Secretary Tutwiler to step down Friday; Steve Zrike will succeed him in March

 The Secretary announced his departure on Instagram this afternoon: 

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State House News Service reports here. WGBH reports here.

The Secretary, as a reminder, is an appointed position, serving at the pleasure of the Governor. They head the Executive Office of Education, and they have a voting seat on the three Boards that oversee public education in Massachusetts: Early Ed and Care; Elementary and Secondary Education; and Higher Ed.

Zrike has been superintendent of Salem since 2020; Lt. Governor Driscoll was mayor in Salem when he was appointed and was a member of the School Committee. He previously was the receiver of Holyoke.

Special meeting of the Board of Ed March 10: acting commissioner

 Craven: "due credit and praise" to Johnston
March 28 is his last day
finalists will be selected by board members on search committee (four)
new commissioner for July 1

Secretary Pat Tutwiler is willing and able to serve "on top of his responsibilities" as Secretary
will not accept additional compensation
Secretary makes appointment on recommendation of a 2/3rd vote
effective March 29, 2025

Motion, second

Hills: not in support of this 
think Tutwiler "would make an outstanding commissioner"
soft power, hard power
"has to do with the structure that has been set up in the laws over the past year"
"there are several different statutes that this would be in violation of"
"at some point, it actually matters what's written in the statute"

Mohamed: "if it doesn't violate statute, I think it violates principles of good governments"
"don't think a person can serve as supervisor of himself"
will vote no on this item

Tutwiler: Commissioner doesn't report to the Secretary; the Commissioner reports to the Board
(on which the Secretary serves)

Moriarty: comfortable with this and support it
"I don't think the secretary as it exists in statute is that old"
"I think it's a novel question, not one that" has a history
Johnston receiver while at the Department (but he didn't report to himself; it both positions he reported to the Commissioner)
"and if it's a mulligan, we correct it at our next meeting"

Stewart asking if it's legal for him not to take compensation

Motion to recommend to the Secretary that he appoint himself acting commissioner (the Secretary appoints upon a 2/3rd recommendation from the Board)

7-2-1, 2/3 vote as required (Hills and Mohamed opposed, Tutwiler abstains)

motion passes

No one asked me but speaking as always only for me: 

1. Serving on a Board whilst also working for it would certainly appear a conflict. 
2. Taking the second role at the same time on would appear to somewhat denigrate what is necessary for either. 
3. And having the Governor's appointment serve as the Board's appointment SUPER crosses the quasi-independence of the Department

Worcester School Committee meets Thursday

The FIRST Worcester School Committee of the new term is on Thursday at 7pm. You can find the agenda here.
First of all, we have (as usual) an executive session at 6 pm. As I mentioned, the reasons for the executive session now are posted as part of the agenda (it's the final item). On Thursday, we have three disciplinary hearings, a grievance, negotiations with the Coordinator of Nurses (one on that list of positions whose contract is with the School Committee), and negotiations with the union of the administrative secretaries.
At 7 pm (or thereabouts), the public session begins.
We have a public petition regarding the naming of the new North High softball field.
We'll have both the Joint (F&O/Education) and Finance & Operations subcommittees reporting out (Remember, F&O meets tomorrow at 5 pm).
We have a beginning-of-year flurry of personnel items: resignations, appointments, transfers.
We have a response to some queries Mr. O'Connell had on preschool, including a list of service providers and options for the other half of the day.
At Miss Biancheria's request, we have a list of STEM events (she asked for February and March, but it looks as though this is the year).
We have a response on middle school sports.
My One Library item is on again, so I can ask a few questions (still no MOU, though, so I'm going to ask that we hold it again).
We have an extensive answer to Mr. Monfredo's questions on summer school and its efficacy.
We also have another preschool item coming back.
We have an answer to my question of where the $1 per pupil recess money went. (Bonus points to whomever put the chart together and added relevant clip art!)
We also have an answer to which schools have bike racks: Claremont Academy, North, South, Worcester Tech, Burncoat Middle, Sullivan Middle, Chandler Elementary, and Flagg Street. (Anyone out there who wants to work on this?)
We have a response from administration on dealing with increasing enrollment, as well as one on questions about items at North.
We also have the awaited FY14 additional budgetary allocation! And, sorry, it's not an exciting recommendation from administration, but it's a necessary one.
We have items coming in asking for honors and thanks!
We also have items asking that admin work with CPPAC on their annual expo and on parent enrichment activities, that the POW/MIA chair be available to schools for programs, that the process for using School Dude be reported on, that the WPD set up a text line for reporting unshoveled sidewalks, that we get a list of every school to which graduating seniors have been admitted, that we get a report on fitting out of North High (and remaining funds), that safe routes to schools be reported on, and that teachers get their retroactive pay in full at the next check.
Administration will be sending along new courses to subcommittee!
We have a prior year payment of $1072 and one of $3088.20 up for approval.
We also donations: $6408.01 to Lake View School from the parents; $1000 from National Grid for Doherty robotics; $500 from a Mobil retailer to Grafton Street.
And Mr. Monfredo wants to be sure that we celebrate Read Across America Day!
At City Hall at 7 pm and live on Channel 11!

School Committee account, crossing guards account, school clerical

Pass School Committee
Crossing guards: request by Biancheria to review the location of crossing guards before the fall
Boone: standing item requesting that
Passes
School clerical:
Colorio: are most of the positions stationary? is there an increase in salary?
Allen: had to lay off a number of people due to civil service requirements
new people, lower salaries
substitute coverage for secretaries (Novick question): Allen comments probably underfunded, account is a recent addition to this budget
Biancheria: are we looking at average or the accurate number?
Allen: actual salaries for next year
O'Connell: conversion to a full year at Claremont
Allen: level of service to school has not changed: account has
Passes
Administrative clerical:
Colorio: is the average salary that much higher for these secretaries?
Allen: school clerk works a school year; administration works a full year
all under collective bargaining agreement
O'Connell: grant position cut due to sequestration
Allen: grant level support to grants and nutrition
clerks assigned to work on grants will be charged to a grant account
is a net reduction in one position in finance and operations
Biancheria: systems administration
compare 2013 to 2014: is this an actual cost or is this an average costs?
Allen: FY14 represents the actual cost as projected
Boone: larger number of people, an average is more accurate; smaller number is more accurate
Biancheria: looking at actual, accurate numbers
Boone: numbers were accurate in terms of financing and planning
different approach
Allen: talking about two different things
FY13 as well as FY14 represents (both) accurate numbers
location based budget is done on average salaries, because we don't actually know who's going to be in which position in which school
Biancheria: Durkin Administration building brought to her attention by Councilors
changes in line items

School Committee meets tonight at 7

The Worcester School Committee meets at 7 pm tonight. You can find the agenda here.

• We have the staff of the Fanning Building coming in to be recognized for the Thanksgiving that they have every year for their students. 
• We're being asked to open negotiations with our secretaries.
• We've got an item coming over from the City Council on the South High pool (which last I checked, was actually still in the City Council Parks and Rec subcommittee, awaiting an administrative answer. Checking that again.)
• Finance and Operations is reporting out (but not TLSS, which was cancelled due to weather).
• Teacher appointments coming through.
• We have reports back from administration on class sizes at Union Hill; on community gardens; and on principal contracts and work days.
• We're changing the reimbursement per mile (as required).
• We've got several requests going into Administration, including a request for a report on the incidents last week near North High.
• And we vote for a new vice chair, as the School Committee traditionally has single year terms for vice chair.

7 pm (and no exec beforehand, so probably about on time!)

Secretarial coverage at dismissal

...so that someone answers the phone when you're not going to make it on time.

early retirement

participation in the early retirement incentive
potentially employers only need 20 years of service to participate
If we had 20 people take advantage of the early retirement incentive and used 30% backfill, we could save UP TO $546,420
we want to make sure that we don't end up with underserved schools
cap at 20, but SC can sort numbers (so many custodians, administrative clerical, school clerical, parent liaisons, those being the positions recommended for participation in early retirement)
SC recommends UP TO 6 positions each in custodians, administrative clerical, school clerical, and 2 parent liasons for the total of 20 positions
Allen: assuming that we will be at foundation next year, but we're STILL $10 million short heading into next year due to the loss of IDEA, ARRA funds. IF the economy doesn't improve and we AREN'T at foundation, we're going to be in worse shape than that.
This is a chance, thus, to save a half a million dollars and still be able to replace 30% of the salaries of the staff we lose
We aren't going to have that advantage next spring
recommendation that these moneys be used, then education jobs funds be forwarded to FY12
MOTION CARRIES

School clerical

reduction of nine positions from schools
elementary and secondary school clerks
it isn't a straight cut; there has been a formula change, so some schools went up, while others went down
(and I can faintly hear that someone in this room is listening to the Celtics)

Two clerks, one from sped and one from child study, have been sent to the Parent Information Center, to handle the registration of K-12 and associated needs there.

O'Connell is suggesting a report of using the revolving account funds to restore clerical; Allen points out that the school committee allocated money to the teachers already.

Foley is confused as to why this particular place is a heavy concern; "I want to see consistency...my concern is still classroom services"