Teaching, Learning, and Student Supports meeting

The agenda is here.
Survey of interest in debate teams: schools that don't currently have such activities are not interested in having them
O'Connell speaks of thinking on your feet, activities, programs, that call for students to do that
Eressy: students in secondary overextended, struggle to find time to do it all (as they have so many options available)
Eressy offers to share information with schools
O'Connell suggests setting up stipends for advisors of debate
Monfredo disappointed that schools are not interested; wonder if a staff member might be interested in coaching and setting it up
would like to see some form of clubs come to life in our schools as a step towards civic involvement
Ramirez: is a lot going on in our high schools and middle schools
would like to see an item like this with survey from students
"a lot of time we see things like this...and it's not what youth want"
"our youth in the city lack in the city the basic skills of Worcester, its history, and the way that it works"
O'Connell: Model UN, Model Congress...something that would really attract student interest
motion to hold to look at again in January
Colorio suggests work that Becker is doing with public speaking, could work with schools possibly

Gateway Cities Vision
Multitiered System of Support mirrors program as proposed
Rojas: community-based forum with multiple stakeholders to support framework
initial meeting to provide more information from that meeting; teams for each critical component
review what the scope of the work would look like for each one of the teams
among the items is attendence, which has its own module
revise district accommodation plan
convene again to work on each specific area
O'Connell: extends across many of the areas of the Gateway Cities study
is there a community outreach function?
Rojas: it's a framework, making sure there are community partners represented in each one of these groups
critical work being done by partners outside of school
working on the right direction in terms of developing a guide
Eressy: as part of Coordinated Program Review, expanding advisory committees in other ch 74 programs
Ramirez: have seen a lot of implementation of soft AVID skills
how is that being tracked per student: where they're getting some skills and where they're missing some skills
O'Connell: Springfield honored for Campaign for Grade-level Reading; are we working with them and if not should we be?
Monfredo: Worcester finished just behind Springfield and Pittsfield in the contest
O'Connell: asking for a report in February so it can inform the budget
Ramirez: two grants were pulled away from this report; "when there's a shift in leadership, we have to be strong in advocating for the need"
Rojas: funding cut from program supports in the summer (that's 9C cuts)

O'Connell: motion to file two items on North

Reach Out and Read: volunteer effort in medical community
thus not ours
motion to file

TLSS meets Tuesday

The Teaching, Learning, and Student Support standing committee meets Tuesday at 5:30. You can find the agenda here.
To me, this looks like another cleanup agenda.

Regarding a debate league, there currently is no school interest (some are running other sorts of programs).
The "Gateway Cities Vision" parallels work that is already being done in WPS (not surprising, really, as the statewide work on these issues is tied).
The North High safety plan is...happening on an ongoing basis.
Reach Out and Read is something that is done in pediatricians offices.

Debate teams and mock trial

essentially the answer here is "we're asking who wants one, if they do, we work it out"

Teaching, Learning, and Student Supports meets Thursday

The Standing Committee on Teaching, Learning, and Student Supports (of the Worcester School Committee) meets on Thursday, January 30 at 5:30 pm. You can find the agenda here.
On the agenda this week:

• an early warning system for dropouts
• school debate
• an update on implementation of the Common Core
• the Family Involvement Plan
• new courses for next year! Take a look!

TLSS meeting report

public speaking courses and debate: options that we have
recommendation for citywide debate for secondary schools: referral to FY13 budget
use of smartphones in classes: prepare a report on recommendations to our current policy
accountability plans are going to Accountability, as is AP report
gym: sports as gym, report in July
comments on the teacher evaluation
All American City Award (on reading): application being drafted
Family Handbook being updated for 2012 school year
status report on the library plan: O'Connell asking for recommendations on expanding elementary librarians coming back at budget

Foley: debate, "could use raising the level of discourse in the city"
concern about putting into place a program at a particular school
Biancheria: that had been looking to pilot at North, would hope eighth graders at WEMS could join in
Novick: concerns around BMI as a measurement; Boone on working with the rest of the community on intergrating health
Also how accurate is it
cell phone policy recommendation coming back for this coming years policy handbook
also not commenting on things in a timely fashion
Boone suggests taking items up at the full committee level (rather than sending things off to standing committee), and voting immediately

who said what

If you're tracking education in the 2012 presidential race, you may be interested in this HechingerEd blog post on who said what during last night's Republican presidential debate.