Mayor O'Brien

punative to teachers
promote charter schools for underperforming schools, "but we know that's not true" because of the school that was approved
"how much of that money would get into our system...how much would get into our classroom"
how much for testing, more consulting, more models

only MCAS

bill "claims" that it's trying to get at root causes, but makes no effort to change them: "lip service without resources"

"how do we convince our best teachers to go to our most challenged schools?"...does nothing by that
"why would I or any good teacher...risk...to go to these tough schools?"
"we're seeing the results of this bad legislation played out today...why in the world would I stay?"
"I don't know what I would say...if I were being honest, I'd say, 'you'd better bid out in April'"

principal of a well performing school convinced to come over to Chandler
met the principal ripping up carpet in the summertime to get the school ready for those kids
"reward for all the work that they've done is what happened today"

Questions: two pots of money: STG "you may apply"...the state has this money?
"what can we spend it on?"
Yes, the state will (definitely) get that money (they don't have it, yet, though, it seems)
"what we've been told in general...state is in development of proposal..we do know:

• professional development,
• time in school,
• wraparound services

"we don't have any option in turnaround Level 4 schools...where are we in turnarounding Level 4 schools" (from Boone)

"under the Race to the Top funding," the Mayor says, "that money would be primarily for underperforming schools...is that accurate?"

Boone: 50% of the money must go to districts on Title 1 funding, the other 50% is outside of Title 1 formula for innovation

"if we said no to the STG" (back to the Mayor) "and came up with our own model, could we use RTTT funds to implement our own plan?"

Boone has posed the question to the state...we don't know

the assurances of the RTTT application: some kind of way we're going to meet headon with those entitlement grants (aka: we already agreed to it in RTTT, to a particular end)

now we've got Mulqueen: the same four models are in both of these, they are the exact same models...as we have already agreed

Mulqueen's interpretation is that we would not get Race to the Top funding if we reneged on those four choices, as they are in RTTT, as well.

Motion: requesting that the superintendent not make any steps on applying until we have more information on what we can use it and how to impacts su for RTTT and future federal funds