From the Office of the Executive Secretary to the School Committee
School Committee - Regular Meeting | May 19, 2015
A G E N D A
With Revised Supplemental (5/18/2015) **
1. Public Comment (3 Minutes):
2. Student School Committee Report:
3. Presentation of the Records for Approval:
- Special Meeting – April 28, 2015
- Special Meeting – May 5, 2015
- Regular Meeting – May 5, 2015
4. Reconsiderations: None
5. Unfinished Business/Calendar: None
6. Awaiting Reports: None
7. Superintendent’s Agenda:
7a. Presentations:
Presentation: High Expertise Teaching Project Update
Dr. Carolyn Turk, Deputy Superintendent
Dr. Jon Saphier, President, Research for Better Teaching
7b. Innovation Agenda:
7c. Consent Agenda:
#15-98 Recommendation: Approval of Revisions to Bullying Prevention & Intervention Plan (Second Reading)
#15-99 Recommendation: Gifts/Miscellaneous Receipts
#15-100 Recommendation:Contract Award: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt:
Math Materials
#15-101 Recommendation: Contract Award: Wilson Language Training: Instructional Materials/Textbooks & Professional Development
Revised Supplemental **
#15-109 Recommendation: Contract Award: Eastern Bus Company: School Transportation Services
#15-110 Recommendation: Grant Awards (3)
#15-111 Recommendation: Approval of Revision to Superintendent Recommendation #15-52 dated March 3, 2015: Contract Award: Apple, Inc.
8. Non-Consent Agenda:
9. School Committee Agenda (Policy Matters/Notifications/Requests for Information):
#15-102, Motion by the Governance Sub-Committee, that the School Committee approve the revisions to Chapter I, Section 5, located on page 5 of the 2014-15 School Committee Rules as detailed in the document.
#15-103, Motion by Ms. Cronin, whereas, the CEA, on behalf of the CPSD teaching staff, has made known their wish for the School Committee to support Rep. Marjorie Decker’s House Bill 340, requesting the Massachusetts Department of Education to impose a 3-year moratorium on use of the PARCC standardized test and the use of high stakes testing to punitively evaluate educators, schools and school districts;
Whereas, the public has also made expressed wishes to halt the implementation of the PARCC test;
It is incumbent upon the School Committee to support the CEA’s wish to impose a halt on the PARCC implementation and to proceed with a community-wide forum that allows all stakeholders – families, students, teachers and elected officials – to come to agreement on the role and implementation of state-mandated standardized testing.
#15-104, Motion by Mr. Fantini, whereas the Cambridge Public Schools should act to take advantage of opportunities for our students and adults to secure careers that will serve them well for a life time. Such an opportunity exists with the planned build out by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology of five parking lots into Housing, Research, Biotech, and Commercial buildings that our school system should do the following:
- Meet with the MIT real estate team to better understand what those opportunities are and what skills our children will need to develop them.
- Since most of these jobs will be union positions that we work with our local unions to create school to union to work pipeline.
- That we provide opportunities for adults to be trained either through our vocational education program or coordinate with other agencies.
- That we coordinate our activities with our partners on the City Council and the Mayor’s office.
- That we expect active participation from our Rindge School of Technical Arts and its advisory committees.
- That we develop the necessary funding plan to support this effort.
Therefore, the School Committee go on record as supporting the above initiatives and request that the Superintendent support these activities.
#15-105, Joint Motion by Ms. Kelly and Ms. Nolan, whereas the Cambridge Education Association presented a petition requesting that the PARCC be further reviewed before implementation and that educational leaders including legislators representing Cambridge have expressed concern over the timing of major changes to the statewide tests, that the Cambridge School Committee support the efforts of those seeking to ensure a comprehensive review of PARCC prior to adoption, which cannot happen in time for the scheduled vote this fall. Further, that whereas Massachusetts has been a national leader in student achievement, and whereas the current MCAS system is controlled by the state, not a for-profit entity, that the state DESE is requested to continue using only public entities to develop tests, further that the DESE work with teachers on any testing system.
#15-106, Report of the Meeting of the Governance Sub-Committee, May 5, 2015
New Business:
Update by four Members who attended this year’s NSBA Conference in March 2015 as per School Committee Order #C15-105 (April 7, 2015)
10. Resolutions (letters of congratulations, letters of condolence):
#15-107, Motion by Mayor Maher, whereas Linda Mindaye, a CRLS student, was one of four awardees of a Certificate of Accomplishment at the Princeton Association of New England Princeton Prize in Race Relations ceremony. Linda's project was leading "three-day workshops exploring systemic oppression in race and class." Ms. Mindaye has always been very involved in the Cambridge community, and was an active member of the Cambridge Youth Council. We ask that a letter of congratulations be sent from the Cambridge School Committee congratulating Ms. Mindaye on her award.
#15-108, Motion by Mr. Harding, that the School Committee send a letter of congratulations to Robert S. Hurlbut, Jr., Executive Director of Cambridge Community Foundation, who is retiring after 21 years of leading Cambridge Community Foundation and tirelessly working to build community and make Cambridge a place of opportunity for all.
11. Announcements:
12. Late Orders: