December meeting of the Board of Education: opening comments

The full agenda is here; it will start with opening comments. Updating as we go.
Not here: Katherine Craven, Margaret McKenna

Sagan: second time that we have tried to livestream the meeting to the public
Sagan welcomes "all three of you, probably" who are watching the livestream


Chester compliments Moriarty on his (Seuss) tie
ELA and math standards out for public comment
series of meetings across the state for comment as well
in process of starting civics/history/social science; will launch panel of advisors
survey on website to gather comment as well
ed evaluation regs out for comment; engage with "where this is going"
comments due end of January
comments on recovery high schools as well
ASL: have not made development of test a priority at this time
New Heights now open in Brockton
fully enrolled: 80% or so from Brockton; 15% or so from Randolph
budget priorities transmitted to the Secretary

Amy O'Leary, Mass Strategies for Children, commenting on ESSA
five communities received the federal expansion grant
state grant to another 13 communities
"think about innovative ways...high quality preschool experiences"
strengthen alignment between preK and K-12
"many ways to advance early learning in our plan, including better data collection"
early educators "now a required stakeholder group to the plan"
expanded day, other additional efforts
Stewart asks which communities received grants

Educator licensure:
MassCUE: concern about recommendation on licensure
2000 educators who current possess instructional technology license
do not agree with elimination of license
agree it needs to be updated to reflect new computer science standards
recommendations: meeting of digital learning advisory council; voted to keep intact
Middleboro just implemented a 1 to 1 program; critical to us to have someone who knows the hardware, the software, what has been purchased
Autism Center at Mass Advocates for Children on autism endorsement
appreciate creation of endorsement last fall
want to underscore how important it is for the Board to take this issue up for districts to gain capacity
Dean of education at Leslie University
recommend that you continue the instructional technology license
"clear and critical difference between instructional technology and computer science"
gives examples of contrast between
Chester (to Q from Sagan): one of the elements within the discussion of licensure

Barbara Madeloni, MTA president:
speaking to increase in testing suggested by Commissioner
"can only call it breathtaking"
"I cannot believe that you're being asked to add more testing to that regime"
"profound bureaucratic and technocratic view" of education
ways in which it takes away"...from spaces for democractic engagement"
"I know what it means for students, for students of teaching, for teachers in our schools"
"a moment in history where we've gone down a rabbit hole"
"we've found ourselves in the smallest place of what teaching and learning can look like"
"I really implore you to step back from"
"please step back, don't allow this to go on"

there will be public comment coming on Mattahunt, but they aren't here. Doing Holyoke update then coming back
I've posted Mattahunt on its own