School Committee Meeting Agenda: March 7, 2017
From the Office of the Executive Secretary to the School Committee
School Committee - Regular Meeting March 7, 2017
A G E N D A
1. Public Comment (3 Minutes):
2. Student School Committee Report:
3. Presentation of the Records for Approval:
- Special Meeting – Budget Retreat, January 11, 2017
- Special Meeting – Budget Retreat, January 31, 2017
- Regular Meeting, February 7, 2017
- Special Meeting – Budget Retreat, February 7, 2017
4. Reconsiderations: None
5. Unfinished Business/Calendar:
Motion #17-29 by Ms. Dexter, whereas CRLS plans to enroll all 9th grade students in Honors English 9 in Fall, 2017; and whereas English 9 has been a class with Honors and College Prep levels and CRLS strives to provide all students with encouragement and support to succeed in honors work; the School Committee requests that the administration provide the Committee and community with a report on plans including anticipated outcomes and measures of success for the all-Honors English 9 course and honors support course. Further that the report be provided by the first meeting in April 2017. (Nolan 2-7-17)
Joint Motion by Mayor Simmons and Mr. Fantini, given the increased need for classroom space at the Media Technology space on Broadway due to increased enrollment at CRLS, that the Superintendent be requested to confer with the City Manager to collaboratively discuss opportunities to provide space given that the City’s 22 View Program is housed in the same location. (Fantini 2-7-17)
Motion by Ms. Dexter, whereas winter brings icy weather, the School Committee requests that the administration review our school bus safety policies as detailed in Committee policy #EEAEC (Bus Safety Program and Discipline Policy) as well as bus safety monitoring practices and report to the Committee in an upcoming Weekly report.
The Committee also requests that the administration bring forward any recommended revisions to the current CPS school bus policies. Particular attention should be paid to practices related to the boarding and exiting school of school buses, dropping off young children, and seatbelt policy on daily bus rides, field trips, and in-district and out-of-district transportation for students with disabilities and other students attending school outside of the district. (Nolan, 1-17-17)
6. Awaiting Reports: None
7. Superintendent’s Agenda:
7a. Presentations: None
7b. Innovation Agenda:
7c. Consent Agenda:
#17-34 Approval Revisions to Student Records Policy (First Reading)
#17-35 Day & Residential Program Services not available from the
Cambridge School Department
#17-36 Contract Award: PJ Systems dba HiQ Computers: Computer
Software Implementation & Maintenance
#17-37 Contract Award: PJ Systems dba HiQ Computers: Computer Hardware
#17-38 Grant Award: FY17 Biogen Foundation-City Sprouts Middle School Program (SC17139)
8. Non-Consent Agenda:
9. School Committee Agenda (Policy Matters/Notifications/Requests for Information):
#17-39, Motion by Mayor Simmons, that Chapter 1, Section 2. of the Rules of the School Committee be revised as follows:
Section 2. Regular Meetings. The regular meetings of the School Committee shall be held on the first and third Tuesday evening at 6:00 o’clock during the months of September through June. During the months of July and August one regular meeting of the School Committee shall be scheduled on the first Tuesday of August. No meeting of the School Committee shall go beyond 10:00 o’clock in the evening. Any extension of the meeting beyond 10:00 o’clock in the evening requires a motion and a two-thirds vote of the School Committee as provided below in Chapter II, Section 4.1. If necessary, the Chair shall have the option of calling a meeting as provided below in Chapter I, Section 3, Special Meetings.
#17-40, Motion by Ms. Dexter, that whereas the Cambridge School Committee is committed to closing achievement and opportunity gaps by race, economic class, gender, disability status, and English Language Learner status, the Committee requests that the Superintendent, in reviewing CPS staffing, take into account:
-- CPS's 2016 disaggregated PARCC and MCAS scores; and
-- The recommendations from the Cambridge-based Schott Foundation for Public Education for "Lifting All Children Up;" from the Cambridge-based Rennie Center for Education, Research & Policy and Boston-based Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center in their "Roadmap to Expanding Opportunity;" and from Ed Byrne's report, "Bridging Educational Equity and Excellence: A Plan to Raise Academic Achievement and Close Gaps in Cambridge Public Schools."
http://schottfoundation.org/infographic/lifting-all-children
http://expandingopportunity.org/
#17-41, Motion by Mr. Fantini,
WHEREAS: Cambridge’s commitment to Two-Way Bilingual programs is unmatched in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and
WHEREAS: Cambridge has three immersion programs: Amigos, King Open-Mandarin, and Ola-Portuguese and
WHEREAS: there is evidence that bilingual instruction is an effective means of closing achievement gaps and
WHEREAS: bilingual programs help prepare students for the global future, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED: that the Superintendent review existing outreach efforts with the intent of bringing more awareness to Immersion options
AND: Further, that the Superintendent reach out to impacted communities to seek input.
#17-42, Joint Motion by Ms. Bowman and Ms. Kelly, whereas the Cambridge Public Schools seek to ensure the safety of our students in the event of inclement weather conditions and
Whereas new technology allows for more accurate forecasting for major meteorological events and
Whereas parents and other community-based institutions look to the School District to provide leadership in determining the safety of transport of students during severe winter weather in a timely manner, THEREFORE, BE IT
Resolved that the School Department review its process for making "the call" during extreme winter conditions to ensure we are giving parents, students, and community institutions timely notification regarding school closures.
#17-43, Report of the January 12, 2017 Ad Hoc Sub-Committee on Superintendent Transition Planning
#17-44, Report of the February 2, 2017 Sub-Committee on the Budget (Committee of the Whole) Public Hearing on the FY 18 Budget
#17-45, Report of the February 2, 2017 Sub-Committee on the Budget (Committee of the Whole) Budget Priorities on the FY 18 Budget
#17-46, Report of the February 16, 2017 Sub-Committee on Curriculum and Achievement
10. Resolutions (letters of congratulations, letters of condolence):
#17-47, Joint Motion by Ms. Nolan and Mr. Harding, that whereas the Posse Foundation identifies public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential who may be overlooked by traditional college selection processes with a focus on urban students from diverse backgrounds and whereas Posse Scholarships are among the most generous in the nation -four-year, full-tuition leadership scholarships - and whereas Posse Scholars have the opportunity to pursue personal and academic excellence as part of supportive, multicultural teams, and whereas six CRLS students are Posse Scholars this year, that the School Committee send congratulatory letter to the Posse Scholars for 2017 from CRLS: Abdulai Barry, Kazya Crasta, James Johnson, Rihana Oumer, Veronica Sargent and Brennan Yee.
#17- 48, Motion by Mr. Harding, that the School Committee goes on record in extending its congratulations to former CRLS student Casey Affleck for winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in Manchester by the Sea.
#17-49, Motion by Ms. Nolan, that the School Committee hereby goes on record in expressing its deepest condolences to Lauren Gibbs whose daughter Mara Gibbs, CRLS class of 2015, died in a tragic fire on February 7 2017.
11. Announcements:
12. Late Orders: