School Committee Meeting Agenda: March 21, 2017
From the Office of the Executive Secretary to the School Committee
School Committee - Regular Meeting March 21, 2017
A G E N D A
1. *Public Hearing on the Budget (3 Minutes):
1a. Public Comment (3 Minutes):
2. Student School Committee Report:
3. Presentation of the Records for Approval:
-Regular Meeting - March 7, 2017
4. Reconsiderations:
5. Unfinished Business/Calendar: None
6. Awaiting Reports: None
7. Superintendent’s Agenda:
7a. Presentations: None
7b. Innovation Agenda:
7c. Consent Agenda:
#17-50 Authorization for the Superintendent to submit to the Massachusetts School Building Authority the Statement of Interest Form Due April 7, 2017 for the Tobin and Vassal Lane Upper Schools Located At 197 Vassal Lane
#17-51 Approval of the Revisions to Student Records Policy (Second Reading)
#17-52 Day & Residential Program Services not available from the Cambridge School Department
#17-53 Gifts/Miscellaneous Receipts
#17-54 Grant Award: FY17 Title I Distribution (SC17604) Increase
#17-55 Grant Award: FY17 Title II-A/Teacher Quality (SC17731) Increase
#17-56 Grant Award: FY18 Massachusetts Cultural Council-STARRS (SC17894) Increase
8. Non-Consent Agenda:
9. School Committee Agenda (Policy Matters/Notifications/Requests for Information):
#17-57, Joint Motion by Mayor Simmons, Mr. Fantini and Ms. Kelly,
WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge is a culturally diverse community that is home to many immigrant communities, including persons with both documented and undocumented immigration status; and
WHEREAS: Recently, The United States of America has witnessed proposals that have disproportionately targeted immigrant and specifically undocumented communities in our district, a district that reflects a student body where 30% of its students speak another language at home, and over 65 languages are spoken by the families in our community;
WHEREAS: The 1982 landmark Supreme Court decision, Plyer v. Doe, prohibits schools from denying students an education, regardless of their immigration status, and this decision means that all the children in Cambridge have the right to an education in the CPSD system; and
WHEREAS: The Cambridge Public Schools celebrate and cherish the rich diversity that our students, families, and other caregivers bring to our classrooms and our school communities throughout the district; and
WHEREAS: In light of the punitive actions that have been threatened by the Trump Administration toward Sanctuary Cities like Cambridge, and the harsh and xenophobic rhetoric the President has engaged in throughout much of the past year, CPSD is making it known that it shall continue to provide supports to its students and their families; and
WHEREAS: These supports include, but are not limited to co-sponsoring with the City, the Cambridge Commission on Immigration and Citizenship and other community based organizations “Know Your Rights” legal workshops with attorneys specializing in immigration law for immigrant families, including families that may be undocumented and have children in the CPSD system; now there with children in the CPSD system; now therefore be it
RESOLVED: That the Cambridge School Committee, in conjunction with The Cambridge Public Schools, and in solidarity with our community based organizations who support the fair and just treatment of the City’s undocumented communities, will create safe spaces in our schools for undocumented families, continue to provide all students with equal access to public education regardless of their race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, national origin, ethnicity or immigration status, continue to ensure that all students are free from discrimination and harassment, continue to allow families to register their students for all extra-curricular programs that are offered through CPSD and DHSP programs, and affirms that students will not be excluded from free meals, transportation, and additional educational services; and be it further
RESOLVED: The Cambridge School Committee will work with the Superintendent and other appropriate parties to assemble and make readily available to all CPSD families a list of resources, including basic informational and “Know Your Rights” materials, on the rights of undocumented students to help ensure that all students and their families are made aware of their rights and are made aware of the fact that they continue to be valued members of the Cambridge community.
#17-58, Motion by Ms. Dexter,
WHEREAS: the School Committee fully supports the initiative to level up 9th grade English classes so as to enroll all students in Honors English 9 beginning in Fall, 2017, with a supplementary Honors Access support class; and
WHEREAS: one goal is to narrow achievement gaps and prepare more students for Honors and AP classes; and
WHEREAS: the Committee would like to maximize the success of this initiative by providing more-than-adequate staffing in the first year of implementation; and
WHEREAS: establishing class size limits are policy decisions that have been made by School Committees all over the state, including in Cambridge; and
WHEREAS: Pilot School classes were capped at 14 students and all CRLS English classes were previously capped at 20 students to maximize the achievement of all students; THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED: that, for the first year of implementation, SY 2017-2018, Honors English 9 classes will enroll no more than 18 students, or will be co-taught by two teachers assigned full-time to the class; and Honors Access support classes will enroll no more than 16 students, or will be co-taught by two teachers assigned full-time to the class.
#17-59, Joint Motion by Mr. Harding and Ms. Nolan, that, whereas, an external review of the coaching in CPS in 2014 recommended some changes in the coaching model, and whereas the district responded to the review with some internal discussion and promised a follow-up to the recommendations, and whereas the budget for next year anticipates no changes to coaching allocations, that the School Committee asks for a report on the response to the report on coaching from 2014 with recommendations answering the findings of the report and any subsequent findings by the district as a result of the report.
#17-60, Report of the March 8, 2017 Sub-Committee on Community Relations
10. Resolutions (letters of congratulations, letters of condolence):
11. Announcements:
12. Late Orders: