Morning Board of Ed meeting at Monty Tech: opening remarks

You can find the agenda here.
I'm not going to catch all of this, as I have to duck out to take a call, but notes going up here from the opening remarks by Monty Tech Superintendent Sheila Harrity, Chair Paul Sagan, Commissioner Chester, and Secretary of Education James Peyser.
Posting as we go...
Sagan notes that Craven and Doherty will not be able to attend.
Sagan: take opportunity to share some thoughts and perspective
"honot and prilege to serve on this Board...best to serve the families of this Commonwealth...proud tradition of public education"
"every child have a high quality education"
"continuum of stakeholders...to do even better than those who worked on these efforts before us"
"leave
"one top priority...child who come into our system and their families...all of the others come second...I don't think we're here in service to the adults"
"tremendous respect for teachers...need to support them and given them the chance to succeed at their difficult jobs"
most of the time his kids went to public school and most of the time in Massachusetts
"despite the statistics that we all get to see...too many of our schools are not succeeding for our kids...have to do for our kids"
schools are failing in their mission, determined to change that
"just look at those" on waiting list "for alternative public schools"
"anything short of responding to these families would be shameful"
moved to Massachusetts 17 years ago, cites experience working with charter school (MATCH)
"so here's the first lesson I took away from this...kids I had heard over and over again couldn't achieve at high levels" could
results again and again...cites CREDO study
"to do anything less for every other child" is inconceivable
"not here for poltics
public schools "in well-functioning districts and those we'll have to create with more autonomy"
from MATCH: exceptional teachers attract exceptional results
wife taught at MATCH, countless hours, calls at home
"She and her colleagues never gave up on their kids"
"support expansion of charter schools in many communities because I believe that is part of the answer"
not only that
"support additional excellence from new charter schools"
close those that don't
1993 Ed Reform, 2011 Act
"all measures open to us to turnaround underperforming schools and even disttricts"
"as much as possible work with districts...but not hesitation to intervene when" needed
important parallels with business: who we're serving and to what end
"our leadership comes from leadership on School Committees,...superintenedents...principals...teachers...and I look forward to their leadership and collaboration"
"move those folks along when they just aren't doing what they should be doing anymore"
make changes "with much greater urgency"
concern for each child, "and I'm not going to be patient about it"
"we've got a lot to do"

Chester: new study from Rennie Center on field trials of PARCC
will give copies of testimony to Ways and Means on education budgets
summary of actions under authority delegated
"great to be here at Monty Tech"

Peyser: have been a small ask while you were being asked (to Sagan)
thanks to Margaret McKenna: role is vitally important to the success of this board
Board meeting is halfway to Greenfield where the Ways and Means hearing is