October Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meeting: opening comments

 The agenda is here; livestream is here

My notes from last night are here

and the meeting has started, but there is no sound on the broadcast...

several minutes in, we have what I believe is a vocational superintendent who is questioning the analysis of the Department from last night
"a balanced multisided analysis" 
Greater New Bedford Tech superintendent Michael Watson, I am guessing

John Evans, Keefe Tech superintendent
there is not a general concern among our sending districts about the demographics
current agreement has no apportionment; would probably ask for one if forced to a blind lottery
"believe a one size fits all" admission process is not the answer

Mirian Albert, Lawyers for Civil Rights: urge the Board to implement a true lottery system, as outlined in the complaint filed
changes of 2021 fell short
requires open to all students on a equal basis
every student has an equal opportunity to attend, as is public schools
lottery system is "a necessary step forward"

Sky Kochenour, Center for Law and Education
heartened by DESE taking up admission
Craven said we have to understand the problem we look to solve
disparities of protected classes in attendance and disciplinary data
"should not be focused on students in their sending communities"
"in effect creates a quota"
urge Board to return to presentation from Dougherty: showing better outcomes among those admitted does not prove point
lack of seats often held up; if criteria are only used when interest exceeds capacity, clearly not fundamental to participation

Aaron Polansky, superintendent Old Colony Regional 
"the issue is access"
argues that students don't know of options
discipline: safety issue for students who cannot control themselves
"our partners demand" attendance and cannot send machinery home with tutors
"asking the state to mandate access"
asking for reimbursement rate of $75/foot through MSBA

Gerry Mroz with a vision of Halloween of zombies and conveyer belts and "the false god monsters of local control"
This appears to be both a "no on 2" advocacy while also being anti-current system

Kahris McLaughlin who notes that they have the (among others) the Racial Imbalance Advisory Committee report (it's informational; not for deliberation)
statement that prior Racial Imbalance Advisory "lost its way"
"my group did not fail in its duty"
"there is a problem with education of kids of color in this state" and it's your problem
taking kids out of their neighborhood schools "it's not fair to the kids"
METCO schools that have been funded for 60 years; don't know why they aren't funded as charter schools are (?)
"That is why I voted to keep MCAS...school accountability yearly for every school and every district"

Michelle Simon, leader in Boston Public Schools, parent of five children who have gone through Cohasset Public Schools
speaking out of deep concern for her children and other children like them
speaking from longstanding pattern that permits slurs, willful hate
teacher authorized students to use n-slur in reading and writing because "it doesn't bother me"
pattern of hate and teachers who have done nothing
"why should it be the responsibility of those who continue to be marginalized to lead the work"?
every student feels safe and valued
witnessed firsthand METCO director's name mispronounced on multiple occasions
small act but significant one
"DESE has a responsibility here"
oversight in suburban districts like Cohasset and other districts "we've seen on the news recently"
Moriarty requests that it go to problem resolution system

Craven: budget committee met on Oct. 17
Moriarty: process of time, covered a number of basis
(Ioannis Asikis, the student member, has turned his laptop to Moriarty, clearly sharing his notes)
AHA! Local inflationary pressures mentioned!
attendance, literacy launch, diversification of teachers, ch. 74 mentioned also
performance evaluation committee makeup also announced
educator diversification committee 
"assurance of learning" ensure there are effective measures being taken to be certain of that (MCAS will be addressed by Johnston)
Questions from members from last night:
Stewart: effectiveness of amended regs
data that analyzes the disparities in admission to discover if they have such impact in schools using selective criteria

Tutwiler: "we are in full swing in the school year"
Remain deeply inspired and encouraged by what he sees across the Commonwealth
STEM week last week
grants for innovation career pathways
Massachusetts maintains commitment to a representative student body in higher ed
Administration's stance on Question 2: "adamantly opposed to this question"
"Part of the success story in public education"
"does not replace the system with a system"
"the most vulnerable students will be hurt the most"
"the current system is not a perfect system, and I would be the first to say that"
open to evolving system, but this is not the way

Johnston: opens by joking against himself: he went to the Science Museum (not the Children's Museum" for the opening
these are the experiences all our students should be having
Virtual schools' tuition rate: two operating virtual schools
in November will recommend what the rate should be adjusted to
has been seeking input from MASS
December would be actual vote
resources developed on antisemitism and societal bias 

on last night's meeting: 29 regional schools and 5 municipal schools ("wall to wall") are those focused on in this, not the 58 comprehensive high schools that have some sort of programming
2021 change does not require selective admission policies
25 of the regional schools have kept selective admission criteria; how those admission criteria impacted who gets in
random selection generates better representation
students in protected groups are more likely to be absent and more likely to have higher rates of disciplined; thus higher rates of being impacted by selective criteria
disparities in admission of students of color and English learners
comparison with students in catchment?
do have responsibility for all students; even with only ability to apply included will still align as most students can apply to such a school
knowledge of families; recruitment; admission; enrollment and success
preliminary options available 
"is our system right now reactive or proactive?"

Moriarty loves seeing Monday night meetings back
"lurking behind data are human beings" says from having taught
execute their own agency; some will show in discipline and some in cutting school
"there is space at play here among the human beings"
great to look at doing what we should be doing
suggests "a voluntary class on good school citizenship" 
"exercised agency now in a positive way" to be "a good scholar in a CTE program"
this is based on nothing that we know about students

Hills: first start at the biggest issue: legal or not?
would like to understand what we're shooting for in admission
if there are criteria emerging that need to be further refined; would be a good chance to hear from individual schools; don't know what additional changes impact would be
scare resource; people are going to feel aggrieved who are left out
understanding if there are significant disparities between sending districts and receiving schools
Hills, and others, keep missing that students can be outside the region can apply; that is why the comparison with the entire student population is being done
"happy to consider any changes that make sense"
avoid laws of unintended consequences

West: echo enthusiasm for a Monday meeting
appreciation emphasis on thinking of this on thinking of this as a system
"having looked at systemwide data, the next step is looking at the components"
"representativeness is not the legal standard"
"think have to look at individual school level"
and our streak of not wanting to be responsible for the entire state continues!

Fisher: thank the Board and Commissioner for having this discussion
"we're talking in this way of what is legal and are there consequences"
"I want to remind the Board that we're talking about individuals"
"these are the students that may need the CTE schools the most to recenter and reengage them"
"our comprehensive schools don't get to skim"
students may be able to "recenter and reengage and find their passion"
"these are kids and these are real people"

Hills: what is impact of discipline? how big is the problem?

Rocha: wondering on data on language provided in those schools particularly among instructors
as graduate of Madison Park, students who excelled in vocational week were more often absent in academic week; are we collecting data on attendance of that sort
grades: how long are we talking about? (how long have children been in the country and in the schools)

Moriarty: admission calendars 

Craven: "our job is to separate the signal from the noise"
(actually, they have people for that)

Johnston: hearing to delve into this data more; were going to have a panel, but Board interested in delving more into answering questions from today and last night
Craven: to hear actual practice, superintendents who have said they moved to full lottery but (but they didn't...?)
Hills: hoping that November isn't some magical date, could also talk in December