School Committee Meeting Agenda: June 20, 2017

From the Office of the Executive Secretary to the School Committee 

School Committee - Regular Meeting June 20, 2017 

A G E N D A 

1. Public Comment (3 Minutes): 

2. Student School Committee Report: 

3. Presentation of the Records for Approval: 

    Regular Meeting, June 6, 2017 

4. Reconsiderations: None 

5. Unfinished Business/Calendar: 

#17-100 Recommendation: Approval of Revisions to Cambridge Public Schools 

Family & Medical Leave & Small Necessities Leave Policy (Second Reading) 

(Ms. Kelly, 6-6-17)

#17-112, Motion by Ms. Dexter, that whereas the School Committee wishes to give Cambridge Public School principals the flexibility to make student placement choices based on their best judgment as educators; and 

Whereas Cambridge currently has an elementary school in which an early childhood program for three- and four-year-olds feeds directly into the JK/K program without requiring families to reapply to the JK/K lottery; 

Be it resolved that, for any CPS school that has a preschool program that feeds directly into a JK/K program, the school's principal will have the option of moving four-year-old preschool children born after March 31st into their school's JK/K program if developmentally appropriate for the students and if there are available spaces in the JK/K program. 

Be it also resolved that if students are moved up to JK/K, the school, if possible, would then admit students off the preschool waitlist to fill the vacated preschool seats. This policy would not require principals to move any preschool four-year-old into the JK/K program unless it was determined to be beneficial to the child and acceptable to the child's parents/guardians. (Ms. Dexter, 6-6-17) 

6. Awaiting Reports: None 

7. Superintendent’s Agenda: 

7a. Presentations: 

Revised Multi Year District Plan……Kenneth N. Salim, Superintendent of Schools 

7b. Innovation Agenda: 

7c. Consent Agenda: 

#17-122 Recommendation: Cambridge Public Schools District Plan 2017-2020  

#17-123 Recommendation: Day & Residential Program Services not available from the Cambridge Public Schools

#17-124 Recommendation: Gifts/Miscellaneous Receipts 

#17-125 Recommendation: Contract Award: The Northeast Education & 

Developmental Supports Center: Special Education Services 

#17-126 Recommendation: Contract Award: Applied Behavior Learning Services: Special Education Services

#17-127 Recommendation: Contract Award: Boston Behavior Learning: Special Education 

#17-128 Recommendation: Contract Award: Crossroads School: Special Education Services

#17-129 Recommendation: Contract Award: Center for Autism & Related Disorders Inc.: Special Education Services

#17-130 Recommendation: Contract Award: Education, Inc.: Tutoring Services 

#17-131 Recommendation: Contract Award: Perkins School for the Blind: 

Special Education Services 

#17-132 Recommendation: Contract Award: Cambridge Health Alliance: 

Assessment, Diagnostic & Liaison Services 

#17-133 Recommendation: Contract Award: Cambridge Ctr. For Neuropsychology & Learning: Neuropsychological Evaluations

#17-134 Recommendation: Contract Award: All Star Staffing: Nursing Services 

#17-135 Recommendation: Contract Award: ReadyNurse: Nursing Services 

#17-136 Recommendation: Contract Award: Delta T Group: Contract Staffing Services 

#17-137 Recommendation: Contract Award: Easter Seals Massachusetts: Contract Staffing Services

#17-138 Recommendation: Contract Award: Baystate Interpreters, Inc.: Translation Services

#17-139 Recommendation: Contract Award: Thurston Foods, Inc.: Groceries 

#17-140 Recommendation: Contract Award: Costa Fruit & Produce: Fresh Produce 

#17-141 Recommendation: Contract Award: A. Russo & Sons, Inc.: Fresh Produce 

#17-142 Recommendation: Contract Award: New England Ice Cream Corporation: Provision & Deliver of Milk Produces

#17-143 Recommendation: Contract Award: Fantini Baking Company: Bread Products 

#17-144 Recommendation: Contract Award: Gill’s Pizza Corporation Fresh Pizza  

#17-145 Recommendation: Contract Award: Quantum Learning: Math Software Program 

#17-146 Recommendation: Contract Award: F. W. Webb: Compressor 

#17-147 Recommendation: Contract Award: Northeast Interior Systems of New England, Inc.: Science Lab Expansion

 

8. Non-Consent Agenda: 

9. School Committee Agenda (Policy Matters/Notifications/Requests for Information): 

#17-148, Joint Motion by Mayor Simmons, Ms. Dexter and Mr. Fantini, 

WHEREAS: The Cambridge Public Schools and Cambridge School Committee strive to provide equal support to female and male high school athletes in accord with Cambridge values and the letter and spirit of Title IX; and 

WHEREAS: Concerns have been raised by female CRLS athletes about unequal treatment; now therefore be it 

RESOLVED: That the School Committee requests from the CPS administration a Plan of Action for ensuring equitable support, resources, opportunity, and recognition for female and male athletes and athletic teams. The School Committee requests this Plan of Action by October 20, 2017.

#17-149, Motion by Mr. Harding, that the School Committee requests the Superintendent to review the Cambridge Public Schools discipline policies to ensure that they take into consideration the possible exposure to trauma that some students may have been exposed to. 

Further that if it is discovered that the Cambridge Public Schools discipline policies need to be amended to incorporate any safeguards regarding the exposure to trauma that those recommendations be added to the current policy and discussed with the School Committee. 

#17-150, Motion by Mr. Fantini, that given that weather projections predict increased temperatures, the School Committee requests that the Superintendent be prepared to present plans to the Sub-Committee on Buildings and Grounds at our scheduled meeting on Tuesday June 27th on how we will support schools without air conditioning. 

#17-151, Joint Motion by Mayor Simmons, Mr. Harding, and Mr. Fantini, 

WHEREAS: The Cambridge Public Schools is committed to ensure that all families have equal access 

and a well-versed understanding of the plethora of resources that Cambridge’s resource 

rich district offers; and 

WHEREAS: The creation of a more inclusive and culturally sensitive led parent advisory council aids in 

taking aim at addressing the varying needs of the families of minority students, the creation 

of a Minority Parents Advisory Council examines the growing concerns that are directly 

interconnected to the families of minority students, would be to the benefit of the entire 

School District as a whole; and 

WHEREAS: According to district-wide data throughout 2010-2015 academic school years minority 

students are disproportionately underrepresented in higher level courses and have not 

fared as well to their white counterparts on state and national standardized testing; and 

WHEREAS: Upon review of a diverse sub-set of School Based Improvement Plans the achievement of minority students is a staunch and urgent concern of school leaders throughout the district, many of The Improvement Plans have articulated the need to engage minority parents in a more uniformed and articulated manner that supports the achievement of minority students; and 

WHEREAS: The adoption of a Minority Parents Advisory Council for Minority Students will serve as a 

conduit, advocate, intermediary, and representative for minority students; and 

WHEREAS: The Cambridge Public Schools have prided itself on creating and fostering an 

Environment of inclusion for all its stakeholders and it is incumbent that the 

appropriate mechanisms and systems are installed to aptly assist a sub-set of 

CPSD’s most vulnerable constituents

RESOLVED: That the Cambridge Public Schools formally adopt the installation of a Minority Parents 

Advisory Council for Minority Students that works with District Leadership around targeted 

goals to better leverage the relationship between CPSD and families of Minority Students 

and to assist in curbing the engagement and achievement gaps among minorities and 

other sub-groups. 

#17-152, Joint Motion by Mr. Harding, and Ms. Nolan, 

Whereas the School Committee has supported the goals first articulated by Bob Moses and The Algebra Project of preparing all students for success by ensuring access to a solid Algebra course by 8th grade and 

Whereas the School Committee has articulated the need for personal teaching in any algebra course and 

Whereas the goal of algebra for all is to have all students supported and encouraged and able to successfully complete algebra in 8th grade, and 

Whereas any algebra course regardless of what grade a student takes it should be equivalent, 

now therefore the School Committee requests a report by the summer meeting with the data on pass rates of all students enrolling in CRLS by school by demographic subgroup and further that the report address the concerns raised about the district's upper school math pathway, including the question of how the students are imbued with a growth mindset and given the message that they can accomplish the work, and whether the course offered is delivered through in-person teaching with computers used only as support not the main method of instruction, and whether the instruction covers the same material as the algebra course offered at the high school, thereby enabling students to master the material and be fully prepared for the next level of math. 

#17-153, Joint Motion by Ms. Nolan and Ms. Dexter, that whereas Participatory Budgeting [PB] has successfully engaged Cambridge residents in the City budget process; and 

Whereas the School Committee seeks to empower students and engage CPS high school students in civic life; and 

Whereas the first high school PB process in the US was in 2013 in Phoenix Arizona’s Bioscience High School and other schools and school districts now use PB to decide on projects to fund; 

Therefore be it resolved that the School Committee requests that the CPS administration explore having a student-led PB process at CRLS that would determine how to spend a designated amount of money from either CRLS School Improvement Funds or CPS budget funds. 

#17-154, Joint Motion by Ms. Nolan and Ms. Kelly, that whereas the city Envision process is focused on Alewife and other neighborhoods and whereas the joint City Council School Committee roundtable included discussion of need for early education facilities and increased enrollment in the school district, the School Committee requests that the city's plans for Alewife include consideration of a possible future need for a public school building. 

 

#17-155, Report of the May 25, 2017 Governance Sub-Committee Meeting 

10. Resolutions (letters of congratulations, letters of condolence): 

11. Announcements: 

12. Late Orders: 

At the conclusion of the Regular Meeting, the School Committee may entertain a motion to enter into Executive Session for the purpose of hearing a Level III Grievance (AFSCME, Local 1611, Council 93) as part of collective bargaining and for the purpose of discussing strategy with respect to this Level III grievance as an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining and litigation strategy positions of the School Committee.