Foley stands and jokes that the noise you hear is the sound of televisions across Worcester being turned off as we continue to hammer away at the policy handbook
"to give greater opportunities for all students"
"bring greater rigor to a greater number of students across the district"
Biancheria: raises that this came out on Friday, posted online on Monday, community concern
asks that 1-6 be read: "if it says 'recommendation' then it's open"
points out that if kids at Claremont and UPCS have taken classes with a C average, then other kids have been allowed in as well, or could be. It's happening with this in the policy handbook.
"We don't make policy by handbook"
Mayor reads the current language
Novick: what if we said "grades may not preclude acceptance of student"
Mullaney comments says that never before have we not had a substantive debate around the policy handbook before.
Does not want to vote on this tonight
Mulqueen suggests leaving the list as is but add "the intent is include and not exclude"
O'Connell asks that it be circulated beforehand
O'Connell comments that in fact this reflects well on the standing committee and all of the committee that people are as well informed as they are and that we're having a conversation as comprehensive
"if the administration needs considered review..." School Committee needs more time
handbook that demonstrates what policies ARE not what policies OUGHT TO BE
Boone says "if we can have this as a work session...in terms of policy development...agree wholeheartedly that policy by handbook is not" what we ought do
"how do we operate, how do we function...look forward to having resolution to this"
Monfredo mentions that it's been an hour since he did his report
There's also an outstanding special ed question around placement for students out of their home school. Boone points out that level of services, 'though not placement, are legally protected through the IEP. Gannon responses that each quadrant has all programs; this gives the administration the option to leave the kid where they are or force the kid into the home quadrant. Mayor says it sounds like we're giving administration the power to move the kid out of his current school. Mulqueen says this is about making decisions within the context of what's going on at a school. The mayor recommends that the conversation go on with parents of special ed students and that we send that off to our special ed counsel as well to be sure we're not getting in the way of IEP.
The mayor is working us to resolution here...we've compromised most of these.
3 comments:
this was a good discussion, personally I find the handbook unreadable, have we ever checked the literacy level?
Dr. Boone is interested in more work done as a working committee of the whole. This would be a big change for the Worc. Pub Schools. Mayor Mariano worked very hard to set a business-like tone at council and school committee meetings and delegated alot of the details to the subcommittees.
For the working committee of the whole to work, the meeting would need to be restructured. Alot of time and energy goes into those early evening presentations "for the folks in the cheap seats" not to mention the many recognition ceremonies. By the time substantive policy discussions arise, teh parents in the room are looking at the clock.
Interesting that a superintendent with so many responsibilities is interested in board governance, going back to her retreat at MCPHS.
In addition to superintendent, maybe she is taking on the duties of executive director to the board?
Boone defintely has a philosophy from Good to Great and she is going to succeed or fail on that basis.
I don't think we have, but it's a good question.
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