Official word from Governor Baker recommending international school trips be canceled

There had been some confusion earlier this week as to who was recommending what based on what, so clarity today:

...the administration is urging colleges, universities and high schools to cancel upcoming, organized international trips at this time.

The full press release from Governor Baker is here.  You can find coverage here and here.

Foreign Travel guide

coming in from National School Boards Association
Sent to Governance

The Worcester School Committee meets Thursday, October 2

The Worcester School Committee has a regularly scheduled meeting this Thursday, October 2, at 7 pm. You can find the agenda here.

In addition to our regular approval of the public session minutes of the previous meeting, you'll see we're approving (and releasing) the minutes of six executive sessions. In each case, the reason for it being an executive session has expired. Kudos to Dr. Friel to getting these out! Score one for open government!

We're recognizing the donations from two groups who have helped to start our students' school year off well: Cradles to Crayons and Reliant Medical Group.
We also have a new section, giving our student representative a chance to speak.
The report of the Superintendent is on the Family and Community Academy.
Colleen O'Brien has retired and we have several new appointments.
We'll be hearing from Jen Carey on Friday's "Worcester: the City That Reads" event (more on that to come!)
Mr. O'Connell is bringing in a document on travel abroad for consideration.
He's also concerned about gym floors, Constitution Day, and AP Mandarin Chinese.
We are being asked to accept a donation for the special education department in memory of Paul Piuze, who was a special ed bus monitor. His family asked that donations in his memory be made to the special ed department.
We have several requests for recognitions.
Miss Biancheria would like the job description for the position of principal of Worcester Technical High School.
She'd also like a report on raising MCAS scores and a description of college nights at high schools.

We'll also at 6, be having an executive session for an update on our negotiations with nurses.

Worcester School Committee meets Thursday

The Worcester School Committee meets tomorrow night at 7 pm. You can find the agenda here.
We are honoring both Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (for their work this year at Chandler Elementary) and South High (for their wellness award).
The report of the superintendent is a report back from the Blue Ribbon Panel on technology. If you have an interest in technology in education, please take a look and tell me what you think!
Reports are coming back from:

• Finance and Operations
• Teaching, Learning, and Student Supports
• Governance and Employee Issues
• the Ad-Hoc Committee on the exam and/or IB school

We have a few appointments coming through.

We are opening negotiations with our secretaries.

Mr. O'Connell has filed an item to consider civics mastery, including possibly having students take the U.S. Naturalization test.

We are being asked to receive a donation for McGrath School from Unibank for leveled readers.

We are being asked to receive donations on behalf of Claremont Academy for their trip to Spain this year.

We are being asked to receive a grant for family literacy for $5000. 

We are being asked to receive a grant from the Boston Foundation in Architecture for $1920 for an after school club at Worcester Arts Magnet School. 

We are forwarding letters to our distinguished alumni. 

I'm asking that we have regular meetings of the Standing Committee on Finance and Operations with the City Council's Education subcommittee (anyone wonder why?)

We're congratulating the Burncoat quadrant on the "Burncoat to Broadway" concert.

Miss Biancheria and I are requesting that we review the school accountability plans (in the Accountability subcommittee).

We are being asked to approve spending for FY12 in the amount of $20,383.21 . 

7pm, tomorrow night at City Hall!

TLSS

charging ever onward in working to get to foreign travel (including adding two days of allowed absence)
providing alternatives to silent lunches
requesting that we look at $13,000 for cheerleading equipment
safety at athletic events
adding PD for IA's (professional development for instructional assistants)
visual arts on curriculum review
 MassCore added
policies handbook on AP

TLSS liveblog: foreign travel

As the City Solicitor has made the quick trip up from City Hall for this meeting, the item on foreign travel is being take out of order. Publishing as we go...
David Moore notes that new regulations require CORI or CORI type checks on all drivers and others, plus extensive exploration around transportation. Training and planning around political issues, as in Egypt currently. "Formidable issues" is what he says.

Standing committee today

The standing committee on Teaching, Learning, and Student Supports meets today at 5:30 in the administration building. There are three items on the agenda: homeless students, status of cheerleading, and curriculum review. There is a chance, I am told, that foreign travel may also be taken up; it depends on the City Solicitor's schedule.
Hoping to manage a liveblog!

Report from TLSS: Field trips

reporting out from Teaching, Learning, and Student Supports :

• review of curriculum for alignment with Common Core
• anti-bullying
• ad-hoc committee on mathematics to be developed
• draft foreign and domestic travel policy to be developed by administration, allowing it but minimizing school liability

The committee thus asks, as per usual, for the report (and motions) to be approved.
The mayor clarifies that we are not approving a policy tonight: we are approving the drafting of a policy. (He further notes that Assistant City Solicitor O'Day, who has served the WPS, has retired, and we haven't get gotten ourselves lined up with the Solicitor's office)