enrollment growth, wage
[1:12:31] potential and opportunities for
[1:12:32] students to continue their
[1:12:34] education after graduation.
[1:12:37] The process also requires us to
[1:12:39] demonstrate alignment with
[1:12:41] regional workforce priorities
[1:12:43] and to document support from
[1:12:45] partners such as mass hire
[1:12:47] local employers and
[1:12:48] post-secondary institutions.
[1:12:51] The msb uses this information
[1:12:53] to ensure that the building
[1:12:55] options developed during the
[1:12:56] feasibility study can support
[1:12:59] the appropriate chapter 74
[1:13:01] Educational Spaces school
[1:13:03] Committee approval is required
[1:13:05] before the district submits the
[1:13:07] proposed portfolio to the msba
[1:13:07] .
[1:13:10] Most importantly, approval for
[1:13:11] this form does not require
[1:13:14] represents a final or permanent
[1:13:16] decision about any Madison Park
[1:13:16] program.
[1:13:19] It confirms which programs will
[1:13:21] receive further educational,
[1:13:22] operational, workforce
[1:13:24] enrollment and facilities
[1:13:26] analysis during the feasibility
[1:13:26] study.
[1:13:29] Any final programing
[1:13:32] recommendations will return for
[1:13:33] consideration and approval
[1:13:35] through the appropriate public
[1:13:37] and school committee process.
[1:13:44] The column on the left shows
[1:13:47] Madison Parks Chapter 74
[1:13:49] portfolio for fall of 2026.
[1:13:52] So this school year the column
[1:13:54] on the right shows the programs
[1:13:56] we are proposing for further
[1:13:56] study.
[1:13:59] The proposed portfolio
[1:14:02] preserves a broad a broad range
[1:14:03] of established pathways
[1:14:05] including automotive technology
[1:14:09] ,carpentry, cosmetology,
[1:14:11] dental assisting, facilities
[1:14:13] management, health assisting,
[1:14:17] hvac, medical assisting, metal
[1:14:19] fabrication, plumbing, robotics
[1:14:20] and other technical programs.
[1:14:24] We are proposing a second
[1:14:26] cohort in culinary arts and a
[1:14:29] second cohort in an
[1:14:29] electricity.
[1:14:32] These potential expansion
[1:14:35] expansions respond to both
[1:14:36] students interests and
[1:14:37] workforce demand.
[1:14:40] The proposed portfolio also
[1:14:43] reflects program transitions
[1:14:45] already underway or under
[1:14:47] consideration including mergers
[1:14:48] and programs.
[1:14:51] Start a sun setting for example
[1:14:54] culinary arts where you see on
[1:14:56] screen hospitality management
[1:14:57] merging with culinary arts.
[1:15:00] We are proposing three new
[1:15:03] programs for formal study
[1:15:05] biotechnology, Early Child,
[1:15:07] Early Education and Child and
[1:15:09] Care and Veterinary Science.
[1:15:11] The proposed changes are
[1:15:12] intended to strengthen the
[1:15:13] connection between Madison
[1:15:16] Parks educational offerings and
[1:15:18] Boston's current and emerging
[1:15:19] workforce needs.
[1:15:21] Tonight's vote will authorize
[1:15:23] us to study this portfolio.
[1:15:25] It would not automatically open
[1:15:28] ,expand, merge or close any
[1:15:30] program there a feasibility
[1:15:33] study we will evaluate student
[1:15:35] demand staffing, licensure
[1:15:38] requirements, equipment needs,
[1:15:39] partnerships, space
[1:15:41] requirements and long term
[1:15:42] program sustainability.
[1:15:45] We will also continue engaging
[1:15:46] Madison Park students, families
[1:15:48] ,educators, industry partners
[1:15:51] ,labor representatives,
[1:15:52] post-secondary institutions and
[1:15:54] the broader community before
[1:15:56] any final recommendations.
[1:16:06] Biotechnology has been
[1:16:07] identified as a priority
[1:16:08] industry by Mass Higher the
[1:16:10] Greater Boston Chamber
[1:16:12] of Commerce and the City
[1:16:13] of Boston.
[1:16:15] The Boston region has a
[1:16:17] significant concentration
[1:16:18] of life sciences and health
[1:16:20] care employers, creating
[1:16:22] potential career and
[1:16:23] post-secondary opportunities
[1:16:25] for Madison Park students.
[1:16:28] Labor market analysis indicates
[1:16:30] strong demand, job growth and
[1:16:31] competitive wages in this
[1:16:32] sector.
[1:16:36] Early education and care
[1:16:39] expanding to early education
[1:16:40] workforce is a priority for
[1:16:42] both the City of Boston and
[1:16:43] Boston Public Schools.
[1:16:45] Boston continues to need
[1:16:47] qualified early educators and
[1:16:49] this pathway could allow
[1:16:51] students to enter the workforce
[1:16:54] while also pursuing additional
[1:16:55] credentials or college degrees
[1:16:55] .
[1:16:58] The program could create a
[1:16:59] strong connection between
[1:17:02] Madison Park and bp's own
[1:17:03] workforce needs.
[1:17:05] Through the feasibility study,
[1:17:06] we will assess student interest
[1:17:08] work work based learning
[1:17:10] opportunities, certification
[1:17:12] requirements and partnerships.
[1:17:15] Veterinary science has been
[1:17:16] recommended for consideration
[1:17:18] by the Greater Boston Chamber
[1:17:19] of Commerce.
[1:17:22] The field offer offers
[1:17:25] opportunities in animal care,
[1:17:27] veterinary assistance,
[1:17:30] laboratory settings and related
[1:17:31] scientific careers.
[1:17:39] In closing, these proposed
[1:17:41] programs reflect our goal
[1:17:42] of preparing Madison Park
[1:17:44] students for strong careers in
[1:17:45] Boston's current and emerging
[1:17:46] industries.
[1:17:48] We are asking the School
[1:17:49] Committee to approve the
[1:17:52] proposed chapter 74 program
[1:17:54] portfolio for submission to the
[1:17:54] msb.
[1:17:57] A disapproval will allow the
[1:17:58] district to meet the
[1:18:00] requirements of the eligibility
[1:18:03] period and conduct the detailed
[1:18:04] analysis needed during the
[1:18:05] feasibility study.
[1:18:10] Thank you thank you and now
[1:18:12] open it up to committee for
[1:18:12] questions.
[1:18:15] Anyone?
[1:18:22] Thank you, Chief Stanislas.
[1:18:26] Just a logistical question
[1:18:29] around the list of programs.
[1:18:32] Robotics is listed as a new
[1:18:34] program in both columns.
[1:18:37] Is it that it's new this year
[1:18:39] and will it will continue in
[1:18:41] the proposed list next year?
[1:18:42] Yes.
[1:18:44] So robotics started um last
[1:18:45] year as an elective.
[1:18:46] It's new this year.
[1:18:49] Um and we are also like
[1:18:51] studying it um just like as a
[1:18:53] long term potential for Madison
[1:18:53] Park.
[1:18:53] Okay.
[1:18:54] Thank you.
[1:18:59] Um, can you give an example and
[1:19:00] I know that this is not the
[1:19:00] final list.
[1:19:02] This is an approval for further
[1:19:03] study.
[1:19:05] But um, as you all balanced
[1:19:08] kind of industry demand with
[1:19:09] student interests, community
[1:19:11] interests etc. Can you give an
[1:19:14] example of a pathway or program
[1:19:16] of study that MAY have had
[1:19:19] interest but was determined not
[1:19:21] to be feasible for any reason,
[1:19:24] just um, to give a more
[1:19:25] holistic sense of you know,
[1:19:27] some of that decision making
[1:19:28] that was involved.
[1:19:34] I can't think specifically of a
[1:19:36] program that was suggested that
[1:19:38] was not included in the
[1:19:38] portfolio.
[1:19:40] Or can you speak into the
[1:19:40] microphone?
[1:19:40] Sure.
[1:19:41] Sorry.
[1:19:42] Um, I can't think of a specific
[1:19:43] example of a program that was
[1:19:46] not included in the portfolio.
[1:19:50] Um, at this moment I would add,
[1:19:52] um, to what Chief Stanislaus um
[1:19:54] said is one of the
[1:19:55] considerations for programs
[1:19:58] that remain is considering all
[1:20:00] of the factors the student
[1:20:01] interest, uh, the labor market
[1:20:01] demand.
[1:20:02] Sorry about that.
[1:20:06] Um, but also programs that
[1:20:07] allow students that might not
[1:20:09] be authorized to work in the
[1:20:10] United States.
[1:20:11] Um, good post-secondary
[1:20:12] options.
[1:20:13] That's certainly a
[1:20:14] consideration.
[1:20:15] Um, at Madison Park.
[1:20:17] Uh, but I'll I'll go back and
[1:20:18] get back to you.
[1:20:19] If there were programs that
[1:20:21] were raised and proposed that
[1:20:23] were not um, put forward.
[1:20:23] Yeah.
[1:20:25] I think um one that comes to
[1:20:28] mind would be aviation right in
[1:20:30] the aviation technology right
[1:20:30] tech.
[1:20:32] So I think that was I think
[1:20:33] that was a great sample.
[1:20:33] Thank you.
[1:20:33] Yeah.
[1:20:37] Aviation for um pilots for
[1:20:39] preparation for pilots is not a
[1:20:43] chapter 74 a program in um the
[1:20:44] Department of Education the
[1:20:47] only option is aviation tech
[1:20:48] which is the same as auto tech
[1:20:50] and there isn't physical space
[1:20:51] um, for that program it needs
[1:20:53] the space of literally like a
[1:20:54] hangar.
[1:20:54] Thank you.
[1:20:56] I forgot about aviation.
[1:20:57] Okay.
[1:20:57] Thank you.
[1:21:00] So that program is as an it is
[1:21:01] operating as an elective at
[1:21:02] Madison.
[1:21:04] But to prepare students for the
[1:21:06] pilot license is not a chapter
[1:21:07] 74 option.
[1:21:08] Okay.
[1:21:12] And how um comparable is this
[1:21:15] list to some of the more
[1:21:16] successful uh, career technical
[1:21:18] education campuses in
[1:21:19] Massachusetts?
[1:21:22] I think we've all visited
[1:21:24] several of the very successful
[1:21:25] um, programs.
[1:21:26] It's very comparable.
[1:21:29] Um, I think you know the one
[1:21:30] the one program that seems to
[1:21:31] be emerging in some of the
[1:21:33] other centers is advanced
[1:21:35] manufacturing, which also has a
[1:21:37] pretty high capital cost and a
[1:21:38] space requirement.
[1:21:39] Um, but I would say the
[1:21:41] portfolio is very comparable to
[1:21:42] the regional vocational schools
[1:21:42] .
[1:21:43] Thank you.
[1:21:47] My last oh sorry my second last
[1:21:48] question.
[1:21:50] Uh, Chief Stanislas, you said
[1:21:52] there is an agreed upon
[1:21:53] enrollment capacity that also
[1:21:55] drove the number of programs
[1:21:56] that you're thinking about.
[1:21:59] Uh, what is the agreed upon
[1:22:00] enrollment capacity?
[1:22:02] So the enrollment one of the
[1:22:04] things that we studied that
[1:22:05] Madison Park does not have
[1:22:07] currently is a seventh and
[1:22:08] eighth grade.
[1:22:09] So this is like wrapped up in
[1:22:11] like the um the total number
[1:22:12] for consideration with the msba
[1:22:13] .
[1:22:15] So it's 1800 students okay.
[1:22:18] And again understanding that
[1:22:21] this is not a set and committed
[1:22:22] program list.
[1:22:25] But if we were to assume that a
[1:22:26] similar list were moving
[1:22:29] forward um after these study
[1:22:30] periods etc. Can you just name
[1:22:32] the school year that if
[1:22:34] everything were on track this
[1:22:37] new column would be in
[1:22:38] operation for students at
[1:22:39] Madison Park?
[1:22:41] What school year would that be?
[1:22:46] Um I would need to look at the
[1:22:49] msba timeline to give you an
[1:22:49] answer.
[1:22:50] Can I get back to you on that?
[1:22:51] Um, sure.
[1:22:52] Maybe just for the public.
[1:22:54] Is it like two years from now
[1:22:57] for like just I think trying to
[1:22:59] give folks and I see that the
[1:23:01] timeline and the length out
[1:23:02] that we're really talking about
[1:23:05] so um, the new programs that
[1:23:08] are being proposed like Madison
[1:23:10] Park etc. Sorry, not Madison
[1:23:13] Park but uh veterinary science
[1:23:16] um, currently at Madison Park
[1:23:19] there's no space um for that
[1:23:20] for the for these new programs
[1:23:21] that are being proposed.
[1:23:24] So it will be um a part of like
[1:23:27] the new build or major
[1:23:29] renovation through the msba
[1:23:30] process and that process can
[1:23:32] take anywhere from like for the
[1:23:34] next like six years.
[1:23:37] Brian, if you want to um, add
[1:23:38] anything to that I think a high
[1:23:40] level schedule right now we're
[1:23:41] looking for uh to start
[1:23:43] construction sometime in 2030.
[1:23:43] Yeah.
[1:23:45] You say that again in the in
[1:23:46] the microphone.
[1:23:46] Thank you.
[1:23:48] I think right now a high level
[1:23:50] um schedule based upon where
[1:23:52] we're at with the msba process
[1:23:53] is looking to start
[1:23:55] construction sometime in 2030
[1:23:57] with completion sometime in
[1:23:57] 2033.
[1:24:02] Thank you.
[1:24:05] You okay?
[1:24:12] Um, I don't have a question.
[1:24:14] I just have like a reminder,
[1:24:15] not a reminder.
[1:24:17] But, uh, just to continue to
[1:24:18] keep in mind, uh, the
[1:24:21] engagement part of students and
[1:24:23] families and, uh, the broader
[1:24:25] Madison Park community through
[1:24:27] the facility period so they can
[1:24:28] be part of the bigger picture
[1:24:31] and they know what's going on
[1:24:33] and how is this progressing for
[1:24:33] them?
[1:24:35] Thank you so much for that.
[1:24:36] I think we're entering the
[1:24:37] phase like the feasibility
[1:24:38] phase which is like the
[1:24:40] exciting part for a lot of um
[1:24:42] community engagement the
[1:24:44] community gets to influence
[1:24:46] like the design and stuff like
[1:24:47] that like what the future
[1:24:48] of Madison Park is going to
[1:24:48] look like.
[1:24:51] So a lot of engagement during
[1:24:52] this phase.
[1:24:52] Yeah.
[1:24:54] I have a question.
[1:24:57] Is there a comprehensive list
[1:24:59] of all of the potential
[1:25:02] programs that chapter 74 would
[1:25:04] have irregardless of the ones
[1:25:05] that we've chosen?
[1:25:07] But is there a comprehensive
[1:25:08] list?
[1:25:10] My question being is that the
[1:25:12] size of our district um all
[1:25:14] of our programs don't just
[1:25:17] happen Madison Park other high
[1:25:19] schools have some programing as
[1:25:20] well.
[1:25:22] How do we begin to look at that
[1:25:24] as a complete district in terms
[1:25:26] of where the opportunities so
[1:25:28] if a student couldn't get a
[1:25:30] specific program at Madison
[1:25:32] Park, are there other places in
[1:25:35] the district because
[1:25:37] of logistics etc. That they
[1:25:39] could get it and are there
[1:25:42] things that we don't take
[1:25:42] advantage of?
[1:25:44] I just have a question.
[1:25:47] We are a seaport city and do we
[1:25:49] have any programs that deal
[1:25:52] with the seaport or you know
[1:25:55] those kind of um it's great,
[1:25:56] great questions.
[1:25:59] Um, there is a list of all
[1:26:01] potential chapter 74 programs
[1:26:02] on the dc website.
[1:26:04] They are sorted by industry
[1:26:04] cluster.
[1:26:08] I think we have a very broad
[1:26:08] portfolio.
[1:26:11] We have 32 cte chapter 74 cte
[1:26:13] programs across five schools.
[1:26:15] Um so we you know beyond the 21
[1:26:17] at Madison there are another 11
[1:26:19] that are spread out in the
[1:26:21] other four schools which are
[1:26:24] English High School bar bga um
[1:26:25] and emmc.
[1:26:29] Um the answer to your second
[1:26:30] question I think one one
[1:26:32] industry that we don't cover um
[1:26:35] there is a state um Norfolk ag
[1:26:36] school that covers agriculture.
[1:26:38] It's simply an issue of land um
[1:26:39] and space.
[1:26:41] Um so I think that's you know,
[1:26:44] that is a uh program that some
[1:26:45] students look for and we don't
[1:26:45] offer that.
[1:26:47] But I would say if you look
[1:26:49] across the industry cluster we
[1:26:51] industry clusters on the dc
[1:26:53] website, we are in all of the
[1:26:54] industry clusters but not
[1:26:56] necessarily every potential
[1:26:56] program.
[1:26:58] I think what will be
[1:27:00] interesting to watch given the
[1:27:02] timeline is how the state will
[1:27:04] um, put forward new standards
[1:27:06] in the it you know, in the I.T
[1:27:08] um the information technology
[1:27:10] industry cluster and how we
[1:27:10] will respond.
[1:27:12] So that's an area that we will
[1:27:13] obviously be watching over the
[1:27:14] next several years.
[1:27:15] Will there be a program in ai
[1:27:17] or new technologies that the
[1:27:19] state will um develop standards
[1:27:21] for and allow us to open up a
[1:27:22] chapter 74 program?
[1:27:25] Okay.
[1:27:26] Thank you very much.
[1:27:26] Okay.
[1:27:27] Go.
[1:27:29] Oh, and you asked about the
[1:27:30] seaport and I just want to
[1:27:31] share that you're going to hear
[1:27:33] about the Bloomberg grant
[1:27:33] later.
[1:27:35] But you know we are looking at
[1:27:38] um programing within the
[1:27:40] programs at Madison to address
[1:27:42] um issues of clean energy to
[1:27:44] address issues of climate
[1:27:44] resilience.
[1:27:45] So it might not be a new
[1:27:47] program but we are looking you
[1:27:49] know, to to trends that are,
[1:27:50] you know, happening in our
[1:27:53] climate and um new energy
[1:27:55] technologies and um
[1:27:56] carbon neutral buildings.
[1:27:57] So we're modernizing the
[1:27:59] programs that we have so that
[1:28:00] students have transferable
[1:28:02] skills as the needs of industry
[1:28:03] change.
[1:28:04] Thank you.
[1:28:07] Um, I want and I'll get my
[1:28:08] three different questions going
[1:28:08] here.
[1:28:10] Uh 123.
[1:28:11] Oh yeah.
[1:28:14] So I just I just want to um I
[1:28:15] talked about, you know, like
[1:28:17] keeping the engagement part but
[1:28:19] also thinking about the kids
[1:28:21] that already have uh, they are
[1:28:24] part of the program and uh,
[1:28:25] some of the programs that are
[1:28:28] being sunsetting and uh uh,
[1:28:30] we're letting those kids know
[1:28:33] what is going on and you know,
[1:28:33] they'll be okay.
[1:28:34] Yeah.
[1:28:36] So when a program is sunset,
[1:28:38] the students that are currently
[1:28:40] in the program continue in the
[1:28:41] program and they are allowed to
[1:28:42] graduate.
[1:28:43] There just aren't new ninth
[1:28:44] graders coming in.
[1:28:46] Um, in the two examples um,
[1:28:49] that the chief presented around
[1:28:51] merging programs, students that
[1:28:52] are put in those programs for
[1:28:54] example culinary and
[1:28:55] hospitality will be learning
[1:28:56] the standards in both of those
[1:28:57] clusters.
[1:28:58] Um, and the same with design
[1:29:00] of visual and graphic
[1:29:00] communications.
[1:29:02] So whichever program they came
[1:29:04] from they're actually going to
[1:29:06] get a more expansive um,
[1:29:07] introduction to those two
[1:29:09] fields through the merge
[1:29:09] program.
[1:29:12] Thank you.
[1:29:14] Thank you for the presentation
[1:29:14] .
[1:29:16] This is why I should go first
[1:29:19] because Vice Chair Carrie stole
[1:29:21] my questions and suggestions.
[1:29:23] But anyway, MR..
[1:29:25] Just just to confirm um, for
[1:29:27] for the benefit of the public
[1:29:29] because the first time I saw
[1:29:32] this list of new proposed
[1:29:35] programs my reaction was with
[1:29:36] technology changing by the
[1:29:39] minute and I and everything
[1:29:41] like how can we know what is
[1:29:42] going to be needed?
[1:29:43] What technology do we have to
[1:29:45] be preparing our students in 8
[1:29:46] or 10 years from now?
[1:29:48] So just to clarify we're
[1:29:50] talking about a provisional
[1:29:52] approval of this list grid.
[1:29:55] Yes yes that is correct.
[1:29:56] Great.
[1:29:58] And then in terms of enrollment
[1:30:02] capacity I understood that the
[1:30:03] new school will be able to
[1:30:05] serve 1800 students.
[1:30:06] Is that correct?
[1:30:06] Yes.
[1:30:08] That's the number that we're
[1:30:09] studying with that see how many
[1:30:10] are we serving now?
[1:30:11] I'm sorry.
[1:30:16] Um, Madison Park it's between
[1:30:18] about 1200 000.
[1:30:20] It goes between 1100 and 1200.
[1:30:21] Yeah yeah.
[1:30:23] Great.
[1:30:25] But it does not have a seventh
[1:30:26] and eighth grade.
[1:30:28] So I think that's it's both the
[1:30:29] expansion of the 9 to 12 right
[1:30:31] I think the other thing number
[1:30:33] two is that on the chapter 74
[1:30:36] side we are bound even when
[1:30:37] technology changes we are bound
[1:30:39] to what the state is adopting
[1:30:41] and considering chapter 74 and
[1:30:43] sometimes there isn't as fast
[1:30:45] of a process there to change
[1:30:47] the actual chapter 74
[1:30:49] programing as we want to.
[1:30:52] So like robotics is a good
[1:30:54] example where it took a while
[1:30:55] for that to become a chapter
[1:30:55] 74.
[1:30:57] Mhm yeah thank you yep.
[1:31:01] Do you have a question.
[1:31:02] No you're good.
[1:31:04] All right thank you.
[1:31:06] Um and I we will be taking
[1:31:07] action on this later in the
[1:31:07] meeting.
[1:31:09] Yeah thank you thank you.
[1:31:13] All right we will now move on
[1:31:14] to general public comment MISS
[1:31:14] Privates.
[1:31:17] Thank you chair.
[1:31:21] The public comment period.
[1:31:23] It's an opportunity for
[1:31:24] individuals to address the
[1:31:25] school committee on school
[1:31:26] related issues.
[1:31:28] Questions and specific school
[1:31:29] matters are referred to the
[1:31:30] superintendent questions and
[1:31:32] policy matters MAY be discussed
[1:31:33] by the committee later.
[1:31:35] The meeting will feature two
[1:31:37] public comment periods with the
[1:31:38] first comment period limited to
[1:31:40] one hour after one hour.
[1:31:42] Anyone who hasn't testified
[1:31:43] will have the opportunity to do
[1:31:45] so at the end of the meeting.
[1:31:47] We have 14 speakers this
[1:31:47] evening.
[1:31:49] Each person will have three
[1:31:51] minutes to speak and I would
[1:31:52] remind you when you have 30s
[1:31:54] remaining please feel free to
[1:31:55] email your comments for
[1:31:57] distribution to the committee
[1:31:59] speakers MAY not we assign the
[1:32:01] times to others the time that
[1:32:03] an interpreter uses for English
[1:32:04] interpretation will not be
[1:32:06] deducted from a speaker's
[1:32:07] allotted time.
[1:32:09] Please direct your comments to
[1:32:10] the chair and refrain from
[1:32:11] addressing individual school
[1:32:12] committee members or district
[1:32:13] staff.
[1:32:15] Please note the comments of any
[1:32:17] public speaker do not represent
[1:32:19] the Boston Public Schools or
[1:32:20] the Boston School Committee.
[1:32:22] Please state your name,
[1:32:23] affiliation and where you live
[1:32:24] before you begin.
[1:32:26] For speakers on zoom, please be
[1:32:28] ready to unmute and turn on
[1:32:30] your camera when called to
[1:32:31] support interpretation please
[1:32:32] speak slowly and clearly.
[1:32:37] Our first group of speakers is
[1:32:40] Peter Papadopoulos, Gerasimov
[1:32:43] Papadopoulos, Thomas Fan,
[1:32:45] Christina Nicholas and Roseanne
[1:32:45] Tang.
[1:32:47] Peter Papadopoulos.
[1:33:03] Hello uh my name is Charles
[1:33:03] Moss Papadopoulos.
[1:33:05] I'm currently an 11th grader in
[1:33:07] Boston Ma in school and I'd
[1:33:08] like to uh, begin my
[1:33:12] presentation a busy so busy is
[1:33:13] the official designation for
[1:33:15] someone who entered b+ in ninth
[1:33:15] grade.
[1:33:17] I am a busy.
[1:33:20] Uh, that means my math tracking
[1:33:21] should be behind.
[1:33:23] Uh, I should be slower.
[1:33:24] If you enter in ninth grade,
[1:33:26] you enter into algebra.
[1:33:28] But thankfully the math
[1:33:30] department recognized that I
[1:33:31] should accelerate and moved me
[1:33:32] to algebra two.
[1:33:34] That is where the rest of my
[1:33:35] ninth grade peers were two
[1:33:36] years ago.
[1:33:38] They were not busy.
[1:33:40] Most of those people in algebra
[1:33:42] two I might not uh now I'm
[1:33:44] trying to skip up to calculus.
[1:33:45] I self studied it in the summer
[1:33:47] and in preparing to give clep
[1:33:49] examinations to prove my
[1:33:50] readiness for that in
[1:33:50] pre-calculus.
[1:33:55] Unfortunately the math
[1:33:55] department has stopped granting
[1:33:56] requests to accelerate leaving
[1:33:58] students on an equal footing
[1:34:00] throughout the grade there's a
[1:34:02] student in my grade whom they
[1:34:03] granted permission to skip to
[1:34:05] calculus in 10th grade, but in
[1:34:06] 11th grade they are no longer
[1:34:08] letting anyone skip.
[1:34:10] I feel like the policy prevents
[1:34:12] equity within the grade.
[1:34:14] Because of that some people are
[1:34:16] in a higher math class than
[1:34:16] others.
[1:34:19] Whilst at the same time there
[1:34:20] are people in the lower math
[1:34:22] class who have the ability for
[1:34:23] a high one.
[1:34:25] Also observe that there are
[1:34:27] very few bzees those who
[1:34:28] answered in ninth grade within
[1:34:30] the multivariable calculus
[1:34:34] course um because um it's not
[1:34:36] official but the way I feel it
[1:34:39] the school tracking system is
[1:34:41] slightly set up to leave Bzees
[1:34:42] a little further behind
[1:34:43] unfortunately.
[1:34:45] So I'm registering for the ap
[1:34:47] calculus exam at the end of the
[1:34:48] school year and I will study
[1:34:51] and try to get a good score.
[1:34:53] But uh, I think it would be
[1:34:54] really kind of the school to
[1:34:56] place me in that class to help
[1:34:58] me get that score because
[1:34:59] of their excellent, uh, support
[1:35:01] system and teaching maybe
[1:35:03] wondering why am I addressing a
[1:35:05] school board for this?
[1:35:07] It's because I have repeatedly
[1:35:09] inquired into this matter
[1:35:11] internally discussions have
[1:35:15] reached, uh, the principal but
[1:35:16] unfortunately I feel like they
[1:35:17] have not fell on the most
[1:35:18] receptive ears.
[1:35:21] This is why I'm here to address
[1:35:23] ,uh, what I feel is, uh, core
[1:35:24] inequality at the school.
[1:35:26] Our school provides a zoom
[1:35:28] course for precalculus.
[1:35:29] This is an online course so
[1:35:31] there are no space constraints.
[1:35:33] It's not a physical classroom
[1:35:34] that's not 30s.
[1:35:36] The course is supposed to catch
[1:35:38] up who wish to take calculus.
[1:35:39] The prerequisites are only
[1:35:40] algebra two and geometry
[1:35:42] classes which I have already
[1:35:43] taken by last year asking to
[1:35:45] enter this course I was denied
[1:35:46] despite meeting the
[1:35:48] prerequisites simply because I
[1:35:49] was not in the 11th grade at
[1:35:50] the time.
[1:35:51] The way I understand it,
[1:35:52] they're only interested in
[1:35:54] having this catch up to bring
[1:35:55] you to their baseline but not
[1:35:57] to follow your further
[1:35:58] ambitions.
[1:36:02] And I feel like um thank you
[1:36:03] for your time.
[1:36:04] Thank you.
[1:36:08] Uh, was that Peter Papadopoulos
[1:36:09] who came up?
[1:36:10] Yeah.
[1:36:13] Okay so Gerasimov Papadopoulos
[1:36:15] but that was me okay.
[1:36:16] That's what I thought.
[1:36:19] So Peter Papadopoulos then
[1:36:21] junior it's going to take it as
[1:36:22] I see.
[1:36:30] It must be a thing you want to
[1:36:30] be busy.
[1:36:34] See yeah.
[1:36:39] You it's probably the same
[1:36:39] every.
[1:36:54] Uh good afternoon my name is
[1:36:56] Peter Papadopoulos and I can
[1:36:58] also come from Boston Latin
[1:36:58] School.
[1:37:01] I finished the mathematics
[1:37:02] course on ah of Problem Solving
[1:37:04] an internationally renowned
[1:37:06] platform where students go even
[1:37:07] to the International
[1:37:08] Mathematical Olympiad.
[1:37:10] I'm seeking to enter geometry.
[1:37:13] I studied algebra and believe I
[1:37:14] have the necessary skills to do
[1:37:15] an assessment.
[1:37:17] I accelerated in eighth grade
[1:37:18] before even high school and my
[1:37:20] request was nonetheless denied
[1:37:20] .
[1:37:23] I asked this year again
[1:37:24] prepared and more qualified but
[1:37:26] despite this my request was not
[1:37:26] heard.
[1:37:28] The math department didn't even
[1:37:30] allow me to take an exam to
[1:37:31] prove my readiness.
[1:37:32] They simply denied my requests
[1:37:33] .
[1:37:34] My mother sent a formal request
[1:37:36] as a school required through
[1:37:37] the official channels, and my
[1:37:40] mom was not notified that I
[1:37:41] wasn't allowed to take the
[1:37:41] exam.
[1:37:43] I'm passionate about math
[1:37:45] because I want to be a
[1:37:46] mathematics major or an
[1:37:48] engineering major, and I most
[1:37:49] appreciate how math stems from
[1:37:50] a small collection of axioms to
[1:37:52] build an infinitely beautiful
[1:37:52] language.
[1:37:55] I wish I explore this deeper
[1:37:56] and reach multivariable
[1:37:58] calculus in the 12th grade, but
[1:38:00] by denying me to accelerate to
[1:38:02] geometry that there are people
[1:38:03] in my grade who have already
[1:38:05] taken geometry the math
[1:38:06] department promises however
[1:38:07] they were allowed last year.
[1:38:09] Suddenly the math department
[1:38:11] has stopped allowing people to
[1:38:12] accelerate to the level that it
[1:38:14] should be and I believe this is
[1:38:16] harmful since it creates an
[1:38:17] inequality in the math track
[1:38:18] where some people are above
[1:38:20] others in my own grade but we
[1:38:22] are not allowed to catch up to
[1:38:23] them because the decisions have
[1:38:24] long been crystallized.
[1:38:26] The reason I'm speaking here is
[1:38:27] because I feel it is the only
[1:38:29] place where my voice little
[1:38:29] loud.
[1:38:32] The reason I'm speaking here is
[1:38:33] because I feel it is the only
[1:38:34] place where my voice has been
[1:38:35] heard.
[1:38:37] Boston Latin School already had
[1:38:38] issues with equity within their
[1:38:40] exam process, but I think these
[1:38:41] concerns and equity go further
[1:38:43] than just the exam.
[1:38:44] I believe they are also within
[1:38:45] the structure of the school
[1:38:46] itself.
[1:38:47] Thank you.
[1:38:48] Thank you very much.
[1:38:53] Next speaker is Thomas Kim.
[1:38:55] No.
[1:39:14] Clep calculus is an exam
[1:39:16] accepted by 2900 colleges
[1:39:17] within the United States
[1:39:18] of America.
[1:39:19] It measures completion
[1:39:21] of calculus one and I passed it
[1:39:23] for 78 out of 80.
[1:39:25] I'm currently taking calculus
[1:39:27] three at Bunker Hill Community
[1:39:27] College.
[1:39:32] I am currently just continuing
[1:39:33] to keep talking just keep
[1:39:34] talking up.
[1:39:36] I'm currently taking calculus
[1:39:37] three at Bunker Hill Kami
[1:39:39] College, an institution that is
[1:39:41] accredited by the New England
[1:39:42] Commission of Higher Education.
[1:39:45] They also accredited to Harvard
[1:39:45] and Yale.
[1:39:47] Yet when I asked to accelerate
[1:39:50] within the math department I am
[1:39:50] denied.
[1:39:55] Based on this I feel like I am
[1:39:57] not being denied based on merit
[1:39:59] but by an institutional wall.
[1:40:01] There already is someone in our
[1:40:02] grade taking multivariable
[1:40:04] calculus within Boston Latin
[1:40:06] School I'm a busy meaning I
[1:40:08] entered in ninth grade not
[1:40:09] seventh like the rest of the
[1:40:12] people I believe this
[1:40:13] disadvantages me because it
[1:40:15] meant that I was automatically
[1:40:17] set to be placed in algebra one
[1:40:19] in ninth grade by default.
[1:40:21] Thankfully back then they
[1:40:23] allowed me to accelerate to the
[1:40:24] baseline of which all sixes
[1:40:27] start as I am asking to
[1:40:29] accelerate in 11th grade from
[1:40:30] pre-calculus to calculus.
[1:40:34] But they are not allowing me.
[1:40:35] The department let people of my
[1:40:37] grade accelerate in math track
[1:40:39] in the past but they are no
[1:40:41] longer allowing that which
[1:40:44] makes me feel unequally treated
[1:40:45] since I believe I have the same
[1:40:48] abilities for math yet I'm not
[1:40:49] given the same opportunities in
[1:40:51] terms of what classes I take.
[1:40:53] Boston Latin School has already
[1:40:55] faced other concerns over
[1:40:58] equity and we believe that they
[1:40:59] are not over.
[1:41:01] But I hope that the school
[1:41:03] considers moving past that era
[1:41:05] and makes more progress in
[1:41:07] helping everyone regardless
[1:41:09] of if they came to bls in ninth
[1:41:10] grade or seventh grade.
[1:41:13] Despite of all this, I will
[1:41:15] take the ap calculus exam at
[1:41:16] the end of the school year and
[1:41:18] i simply hope that the school
[1:41:19] will provide me support and
[1:41:21] allow me to formally take the
[1:41:23] class so I have less trouble
[1:41:25] over passing the exam since it
[1:41:27] is uh is a difficult one.
[1:41:30] Bls is known for its rigorous
[1:41:32] approach and I MAY need some
[1:41:34] help with it which I feel that
[1:41:38] bls will adequately provide
[1:41:40] disease by default have less ap
[1:41:42] slots because they have to take
[1:41:44] other requirements 30s so I
[1:41:46] feel that allowing me to take
[1:41:47] calculus would be a fair
[1:41:48] compensation and would level
[1:41:50] the footing in terms of gpa.
[1:41:55] Thank you thank you thank you
[1:41:57] Christina Nicholas space.
[1:42:01] Christina.
[1:42:02] Nicholas.
[1:42:03] No.
[1:42:04] Roseanne Chang.
[1:42:23] I.
[1:42:27] I served on the exam school
[1:42:30] admissions task force in 2021.
[1:42:32] We all saw the recent Boston
[1:42:35] Globe article sharing the good
[1:42:37] news that black enrollment at
[1:42:40] bls has increased each year and
[1:42:42] approached the district's black
[1:42:44] enrollment in the school year
[1:42:44] 26.
[1:42:47] However, a closer look at exam
[1:42:49] school invitation rates for
[1:42:52] school year 27 by race tells a
[1:42:53] different story.
[1:42:56] Last fall, bp's leadership
[1:42:57] stated that they don't want
[1:42:59] exam schools to take up
[1:43:01] valuable air time that should
[1:43:03] be devoted to improving other
[1:43:05] schools, so they enacted a
[1:43:07] policy which simulations showed
[1:43:10] would be regressive and pledged
[1:43:12] to leave that policy alone for
[1:43:12] three years.
[1:43:15] I want to acknowledge that two
[1:43:17] of you voted against this
[1:43:19] harmful policy.
[1:43:21] In line with this intention, bp
[1:43:23] has quietly posted the school
[1:43:26] year 27 invitation rates I
[1:43:28] don't know when did you see and
[1:43:29] discuss them?
[1:43:33] They show retrograde admissions
[1:43:36] policy changes led to Boston
[1:43:38] Latin School Black and Latina
[1:43:40] invitation rates declining an
[1:43:43] amount equal to the amount that
[1:43:45] white invitation rates
[1:43:47] increased for this year.
[1:43:49] Students with disabilities were
[1:43:51] invited to exam schools at one
[1:43:53] third and multilingual learners
[1:43:55] at one half the rate of school
[1:43:59] year 23 despite constituting 23
[1:44:02] and 35% of district enrollment
[1:44:05] respectively, according to
[1:44:05] simulations.
[1:44:07] The most concerning policy
[1:44:09] change last year was the
[1:44:11] addition of a citywide top 20%
[1:44:13] round of invitations.
[1:44:17] Yet the report does not provide
[1:44:19] disaggregation of who the top
[1:44:23] 20% of invitees are by race,
[1:44:25] neighborhood etc. It does
[1:44:28] report that almost half of them
[1:44:30] live in the highest of four
[1:44:31] socioeconomic tiers.
[1:44:34] The mere existence of exam
[1:44:36] schools structures inequity
[1:44:39] throughout all of us, so we
[1:44:41] should be talking about the
[1:44:43] equity impact of changed
[1:44:44] admissions policies.
[1:44:47] Invitation rates likely
[1:44:49] foreshadow enrollment rates, so
[1:44:51] we should be concerned about a
[1:44:53] widening opportunity gap in the
[1:44:54] near future.
[1:44:57] Questions that I hope you all
[1:44:59] asked a second who was invited
[1:45:02] in the citywide top 20% round
[1:45:04] for example, what was the
[1:45:05] breakdown of this year's
[1:45:07] citywide round by race,
[1:45:09] socioeconomic status etc.?
[1:45:11] How do changes in invitation
[1:45:13] rates affect changes in
[1:45:14] enrollment rates?
[1:45:17] Why continue implementing an
[1:45:19] admissions policy that
[1:45:21] simulations and now evidence
[1:45:22] prove unjust?
[1:45:25] Thank you thank you.
[1:45:28] Our next group of speakers are
[1:45:31] Travis Marshall, John Mudd,
[1:45:35] Audrey Martinez, Jacqueline
[1:45:36] Santos and Robert Jenkins.
[1:45:46] Good evening.
[1:45:48] My name is Travis Marshall.
[1:45:50] I live in Roslindale.
[1:45:52] I'm the proud parent
[1:45:53] of students at the English High
[1:45:54] School and New Mission High
[1:45:54] School.
[1:45:58] I'm also a member of quality
[1:46:00] Schools for Every Student
[1:46:02] Quest, a grassroots group
[1:46:03] of parents in the district.
[1:46:06] It's the start of a new school
[1:46:09] year, but in the coming weeks
[1:46:10] you will already begin to
[1:46:12] tackle the budget for next
[1:46:12] year.
[1:46:16] One facet of school finance
[1:46:18] that quest hopes you consider
[1:46:20] is the role of private
[1:46:21] fundraising in the Boston
[1:46:22] Public Schools.
[1:46:25] Quest parents reported on the
[1:46:28] 2018 Ernst and Young audit
[1:46:29] of individual school accounts,
[1:46:31] the first and only time there
[1:46:33] has been a district wide
[1:46:34] snapshot of the role that
[1:46:36] philanthropy plays in the
[1:46:36] schools.
[1:46:41] We updated this data from irs
[1:46:43] 990 forms annually and last
[1:46:45] year we were able to recreate a
[1:46:48] wider picture using Bedford's
[1:46:50] accounting of the schools for
[1:46:52] which it provides fiscal
[1:46:53] sponsorship.
[1:46:55] This is important data.
[1:46:58] However it should not be for a
[1:47:00] group of working parents to
[1:47:02] cobble together the
[1:47:05] Superintendent circular Fin 21
[1:47:08] on a recognized 501 c3
[1:47:10] organizations states that all
[1:47:12] tax exempt school organizations
[1:47:15] need a strong rationale for the
[1:47:17] need of a separate independent
[1:47:21] 501 c3 and must update on
[1:47:23] current details including board
[1:47:26] structure, status and operating
[1:47:27] revenue each year.
[1:47:31] To our knowledge, this is not
[1:47:33] happening despite the recent
[1:47:35] Reimagining School Funding
[1:47:37] Project recommendation to
[1:47:39] collect and make available all
[1:47:41] revenue information by school
[1:47:43] inclusive of philanthropy,
[1:47:44] fundraising and other private
[1:47:45] sources.
[1:47:49] Quest continues to recommend
[1:47:51] the create a dashboard that is
[1:47:53] updated annually for all
[1:47:55] funding sources so that the
[1:47:57] funding of our public schools
[1:47:59] remains transparent to
[1:48:01] stakeholders and taxpayers.
[1:48:04] We invite bp's staff and
[1:48:05] families to join us on
[1:48:08] SEPTEMBER 22nd at 2 P.M. For a
[1:48:10] City Council hearing on this
[1:48:10] matter.
[1:48:11] Thank you very much.
[1:48:13] Thank you.
[1:48:16] Next speaker is John Mudd.
[1:48:27] Good evening.
[1:48:29] Welcome back to the new school
[1:48:29] year.
[1:48:31] For those who don't know it, my
[1:48:31] name is John Mudd.
[1:48:33] I'm a resident of Cambridge and
[1:48:35] a long time education advocate
[1:48:36] in Boston.
[1:48:38] An urgent priority for us in
[1:48:41] the school committee is
[1:48:43] determining when the strategic
[1:48:45] implementation plan will be
[1:48:45] presented.
[1:48:47] I hope you agree.
[1:48:50] It was promised for this fall
[1:48:51] at the time when the committee
[1:48:53] passed the new opportunity and
[1:48:54] Achievement gap policy.
[1:48:57] Such a strategic implementation
[1:48:59] plan should include annual
[1:49:01] Smart goals and a statement
[1:49:03] of the changes in education
[1:49:06] programs explaining how bp's
[1:49:08] plans to reach these goals.
[1:49:10] If there is any hope of seeing
[1:49:13] real improvement for students,
[1:49:15] Smart goals for disaggregated
[1:49:17] groups must be set by pbs for
[1:49:19] student outcomes and the
[1:49:20] reduction of proficiency and
[1:49:23] achievement gaps en masse for
[1:49:25] teacher diversity for the
[1:49:27] expansion of bilingual
[1:49:28] education programs and
[1:49:30] bilingual teachers and for
[1:49:31] equitable literacy.
[1:49:34] Will such a full strategic plan
[1:49:35] be presented to the School
[1:49:37] Committee at its OCTOBER 14th
[1:49:40] meeting or at its NOVEMBER 18th
[1:49:40] meeting?
[1:49:43] The school really needs to see
[1:49:44] set a date.
[1:49:46] There must be a plan by then
[1:49:49] for cps to incorporate new
[1:49:51] strategies in planning for the
[1:49:54] next school year 20 2728 budget
[1:49:56] and for bp's to submit
[1:49:58] necessary proposals to the
[1:50:00] state in time for
[1:50:02] implementation in the fall
[1:50:03] of 2027, the School Committee
[1:50:05] will need to decide whether it
[1:50:07] will insist on real change.
[1:50:09] Simply setting Smart goals
[1:50:11] without spelling out the
[1:50:13] so-called logic of action about
[1:50:16] how it will reach these goals
[1:50:18] will likely be empty rhetoric
[1:50:20] the proverbial lipstick on the
[1:50:23] pig current approaches are
[1:50:25] failing more of the same will
[1:50:28] not accelerate needed
[1:50:28] improvement.
[1:50:31] I want to be respectful but a
[1:50:33] roadmap is not an
[1:50:35] implementation plan and even my
[1:50:37] car roadmap gives me the
[1:50:39] mileage and the routes I need
[1:50:41] to get to my destination.
[1:50:43] The roadmap that was posted
[1:50:45] online has no Smart goals and
[1:50:48] no explanation of the program
[1:50:50] changes to reach these goals.
[1:50:52] Please ask the superintendent
[1:50:56] to produce such a strategic
[1:50:58] implementation plan before you
[1:50:58] proceed further.
[1:50:59] Thank you.
[1:51:00] Thank you.
[1:51:04] Our next speaker is Audrey
[1:51:05] Martinez.
[1:51:05] Come.
[1:51:18] Good evening everyone.
[1:51:20] Thank you for your time and
[1:51:20] listening.
[1:51:24] Um I am here tonight because I
[1:51:28] am extremely concerned about,
[1:51:33] um, the system for uh, IEPs and
[1:51:35] that it's too complicated.
[1:51:39] Um, even for myself a former
[1:51:42] teacher, um, a a parent and
[1:51:45] someone that has been a
[1:51:46] researcher in education for
[1:51:48] over 20 years and also my
[1:51:50] colleagues with doctoral
[1:51:50] degrees.
[1:51:53] Um, have had many challenges
[1:51:55] trying to navigate um the
[1:51:57] Individualized Education Plan.
[1:52:00] Um, last week I was trying to
[1:52:02] help my friend complete a
[1:52:05] consent form for uh, additional
[1:52:08] evaluations but we were really
[1:52:10] confused because it didn't
[1:52:11] include any of the assessments
[1:52:14] that we knew her child needed
[1:52:16] because they are bilingual.
[1:52:19] Um, and I know as a
[1:52:21] multilingual person that if I
[1:52:23] am assessed in the wrong
[1:52:25] language you will not know as
[1:52:27] much as you won't be able to
[1:52:28] know what I actually know.
[1:52:31] And so we were trying to figure
[1:52:33] out how to how to put this into
[1:52:35] the form because there is very
[1:52:37] very little space and all
[1:52:39] of the things listed had
[1:52:40] nothing to do with what we were
[1:52:41] concerned about.
[1:52:47] So we almost rejected it and I
[1:52:52] later thanks to my dog, learn
[1:52:53] that we would have been in
[1:52:55] jeopardy and let me explain my
[1:52:58] dog my dog is an angel and last
[1:53:01] Sunday uh I took him for his
[1:53:02] regular walk but he refused to
[1:53:05] walk where I wanted to take him
[1:53:07] and so instead we went to the
[1:53:09] park and thanks to me going to
[1:53:12] the park with him, I ran into a
[1:53:14] neighbor who shared with me
[1:53:16] that her daughter was finally
[1:53:17] going to go to a school that
[1:53:19] was going to help her because
[1:53:23] she won a lawsuit against us
[1:53:26] because her daughter had went
[1:53:27] undiagnosed for several years
[1:53:28] with autism.
[1:53:32] And because of that she
[1:53:35] connected me with an advocate
[1:53:37] who then I finally talked to
[1:53:41] yesterday and it saved us from
[1:53:43] jeopardizing the whole iep
[1:53:44] process.
[1:53:49] Um, and I you know, we've been
[1:53:52] working on this for 2003 months
[1:53:55] and I I don't think it's fair
[1:53:58] that, you know, even if I have
[1:54:00] high levels of education and I
[1:54:01] was a teacher before that I
[1:54:03] don't understand these things.
[1:54:06] And so I really want to
[1:54:08] advocate that our city should
[1:54:12] be offering free just like they
[1:54:13] offer free legal immigration
[1:54:14] clinics.
[1:54:16] We should also have free legal
[1:54:19] clinics for for families that
[1:54:20] have IEPs.
[1:54:21] Thank you.
[1:54:22] Your time is up.
[1:54:23] So thank you.
[1:54:23] Thank you.
[1:54:25] Please send your testimony
[1:54:26] written testimony.
[1:54:27] Yes.
[1:54:29] Uh Jacqueline Santos.
[1:54:33] Jacqueline Santos.
[1:54:35] Hello.
[1:54:36] Robert Jenkins.
[1:54:51] Paul.
[1:54:55] Good evening, Chairperson
[1:54:56] Robinson.
[1:54:57] Good evening, superintendent
[1:54:58] Skip.
[1:54:59] My name is Robert Jenkins,
[1:55:01] PRESIDENT Of the Madison Park
[1:55:03] Alumni Association
[1:55:03] incorporated.
[1:55:05] So I picked a good night to
[1:55:05] come.
[1:55:07] Uh, be very brief.
[1:55:09] Uh, a year ago I was, uh,
[1:55:11] diagnosed with stage three
[1:55:12] prostate cancer.
[1:55:16] As of today, I am cancer free
[1:55:19] after going through, uh, after
[1:55:24] going through mri, biopsy, Pet
[1:55:27] scan and I just two weeks ago,
[1:55:30] uh, spent four months
[1:55:32] of radiation five days a week.
[1:55:34] So, uh, I am fully healthy and
[1:55:38] back, you know, as I always
[1:55:38] been.
[1:55:43] I want to thank everyone.
[1:55:45] Uh, it was a team effort from
[1:55:48] all of my doctors, but, uh, one
[1:55:50] reason why I'm here tonight is
[1:55:52] please vote for Madison Park.
[1:55:53] Moving on.
[1:55:55] It's been a long process.
[1:55:57] The Madison Park Alumni
[1:55:59] Association has been involved
[1:56:01] ever since when we started this
[1:56:03] entire process and then real
[1:56:05] zero it there was some it was a
[1:56:07] roadblock or as you say a bump
[1:56:09] in the road where we had to
[1:56:11] file for the msba which the
[1:56:12] mayor's office did.
[1:56:14] Some people didn't like it but
[1:56:16] you know like I said I'm class
[1:56:19] of 1978 and I came into that
[1:56:20] build in 77.
[1:56:23] So there's a lot of stake for
[1:56:24] uh the alumni association.
[1:56:27] We have we have space in the
[1:56:28] building with the every day.
[1:56:30] We were there for the freshman
[1:56:31] orientation week.
[1:56:33] Uh, got to teach.
[1:56:34] Uh, you know, uh, history
[1:56:34] of Madison.
[1:56:37] We turned 50 last year and you
[1:56:38] see my commemorative shirt
[1:56:39] there?
[1:56:42] Uh, also on top of that we were
[1:56:43] there for the first day
[1:56:44] of school, which we have been.
[1:56:46] I've been associate with my
[1:56:49] alma mater ever since 2013.
[1:56:51] I've been a school site school
[1:56:54] parent council member uh, as
[1:56:54] well.
[1:56:56] Uh, we we started in 2013 but
[1:56:59] we were sanctioned in 2016 when
[1:57:00] I became PRESIDENT On the
[1:57:02] Secretary of state's office.
[1:57:04] Bedford's our fiscal, uh,
[1:57:05] sponsor.
[1:57:06] So we have a lot of ties into
[1:57:09] the school, but we definitely
[1:57:10] need to move forward.
[1:57:13] One of the main goals I am also
[1:57:15] involved in the Shar Taylor
[1:57:18] msba process, working very
[1:57:20] closely with della and her
[1:57:20] team.
[1:57:22] We have a community meeting
[1:57:26] coming up uh, on the 24 30s at
[1:57:27] the Madden parent.
[1:57:29] Um the Mattapan Library we did
[1:57:31] a presentation a few weeks ago
[1:57:33] which I'm working on the aspect
[1:57:34] of it but most not the most
[1:57:37] important thing is our
[1:57:37] athletics.
[1:57:38] Oh wait am I going to make a
[1:57:39] quick shout out to the
[1:57:41] Community Engagement Community
[1:57:42] Advancement team?
[1:57:44] They put on one heck of a show
[1:57:45] last Friday in which i
[1:57:46] volunteer.
[1:57:47] People see me around the
[1:57:50] building but also to we have to
[1:57:52] get more partners involved and
[1:57:54] help Chief Corey McCarthy out
[1:57:57] on regarding uh athletics and
[1:57:58] student support.
[1:57:59] Thank you.
[1:57:59] Thank you.
[1:58:03] We will now transition to zoom
[1:58:03] .
[1:58:07] Um public comment uh, please
[1:58:08] raise your virtual hand when I
[1:58:09] call your name.
[1:58:12] Our next group of speakers are
[1:58:14] Judith Baker, Ayesha Jackson,
[1:58:17] Rebecca Foster Park and
[1:58:18] Christina Norris.
[1:58:21] Judith Baker.
[1:58:33] Please unmute and turn on your
[1:58:33] camera.
[1:58:49] Thank you very much.
[1:58:51] Uh, my name is Judith Baker.
[1:58:53] I'm a long time teacher now
[1:58:53] retired.
[1:58:55] Uh, spent most of my years at
[1:58:56] Madison Park.
[1:58:58] Have been involved as a Madison
[1:58:59] Park advocate.
[1:59:03] Uh, since, uh, we can't hear
[1:59:05] you you can't you know we know
[1:59:06] you can.
[1:59:07] It's fine.
[1:59:08] Okay.
[1:59:09] Now you can.
[1:59:09] Yes.
[1:59:11] Now we can do that.
[1:59:12] Thank you.
[1:59:14] Uh, my name is Judith Baker.
[1:59:15] I taught for many, many years
[1:59:20] at Madison Park and then in
[1:59:21] 2012 with Mel King and that as
[1:59:22] well.
[1:59:24] And we started the Friends
[1:59:25] of Madison Park and have been
[1:59:27] very active as advocates since
[1:59:27] then.
[1:59:30] We have submitted a written
[1:59:31] testimony to all of the
[1:59:31] members.
[1:59:35] So I won't read it here since
[1:59:35] you all have it.
[1:59:38] The written testimony uh,
[1:59:40] states some of our really very,
[1:59:42] very important needs this year
[1:59:44] and our needs going forward if
[1:59:46] we're going to be successful
[1:59:48] obviously technical education,
[1:59:51] high school education is a huge
[1:59:54] benefit to students who enroll
[1:59:57] in chapter 74 programs in
[1:59:59] Boston has been very, very slow
[2:00:01] to build a really state of the
[2:00:03] art, uh, set of programs since
[2:00:05] the original Humphrey said it
[2:00:05] was first built.
[2:00:07] We desperately need your help.
[2:00:12] We have the possibility
[2:00:15] of creating life changing skill
[2:00:18] programs and enrolling uh, 100
[2:00:21] actually 1800 students in them
[2:00:23] but only if the state comes
[2:00:23] through.
[2:00:24] If the state doesn't come
[2:00:26] through, we still have to do it
[2:00:26] .
[2:00:28] So these next seven years are
[2:00:29] incredibly important.
[2:00:32] And in our testimony we have
[2:00:33] listed some of the needs that
[2:00:34] have gone unmet.
[2:00:36] We have certainly worked very
[2:00:38] hard with superintendent.
[2:00:41] We had Adele uh Stanislaus with
[2:00:45] the um with uh Beth Dickens.
[2:00:47] We are very serious about
[2:00:48] getting these skills for kids.
[2:00:50] You have to understand that
[2:00:52] there are needs going unmet
[2:00:54] that are very important needs
[2:00:56] and we can't we just can't do
[2:00:58] our job without your attention
[2:00:58] .
[2:01:01] So I'm only here to draw your
[2:01:02] attention to that written
[2:01:02] testimony.
[2:01:04] I hope all the members of the
[2:01:05] school committee will read it
[2:01:07] very carefully and then come
[2:01:09] back and help us with these
[2:01:09] matters.
[2:01:11] We're of course we're very
[2:01:13] excited if the state does help
[2:01:14] us build a new building.
[2:01:15] But you've got to understand
[2:01:17] that seven, eight, nine years
[2:01:19] down the road we had thought we
[2:01:21] were going to start uh, shovels
[2:01:23] in the in the ground in 2025.
[2:01:25] That didn't happen.
[2:01:28] Our kids can't wait till 2034
[2:01:29] for programs.
[2:01:31] We have to have those programs
[2:01:31] now.
[2:01:33] We have to have seventh and
[2:01:33] eighth grade now.
[2:01:36] And uh, I hope that you will
[2:01:38] respond very seriously to the
[2:01:39] points that we raised.
[2:01:41] Thank you very much.
[2:01:42] I really appreciate the chance
[2:01:43] to speak to you tonight.
[2:01:45] Thank you very much.
[2:01:48] Our next speaker is not in the
[2:01:48] meeting.
[2:01:51] Aisha Jackson is not in the
[2:01:51] meeting.
[2:01:52] So we will continue with
[2:01:56] Rebecca Oster shook of Chuck.
[2:02:03] Good evening.
[2:02:06] I'm here today talking about
[2:02:09] the Boston Public School
[2:02:10] transportation Department.
[2:02:12] I thought this being a new
[2:02:14] school year it would be a new
[2:02:15] leaf.
[2:02:16] For three years we have had
[2:02:18] issues on the school busses.
[2:02:21] Yesterday my five year old and
[2:02:22] my seven year old got on the
[2:02:25] bus at 8:26 A.M. Their school
[2:02:27] opened at 8:10 A.M..
[2:02:30] So my daughter called me on the
[2:02:32] walk on our smartwatch.
[2:02:36] Uh 914 that they were scared
[2:02:37] and they didn't know where
[2:02:38] their bus was.
[2:02:40] I called the bus company.
[2:02:42] They said that they were
[2:02:44] dropped off at school at 845.
[2:02:47] i called the school who told me
[2:02:49] that they were not there and
[2:02:50] they didn't know where the bus
[2:02:50] was.
[2:02:54] I tracked my daughter from her
[2:02:55] watch and we stayed on the
[2:02:58] phone with her and two brave
[2:03:01] girls on that bus held up signs
[2:03:02] asking for help from the
[2:03:04] outside community that they
[2:03:05] were in danger with this bus
[2:03:06] driver.
[2:03:10] I have not heard a single
[2:03:12] response from transportation.
[2:03:13] I've asked for two days for
[2:03:15] supervisors to call me back
[2:03:17] while on the phone with my
[2:03:17] daughter.
[2:03:20] The bus was pulled over by
[2:03:21] Boston police.
[2:03:24] C11 district in Dorchester.
[2:03:28] The cop had a redirect the bus
[2:03:29] driver on how to get to school.
[2:03:32] I want some accountability held
[2:03:33] for the bus drivers.
[2:03:35] Last year my daughter was lost.
[2:03:37] She got hurt on the bus and
[2:03:39] ended up in the emergency room
[2:03:40] and I've heard nothing.
[2:03:43] There's no change and there's
[2:03:44] got to be some kind of change.
[2:03:46] I've reached out to Transdev.
[2:03:48] I've reached out to the
[2:03:49] superintendent's office.
[2:03:52] I've reached out to the
[2:03:54] helpline to 311 and I have gone
[2:03:55] unheard.
[2:03:57] I've even reached out to the
[2:03:57] news.
[2:03:59] Thank you for your time.
[2:04:01] Thank you very much.
[2:04:05] Our find our last speaker is
[2:04:06] Christina Norris.
[2:04:12] Christina Norris.
[2:04:19] I'm just trying to get my
[2:04:20] camera on.
[2:04:22] High.
[2:04:24] Good evening.
[2:04:26] My name is Christina Norris.
[2:04:29] I am a Boston parent of four
[2:04:31] and three of my children are
[2:04:32] students.
[2:04:35] Given the history of dps
[2:04:36] transportation and my family's
[2:04:37] experience since we moved here,
[2:04:39] I imagine this probably won't
[2:04:41] be the last time we meet like
[2:04:41] this.
[2:04:43] On the first day of school,
[2:04:45] bp's reported that 61%
[2:04:46] of morning busses were on time
[2:04:47] .
[2:04:49] But what about the other 39%?
[2:04:50] Let me tell you what that looks
[2:04:51] like.
[2:04:53] It looks like my daughter
[2:04:54] standing on a sidewalk waiting
[2:04:56] for a bus that never showed up.
[2:04:57] It looks like parents
[2:04:59] refreshing an app, watching
[2:05:01] ETAs change, sitting on hold
[2:05:02] for transportation and having
[2:05:05] no idea where the bus is or
[2:05:07] when their child will arrive
[2:05:07] yesterday.
[2:05:09] My children are part of that
[2:05:12] 39% 13 children on a bus where
[2:05:14] the system marked them as
[2:05:16] dropped off at 8:44 A.M. They
[2:05:17] were still on the bus.
[2:05:19] We didn't even know there was a
[2:05:20] problem until our children
[2:05:21] contacted us.
[2:05:23] Once a child is marked dropped
[2:05:25] off the app no longer provides
[2:05:26] live tracking.
[2:05:28] Thankfully another parent and I
[2:05:29] had G.P.S. On our children's
[2:05:30] phones.
[2:05:32] We were able to locate them and
[2:05:33] give the school their actual
[2:05:33] location.
[2:05:35] The school couldn't locate them
[2:05:37] through its own system because
[2:05:38] the system said they were
[2:05:39] already there.
[2:05:41] They were picked up at 824 and
[2:05:43] didn't arrive until 1012.
[2:05:45] The bus hit a sign with
[2:05:46] children on board.
[2:05:48] The children signal the other
[2:05:49] drivers for help.
[2:05:52] The police responded and when I
[2:05:54] called afterwards I was told
[2:05:55] that no police report had been
[2:05:55] filed.
[2:05:58] That is what the other 39% can
[2:05:59] look like.
[2:06:01] And I know that we are not the
[2:06:01] only family.
[2:06:03] Parents have been telling you
[2:06:04] about these problems for years.
[2:06:05] I have filed multiple
[2:06:06] complaints myself.
[2:06:08] You have the complaints.
[2:06:09] You have the data.
[2:06:10] You had an independent
[2:06:12] investigation in 2025 after a
[2:06:14] five year old child was killed
[2:06:17] by a dps bus, and that
[2:06:18] investigation identified
[2:06:19] serious problems.
[2:06:21] Yet here we are in 2026.
[2:06:23] I want to recognize miscarry
[2:06:25] and MR. Brock off at Mason
[2:06:26] because they have done more to
[2:06:28] advocate for these children
[2:06:29] than I have personally seen
[2:06:30] transportation do.
[2:06:32] They should not have to do a
[2:06:33] transportation job and neither
[2:06:34] should we.
[2:06:36] Parents should not have to help
[2:06:37] track the busses, refresh apps
[2:06:39] ,sit on hold or use their
[2:06:41] children's phones to figure out
[2:06:41] where they are.
[2:06:42] That is your job.
[2:06:44] You have the complaints.
[2:06:45] You have the data.
[2:06:47] You have the investigation you
[2:06:47] know.
[2:06:50] So I want to ask you what are
[2:06:52] you going to do after you know
[2:06:54] ,not eventually not after
[2:06:56] another complaint, not after
[2:06:58] another investigation and GOD
[2:06:59] forbid another tragedy.
[2:07:01] What do you do now?
[2:07:02] Because I'm going to keep
[2:07:03] asking I'm going to keep
[2:07:04] documenting and given the
[2:07:05] history I feel like we will be
[2:07:06] having this conversation again.
[2:07:08] I would much rather be wrong
[2:07:09] about that.
[2:07:10] These are our children.
[2:07:12] We should not have to do your
[2:07:13] job to get them safely to
[2:07:14] school.
[2:07:15] You know there's a problem.
[2:07:17] Now show us what you do after
[2:07:17] you now.
[2:07:18] Thank you.
[2:07:19] Thank you very much.
[2:07:22] That concludes public comment.
[2:07:24] Thank you MR. X and thank you
[2:07:26] to those of you who spoke this
[2:07:27] evening and shared your
[2:07:27] perspectives.
[2:07:29] Your testimony is extremely
[2:07:30] important to us.
[2:07:33] Our first two action items this
[2:07:35] evening are the grants for
[2:07:40] approval totally $5,027,984 and
[2:07:42] the in-kind donations with a
[2:07:45] total estimated value of $750.
[2:07:48] Now I'd like to turn it over to
[2:07:49] the superintendent for any
[2:07:50] final comments.
[2:07:50] Great.
[2:07:51] Thank you chair.
[2:07:54] So, uh, as uh, chair just said
[2:07:55] we're asking committee's
[2:07:57] approval for ten grand sterling
[2:07:59] a little over 5 million.
[2:08:02] The largest of these is a $3.5
[2:08:03] million grant from Bloomberg
[2:08:06] Korea grant that serves 600
[2:08:07] students in workforce
[2:08:08] development programs.
[2:08:10] The purpose of this grant is to
[2:08:12] provide a skilled trades,
[2:08:14] workforce development and
[2:08:15] apprenticeship readiness
[2:08:16] program at Madison Park
[2:08:18] Vocational High School during a
[2:08:19] three year period.
[2:08:22] This amount represents year one
[2:08:24] of a $12 million grant received
[2:08:26] by the City of Boston that will
[2:08:28] provide opportunities for
[2:08:29] Madison Park students as well
[2:08:31] as students.
[2:08:33] Drops in an after school
[2:08:35] vocational by Madison program.
[2:08:37] This will also include career
[2:08:39] exploration, pre apprenticeship
[2:08:41] training, industry partnerships
[2:08:43] and student support services.
[2:08:46] The remaining nearly 1.5
[2:08:48] million is in different buckets
[2:08:48] .
[2:08:50] The Commonwealth Preschool
[2:08:51] Partnership Initiative.
[2:08:53] This is a new competitive grant
[2:08:56] totaling 465,000, intended to
[2:09:00] serve 175 students and 20
[2:09:01] teachers in early childhood
[2:09:02] programs.
[2:09:05] The grant will support local
[2:09:06] coordination and investment in
[2:09:08] access to high quality
[2:09:09] preschool for three and four
[2:09:10] year olds.
[2:09:13] The fy 27 Massachusetts offers
[2:09:15] rebates for electric vehicles
[2:09:19] or more ev truck rebate
[2:09:19] increase.
[2:09:21] This is a continuing rebate
[2:09:23] that's totaling nearly $420,000
[2:09:26] ,intending to serve 46,000
[2:09:27] students district wide.
[2:09:29] This grant is a rebate for the
[2:09:31] purchase of electric school
[2:09:31] busses.
[2:09:34] The Commonwealth Corporation
[2:09:36] Round 11 Career Technical
[2:09:38] Initiatives Grant is a new
[2:09:40] competitive grant totaling
[2:09:45] $300,000 in the 2620 to the 26
[2:09:48] 2028 school year and this is
[2:09:50] intended to serve 30 students
[2:09:52] in adult education programs and
[2:09:53] will address the persistent
[2:09:55] need for skilled labor in
[2:09:57] construction trades and
[2:09:57] manufacturing.
[2:10:00] There's also one the Boston
[2:10:02] Foundation, which is Early
[2:10:04] College Consortium with Roxbury
[2:10:05] Community College.
[2:10:07] Year two funding.
[2:10:09] Um, this is continuing
[2:10:11] competitive grants totaling
[2:10:13] $100,000 for the school year
[2:10:15] serving 200 students in early
[2:10:16] college programs.
[2:10:17] This grant will strengthen the
[2:10:19] development of is first
[2:10:23] consortium based early college
[2:10:25] program in partnership with rcc
[2:10:27] or Roxbury Community College.
[2:10:29] In position the model for
[2:10:31] designation with dc is also the
[2:10:33] Mass Cultural Council Creative
[2:10:35] Experiences Grant which is a
[2:10:37] continuing competitive grant
[2:10:40] also for $100,000 this school
[2:10:41] year intended to serve more
[2:10:45] than 600 students at 20 schools
[2:10:47] and will support creative
[2:10:47] experiences for students
[2:10:50] district wide such as
[2:10:52] woodworking classes, music
[2:10:55] classes, dance classes, uh etc.
[2:10:58] There's a $45,000 Mass Life
[2:11:00] Science Center Elementary and
[2:11:02] Secondary Education grant
[2:11:04] biotechnology Microbit Grant,
[2:11:06] which will is intended to serve
[2:11:09] 2500 students and 22 teachers
[2:11:11] at East Boston High School and
[2:11:14] 11 elementary schools in the
[2:11:15] East Boston and Charlestown
[2:11:16] neighborhoods.
[2:11:17] The purpose of this grant is to
[2:11:20] support the expansion of Stem
[2:11:22] education and biotechnology and
[2:11:24] life sciences in data science.
[2:11:28] Uh the Color Foundation
[2:11:30] International Arabic Language
[2:11:32] Bridge Grant is a continuing
[2:11:34] competitive grant totaling just
[2:11:37] over $33,000 intended to serve
[2:11:39] 102 students at Brighton High
[2:11:42] School is a $30,000 English for
[2:11:44] New Bostonians grant, which is
[2:11:45] a continuing competitive grant
[2:11:48] that will serve 25 students in
[2:11:49] adult education programs this
[2:11:51] school year and last.
[2:11:54] The Massachusetts 21st Century
[2:11:56] Community Learning Centers
[2:11:57] Program Continuation Grant from
[2:11:58] dc.
[2:11:59] This is an increase.
[2:12:01] It's a continuing competitive
[2:12:03] grant totaling an additional
[2:12:04] thousand dollars this school
[2:12:07] year intended to serve 1500
[2:12:09] students in 29 teachers at the
[2:12:11] doctor Holland Tech uh Al
[2:12:13] Holland Technical High School,
[2:12:14] desire Quincy Elementary and
[2:12:16] Newman Academy.
[2:12:18] Uh there are also several
[2:12:20] in-kind donations before you.
[2:12:22] Again this is for a school
[2:12:23] committee meeting so there's
[2:12:26] just lots of these grants
[2:12:27] fortunately and in-kind
[2:12:27] donations.
[2:12:30] Uh, these one in-kind donations
[2:12:32] for a three ring binder is the
[2:12:33] Department of Early Childhood
[2:12:35] for the Boston Children's
[2:12:37] Hospital valued at $750.
[2:12:41] Um, and we have uh, Chief Bloom
[2:12:42] who is here.
[2:12:45] Uh, don't see Marcella but
[2:12:45] Chief Bloom.
[2:12:45] Oh.
[2:12:46] Marcello's here.
[2:12:48] Uh, Marcella Marsha is here.
[2:12:49] Who's the director of federal
[2:12:51] and state grants, programs and
[2:12:52] compliance.
[2:12:54] So if there's any questions
[2:12:55] from the committee, both are
[2:12:55] here.
[2:12:57] We would ask for full
[2:12:58] consideration and acceptance
[2:13:00] with a favorable vote for these
[2:13:02] resources for our students in
[2:13:02] schools.
[2:13:04] Thank you superintendent.
[2:13:06] And now open it up to questions
[2:13:07] and comments from the
[2:13:07] committee.
[2:13:14] Nope I think we're all good.
[2:13:16] All right.
[2:13:17] So um thank you.
[2:13:19] We have a member with a
[2:13:20] conflict of interest for one
[2:13:21] of the grants this evening.
[2:13:23] So we will separate the grants
[2:13:24] into two votes.
[2:13:26] If there's no further
[2:13:27] discussion, I will now
[2:13:29] entertain a motion to approve
[2:13:31] the English for New Bostonians
[2:13:34] grant totaling $30,000 as
[2:13:34] presented.
[2:13:36] Is there a motion so moved?
[2:13:37] Is there a second?
[2:13:37] I can okay.
[2:13:39] Is there any discussion?
[2:13:40] Objection to the motion.
[2:13:42] MISS Privates, will you please
[2:13:42] call the roll?
[2:13:44] Thank you, Doctor Elkins.
[2:13:47] MR. Peralta, abstain.
[2:13:48] MISS Polanco Garcia.
[2:13:49] Yes.
[2:13:50] MR..
[2:13:51] Yes.
[2:13:52] MR. Tran?
[2:13:52] Yes.
[2:13:53] Miscarried?
[2:13:54] Yes.
[2:13:55] MISS Robinson.
[2:13:55] Yes.
[2:13:57] The grants are approved.
[2:13:59] Okay.
[2:14:00] Um.
[2:14:01] Thank you.
[2:14:03] If there's no further
[2:14:03] discussion, I will now
[2:14:05] entertain a motion to approve
[2:14:10] the remaining grants totaling
[2:14:13] $4,997,000 984 as presented.
[2:14:15] Is there a motion so moved?
[2:14:16] Is there a second?
[2:14:17] Second.
[2:14:17] Thank you.
[2:14:18] Is there any discussion
[2:14:19] objection to the motion.
[2:14:21] Is there any objection to
[2:14:22] approving the grant by
[2:14:23] unanimous consent?
[2:14:25] Hearing none.
[2:14:26] The grants are approved.
[2:14:28] We will continue with the
[2:14:29] in-kind donation.
[2:14:31] There's no further discussion.
[2:14:33] I will now entertain a motion
[2:14:34] to approve the in-kind donation
[2:14:36] as presented.
[2:14:37] Is there a motion?
[2:14:38] So moved.
[2:14:38] Thank you.
[2:14:39] Is there a second?
[2:14:40] Second.
[2:14:41] Is there any discussion?
[2:14:42] Objection to the motion.
[2:14:44] Is there any objection to
[2:14:45] approving the grant by
[2:14:47] unanimous consent?
[2:14:48] Hearing none.
[2:14:49] The in-kind donation is
[2:14:50] approved.
[2:14:53] Our third action item this
[2:14:54] evening is the payment
[2:14:56] of membership dues to the
[2:14:57] Massachusetts Association
[2:14:58] of School Committees, also
[2:15:00] known as Mask for the school
[2:15:05] year 2627, in the amount
[2:15:08] of $8,795 mask provides a wide
[2:15:10] range of programs and services
[2:15:11] including professional
[2:15:13] development workshops and
[2:15:15] educational advocacy support.
[2:15:17] I will now open it up to the
[2:15:18] committee for any um questions
[2:15:19] or comments.
[2:15:22] Okay.
[2:15:26] Um just uh just a note um I had
[2:15:28] had a question originally um,
[2:15:30] looking at this payment around
[2:15:32] how fast the rate was
[2:15:34] increasing of annual payments
[2:15:35] and I'm seeing that the rate is
[2:15:37] actually level to the previous
[2:15:38] year.
[2:15:39] So I just wanted to make a note
[2:15:40] of that.
[2:15:40] Yes.
[2:15:40] Thank you.
[2:15:42] All right.
[2:15:44] If there are no further
[2:15:45] questions um, now entertain a
[2:15:47] motion to approve the payment
[2:15:50] of annual membership dues to
[2:15:54] mask in the amount of $8,795 as
[2:15:55] presented.
[2:15:56] Is there a motion?
[2:15:57] So thank you.
[2:15:58] And a second.
[2:15:58] Thank you.
[2:16:00] Is there any discussion or
[2:16:01] objection to the motion?
[2:16:03] Is there any objection to
[2:16:04] approving the motion by
[2:16:05] unanimous consent?
[2:16:07] Hearing none.
[2:16:08] The motion is approved.
[2:16:11] Our last vote is the msba
[2:16:13] Madison Park Technical School
[2:16:15] Vocational High School chapter
[2:16:17] 74 programing that was
[2:16:18] presented earlier tonight.
[2:16:20] If there are no further
[2:16:21] questions I will entertain a
[2:16:23] motion as presented.
[2:16:25] Is there a motion to second?
[2:16:28] Second is there any discussion
[2:16:29] objection to the motion?
[2:16:30] MISS Provost, will you please
[2:16:31] call the roll?
[2:16:32] Thank you, Doctor Adkins.
[2:16:34] MR. Peralta.
[2:16:37] Yes, MISS Polanco Garcia.
[2:16:37] Yes.
[2:16:38] MR..
[2:16:39] Yes.
[2:16:39] Yes.
[2:16:42] MR. Tran yes, MISS.
[2:16:45] It yes, MISS Robinson yes.
[2:16:46] The motion is approved
[2:16:47] unanimously.
[2:16:48] Great.
[2:16:49] Thank you.
[2:16:51] Okay.
[2:16:53] We're going to transition to
[2:16:54] reports if you need to take a
[2:16:54] break, you can.
[2:16:55] Okay.
[2:16:56] All right.
[2:16:57] Go ahead.
[2:16:59] Our first report is the Horace
[2:17:01] Mann Charter governing update
[2:17:03] for the Dudley Street
[2:17:04] Neighborhood Charter Schools
[2:17:07] memorandum of understanding a
[2:17:08] let's aim to keep the
[2:17:10] presentation within five
[2:17:10] minutes.
[2:17:12] Now I'd like to turn it over to
[2:17:14] the superintendent for
[2:17:14] introductory comments.
[2:17:15] Uh, wonderful.
[2:17:17] In a few minutes, uh, assistant
[2:17:19] superintendent of autonomous
[2:17:20] schools, new assistant
[2:17:21] superintendent of autonomous
[2:17:23] schools doctor Urbano will
[2:17:25] present the Mou for the Dudley
[2:17:26] Street Neighborhood Charter
[2:17:27] School.
[2:17:29] I think you'll recognize Hervey
[2:17:31] as the longtime leader of the
[2:17:33] Lyons Elementary and High
[2:17:34] School.
[2:17:35] And we're very happy that he
[2:17:37] has joined us in this new
[2:17:37] capacity.
[2:17:39] Uh, so as a reminder, the
[2:17:41] Horace Mann in district charter
[2:17:43] schools are independent public
[2:17:45] schools that operate under five
[2:17:47] year charters granted by the
[2:17:48] Commonwealth's Board
[2:17:50] of Education and Secondary
[2:17:50] Education.
[2:17:53] Each of the Horace Mann Charter
[2:17:55] schools must operate under a
[2:17:56] memorandum of understanding
[2:17:58] with Veeps or what we say an
[2:18:02] Mou a this Mou a aligns with
[2:18:03] Horace Mann schools that have
[2:18:04] come before the School
[2:18:06] Committee with some provisions
[2:18:08] that are specific to the Dudley
[2:18:10] Street Neighborhood Charter
[2:18:10] School.
[2:18:12] Doctor no is here to walk you
[2:18:14] through those provisions.
[2:18:17] In JUNE this body voted to
[2:18:18] approve the Dudley Street
[2:18:19] Neighborhood Charter School
[2:18:20] Renewal application.
[2:18:23] However, this document was not
[2:18:25] ready at the time that that was
[2:18:25] presented.
[2:18:27] So we are asking the school
[2:18:29] Committee to vote in favor
[2:18:32] of the mou a at a future School
[2:18:33] committee meeting.
[2:18:36] I will now turn it over.
[2:18:37] I will now turn the meeting
[2:18:38] over to Doctor no.
[2:18:42] Thank you Superintendent
[2:18:43] skipper.
[2:18:45] Good evening, MADAM Chair.
[2:18:49] Vice chair and members of the
[2:18:50] school committee.
[2:18:52] My name is Harvey.
[2:18:55] I know and I am the assistant
[2:18:57] superintendent of autonomous
[2:18:58] schools.
[2:19:01] As Superintendent Skipper
[2:19:04] mentioned, I support our Horace
[2:19:06] Main schools, innovation
[2:19:10] schools and pilot schools in
[2:19:12] leveraging their unique
[2:19:15] autonomy to drive innovation
[2:19:18] and improve student outcome.
[2:19:21] And as such I look forward to
[2:19:24] partnering with this committee
[2:19:28] as we renew our Horace Mann Mou
[2:19:31] and advance strategic planning
[2:19:33] for our innovation schools.
[2:19:35] So tonight.
[2:19:42] So tonight I am presenting one
[2:19:45] governance document for your
[2:19:50] consideration which is the mou
[2:19:51] a for Dudley Street
[2:19:53] Neighborhood Charter School.
[2:19:57] As a reminder the mou is serves
[2:20:00] as the primary governing
[2:20:04] agreement between dps and
[2:20:05] Horace Mann Charter.
[2:20:10] It defines operational
[2:20:12] responsibilities, budgets,
[2:20:14] allocations, staffing
[2:20:17] protocols, facilities, academic
[2:20:20] support for students with
[2:20:23] disabilities and English
[2:20:24] language learners.
[2:20:27] Uh what you have here on the
[2:20:31] left side uh, all of the
[2:20:34] agreements that we have with
[2:20:35] the charter schools.
[2:20:38] And on the left side the part
[2:20:42] that is bolded uh, the areas
[2:20:45] where uh the the revisions have
[2:20:49] had substantial uh improvement.
[2:20:52] And on the left on the right
[2:20:56] side it is the implication
[2:20:58] of these, uh, revisions.
[2:21:04] And so uh, first there will be
[2:21:08] uh, three substantive uh,
[2:21:12] updates to these to these Mou a
[2:21:15] number one is that it aligns
[2:21:19] with previous mou use for ap
[2:21:22] and bda that were afforded by
[2:21:26] these body and the lines by
[2:21:30] transitioning specific uh
[2:21:33] operational services such as
[2:21:38] legal and compliance from a non
[2:21:39] discretionary to a
[2:21:41] discretionary purpose.
[2:21:45] Secondly in doing so or as a
[2:21:47] result of this shift could you
[2:21:49] try using the other mc.
[2:21:50] It's just I don't know what's.
[2:21:54] If that one is better.
[2:21:54] Hello.
[2:22:00] And so in doing so it's still
[2:22:04] doing it and in doing so as a
[2:22:07] result of these these shifts
[2:22:12] there will be uh an increase
[2:22:14] indemnification provision that
[2:22:17] will uh protect.
[2:22:21] Wayne Dudley will assume
[2:22:23] additional responsibilities.
[2:22:25] Those who were put in board.
[2:22:29] Thirdly and that is really
[2:22:31] specific to Dudley Dudley
[2:22:32] Street.
[2:22:34] Uh, this agreement is
[2:22:36] reiterating, uh, the district's
[2:22:38] commitment to collaborate with
[2:22:40] the school to establish a
[2:22:43] pathway k-12 to the Dearborn
[2:22:44] Stem Academy.
[2:22:48] And so tonight, uh, we request
[2:22:50] you overview of the Dudley
[2:22:53] Street mou and your
[2:22:55] consideration for approval
[2:22:56] of the letter school committee.
[2:22:58] Thank you.
[2:23:03] And I'll open it up to any
[2:23:04] questions from the.
[2:23:07] Sky.
[2:23:11] Thank you doctor Uno.
[2:23:13] I just had a question about the
[2:23:15] k 12 pathway and just
[2:23:16] clarifying the definition of k
[2:23:18] to 12 pathway.
[2:23:21] Um that it's not implying that
[2:23:22] the school would become a k 12
[2:23:23] .
[2:23:24] You're saying that there's a
[2:23:27] commitment to have a defined
[2:23:29] pathway from Dudley Street
[2:23:32] suitable through k 12 that it's
[2:23:34] correct that will be um a
[2:23:36] defined pathway from Dudley
[2:23:38] Street to the Dearborn Academy
[2:23:40] making it a continuum k 12.
[2:23:45] And right now there is a gap
[2:23:47] between the end of Dudley
[2:23:49] Street and the beginning
[2:23:52] of Dearborn with Dudley Street
[2:23:54] terminating or ending in fifth
[2:23:57] grade and Dearborn beginning in
[2:23:57] seventh.
[2:23:59] So it's part of the commitment
[2:23:59] .
[2:24:03] Um, figuring out the right, um,
[2:24:06] series of schools or some
[2:24:09] advised pathway in the interim
[2:24:10] before Dearborn starts.
[2:24:12] Yes, that that is what the the
[2:24:13] intent is.
[2:24:19] This is a historical um
[2:24:20] partnership with Boston Plan
[2:24:23] for excellence, uh, that
[2:24:27] oversaw Dudley uh, and um for a
[2:24:30] period of time was the receiver
[2:24:31] for the Dearborn.
[2:24:33] Uh, the Dearborn has exited
[2:24:35] receivership and so the
[2:24:37] partnership with Dearborn is no
[2:24:39] longer the same although they
[2:24:40] you know, they still work to
[2:24:41] support.
[2:24:43] Um, but the Dudley is very much
[2:24:46] in tact and the spirit of this
[2:24:48] was always that students would
[2:24:50] continue uh, in early college
[2:24:52] preparation along the pathway
[2:24:54] as well as cte or, you know,
[2:24:55] any other kind of career
[2:24:56] connected activities.
[2:24:59] Uh, the Dearborn stopped taking
[2:25:01] a sixth grade class two years
[2:25:03] ago as part of a grade change.
[2:25:06] Dudley right now physically
[2:25:07] doesn't have the space to
[2:25:08] expand beyond fifth.
[2:25:11] One of the things we can look
[2:25:12] at, you know, our options
[2:25:15] around are there other feeders
[2:25:17] uh, that they could feed to for
[2:25:19] the sixth grade uh, for either
[2:25:21] the sixth, the sixth, seventh
[2:25:22] and eighth with the intent then
[2:25:24] transfer into the Dearborn at
[2:25:25] either the seventh grade or the
[2:25:26] ninth.
[2:25:27] Right.
[2:25:28] So I think that will be
[2:25:29] something we will continue in
[2:25:32] spirit to work with Dudley on.
[2:25:34] Um, and when they're working
[2:25:36] with their kids uh, that it is
[2:25:38] always with the intent and love
[2:25:39] to see them continue on with
[2:25:39] Dearborn.
[2:25:42] Uh, but if not Dearborn there
[2:25:43] are other schools for sure at
[2:25:45] the high school level that they
[2:25:46] can continue to work on some
[2:25:49] of the career and uh, early
[2:25:51] college uh preparation and
[2:25:52] continue.
[2:25:54] But there isn't an obligation
[2:25:56] here at this point for us to
[2:25:58] find and solve that problem in
[2:25:59] spirit.
[2:26:00] We agree and want to solve that
[2:26:02] problem because we think Dudley
[2:26:03] is a very good school.
[2:26:05] Thank you.
[2:26:06] You.
[2:26:07] Any more questions?
[2:26:10] Nothing else.
[2:26:11] Thank you.
[2:26:12] And we will take a vote on this
[2:26:13] at a later meeting.
[2:26:13] Thank you.
[2:26:14] Thank you.
[2:26:16] Okay.
[2:26:18] Our last report tonight is
[2:26:22] forward together the 2026 to
[2:26:23] 2031 Strategic roadmap for
[2:26:25] Boston Public Schools.
[2:26:27] Let's aim to keep the
[2:26:29] presentation within 20 minutes.
[2:26:30] And I'd like to remind our
[2:26:32] presenters to please speak at a
[2:26:35] slower pace to assist our
[2:26:35] interpreters.
[2:26:37] Superintendent, I invite you to
[2:26:39] give introductory remarks.
[2:26:39] Wonderful.
[2:26:39] Thank you.
[2:26:40] Chair.
[2:26:41] Um, so this evening we're
[2:26:43] presenting the next step in
[2:26:44] laying the groundwork for the
[2:26:45] next five years.
[2:26:48] Forward together the 20 2631
[2:26:50] Strategic Roadmap for Boston
[2:26:51] Public Schools is the latest
[2:26:53] update to our planning to build
[2:26:55] on the foundation we have
[2:26:57] created in the.
[2:26:58] Shortly you will hear from
[2:27:00] Doctor Colin Rose, Senior
[2:27:02] Advisor for Strategy and
[2:27:03] Opportunity Gaps Monica Hogan,
[2:27:05] Chief of Data, Information and
[2:27:06] Systems Improvement.
[2:27:08] They will be headlining the
[2:27:09] presentation tonight.
[2:27:13] Uh, also uh our deputy doctor
[2:27:14] Simon Wright deputy
[2:27:15] superintendent of academics
[2:27:17] Doctor Ana Tavares today
[2:27:19] superintendent of family and
[2:27:20] community advancement and
[2:27:23] doctor Samuel de Pina, senior
[2:27:25] deputy superintendent
[2:27:26] of operations are also here to
[2:27:27] support and answer questions
[2:27:29] relative to their uh,
[2:27:30] particular areas if there were
[2:27:32] any um with the opportunity and
[2:27:34] achievement gap policy is our
[2:27:34] North Star.
[2:27:36] We have developed this
[2:27:37] strategic roadmap to guide our
[2:27:39] mission into the next decade.
[2:27:41] The strategic roadmap is our
[2:27:43] blueprint, our outline of the
[2:27:45] actions we will prioritize to
[2:27:46] ensure student success.
[2:27:48] We have developed clear
[2:27:50] actionable steps that were
[2:27:51] informed by our vision for
[2:27:53] every student creating rigorous
[2:27:54] and culturally affirming
[2:27:57] learning experiences with a
[2:27:58] supportive network of caring
[2:28:00] adults and providing wellness
[2:28:02] and enrichment opportunities in
[2:28:04] physical spaces that support
[2:28:04] learning.
[2:28:06] In tonight's presentation you
[2:28:08] will hear more about the
[2:28:09] intersection of the oag policy.
[2:28:11] The strategic plan in the
[2:28:13] district's success measures we
[2:28:15] have put in place to monitor,
[2:28:17] to progress, monitor and hold
[2:28:18] ourselves accountable.
[2:28:20] Uh I want to thank the School
[2:28:22] Committee for your thankful for
[2:28:23] your thoughtful input.
[2:28:26] Uh, frankly as well as so many
[2:28:28] in the district and community
[2:28:30] as this has been a pretty
[2:28:31] extensive, uh, process.
[2:28:33] I also want to thank doctor
[2:28:34] Rose very much one for coming
[2:28:37] back into for leading charge on
[2:28:38] this work.
[2:28:40] Uh, to Chief Hogan.
[2:28:40] Same thing.
[2:28:42] Um, the members of the oag task
[2:28:45] force, the academics team under
[2:28:46] the leadership of Doctor
[2:28:46] Wright.
[2:28:48] And thank you for coming from
[2:28:50] Denver doctor Wright and the
[2:28:51] members of the school committee
[2:28:52] for getting us to this point.
[2:28:54] So at this point I will, uh,
[2:28:57] turn this over to doctor Rose.
[2:29:00] Good evening, school committee
[2:29:00] members.
[2:29:04] Uh, we are here to update, um,
[2:29:08] our final version of the focus
[2:29:10] areas objectives and key
[2:29:12] actions for Forward together
[2:29:15] the 2026 through 31 strategic
[2:29:17] roadmap for the Boston Public
[2:29:17] Schools.
[2:29:19] This is a culmination of many
[2:29:20] months of engagement.
[2:29:24] Uh, I was before you last APRIL
[2:29:25] where I outlined our engagement
[2:29:28] and presented a draft roadmap.
[2:29:31] In the interim I along with my
[2:29:32] colleague Tamika Ashley Buck
[2:29:34] Meyer worked with chiefs and
[2:29:36] deputy superintendents to
[2:29:38] refine the roadmap and I now
[2:29:39] bring it before this body for
[2:29:40] your consideration.
[2:29:43] Um, doctor de Pina, Doctor
[2:29:44] Tavares, uh and Doctor Wright
[2:29:46] will be available for questions
[2:29:48] tonight as ultimately the work
[2:29:49] of implementation falls under
[2:29:49] their leadership.
[2:29:53] In addition, after much
[2:29:54] collaboration between school
[2:29:56] committee um and the district
[2:29:57] especially Doctor Wright and
[2:29:59] Monica Hogan, we are presenting
[2:30:01] a list of district success
[2:30:01] measures.
[2:30:03] These measures will help
[2:30:05] monitor the progress of the
[2:30:07] district over the five years
[2:30:07] of the roadmap.
[2:30:14] As discussed in APRIL, our
[2:30:16] Opportunity Achievement Gap
[2:30:18] policy is the North Star for
[2:30:18] the district.
[2:30:21] And as you're well aware our
[2:30:22] community came together their
[2:30:24] many engagements through the
[2:30:25] long term facilities planning
[2:30:28] process to outline the tangible
[2:30:29] components to ensure that
[2:30:29] vision.
[2:30:32] This is called the high quality
[2:30:33] student experience and it
[2:30:35] includes rigorous and
[2:30:37] culturally affirming learning
[2:30:39] experiences, wellness and
[2:30:40] enrichment opportunities.
[2:30:43] A supportive network of caring
[2:30:45] adults and physical spaces that
[2:30:48] foster learning.
[2:30:50] As stated in the oag vision, we
[2:30:52] believe that all students no
[2:30:54] matter their background can
[2:30:56] attain excellence and that
[2:30:57] their outcomes are a direct
[2:30:58] result of the opportunities
[2:30:59] that they are afforded.
[2:31:02] Delivering on our mission means
[2:31:05] that we must directly and
[2:31:06] systematically address the
[2:31:08] opportunity gaps in the high
[2:31:09] quality student experience that
[2:31:11] lead to gaps in student
[2:31:12] proficiency, especially for
[2:31:14] those groups who have been
[2:31:15] historically underserved or mis
[2:31:16] served by our district.
[2:31:24] These are our focus areas for
[2:31:26] the strategic roadmap which
[2:31:28] include high quality
[2:31:29] instruction and student
[2:31:31] supports, positive school
[2:31:33] climate and high quality
[2:31:35] programing and facilities.
[2:31:38] We will also focus on enabling
[2:31:41] conditions which are those
[2:31:43] organizational dispositions,
[2:31:46] mindsets structures needed to
[2:31:48] execute including equity
[2:31:51] centered culture and practice
[2:31:52] systems alignment and
[2:31:55] partnership and resource
[2:31:56] alignment and improvement.
[2:31:58] In the next few slides I will
[2:32:00] discuss these areas and
[2:32:00] conditions.
[2:32:02] A detailed outline of these
[2:32:04] focus areas with objectives and
[2:32:06] key actions have been provided
[2:32:07] to the committee.
[2:32:10] As a reminder from last APRIL's
[2:32:12] presentation, these focus areas
[2:32:13] and enabling conditions are
[2:32:15] meant to crosswalk with the
[2:32:17] major objectives in the ag
[2:32:17] policy.
[2:32:20] So ultimately implementing this
[2:32:21] plan and implementing the
[2:32:22] policy are one in the same.
[2:32:25] We took great care to provide
[2:32:27] that crosswalk as foundational
[2:32:28] framing when creating this
[2:32:30] roadmap with our stakeholders.
[2:32:38] Our first focus area is high
[2:32:39] quality instruction and student
[2:32:40] supports.
[2:32:43] This is aimed at improving the
[2:32:45] core classroom experience for
[2:32:46] all of our students and
[2:32:47] especially those who have been
[2:32:49] historically marginalized to
[2:32:51] improve academic performance.
[2:32:54] There are two core objectives
[2:32:58] one scale good teaching a few
[2:32:59] key actions under this would be
[2:33:01] to outline a professional
[2:33:03] development plan that
[2:33:04] emphasizes strong teaching
[2:33:06] practices for the diverse
[2:33:07] learners that we have in
[2:33:09] Boston, as well as ensuring
[2:33:10] that the teachers have the
[2:33:11] curriculum to do that.
[2:33:15] Second, uh, there's an
[2:33:16] objective to provide strong
[2:33:18] student supports to keep
[2:33:20] students on track and intervene
[2:33:21] and accelerate when they do
[2:33:22] fall behind.
[2:33:25] An example of an action on this
[2:33:27] uh, we will need to continue to
[2:33:29] better equip teachers and staff
[2:33:31] with impactful interventions
[2:33:32] that actually meet our students
[2:33:33] needs.
[2:33:39] Our second focus area deals
[2:33:41] with the general environment in
[2:33:42] our schools.
[2:33:44] We want to make sure that
[2:33:46] students are both attending and
[2:33:47] feel connected to school.
[2:33:50] Intuition tells us in evidence
[2:33:53] shows that students who are in
[2:33:54] school and feel connected
[2:33:56] achieve at significantly higher
[2:33:57] levels.
[2:34:00] Objective here is uh include
[2:34:02] one ensuring students generally
[2:34:03] have a strong sense
[2:34:06] of belonging and safety in our
[2:34:08] schools and an example action
[2:34:10] would be to ensure strong
[2:34:11] structure structures for
[2:34:13] relationship building and
[2:34:14] utilizing student feedback.
[2:34:18] Second, uh surrounds attendance
[2:34:19] as a whole.
[2:34:21] We know that having an
[2:34:22] environment that fosters a
[2:34:25] sense of belonging, uh, creates
[2:34:26] the conditions where students
[2:34:27] and families want to come to
[2:34:27] school.
[2:34:30] But there's still often other
[2:34:31] barriers that keep them from
[2:34:32] coming.
[2:34:34] Uh, and we must attend to those
[2:34:34] .
[2:34:36] An example of a key action to
[2:34:37] better would be to better
[2:34:39] coordinate our attendance
[2:34:40] supports at the district level
[2:34:42] to streamline resources for
[2:34:44] staff on the ground and
[2:34:45] families so that we can
[2:34:47] anticipate and address those
[2:34:48] barriers quicker.
[2:34:55] The last focus area is high
[2:34:57] quality programing and
[2:34:57] facilities.
[2:35:00] We need to continue to build
[2:35:03] the educational spaces and
[2:35:04] programing that respects
[2:35:07] student and family aspirations
[2:35:09] and supports the goal of high
[2:35:10] achievement in the district.
[2:35:13] Here we have three objectives
[2:35:15] one to ensure we are moving
[2:35:17] towards 21st century education
[2:35:18] spaces.
[2:35:20] This is all that work that
[2:35:21] surrounds both new buildings
[2:35:22] and renovations.
[2:35:26] Second is to expand access to
[2:35:27] program programing that will
[2:35:31] set uh students up for career,
[2:35:31] college and life.
[2:35:34] Um that includes making sure
[2:35:35] students have access to things
[2:35:38] like mass core bilingual
[2:35:39] education, career and technical
[2:35:41] education, advanced placement,
[2:35:43] dual enrollment and other
[2:35:44] experiences that one would need
[2:35:46] uh to progress towards their
[2:35:47] chosen life path.
[2:35:52] Third and finally given the
[2:35:54] move to move towards more
[2:35:56] modern facilities, it is
[2:35:57] unavoidable that there will
[2:35:59] continue to be some disruption
[2:35:59] for families.
[2:36:02] We must ensure that when a
[2:36:04] school community is uprooted
[2:36:06] that families and students are
[2:36:08] well cared for and end up in
[2:36:10] schools that better support the
[2:36:11] high quality student experience
[2:36:13] which is the reason for the
[2:36:16] long term facilities planning
[2:36:17] process in the first place.
[2:36:26] In order to be best positioned
[2:36:28] to achieve those objectives I
[2:36:30] outlined, we also must attend
[2:36:32] to general disparate uh
[2:36:34] dispositions, mindsets and
[2:36:36] structures that allow us to
[2:36:38] work efficiently, effectively
[2:36:38] and equitably.
[2:36:41] We call these enabling
[2:36:41] conditions.
[2:36:44] Many of these are explicitly
[2:36:47] identified in the org policy as
[2:36:51] key systemic inputs in order to
[2:36:52] move our system forward without
[2:36:53] leaving certain student groups
[2:36:54] behind.
[2:36:57] The first enabling condition is
[2:36:58] ensuring an equity centered
[2:36:59] district culture.
[2:37:03] This focuses on the ability
[2:37:05] of staff to work across
[2:37:06] difference with a special focus
[2:37:08] on what is needed to serve
[2:37:09] those who have historically
[2:37:10] been underserved in our system.
[2:37:14] Part of this work is to ensure
[2:37:15] our staff, especially our
[2:37:17] teaching staff continues to
[2:37:19] better reflect our students and
[2:37:19] their families.
[2:37:22] The second condition is to
[2:37:24] continuously focus on
[2:37:26] strengthening our collaboration
[2:37:27] with families and communities.
[2:37:30] Families and communities come
[2:37:32] with a great amount of cultural
[2:37:33] wealth that when leverage can
[2:37:35] have great impacts on student
[2:37:35] learning.
[2:37:38] On the flip side, students are
[2:37:40] at home and in the community
[2:37:41] more than they are actually in
[2:37:42] our schools.
[2:37:44] So being better able to share
[2:37:47] our practices with families and
[2:37:48] communities will strengthen our
[2:37:48] district.
[2:37:50] Our work as a district.
[2:37:53] Finally, we will need to ensure
[2:37:55] that our resources are aligned
[2:37:57] to execute the strategic
[2:37:58] roadmap including our budget
[2:37:59] person.
[2:38:01] Our time and attention.
[2:38:05] We also need to have the data
[2:38:07] and the data systems to be able
[2:38:08] to continuously improve.
[2:38:11] Helping us do more of what
[2:38:13] works and less of what doesn't
[2:38:13] .
[2:38:22] Finally, to monitor the impact
[2:38:24] of the strategic roadmap we
[2:38:26] will use key measures informed
[2:38:28] by the policy including the
[2:38:30] district's success measures
[2:38:31] that are being presented
[2:38:31] tonight.
[2:38:34] District's success measures
[2:38:35] reflect many of the outcome
[2:38:37] measures identified by the oag
[2:38:40] policy and will be used by the
[2:38:41] School Committee to hold us
[2:38:41] accountable.
[2:38:44] These will eventually be
[2:38:45] rounded out by some internal
[2:38:47] and external measures that help
[2:38:48] us track implementation of our
[2:38:49] strategies.
[2:38:52] For example, although not a
[2:38:53] district success measure,
[2:38:55] teacher diversity will be a key
[2:38:58] input uh measure that will be
[2:38:59] publicly presented and
[2:39:02] monitored and in line with the
[2:39:03] language of the oag policy.
[2:39:05] Measures will be disaggregated
[2:39:07] by race, ethnicity,
[2:39:09] socioeconomic status and for
[2:39:10] multilingual learners and
[2:39:11] students with disability.
[2:39:14] I'm going to leave my portion
[2:39:15] of the presentation with a
[2:39:16] quick history lesson.
[2:39:18] I'm getting old enough to do
[2:39:19] some district history.
[2:39:23] Uh, the official framing
[2:39:24] of opportunity achievement gaps
[2:39:27] came in to the district around
[2:39:29] 2016 version of the og policy.
[2:39:31] I was part of that um prior to
[2:39:33] it was framed as the
[2:39:34] achievement gap and justifiably
[2:39:35] so.
[2:39:38] Um, you know, ultimately if
[2:39:41] what we do does not uh, close
[2:39:43] proficiency gaps for students
[2:39:44] then we haven't done our job.
[2:39:47] But the addition of the word
[2:39:50] opportunity was intentional and
[2:39:52] the intention was very clear.
[2:39:54] We are responsible for the
[2:39:55] conditions that foster
[2:39:55] achievement.
[2:39:57] The onus is on the adults.
[2:40:00] We believe in the brilliance
[2:40:02] of all of our kids, but we must
[2:40:03] create the conditions for that
[2:40:04] brilliance to take root.
[2:40:06] The implementation of the
[2:40:08] strategic roadmap really is
[2:40:10] about providing those equitable
[2:40:11] opportunities for students to
[2:40:12] achieve.
[2:40:14] I want to drive that connection
[2:40:16] home as we move towards a
[2:40:17] discussion of the achievement
[2:40:19] measures and other outcomes
[2:40:20] which again and rightfully so
[2:40:22] is how we will, uh, judge our
[2:40:23] success.
[2:40:25] Before that I turn it over to
[2:40:30] Monica Hogan, chief of data,
[2:40:30] Information and Systems
[2:40:31] Improvement.
[2:40:34] Thanks, doctor Rose.
[2:40:39] So as we considered what data
[2:40:41] to identify as our district
[2:40:43] success measures, um, we
[2:40:44] followed three guiding
[2:40:45] principles.
[2:40:48] First, that any measures we
[2:40:49] chose as a district success
[2:40:51] measure would have ways for us
[2:40:53] to progress monitor internally
[2:40:54] throughout the year.
[2:40:58] Second alignment and external
[2:40:58] validity.
[2:41:00] It was important to us to not
[2:41:02] create a brand new framework
[2:41:03] that would conflict with
[2:41:06] existing measures and instead
[2:41:07] ensure alignment with things
[2:41:08] like the Quality School
[2:41:10] Framework and the state
[2:41:10] Accountability system.
[2:41:14] And third, we only considered
[2:41:15] data points that would be able
[2:41:17] to be disaggregated um, by the
[2:41:20] major student groups that
[2:41:20] doctor Rose listed.
[2:41:26] So this slide outlines the
[2:41:27] proposed success measures.
[2:41:30] They are divided into two
[2:41:31] categories student achievement
[2:41:32] and culture and climate.
[2:41:34] The student achievement
[2:41:35] measures are organized to
[2:41:37] reflect a child's journey
[2:41:39] through us from early literacy
[2:41:40] through to graduation.
[2:41:43] The culture and climate
[2:41:45] measures include chronic
[2:41:47] absenteeism, student
[2:41:48] perspective on sense
[2:41:50] of belonging and safety as well
[2:41:51] as family climate survey
[2:41:52] indicators.
[2:41:54] You'll notice a few measures
[2:41:56] have two asterisks after them.
[2:41:57] These are currently under
[2:42:00] development and will have more
[2:42:01] information at a later meeting.
[2:42:06] Uh the next slide outlines the
[2:42:07] cadence that these district
[2:42:09] success measures will be made
[2:42:11] available um, based on timing
[2:42:13] throughout the year of when
[2:42:14] data is available to us.
[2:42:17] Um you'll see this is sort
[2:42:21] of the timing that is when we
[2:42:22] are able to present some
[2:42:24] of these things publicly, some
[2:42:26] of which you will hear about at
[2:42:27] our next meeting in OCTOBER.
[2:42:32] And in terms of next steps from
[2:42:34] here, um, there will be a vote
[2:42:35] at a future meeting.
[2:42:37] Um the district is currently in
[2:42:38] the process of creating five
[2:42:40] year targets for these district
[2:42:41] success measures that we just
[2:42:43] talked about and we will share
[2:42:45] those later this fall as well.
[2:42:46] I will turn it back to you,
[2:42:47] MADAM Chair for questions.
[2:42:49] Thank you.
[2:42:51] Um and then I'll open it up to
[2:42:52] the committee for questions.
[2:43:01] If you want to take a break,
[2:43:02] I'll take a crack at it.
[2:43:03] Go ahead.
[2:43:05] Okay.
[2:43:06] MR. Tran, you want to begin?
[2:43:08] Uh, did you want it?
[2:43:09] Yeah, sure.
[2:43:09] Go ahead.
[2:43:10] Yes.
[2:43:12] Hi.
[2:43:12] How are you?
[2:43:14] Thank you for, uh, very
[2:43:18] thorough roadmap for our oag.
[2:43:22] So they are four times
[2:43:25] according to, uh, your, uh,
[2:43:26] roadmap.
[2:43:28] They are four times throughout
[2:43:30] the academic year that you're
[2:43:32] going to report to us on the
[2:43:33] progress.
[2:43:37] OCTOBER, DECEMBER, APRIL and
[2:43:41] AUGUST with disaggregated uh
[2:43:46] data and in that would include
[2:43:49] the percentage of achievement
[2:43:51] of uh for group.
[2:43:52] Yeah.
[2:43:55] So in the OCTOBER category um
[2:43:57] that's where the main
[2:43:58] achievement measures are.
[2:43:59] So that is when we get mixed
[2:44:00] data.
[2:44:02] Um so the mixed achievement
[2:44:03] measure is the percentage
[2:44:04] of students in grades three
[2:44:06] through eight meeting or
[2:44:08] exceeding expectations and Ela
[2:44:08] and math.
[2:44:11] Um there's also the access
[2:44:13] measure for our multilingual
[2:44:14] learners related to making
[2:44:16] progress in learning English.
[2:44:19] Um and then there is a high
[2:44:20] school achievement measure that
[2:44:21] we have listed as under
[2:44:23] development as the State
[2:44:24] Graduation Council.
[2:44:27] Um, makes final determinations
[2:44:28] about what the future of and
[2:44:30] of course assessments will be
[2:44:31] for our high school students.
[2:44:33] So we are awaiting further
[2:44:35] information about what that
[2:44:36] measure will look like in the
[2:44:38] future but wanted to include it
[2:44:38] here.
[2:44:40] Okay.
[2:44:45] The proposed success measures
[2:44:47] whatever that page is there are
[2:44:49] two uh, columns.
[2:44:51] Yes, one is student achievement
[2:44:53] and the other is cultural uh,
[2:44:54] culture and climate.
[2:44:56] Yes.
[2:44:59] Describe to me how specific are
[2:45:02] the benchmarks or are the uh
[2:45:06] the actual steps that you are
[2:45:10] implementing to define culture
[2:45:12] and climate, uh, success?
[2:45:15] How the are you asking about
[2:45:17] the actions we are taking or
[2:45:19] how we are measuring progress
[2:45:22] measuring progress so the
[2:45:25] culture okay I'm Vietnamese I'm
[2:45:26] I'm from a culture.
[2:45:30] How do you define culture
[2:45:34] success in in uh in a student
[2:45:35] pop and student body?
[2:45:38] I think chronic absenteeism,
[2:45:39] student sense of belonging,
[2:45:42] school safety, family survey
[2:45:44] participation family survey
[2:45:46] staff family relationship.
[2:45:50] Yeah I think the category here
[2:45:51] referring to culture and
[2:45:52] climate is about the culture
[2:45:54] of the school environment that
[2:45:55] the students are in.
[2:45:55] Okay.
[2:45:59] Um so chronic absenteeism is um
[2:46:01] looking at the percentage
[2:46:02] of students who are absent more
[2:46:05] than 10% of the school year,
[2:46:06] um, students sense of belonging
[2:46:09] and school safety are both um
[2:46:11] domains on the student climate
[2:46:11] survey.
[2:46:13] And so we hear from our
[2:46:14] students um, twice a year in
[2:46:16] the middle of the year and the
[2:46:17] end of the year about how they
[2:46:20] are feeling, um, within their
[2:46:22] school building, their sense
[2:46:23] of belonging as well as how
[2:46:24] safe they are feeling.
[2:46:28] Um, family survey participation
[2:46:29] this is an annual climate
[2:46:30] survey that we give at the end
[2:46:31] of the year.
[2:46:33] Um and so we are looking at
[2:46:35] increasing the participation
[2:46:36] of our families who respond to
[2:46:37] that survey.
[2:46:38] Um, and then the the last
[2:46:40] measure of staff family
[2:46:41] relationships is one of the
[2:46:42] ones that's under development.
[2:46:44] We are currently looking at the
[2:46:45] questions on the Family Climate
[2:46:47] Survey to determine if the
[2:46:49] questions we are currently
[2:46:50] asking measure what we truly
[2:46:53] want to understand about the
[2:46:54] family perspective on culture
[2:46:55] and climate at their child's
[2:46:56] school.
[2:46:58] Um and so we'll have more
[2:46:59] information as we further
[2:47:01] refine what that measure looks
[2:47:03] like like answer your question
[2:47:05] to a certain extent yes.
[2:47:09] So in a way whenever we we
[2:47:11] receive your report you know,
[2:47:14] the quarterly report we would
[2:47:18] expect to see some positive uh,
[2:47:21] outcome for each of these uh,
[2:47:22] success measure.
[2:47:24] I hope ideally, yes.
[2:47:25] Okay.
[2:47:27] I will come back with other
[2:47:31] questions but, uh but I think I
[2:47:32] understand it easier.
[2:47:37] Uh, the semantic behind um,
[2:47:40] okay, uh, culture and climate.
[2:47:43] Go ahead.
[2:47:43] Okay.
[2:47:44] I have a question.
[2:47:46] Yeah, I have a question on a
[2:47:47] thank you for the presentation.
[2:47:49] Yeah I have a question on
[2:47:49] accountability.
[2:47:52] Okay I know that we say we but
[2:47:54] that's a lot of people.
[2:47:57] And how do we all connect to
[2:47:59] the schools to be able to know
[2:48:01] what school is making progress
[2:48:01] in.
[2:48:03] How are we measuring that?
[2:48:07] Yeah.
[2:48:09] So I think um these measures
[2:48:12] are all available to be able to
[2:48:13] be broken down by school.
[2:48:15] Um our schools are also held
[2:48:16] accountable through the state
[2:48:17] accountability system.
[2:48:19] Um, which you'll hear a more
[2:48:20] detailed report about in
[2:48:22] OCTOBER after that data is um,
[2:48:24] made publicly available.
[2:48:25] Right.
[2:48:27] The schools also have um cusa
[2:48:29] plans and so on those kinds
[2:48:32] of plans for instance, um the
[2:48:33] chronic absenteeism rate, the
[2:48:34] sense of belonging.
[2:48:36] Uh some of these are coming
[2:48:37] from the Kaiser, right?
[2:48:39] We have asked schools to focus
[2:48:42] on kind of three core things
[2:48:43] and we want the consistency
[2:48:44] of that.
[2:48:46] Um, so while we will be
[2:48:48] reporting up the disaggregated
[2:48:50] aggregate the disaggregated
[2:48:52] roll up of that, we also will
[2:48:54] be looking at how individual
[2:48:56] schools are doing right as part
[2:48:58] of what we we do like each fall
[2:49:00] uh in the cycle and that's
[2:49:02] something uh actually all three
[2:49:03] deputies will be looking at
[2:49:06] where the particular measure
[2:49:08] falls because that was one
[2:49:09] of my questions I do have we
[2:49:12] chosen some of the uh focus.
[2:49:12] Yeah.
[2:49:14] And say to the school these are
[2:49:16] the focus that we are working
[2:49:19] on and uh how do you measure
[2:49:20] that in your school so you can
[2:49:21] have we can have data within
[2:49:22] the q set.
[2:49:23] That's right.
[2:49:23] So yeah.
[2:49:25] So so for the cuz the sense
[2:49:26] of belonging which is the
[2:49:27] climate right.
[2:49:28] The school climate that we're
[2:49:30] trying to establish um because
[2:49:33] it drives uh students coming to
[2:49:35] school and uh it is linked to
[2:49:35] academics.
[2:49:39] Uh the academic um measures
[2:49:41] that the uh that we have as
[2:49:43] part of the accountability uh
[2:49:45] framework that is part of it.
[2:49:47] Uh, and chronic absenteeism.
[2:49:48] So those have been the three
[2:49:50] and then we also have spoken
[2:49:51] with our school leaders about
[2:49:53] family engagement, the
[2:49:54] importance of the participation
[2:49:59] on the survey, uh, and the uh
[2:50:00] what the outcome is of that
[2:50:01] performance.
[2:50:01] Right.
[2:50:04] So um, are we getting a good
[2:50:06] sampling of families responding
[2:50:08] to the survey and is it
[2:50:10] favorable for how families feel
[2:50:11] about that school?
[2:50:13] Thank you.
[2:50:14] Okay.
[2:50:17] Thank you.
[2:50:19] Want to thank you, Sarah.
[2:50:20] Uh, report.
[2:50:27] Um, Tomoaki, cuando el plan
[2:50:29] estamos muy contento con el
[2:50:30] blanco to the present time.
[2:50:34] So I have to say that, uh, many
[2:50:36] of us that are here we are very
[2:50:37] pleased and very happy with the
[2:50:40] proposed, uh, plan that we have
[2:50:40] .
[2:50:41] And I congratulate you for all
[2:50:44] the work you put on that e una
[2:50:47] vela principal and MAY not
[2:50:50] nosotros para la implementation
[2:50:50] del plan.
[2:50:53] Como vamos implementable plan.
[2:50:56] Como vamos a hacer es de plan
[2:50:58] maravilloso weather de vida
[2:50:59] sleep without the net Buenos
[2:51:00] resultados.
[2:51:02] So one of the questions that we
[2:51:05] might we have most of us is how
[2:51:07] is the implementation of this
[2:51:10] plan lead to wonderful results
[2:51:12] the implementation itself how
[2:51:14] are we going to achieve those
[2:51:15] proposed goals?
[2:51:20] It MAY stir this and uh it MAY
[2:51:23] propuesta de as it does to this
[2:51:25] will be the windows part.
[2:51:27] This is a logrado to the de la
[2:51:28] cultural el ambiente.
[2:51:30] We talk about the uh climate
[2:51:32] culture and uh student
[2:51:34] achievement and uh the metrics
[2:51:36] of success that you have here
[2:51:38] were divided in those two
[2:51:41] particular groups and divided
[2:51:45] was the end of we being our
[2:51:48] preocupar I do agree with the
[2:51:49] the way that you divided that
[2:51:51] information in both groups.
[2:51:53] Uh, just as I just mentioned.
[2:51:57] However my concern is
[2:51:59] exactamente mecanismo uh
[2:52:01] utilizar porque la cultura
[2:52:05] ambiente enquanto las familias
[2:52:07] cu realiza really Serangoon and
[2:52:08] Encuesta.
[2:52:09] So you're talking about the
[2:52:11] cultural environment and we are
[2:52:13] talking about the the families
[2:52:13] as well.
[2:52:15] And you mentioned as well that
[2:52:18] uh a survey was in place for
[2:52:21] this purpose is important
[2:52:23] familias pueden monitoring mas
[2:52:26] de cerca circle with how
[2:52:29] important the pero muchas veces
[2:52:32] todas las familias I do believe
[2:52:33] that uh service are very
[2:52:35] important but it is very
[2:52:36] important to make sure that the
[2:52:38] families have the ability to
[2:52:40] monitor this success metrics
[2:52:43] because I know that not every
[2:52:45] family gets a survey or is
[2:52:45] surveyed.
[2:52:47] Um Pennsylvania algun plan a
[2:52:50] parte de la encuesta para la
[2:52:52] familia monitorar Ella Vance
[2:52:54] e por eso is there any plan or
[2:52:56] something you have in mind for
[2:52:58] the families to be able to
[2:53:00] monitor the progress of their
[2:53:02] success metrics that your
[2:53:04] suggestion how can they monitor
[2:53:05] success if they don't have
[2:53:08] access to a survey I would
[2:53:09] suggest maybe Doctor Tavares
[2:53:11] you could just speak to the
[2:53:12] work you doing with the family
[2:53:15] liaisons um the the uh family
[2:53:16] councils in the school say
[2:53:17] councils to make sure that
[2:53:20] we're engaging our families um
[2:53:21] ,and that they do in fact will
[2:53:22] have access to the surveys.
[2:53:25] Thank you for your question.
[2:53:26] Um, school committee member
[2:53:28] Polanco Garcia, we have many
[2:53:29] touch points.
[2:53:31] As the superintendent has
[2:53:31] mentioned.
[2:53:36] One of them is the cadre
[2:53:37] of staff members that we have
[2:53:38] that are family liaisons, as
[2:53:40] you know, that are positioned
[2:53:42] at almost every single one
[2:53:44] of our schools that receive
[2:53:46] professional development very
[2:53:48] specific and aligned with the
[2:53:50] strategic plan once it is
[2:53:51] approved by this body.
[2:53:56] Uh, we already have set up a
[2:53:58] calendar for the school year
[2:53:59] where the family liaisons will
[2:54:03] be um, not only will they
[2:54:04] receive professional
[2:54:07] development from Key Kim, key
[2:54:10] team members from the different
[2:54:11] departments that are supporting
[2:54:13] this work, but also it is
[2:54:15] aligning with every single q
[2:54:16] cip at the school level which
[2:54:18] the superintendent also
[2:54:18] mentioned.
[2:54:21] The quality school plan is
[2:54:22] really important to this work
[2:54:23] as is the training of the
[2:54:26] family liaisons as is also the
[2:54:28] support of the family councils
[2:54:31] at every single school as is
[2:54:32] the school site council which I
[2:54:34] know you know comes from the
[2:54:36] voted members from the family
[2:54:40] council and that um imperative
[2:54:42] need of having the connectivity
[2:54:44] not only with these you know
[2:54:45] we're we're we're speaking at
[2:54:48] this level here and we want to
[2:54:51] make sure we invite families in
[2:54:53] so that they are with us and
[2:54:56] that we have dialog with them
[2:54:57] around.
[2:54:59] What does this mean and how
[2:55:00] will this impact the learning
[2:55:02] of their children at the school
[2:55:02] level?
[2:55:05] So you're right to ask us okay
[2:55:07] this is all this this is all
[2:55:08] well and good and doctor Rose
[2:55:10] has worked really hard with his
[2:55:12] team to get this work in front
[2:55:12] of you.
[2:55:14] But what is that going to look
[2:55:15] like when it's implemented at
[2:55:16] the school level?
[2:55:18] And that's the the work that we
[2:55:22] are excited about and ready to
[2:55:24] implement once this body
[2:55:25] decides that we can move
[2:55:26] forward.
[2:55:32] Sobre la la um luci council
[2:55:33] parent council porque
[2:55:35] importante um Los Angeles
[2:55:39] familiares tengan la casa para
[2:55:43] ser el plan e para ng sonata
[2:55:45] familias tambi\n cuando el
[2:55:46] conciliar de Paris.
[2:55:47] It is very important that
[2:55:48] you're mentioning that there
[2:55:50] are at the the site council the
[2:55:52] families that are they they are
[2:55:54] able to act as liaisons as well
[2:55:56] for the purpose
[2:55:57] of communicating their
[2:55:58] strategic plans or success
[2:55:59] measures to the parents
[2:56:01] themselves at the school level.
[2:56:05] E otra pregunta is contra la
[2:56:06] semana Dario de la publication
[2:56:09] de datos and the other question
[2:56:11] I do have is regarding the uh
[2:56:13] publishing of data and the the
[2:56:14] calendar that is attached to
[2:56:14] it.
[2:56:18] A banner I need a kilometer
[2:56:20] color informative por
[2:56:22] of Mexican Puerto or Como Como
[2:56:24] se Puebla um poquito mas de
[2:56:27] Como esta it um formation para
[2:56:29] nosotros el Como el progreso.
[2:56:31] Will you guys be present here
[2:56:33] as established in the calendar
[2:56:35] are you go are you guys going
[2:56:35] to camp here.
[2:56:38] How are we going to as members
[2:56:40] of this committee know about
[2:56:41] the the progress that this is
[2:56:43] up and tell me a bit a little
[2:56:44] bit about this I know the team
[2:56:46] will and I'm going to invite my
[2:56:47] colleague Monica to come and
[2:56:47] respond.
[2:56:56] Uh thanks Doctor Tavares um I
[2:57:00] think some of this is um up for
[2:57:01] conversation of how you would
[2:57:03] best like to be updated um, if
[2:57:05] that is a formal presentation
[2:57:07] each of these months if that is
[2:57:08] a memo if that is a dashboard.
[2:57:10] Um, I think that's something
[2:57:11] that we are interested in
[2:57:15] hearing what um what you would
[2:57:16] prefer and then working with
[2:57:18] the the chair and vice chair to
[2:57:19] make sure that that gets sort
[2:57:21] of put on the agenda as needed
[2:57:21] so.
[2:57:24] To be determined.
[2:57:28] And I also don't want to ignore
[2:57:29] your original question around
[2:57:31] like implementation.
[2:57:32] Um, clearly this isn't a
[2:57:33] detailed like implementation
[2:57:34] plan.
[2:57:35] This is like our high level
[2:57:36] roadmap.
[2:57:38] Um, we'll continue to have to
[2:57:40] think about like how we present
[2:57:42] data so that folks can digest
[2:57:43] it.
[2:57:47] Uh, and also you know, refine
[2:57:50] codify uh internally what those
[2:57:52] action steps are is uh similar
[2:57:53] to when we're creating targets
[2:57:55] and how we communicate that
[2:57:56] best uh, to the public and you
[2:57:59] all to understand deeply kind
[2:58:00] of what our strategies are
[2:58:00] like.
[2:58:02] Ana just helped you understand
[2:58:04] her thoughts around strategy
[2:58:05] with families.
[2:58:07] But there's got to be a way to
[2:58:08] kind of communicate that out,
[2:58:10] um, or what our key actions
[2:58:12] will be beyond like the things
[2:58:13] that you see at the top level
[2:58:14] in this plan.
[2:58:16] You know, I would just add
[2:58:17] about implementation.
[2:58:19] Good evening everyone that all
[2:58:20] of our um respective
[2:58:22] departments um have provided
[2:58:25] feedback on um this roadmap and
[2:58:27] this is work that we know that
[2:58:28] we're going to align to rally
[2:58:30] around continue and go deeper
[2:58:31] into in some areas.
[2:58:33] So the implementation has
[2:58:34] already started um is what I
[2:58:36] would say where our teams are
[2:58:38] aligned um the schools have the
[2:58:39] disciplines identified and
[2:58:41] mapped out in our work now was
[2:58:43] basically to uh work with all
[2:58:45] the teams to make sure there's
[2:58:45] continuity between central
[2:58:47] offices departments making sure
[2:58:48] day to day we're working with
[2:58:50] schools to make sure that these
[2:58:52] um, strategies and goals and
[2:58:54] issues that we laid out will be
[2:58:55] implemented supported from
[2:58:57] central where we need to lean
[2:58:59] in and provide more support to
[2:58:59] schools.
[2:59:01] We will do more work with the
[2:59:02] community and families.
[2:59:03] We will we we need to rally
[2:59:05] around partners to help us move
[2:59:06] the work we will.
[2:59:07] So a lot of it's already
[2:59:09] started but to the point how we
[2:59:10] um presented to you were open
[2:59:12] for feedback and how we do that
[2:59:13] right.
[2:59:15] And I think I think what I
[2:59:18] really appreciate about the
[2:59:20] leadership with uh with Colin
[2:59:23] and Monica and the team as well
[2:59:26] as the deputies is you can have
[2:59:27] a really nice looking strategic
[2:59:31] plan and have it do nothing and
[2:59:33] we've had that in the past in
[2:59:35] dps and I think we're all
[2:59:37] committed at every level to
[2:59:39] wanting to change to the
[2:59:40] positive the experience of our
[2:59:41] kids and our families.
[2:59:44] So that is really the outcome
[2:59:46] we're looking for by
[2:59:48] establishing the measures and
[2:59:50] the roadmap and then setting
[2:59:53] smart targets to those but
[2:59:55] drilling down throughout the
[2:59:56] organization so that this
[2:59:57] becomes the language that
[2:59:58] everyone's using.
[3:00:03] That's la la ultima pregunta go
[3:00:05] es is contra la la la Como Como
[3:00:06] .
[3:00:11] Dario's actual is a estas
[3:00:14] that's ambitious marketing the
[3:00:15] strategic especialmente
[3:00:18] illustrious education special
[3:00:19] e Estudiantes multilingual.
[3:00:23] Um so the other question that I
[3:00:25] do have it has to do with that
[3:00:27] two vulnerable populations that
[3:00:28] we do have English language
[3:00:29] learners and special education
[3:00:30] .
[3:00:32] Considering the ambitious plans
[3:00:33] that you have as part of this
[3:00:35] road of success map that we
[3:00:38] have that strategic plan in the
[3:00:40] future, how how is that going
[3:00:42] to align to the current
[3:00:44] budgetary restrictions that are
[3:00:46] in place provided this
[3:00:48] ambitious plans that you have
[3:00:49] at the same time?
[3:00:53] Yeah, I think that that's part
[3:00:54] of the enabling condition.
[3:00:56] So we have to take a look at
[3:00:58] what we want to focus in on our
[3:00:59] strategies and make sure that
[3:01:01] our budget, our people power,
[3:01:04] our attention, our time is on
[3:01:05] that and I'm going to hand it
[3:01:06] off to yeah.
[3:01:09] So uh uh thank you.
[3:01:12] Um, member Polanco Garcia um, I
[3:01:14] think it's worth acknowledging
[3:01:16] um, we we're on the journey
[3:01:18] of hyper focusing on the
[3:01:19] performance of our students
[3:01:21] with disabilities and our
[3:01:22] multilingual learners.
[3:01:24] I think this predates me.
[3:01:25] I think a lot of the resources
[3:01:26] and the structures are in
[3:01:29] place, I think for the work
[3:01:31] of academics, um, and the
[3:01:33] support of schools it's really
[3:01:35] getting more fine tuned around
[3:01:38] how we use various data inputs
[3:01:40] to support our students.
[3:01:42] Um, I mean that's that's really
[3:01:44] going to be the work I think to
[3:01:46] accelerate, um, learning for
[3:01:47] those particular student
[3:01:48] groups.
[3:01:49] I think many of you got the
[3:01:50] opportunity to engage with the
[3:01:52] superintendent um, around the
[3:01:54] presentation she did for our
[3:01:54] school leaders.
[3:01:57] Um and she made it clear she
[3:01:58] was like we're closing gaps,
[3:01:59] right?
[3:02:01] Um and she laid it out.
[3:02:03] We our school leaders have all
[3:02:05] developed goals that are hyper
[3:02:06] hyperfocus on the some of the
[3:02:07] student groups that you just
[3:02:10] named um, in our our central
[3:02:14] support teams are are already I
[3:02:15] hate to say it in the streets
[3:02:18] um um really working alongside
[3:02:20] our school leaders um, to
[3:02:22] ensure that, you know, those
[3:02:23] particular student groups have
[3:02:24] an excellent year.
[3:02:30] Absolutely.
[3:02:32] And I and the other thing I
[3:02:33] would say is that this is like
[3:02:35] an example when we when we look
[3:02:37] at just say on the pure
[3:02:39] academic side when we look at
[3:02:42] the benchmarks that are given
[3:02:44] in state accountability they
[3:02:47] are incremental at best for
[3:02:48] particularly our students with
[3:02:49] disabilities, you know,
[3:02:50] multilingual learners with and
[3:02:51] without disability.
[3:02:53] And so we cannot be satisfied.
[3:02:57] We have to move this
[3:02:59] achievement because these are
[3:03:02] our kids and they represent a
[3:03:03] large portion of our kids.
[3:03:06] So I think that is what we
[3:03:07] spent a lot of really talking
[3:03:07] about.
[3:03:11] It's what um our oss uh um,
[3:03:12] Office of Specialized Services
[3:03:14] and our own m e are very
[3:03:17] focused on and we see it in
[3:03:18] different sets of strategies
[3:03:20] like expanding bilingual
[3:03:22] education and access the hiring
[3:03:23] of our staff.
[3:03:23] Right.
[3:03:26] Especially education inclusion
[3:03:27] and giving access to students.
[3:03:29] So we've already begun many
[3:03:32] of the strategies, but I think
[3:03:35] this really is making it very
[3:03:37] public and accountable what our
[3:03:38] expectations are going to be
[3:03:40] and they need to be as
[3:03:42] aggressive as possible with the
[3:03:44] gaps because the gap isn't
[3:03:45] between groups.
[3:03:46] The gap is to proficiency.
[3:03:48] That is the goal.
[3:03:51] Every student doesn't matter
[3:03:53] what category a student falls
[3:03:56] under it's every student has to
[3:03:56] be proficient.
[3:03:59] Thank you.
[3:04:00] Thank you so much.
[3:04:07] Thank you Monica and Colin for
[3:04:08] the presentation.
[3:04:10] I see that you've brought the
[3:04:14] tokens and uh send me two
[3:04:14] messages.
[3:04:17] One is this this is important.
[3:04:18] Yeah.
[3:04:20] That you are good looking.
[3:04:21] You are all good.
[3:04:23] So this is important this this
[3:04:25] is where where you want to
[3:04:29] focus your energy these this
[3:04:31] school year and the upcoming
[3:04:35] school years until at least
[3:04:35] 2033 one.
[3:04:37] And the other thing that this
[3:04:39] is telling me is that this is
[3:04:41] not a one person job.
[3:04:43] It's not in this right.
[3:04:46] We we need everybody involved
[3:04:47] in getting these.
[3:04:49] We need the families to
[3:04:51] understand that they are
[3:04:52] important part of the success
[3:04:55] of their students and we need
[3:04:57] good schools and we need the
[3:05:00] best materials and the best
[3:05:02] strategies in our in our
[3:05:04] classrooms for our teachers and
[3:05:05] and paraprofessionals.
[3:05:08] So I feel we are getting closer
[3:05:10] and closer and it's clear that
[3:05:12] we all are on the same thing.
[3:05:14] I love what you said we just
[3:05:16] need to do more of our works
[3:05:18] and less than less than the
[3:05:19] things that are not working.
[3:05:23] Um sounds all great.
[3:05:27] I I need you to come back with
[3:05:31] a baseline and a target.
[3:05:34] Um, measure of success.
[3:05:35] I'll give you an example.
[3:05:38] Part of the work that I do for
[3:05:40] English for New Bostonians is
[3:05:43] to convince local companies to
[3:05:45] open English classes for their
[3:05:47] workers what we call workplace
[3:05:47] esl.
[3:05:51] My target for this fiscal year
[3:05:54] is opening 15 new of these
[3:05:54] classes.
[3:05:59] You know when JUNE 30th of 2027
[3:06:03] comes I I'll have to show the
[3:06:05] date we opened 50 new classes
[3:06:07] for for workers and there is
[3:06:10] obviously there is a a dollar
[3:06:11] amount attached to that that is
[3:06:13] supposed to come to English for
[3:06:15] new Bostonians or they will
[3:06:17] they will open more classes or
[3:06:17] less.
[3:06:20] Um so that's what I need.
[3:06:22] I need that to know like how
[3:06:23] close are we getting?
[3:06:26] Uh I'll give you an for example
[3:06:26] right here.
[3:06:28] Bear with me.
[3:06:31] Uh, focus area three high
[3:06:33] quality programing and
[3:06:35] facilities expand equitable
[3:06:37] access to high quality
[3:06:38] programing and facilities.
[3:06:42] Goal 3.2 expand equitable
[3:06:44] access to rigorous and
[3:06:46] culturally affirming affirming
[3:06:47] learning, wellness and
[3:06:49] enrichment opportunities.
[3:06:53] Key absent key action 3.21
[3:06:55] fully implement the existing
[3:06:58] expansion plans for dual
[3:07:00] language and bilingual
[3:07:01] education programs.
[3:07:03] The way I read this is there is
[3:07:04] a baseline.
[3:07:06] There is a plan that is going
[3:07:07] to be expand.
[3:07:10] How many do do we have now and
[3:07:13] what what does expansion mean
[3:07:17] when we get to 2031 I want to
[3:07:21] know yes we hit that mark
[3:07:23] of success because we opened
[3:07:24] this number of new classes.
[3:07:26] That's that's what I need from
[3:07:27] from you.
[3:07:29] Yeah no absolutely and that's
[3:07:29] the intent.
[3:07:32] So at the the next presentation
[3:07:33] the next piece will be the
[3:07:35] metrics and that will start
[3:07:37] with baseline as long as well
[3:07:39] as the five year look ahead so
[3:07:40] that you can all see where
[3:07:42] we're trying to get to the
[3:07:43] rationale of why we're trying
[3:07:45] to get there, how it positions
[3:07:47] us and then the conversation
[3:07:48] about what are the strategies
[3:07:50] and initiatives that we'll be
[3:07:51] employing to do that.
[3:07:53] So we're all on the same page.
[3:07:54] Thank you.
[3:07:54] Look.
[3:07:58] Thank you.
[3:08:03] Um I want to pick up on Member
[3:08:05] Peralta's um, great example in
[3:08:07] terms of the specificity of a
[3:08:08] measure for progress.
[3:08:12] Um, I do appreciate that there
[3:08:14] are proposed success measures
[3:08:16] here that at a future meeting
[3:08:19] would have specific 2031
[3:08:21] numeric targets as compared to
[3:08:23] current baselines with annual
[3:08:25] reporting on each of those
[3:08:27] indicators and a reflection on
[3:08:29] whether we're red, yellow or
[3:08:30] green on those indicators.
[3:08:32] I think I'm hearing you all say
[3:08:34] that these are the top line
[3:08:36] success measures that if the
[3:08:38] plan is successful these will
[3:08:39] be met.
[3:08:41] But I think Member Peralta's
[3:08:44] example is really important
[3:08:47] because he's pointing out a key
[3:08:48] action that also needs a
[3:08:49] measure.
[3:08:51] These are the success measures
[3:08:53] for the plan and then there are
[3:08:55] necessary implementation
[3:08:56] measures to measure the
[3:08:59] effectiveness of the action
[3:09:01] along the way which if they all
[3:09:03] are all on track will increase
[3:09:04] the odds that these big
[3:09:06] measures I.E. Like the
[3:09:08] district's report card will be
[3:09:09] successful.
[3:09:12] Um so I think my my first
[3:09:15] question is just what's coming
[3:09:18] next in terms of the level
[3:09:20] of detail that we don't have
[3:09:22] today but is in progress
[3:09:25] because this plan is 2026 to
[3:09:26] 31.
[3:09:27] Um, you know and as doctor de
[3:09:28] Pina said, it's underway
[3:09:29] already.
[3:09:33] Uh, so what don't we have that
[3:09:35] will fill in some of the blanks
[3:09:36] of you know, what my colleagues
[3:09:39] are describing that can kind
[3:09:40] of connect some of the dots.
[3:09:42] Um, I think we have great
[3:09:43] agreement that there is nothing
[3:09:47] in this document that is not
[3:09:49] important that we cannot get
[3:09:51] behind that we do not support.
[3:09:54] Um, but I think a greater
[3:09:56] understanding of of what is
[3:09:59] underneath it uh, and when we
[3:10:01] have access to that would allow
[3:10:04] us to help support that
[3:10:05] question that you all had
[3:10:06] of what the right reporting
[3:10:08] mechanism is on it.
[3:10:10] So just a greater understanding
[3:10:12] of what's still to come.
[3:10:15] Yeah I think you're you're
[3:10:16] talking about implementing like
[3:10:19] the implementation metrics and
[3:10:21] specific strategies that go
[3:10:22] underneath these focus areas.
[3:10:25] So um I think that is the next
[3:10:28] uh set of work that we need to
[3:10:30] codify internally, um and
[3:10:31] decide how we're going to
[3:10:33] report that out, uh, to you all
[3:10:36] um, you know, we've already had
[3:10:36] great discussions.
[3:10:38] There's been um, other metrics
[3:10:41] to this, uh, that have been
[3:10:43] decided obviously teacher
[3:10:44] diversity isn't one of your um
[3:10:46] ,success measures in this, but
[3:10:48] it certainly will be something
[3:10:49] that's reported out in track.
[3:10:52] So I think there's a that
[3:10:55] background oag measures that we
[3:10:57] need to decide what are those
[3:10:58] things that are going to show
[3:10:59] progress towards these key
[3:11:03] actions um and have agreement
[3:11:05] um what what things we will
[3:11:06] communicate what things will be
[3:11:07] internal.
[3:11:10] Um but I agree this is not a
[3:11:12] full on implementation plan
[3:11:13] with very detailed strategies.
[3:11:15] It wasn't meant to be but I
[3:11:16] think that that is the next
[3:11:17] document that we need to
[3:11:20] produce I think I think there
[3:11:23] MAY have been some expectation
[3:11:27] of that being more developed at
[3:11:29] this point than where we are.
[3:11:31] I just want to say that um,
[3:11:32] yeah.
[3:11:39] And um so I guess my question
[3:11:41] trying to decide if I have a
[3:11:43] question or if I just want to
[3:11:45] make a couple
[3:11:46] of recommendations maybe that
[3:11:47] might be helpful.
[3:11:51] Um, I think a potential way to
[3:11:54] help clarify the next steps
[3:11:56] of work would be to isolate the
[3:11:58] road map by year.
[3:12:02] Um, to better understand what,
[3:12:04] um, kind of the subsets
[3:12:06] of these large key actions are
[3:12:07] by year.
[3:12:09] Uh, we certainly I don't I
[3:12:10] think it's totally unrealistic
[3:12:12] to expect an implementation
[3:12:13] plan for four years from now.
[3:12:17] Um, and so just taking the
[3:12:20] example of uh, um instructional
[3:12:23] key action of redefining the
[3:12:25] district wide professional
[3:12:26] learning strategy including
[3:12:29] from a job embedded coaching
[3:12:31] um, I can imagine year one
[3:12:32] might be around something
[3:12:34] specifically related to school
[3:12:36] based pd or but year two might
[3:12:38] be around like what is job
[3:12:39] embedded coaching mean?
[3:12:40] Are we getting new
[3:12:41] instructional coaches or are we
[3:12:43] doing more informal feedback?
[3:12:46] So I think maybe if it were
[3:12:48] sequenced by year in terms
[3:12:50] of where the actions lived by
[3:12:53] year and then for the ones that
[3:12:55] were for the current year maybe
[3:12:57] had like the leads listed and
[3:13:00] like a few key milestones then
[3:13:02] we could align kind of our
[3:13:05] calendar and things to to that
[3:13:07] and I think it could help sort
[3:13:09] out there is so much work here
[3:13:10] so much important work.
[3:13:12] Um and I think there are also
[3:13:16] some um key streams of work
[3:13:17] that live in here but don't
[3:13:19] appear explicitly um, like the
[3:13:21] continued improvement
[3:13:23] of inclusion around the
[3:13:27] district or um, you know what
[3:13:28] we heard from Madison Park
[3:13:30] today like this increasing um,
[3:13:32] career pathways it's like it's
[3:13:34] here but like that's a whole
[3:13:35] big piece of work.
[3:13:37] Um, so I'm I'm just trying to
[3:13:39] figure out how to how to drill
[3:13:43] down and also how that
[3:13:45] connection between the enabling
[3:13:47] conditions and the focus areas
[3:13:50] could um, be a little easier to
[3:13:50] digest.
[3:13:54] Um, that maybe I don't know,
[3:13:56] maybe it could be organized in
[3:14:01] a um in a different way but um
[3:14:02] I'll leave it at that for.
[3:14:03] Yeah, I think we have some I
[3:14:04] think there's some
[3:14:05] recommendations we're reviewing
[3:14:07] about how to streamline a bit
[3:14:09] more um, the focus areas in
[3:14:10] enabling conditions.
[3:14:13] I think it's the all of this
[3:14:15] has been done by team and so I
[3:14:17] think like the next part
[3:14:18] of that process is to go back
[3:14:20] to the team and talk through
[3:14:22] what makes sense with that.
[3:14:24] So I think that is the way I
[3:14:26] think the time sequencing is
[3:14:29] really important because it is
[3:14:30] a if you take the inclusion
[3:14:32] plan just as an example, we
[3:14:34] couldn't rule out all grades in
[3:14:36] the inclusion plan in the first
[3:14:37] year took us five years right.
[3:14:39] It's taking us five years and
[3:14:41] that is the truth in much
[3:14:44] of the work because of the size
[3:14:46] and the volume we have.
[3:14:48] So I think part of what the
[3:14:50] team strategy is is to go back
[3:14:52] and start to look at this five
[3:14:55] years and say what's the
[3:14:56] starting point?
[3:14:58] Some things could could be
[3:14:59] started in the first year with
[3:15:00] a step.
[3:15:02] There are others that MAY need
[3:15:04] to build and have some other
[3:15:05] things take place in the first
[3:15:07] two years before they would
[3:15:07] begin.
[3:15:09] And so I think being able to
[3:15:11] put it with some time
[3:15:12] sequencing which also is
[3:15:14] priority um will be important.
[3:15:16] Yeah or even the work already
[3:15:18] and maybe everything that's
[3:15:19] happening in the first year is
[3:15:22] work already in flight and just
[3:15:24] yeah sharing what's happening
[3:15:26] with that for for year one and
[3:15:27] obviously other things need to
[3:15:29] be designed and and mapped out
[3:15:29] correct absolutely.
[3:15:31] And I think even with the
[3:15:33] baselines you know like chronic
[3:15:35] absenteeism is a great example
[3:15:38] but like baseline wise we have
[3:15:39] made progress.
[3:15:43] We have made our projected um
[3:15:45] measure every single year.
[3:15:45] Right.
[3:15:49] Like we have made that that uh
[3:15:51] we have made our metric every
[3:15:53] year and exceeded it.
[3:15:55] So that's an example where we
[3:15:57] could actually be more bold and
[3:16:00] not necessarily go with the
[3:16:01] states flow and be more bold
[3:16:04] with that if that's looking at
[3:16:05] the data what makes sense?
[3:16:07] Whereas there MAY be others
[3:16:09] that are moving slightly slower
[3:16:10] that we need to figure out how
[3:16:12] do we change the strategy and
[3:16:15] the approach and what what will
[3:16:17] we be able to do in year one,
[3:16:18] in year two in year three?
[3:16:21] So I think once we can show
[3:16:23] that any graduation rate
[3:16:25] dropout rate there's many there
[3:16:28] are uh some of these that we
[3:16:31] are well ahead of where we want
[3:16:34] to be but where we want to be
[3:16:36] is much more progressive than
[3:16:37] where we're being called to be.
[3:16:39] So I think there's that
[3:16:41] conversation that the team is
[3:16:43] having and digging into um,
[3:16:45] which is why Colin and Monica's
[3:16:47] partnership, uh, you know, in
[3:16:49] this work is just so important
[3:16:49] .
[3:16:50] Mhm.
[3:16:50] Yeah.
[3:16:52] I don't want to leave the
[3:16:53] impression that those
[3:16:53] conversations haven't been
[3:16:54] going on.
[3:16:55] It's just how do we present
[3:16:57] like we have to come to
[3:16:58] agreement like how that gets
[3:17:00] presented forward uh and that
[3:17:01] wasn't going to be part of like
[3:17:02] this piece.
[3:17:05] Yeah um I just I promise just
[3:17:07] one last request on the success
[3:17:10] measures because I do want to
[3:17:13] acknowledge, um, how much more
[3:17:14] specific these are than for
[3:17:16] instance in the in the previous
[3:17:18] plan which did not ever
[3:17:19] articulate that the actual
[3:17:21] targets but just kind of left
[3:17:23] it as the way they're listed
[3:17:24] here which I know is not what
[3:17:25] we're doing.
[3:17:28] Um, this time I would just
[3:17:30] request that when um, we're
[3:17:33] looking at the 2031 targets for
[3:17:34] each of these um, that
[3:17:36] obviously we have the most
[3:17:37] recent baseline data.
[3:17:39] Um, but you know, Chief Hogan
[3:17:41] talked about how there are a
[3:17:43] couple of um, data points that
[3:17:46] need to be um, designed to
[3:17:48] create a new baseline for those
[3:17:50] I think it would be helpful to
[3:17:53] have some baseline data on a
[3:17:55] related data point in the
[3:17:57] meantime, um the Panorama
[3:17:59] survey being a great example as
[3:18:02] um as far as talked about you
[3:18:03] know, we have year over year
[3:18:05] data on a lot of things that
[3:18:06] families tell us.
[3:18:07] And I also understand that
[3:18:09] we're not necessarily asking
[3:18:10] the right question yet that
[3:18:12] gets at what we're looking for
[3:18:14] here, but we can certainly
[3:18:17] share some data on um I'm
[3:18:18] looking at Member Peralta
[3:18:19] because I know we fill out
[3:18:21] these panorama surveys as
[3:18:22] parents every year and there
[3:18:23] are a lot of questions on it.
[3:18:26] So if we can kind of get a
[3:18:28] snapshot of that um, I know
[3:18:29] 10th grade achievement is
[3:18:32] another challenge as um cast is
[3:18:34] likely temporary at this point
[3:18:36] with and of course exams coming
[3:18:38] in but it would be helpful in
[3:18:39] the meantime to think about
[3:18:40] where our 10th graders right
[3:18:42] now understanding that the
[3:18:43] instrument might change.
[3:18:45] Um, the same with early
[3:18:45] literacy.
[3:18:48] I know that uh that's in
[3:18:49] progress, but is there
[3:18:50] something in the meantime to
[3:18:52] give us an indication of where
[3:18:52] we are?
[3:18:55] Um, just to help the public's
[3:18:56] understanding to member
[3:18:57] Polanco, Garcia's point
[3:19:00] of really just using this as an
[3:19:01] opportunity to build some
[3:19:03] collective understanding around
[3:19:04] where we're starting as a
[3:19:06] district and then where we're
[3:19:08] moving forward together.
[3:19:11] Um, I'll just note on the
[3:19:12] survey results those are all
[3:19:13] posted publicly on our website.
[3:19:15] Um, and we can make sure that
[3:19:16] MISS Parks has the link so you
[3:19:17] can get it in your next set
[3:19:19] of materials, um, to peruse at
[3:19:22] your at your leisure um, the
[3:19:24] climate survey data that is
[3:19:28] public um and the mass will be
[3:19:30] part of the
[3:19:31] OCTOBER presentation so we'll
[3:19:33] be we'll be back in a month and
[3:19:35] we we do this we actually
[3:19:36] disaggregate quite a bit
[3:19:38] of this on a normal basis but
[3:19:40] with extra attention now right
[3:19:41] because of the commitment.
[3:19:43] Um but yeah there's you know
[3:19:44] there is a lot publicly
[3:19:46] available on this but I think
[3:19:48] like being able to underscore
[3:19:50] in the presentations I think
[3:19:51] this requires us all to look at
[3:19:52] it with new eyes.
[3:19:53] Right.
[3:19:58] So kind of make us go ahead you
[3:19:58] know.
[3:20:03] So just a quick uh, summary
[3:20:07] just for my understanding I
[3:20:10] I've heard a lot and what what
[3:20:12] I hear from you is pretty much
[3:20:16] a promise that if I look at
[3:20:18] this as just an overview
[3:20:19] because to me, you know,
[3:20:23] whatever before me lacks
[3:20:26] specificity and and to me it is
[3:20:29] just, you know, a a preamble
[3:20:29] of a book.
[3:20:34] So you are going to provide us
[3:20:39] with specificity plans
[3:20:42] outlining benchmarks uh, steps
[3:20:43] to take for each and every
[3:20:44] measure here.
[3:20:44] Right.
[3:20:47] And that would be forthcoming I
[3:20:49] don't know when I hope sooner
[3:20:53] rather than later but that this
[3:21:00] is not to me, uh, working
[3:21:01] implementable.
[3:21:07] Um map it just preamble.
[3:21:09] I like to see things that are
[3:21:10] specific.
[3:21:11] Okay.
[3:21:16] You are saying that okay by
[3:21:17] SEPTEMBER 2031 all students
[3:21:18] will be counted.
[3:21:21] We've also and will be, you
[3:21:23] know, exposed to a culturally
[3:21:26] affirming uh uh, student um,
[3:21:26] environment.
[3:21:28] Okay then I will take that.
[3:21:32] But right now whatever is in
[3:21:37] front of me lacks specificity
[3:21:39] and I need to see that to make
[3:21:40] sure that I can measure it.
[3:21:44] I can see that actually
[3:21:48] opportunity gap are closing and
[3:21:49] you're coming up with that.
[3:21:51] That's what you mentioned I
[3:21:53] think you something about
[3:21:55] codifying something so I'm
[3:21:57] hoping that is coming for you.
[3:22:00] What yeah we are in the process
[3:22:01] of um determining what the five
[3:22:03] year overall targets for the
[3:22:04] success measures are and I
[3:22:05] think um, some of what I'm
[3:22:07] hearing in the comments and
[3:22:11] questions is that um, a more uh
[3:22:13] detailed sort of logic model
[3:22:15] of how these key actions that
[3:22:17] we've laid out will interact
[3:22:19] with and hopefully result in
[3:22:20] improvement in the success
[3:22:20] measures.
[3:22:22] So I think Doctor Rosa and I
[3:22:23] can take that feedback back and
[3:22:25] think about um, what are sort
[3:22:27] of the detailed actions, the
[3:22:28] inputs and outputs that go
[3:22:30] along with those actions and
[3:22:33] then the sort of um alignment
[3:22:34] with the success measures that
[3:22:36] we believe that those actions
[3:22:38] will result in movement on.
[3:22:41] So yeah, I also I just want to
[3:22:44] level set that we are working
[3:22:45] with the timeline we had
[3:22:48] committed to which was the oag
[3:22:51] policy rework which we did,
[3:22:53] which was an incredible
[3:22:55] foundation for the strategic
[3:22:57] plan working with our internal
[3:22:59] teams to be able in School
[3:23:01] committee to be able to create
[3:23:03] the success measures which are
[3:23:05] the buckets that we believe are
[3:23:09] going to help move all students
[3:23:10] to the kind of education we're
[3:23:13] providing the the next step
[3:23:15] with teams because this is all
[3:23:15] being driven.
[3:23:18] So it is happening throughout
[3:23:21] our district is to now set
[3:23:25] metrics, baseline and metrics
[3:23:28] for the five year along with
[3:23:31] the through line of for the
[3:23:32] next five years what will be
[3:23:34] happening each year in terms
[3:23:36] of the core actions that will
[3:23:39] help us to lead and commit to
[3:23:41] making those metrics happen.
[3:23:45] So the specificity comes in the
[3:23:46] next piece.
[3:23:48] But again I just want to
[3:23:50] underscore we could get in the
[3:23:53] room the six of us and give you
[3:23:54] that tomorrow.
[3:23:57] That is not going to translate
[3:23:59] to change in the bp's what is
[3:24:02] been missing and is key is
[3:24:03] making sure this is done
[3:24:04] through teams.
[3:24:06] And so Colin has worked
[3:24:09] endlessly with teams since in
[3:24:11] the community and then in the
[3:24:13] district for the last like good
[3:24:16] eight months the deputies to
[3:24:18] have now been moving their
[3:24:20] teams all the way down into the
[3:24:22] schools division along with
[3:24:24] principals around these
[3:24:24] measures.
[3:24:27] So this what we're doing for
[3:24:28] the strategy to operationalize
[3:24:31] into action we have to make
[3:24:33] sure that those are through the
[3:24:33] bp's.
[3:24:35] And that's the reason we've
[3:24:37] been rolling this out step by
[3:24:39] step by step two you with the
[3:24:42] idea that come OCTOBER you are
[3:24:44] now going to see the total
[3:24:45] direction of where we're going
[3:24:47] ,where we believe we can get
[3:24:49] in the five years and then how
[3:24:51] we're going to get there, which
[3:24:53] is what I think you're asking
[3:24:53] for.
[3:24:54] Member Trent well and you know
[3:24:56] in a way yes thank you.
[3:24:59] Like my my concern is uh, oag
[3:25:03] has been uh, an issue with us,
[3:25:05] you know, from time immemorial
[3:25:05] .
[3:25:06] That's right.
[3:25:08] Even before I came on the board
[3:25:09] it has always been there.
[3:25:11] That's when I came on it's
[3:25:11] staff.
[3:25:12] That's right.
[3:25:14] Yeah we've been I hope well in
[3:25:17] the yeah no and the good news
[3:25:19] is that the oag task force when
[3:25:22] it reconstituted and put so
[3:25:23] much work into the we work with
[3:25:25] the old policy I think you guys
[3:25:27] all remember the room was full
[3:25:29] with people from the oag Task
[3:25:31] force saying this is our work.
[3:25:33] We believe in this work that is
[3:25:34] what is integrated into the
[3:25:35] strategic plan.
[3:25:37] So it is a village.
[3:25:38] It has to be the community.
[3:25:42] The oag task force us all the
[3:25:43] way down through the schools
[3:25:45] beyond us down into the schools
[3:25:48] for this to work.
[3:25:49] So that that's my biggest issue
[3:25:51] is that as I look at the list
[3:25:52] these are there's nothing new
[3:25:55] here in terms of things that we
[3:25:57] have not talked about over many
[3:25:57] years.
[3:26:00] We have maybe set them out
[3:26:01] differently and focused.
[3:26:04] But the issue for me has been
[3:26:05] in the I want to know what's
[3:26:07] going to be different this go
[3:26:07] around.
[3:26:08] I'll give you an example.
[3:26:11] We get the mixed data.
[3:26:13] Usually it's at the end of the
[3:26:14] year for the group that just
[3:26:16] went on to the next grade we
[3:26:18] see that things have not
[3:26:18] changed.
[3:26:19] So what's different?
[3:26:21] What's different for those
[3:26:22] third graders that went to the
[3:26:23] fourth grade and didn't get
[3:26:25] something in the third grade
[3:26:26] because they didn't make
[3:26:27] proficiency?
[3:26:28] What's happening different for
[3:26:30] me the third grade teacher is I
[3:26:31] get a new group of kids.
[3:26:33] We need to hear that piece
[3:26:34] of it not just the reporting
[3:26:36] of the data because how do we
[3:26:38] know what's our evidence that
[3:26:40] we're actually closing gaps?
[3:26:41] What is the gap now?
[3:26:43] What is the specific gap?
[3:26:45] If I'm a third grade teacher
[3:26:47] and I take a look at the the
[3:26:50] issues of my kids who's helping
[3:26:54] me to understand specifically
[3:26:56] what I need to do to make sure
[3:26:57] when these kids take the third
[3:26:59] grade mcats that they've
[3:27:02] actually got the skills and I
[3:27:04] have close gaps between the
[3:27:05] first and second grade or
[3:27:07] whatever so that we are coming
[3:27:09] to a place that we can actually
[3:27:12] say yes, we have closed these
[3:27:14] gaps then we're going on to
[3:27:16] proficiency and excellence but
[3:27:18] we haven't heard that yet.
[3:27:26] Thank you chair you know, um i
[3:27:29] will just quickly respond um,
[3:27:30] you know, I've had the
[3:27:32] opportunity to really get to
[3:27:34] learn and learn Boston over the
[3:27:36] last eight months and you know,
[3:27:37] if you don't mind me saying
[3:27:41] this, um, I think the one thing
[3:27:42] superintendent share with me at
[3:27:44] the onset was similar like I've
[3:27:47] had to lead a lot of change and
[3:27:49] I think at times we minimize
[3:27:51] what that change means for our
[3:27:53] teachers who are engaging with
[3:27:54] our kids.
[3:27:57] And I just I think doing my own
[3:27:59] listening and learning really
[3:28:00] starting to dig into some
[3:28:04] of our data um, I would offer
[3:28:06] that the system is at a place
[3:28:08] like when when soup talks about
[3:28:10] the foundations like we've
[3:28:11] given the teachers the
[3:28:12] curriculum right.
[3:28:14] And I think we're we're finally
[3:28:16] at this place where we can like
[3:28:19] build efficacy and confidence
[3:28:21] about around pedagogical
[3:28:23] practice that it is culturally
[3:28:25] and linguistically affirming.
[3:28:27] And I believe that we will
[3:28:28] start to see the impact
[3:28:31] of that, um, with tightening up
[3:28:33] some of our resources and in
[3:28:34] how we work together.
[3:28:34] Yeah.
[3:28:36] Our speaker at ally I can't
[3:28:38] remember her name now doctor
[3:28:41] Browning doctor Browning said a
[3:28:43] critical thing to us in that
[3:28:44] meeting and she says as a
[3:28:46] district you've got all of the
[3:28:49] the foundations everything is
[3:28:49] there.
[3:28:52] But the number one thing when
[3:28:54] schools have closed gaps is the
[3:28:57] issue of do the educators
[3:29:00] believe that they can educate
[3:29:01] the kids that they have in
[3:29:01] front of them?
[3:29:03] Do they believe these kids can
[3:29:05] learn and are they giving them
[3:29:08] the level of in the types
[3:29:10] of activity that is grade
[3:29:10] level?
[3:29:12] You can have wonderful
[3:29:13] materials but when I'm not
[3:29:16] using them appropriately just
[3:29:18] having the materials is not
[3:29:19] going to make that child be
[3:29:19] proficient.
[3:29:21] But if I don't believe these
[3:29:24] kids can learn or if I don't
[3:29:26] believe I have the skills to
[3:29:27] teach them in the way that they
[3:29:30] could learn you know then kids
[3:29:32] are being impacted by all
[3:29:36] of the adult behaviors and just
[3:29:37] quickly responding and I'm
[3:29:38] going to draw the through line
[3:29:40] to member trans question around
[3:29:40] culture and climate.
[3:29:41] Right.
[3:29:43] Um we're two weeks into the
[3:29:45] school year and as we're
[3:29:47] walking schools right, we're
[3:29:49] talking to students and we're
[3:29:50] essentially sussing out like
[3:29:52] are you building relationships?
[3:29:54] Do you have a champion in this
[3:29:54] building?
[3:29:55] Right.
[3:29:56] Um, you know, for our schools
[3:29:57] they have three priorities as
[3:29:58] superintendent said high
[3:30:00] quality instruction, culture
[3:30:02] and climate and attendance.
[3:30:04] And I think it's easy to think
[3:30:05] about those things as three
[3:30:07] different things, but they are
[3:30:09] very highly interconnected.
[3:30:10] And I think what Doctor
[3:30:11] Browning was really putting out
[3:30:14] there is you have to start with
[3:30:15] the conditions for success, the
[3:30:18] relationship building so that
[3:30:21] students are like they learn
[3:30:21] right.
[3:30:22] Um I would agree with you.
[3:30:25] I think while curricula is
[3:30:26] definitely one of the most
[3:30:28] impactful ways to streamline
[3:30:30] educator practice, I think
[3:30:32] doing that divorce from knowing
[3:30:35] your students well, um, we
[3:30:37] won't get where we want to go
[3:30:38] and I think Supe and I feel
[3:30:40] very confident about how our
[3:30:41] educators think about our
[3:30:43] students like we got to spend
[3:30:45] time together on the first day
[3:30:45] .
[3:30:47] Um, and one thing I will offer
[3:30:48] that's been true across many
[3:30:50] schools is that our educators
[3:30:50] do care.
[3:30:56] Yeah, I also think we can do a
[3:30:58] better job underscoring because
[3:31:01] we are agreeing to a group
[3:31:03] of measures to really focus on
[3:31:03] that.
[3:31:05] We can actually show in some
[3:31:08] of these where we have already
[3:31:10] really worked on gap closing.
[3:31:12] Graduation rate is a great
[3:31:14] example for the first time in
[3:31:18] over in I think in ever our
[3:31:21] black students reached the
[3:31:22] graduation rate the average
[3:31:26] rate um as a group I think our
[3:31:28] Latinx students made huge
[3:31:30] progress but we're slightly
[3:31:32] below that was not true five
[3:31:32] years ago.
[3:31:34] That was not even though the
[3:31:36] graduation rates were good the
[3:31:38] gap was there.
[3:31:40] And so I think we can show that
[3:31:42] I think when we talk about
[3:31:44] advanced uh, coursework, you
[3:31:48] know, we had historic 4300 aps
[3:31:52] and what drove that was the
[3:31:53] access of our black and brown
[3:31:57] students taking aps and scoring
[3:31:59] a seven the equivalent like 70%
[3:32:02] of them scoring a college
[3:32:03] credit.
[3:32:06] So there are examples today in
[3:32:08] the data k-2 literacy is
[3:32:09] another one.
[3:32:12] However we know there's gaps
[3:32:15] like we know where the gaps
[3:32:15] are.
[3:32:16] This is what we spent all
[3:32:18] of Ali focusing on right is I
[3:32:19] know he sat through it.
[3:32:22] They we we we talked about this
[3:32:25] because we don't want any more
[3:32:28] on we don't want to say well
[3:32:30] you know our our our
[3:32:31] multilingual learners or
[3:32:32] special education students
[3:32:34] should strive to meet the level
[3:32:36] of our white students for
[3:32:37] proficiency.
[3:32:39] No they should strive for
[3:32:41] proficiency and that is like a
[3:32:43] different way that we are
[3:32:45] trying to measure ourselves.
[3:32:46] That's very different than
[3:32:49] historically in the bpp's where
[3:32:50] we set ceilings for our kids
[3:32:51] that we should never have said.
[3:32:54] And so that I think is a huge
[3:32:56] shift in the field.
[3:32:58] And I think as you go to the
[3:33:00] schools and because I know you
[3:33:02] guys all visit the schools has
[3:33:04] the principles, what's the gaps
[3:33:06] you're trying to close in?
[3:33:09] They should be able to tell you
[3:33:10] specifically in their data.
[3:33:15] Here's the 2 or 3 gaps that we
[3:33:16] have spotlighted that we
[3:33:19] believe need to be moved in our
[3:33:19] school.
[3:33:22] That's a great exercise for you
[3:33:22] guys right?
[3:33:24] That's going to be the focus
[3:33:26] the next 3 to 4 years is the
[3:33:29] gap because the aggregate in
[3:33:30] moving the aggregate is great
[3:33:32] but it doesn't move it for all
[3:33:33] children.
[3:33:36] So that is why this team is so
[3:33:38] committed to the org policy and
[3:33:40] so committed to a strategic
[3:33:40] plan that supports it.
[3:33:42] Thank you.
[3:33:44] Thank you all.
[3:33:47] We look forward to continuing
[3:33:48] this conversation.
[3:33:51] It's always always.
[3:33:54] MR. Fabrics will now return to
[3:33:54] public comment.
[3:33:59] Uh John Mudd I don't think I.
[3:34:03] Um thank you thank you.
[3:34:04] Thanks, John.
[3:34:06] That's it okay.
[3:34:07] Thank you.
[3:34:08] Any new business okay.
[3:34:09] Uh, yes.
[3:34:15] I want to get an update on an
[3:34:19] Ivy, uh, that we took at the
[3:34:22] end of last school year when I
[3:34:24] suggested that it will be in
[3:34:26] the benefit of everybody if our
[3:34:29] high schoolers receive, uh,
[3:34:32] once a year communication about
[3:34:37] how many, um, credit they have
[3:34:39] already, uh, achieve and how
[3:34:42] many more they needed in their
[3:34:44] journey to graduate from high
[3:34:47] school under the new um mask or
[3:34:48] graduation requirements.
[3:34:50] And that is coming.
[3:34:52] And so Simon, do you have the
[3:34:56] date I do offer for seniors the
[3:34:58] drop the deadline is
[3:35:01] OCTOBER 9th and for our juniors
[3:35:04] and our sophomores we've asked
[3:35:06] um that that is communicated
[3:35:07] before Thanksgiving.
[3:35:10] Um, I just want to acknowledge
[3:35:12] our career college life
[3:35:13] readiness team.
[3:35:14] They put together really,
[3:35:15] really great resources.
[3:35:18] Um, that's really going to help
[3:35:20] you understand like student has
[3:35:22] accrued three English credits,
[3:35:23] right.
[3:35:24] Um and like what that means in
[3:35:25] terms of their trajectory.
[3:35:27] Yeah that's great.
[3:35:29] Yeah I actually think the
[3:35:31] tracking that we're the way
[3:35:32] that we're dashboarding and
[3:35:34] tracking the mass core I think
[3:35:36] now that the state is adopting
[3:35:38] it as a model right for all
[3:35:39] districts, I think we're
[3:35:40] actually going to be a leader
[3:35:40] in that area.
[3:35:42] The team has done really
[3:35:43] thoughtful work.
[3:35:43] Wonderful.
[3:35:47] Thank you okay that concludes
[3:35:48] our business for this evening
[3:35:49] and our next school committee
[3:35:52] meeting will take place again
[3:35:54] here in person on Wednesday
[3:35:56] OCTOBER 14th at 6 P.M. Right
[3:35:58] here at the Bowling Building in
[3:35:59] Nubian Square.
[3:36:01] Um, if there's nothing further
[3:36:02] I will entertain a motion to
[3:36:03] adjourn the meeting.
[3:36:05] Is there a motion so moved to
[3:36:06] go second?
[3:36:06] Second?
[3:36:08] Is there any discussion
[3:36:09] objection to the motion?
[3:36:10] Is there any objection to
[3:36:12] approving the motion by
[3:36:14] unanimous consent hearing?
[3:36:14] None.
[3:36:15] This meeting is adjourned.
[3:36:16] Thank you all.
[3:36:18] And putting that gavel.
[3:36:23] So hit the family record again.