From the Office of the Executive Secretary to the School Committee
School Committee - Regular Meeting May 7, 2019
A G E N D A
1. Public Hearing on State School Choice (3 Minutes):
1a. Public Comment (3 Minutes):
2. Student School Committee Report:
3. Presentation of the Records for Approval:
• Special Meeting, March 19, 2019 Budget Workshop
• Special Meeting, March 26, 2019 Budget Workshop
• Regular Meeting, April 2, 2019
4. Reconsiderations: None
5. Unfinished Business/Calendar:
#19-80, Motion by Ms. Bowman, that whereas the Cambridge School Committee is committed to honoring the will of the people and creating a working environment where all Committee Members have the ability to honor their civic duty;
Therefore be it resolved, that School Committee Sub-Committee meetings be scheduled during times when Members of a Sub-Committee have the ability to participate and perform their civic duty. (C19-093, 4-2-19, PN)
6. Awaiting Reports:
#19-52, Joint Motion by Ms. Nolan and Mr. Kimbrough, whereas the School Committee worked to raise the level of instruction for all students through the Level Up initiative at CRLS; and
Whereas a recent Globe project on valedictorians documented a sobering and critically important question of whether high schools are preparing students for success: and
Whereas the recent report The Opportunity Myth by The New Teachers Project found that despite 71% of students in a national representative sample of audited classes met classroom expectations and succeeded on assignments, only 17% of those assignments were on grade level when evaluated; and
Whereas both the Valedictorian Project and The New Teachers Project identified the need for high expectations and intentional focus on rigorous curriculum, instruction and assignments as key to delivering on the promise of success in college and life; and
Whereas there were gaps by racial subgroups in performance on common assessment; and
Whereas nearly 1 in 3 CRLS students indicated that teachers do not have very high expectations of them; Therefore, the School Committee directs the Administration to have an external audit of the Level Up ELA classes, by an organization with expertise in this specific area, done in conjunction with the School Committee as a joint effort to ensure that the initiative is as successful as possible.
7. Superintendent’s Agenda:
7a. Presentations: District Plan Framework Strategic Initiative 2.2:
Rigorous, Joyful, Culturally Response Learning
……………………….
Dr. Anda Adams, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction
Robin Harris, Principal, Fletcher/Maynard Academy
Kenneth Salim, Superintendent of Schools
7b. CPS District Plan: None
7c. Consent Agenda:
19-80 SY2019/2020 State School Choice Program- Recommendation for Non-Participation
19-81 Contract Award: BCM Controls Corporation: Security Updates
19-82 Contract Award: Kittredge Equipment Company Food Service Equipment
19-83 Heinemann Publishing: Curriculum Materials
19-84 Recommendation: Gifts/Miscellaneous Receipts
19-85 Grant Award: FY19 Title III English Language Acquisition: Immigrant Grant (SC19126)
19-86 Grant Award: HGSE Residency (SC20116
19-87 Grant Award: FY19 Cambridge In Motion/ Cambridge Health Alliance (SC19128)
19-88 Grant Award: FY19 CCT/Microsoft Digital Skills (SC19156)
8. Non-Consent Agenda:
9. School Committee Agenda (Policy Matters/Notifications/Requests for Information):
#19-89 Joint Motion by Committee Member Dexter and Mr. Fantini, that whereas CPS strives to provide equitable learning environments across the district; and
Whereas the 12 CPS elementary school buildings differ in age, quality, and condition of maintenance; and
Whereas the City of Cambridge shares responsibility with Cambridge Public Schools for CPS school buildings; and
Whereas the CPS administration has estimated that CPS buildings will require $132 million in maintenance upgrades over the next five years, which is an average of $26 million per year;
Therefore the School Committee requests that the CPS administration invite members of the Cambridge City Council to tour CPS buildings that are in the greatest need of maintenance, and that this tour, if the
invitation is accepted, take place before the end of the 2018-2019 school year.
#19-90 Joint Motion by Committee Member Dexter and Mr. Kimbrough, that whereas there has been discussion in the CPS community about the advantages and disadvantages of MCAS testing, with some community members viewing MCAS as a tool for equity and others viewing MCAS as a tool of discrimination;
The School Committee will hold a roundtable discussion about MCAS, other forms of CPS assessments, and the Massachusetts Consortium for Innovative Educational Assessments (MCIEA). This roundtable will be televised, livestreamed, and archived on the School Committee website, and will be held before October 15, 2019.
View MCIEA Fact Sheet >>
#19-91 Joint Motion by Mr. Fantini, Vice Chair Kelly, and Mayor McGovern, that the School Committee support the initiatives outlined in the Superintendent’s April 12 the Weekly Report to advocate to the Commissioner of Education and the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to pursue greater flexibility from federal regulations in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) that would allow Cambridge to get a waiver to participate in a federal pilot program that allows states to pilot new assessments in lieu of our current practice This would allow Cambridge to advocate for continued accountability with more authentic and meaningful assessments. Further, that the Superintendent create a working relationship with the Massachusetts Consortium for Innovative Education Assessment (MCIEA) around the idea of creating innovative performance assessments.
#19-92 Motion by Mr. Fantini, Given the proximity of the Eversource electrical substation to the Kennedy-Longfellow school that the School Committee go on record supporting the Council Order below.
City of Cambridge
IN CITY COUNCIL
April 22, 2019
COUNCILLOR TOOMEY COUNCILLOR MALLON MAYOR MCGOVERN COUNCILLOR SIDDIQUI
WHEREAS: In May 2016, representatives of 135 Cambridge Street LLC appeared before the East Cambridge Planning Team (ECPT) to present a proposal for a three story 40-unit residential building at 135 Fulkerson; and
WHEREAS: In June 2016, Jay Doherty, Chief Executive Officer of Cabot, Cabot and Forbes filed a special permit application with the Planning Board seeking approval to construct the residential project at 135 Fulkerson; and
WHEREAS: After a series of public hearings attended by the East Cambridge residents in the summer of 2016, the Planning Board approved the special permit in September 2016; and
WHEREAS: In less than four months later, without providing any notice to ECPT or the City of Cambridge that it did not intend to develop the residential project it had spent six months advancing through the special permit process, the developer sold the property to NSTAR Electric Company; and
WHEREAS: According to the deeds on record at the Middlesex Registry of Deeds, the property was sold to NSTAR on January 17, 2017 for $12,929,000.00, less than two hours after it was sold by the longtime owner for $6,635,000.00 to the developer, and
WHEREAS: Nearly a year after acquiring the property representatives from Eversource appeared before ECPT for the first time only after being requested by ECPT President to meet with neighbors and inform them of their plans; and
WHEREAS: Eversource representatives indicated at that time that the company was unable to share any plans or discuss the scope of its project because it had not yet determined what, if anything, it intended to build at the property and that anything that was planned for the property would not be constructed for several years; and
WHEREAS: Siting an electrical substation in a residential neighborhood across the street from an elementary school and a public park is completely inappropriate and could present a serious health and safety risk to the residents of East Cambridge and the Wellington Harrington neighborhood; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That this City Council go on record opposing this site for a substation; and be it further
RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record urging Eversource to reconsider its acquisition of the property and to offer it for sale; and be it further
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to make such a request to Eversource on behalf of the entire City Council.
#19- 93 Motion by the Communication Sub-Committee, that the School Committee review and approve the attached Draft Personal Use of Social Media by Cambridge Public School Employees Guidelines (first reading).
#19-94 Motion by Mr. Kimbrough, that the city schools will work with the city to ensure equal usage of Russell field for girls and boys sports beginning in the 19-20 school year.
#19-95 Report of the March 27, 2019 Buildings and Grounds Sub-Committee Meeting
#19-96 Report of the April 8, 2019 communication Sub-Committee Meeting
#19-97 Report of the April 11, 2019 School Climate Sub-Committee Meeting
#19-98 Report of the April 23, 2019 Governance Sub-Committee Meeting
10. Resolutions (letters of congratulations, letters of condolence):
#19-99 Joint Motion by Mr. Fantini and Mayor McGovern, that the School Committee hereby goes on record in expressing it’s congratulations to Ms. Kathleen S. Donlon for her official retirement as of December, 2017, and that the Executive Secretary be and hereby is requested to forward a suitably engrossed copy of a resolution to Ms. Kathleen S. Donlon on behalf of the entire School Committee.
11. Announcements:
12. Late Orders:
13. Communications and Reports from City Officers:
At the conclusion of the Regular Meeting, the School Committee will entertain a motion to convene in Executive Session, in the School Committee Conference Room, 459 Broadway, Cambridge, for the purpose of discussing strategy for contract negotiations with non-union personnel (Superintendent).