The Board of Ed meets Monday and Tuesday

The Board of Ed this month starts Monday with one of its periodic special meetings; this one is on competency-based and personalized learning. I've seen a lot around those terms swirling on social media with not a lot attached to it, so it will be useful to get some clarity of intent.

On Tuesday, after opening remarks and public comment, the Level 5 report will have for the first time the Chair of the new Lawrence board-but-not-a-school-committee reporting on their search for a superintendent. Also reporting is Holyoke receiver Steve Zrike whose contract, the memo reports, has recently been extended to 2021 including "an appropriate salary increase," not specified. I guess Holyoke isn't regaining local governance anytime soon.

In what annoyingly is a Word doc, the Board is being given an extensive memo on school safety, including information around the anti-bullying law and guns in schools. Note that this includes the actual text pertinent to that last M.G.L. ch. 269, § 10(j)

(j) For the purposes of this paragraph, ''firearm'' shall mean any pistol, revolver, rifle or smoothbore arm from which a shot, bullet or pellet can be discharged. Whoever, not being a law enforcement officer and notwithstanding any license obtained by the person pursuant to chapter 140, carries on the person a firearm, loaded or unloaded, or other dangerous weapon in any building or on the grounds of any elementary or secondary school, college or university without the written authorization of the board or officer in charge of the elementary or secondary school, college or university shall be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment for not more than 2 years or both. A law enforcement officer may arrest without a warrant and detain a person found carrying a firearm in violation of this paragraph. Any officer in charge of an elementary or secondary school, college or university or any faculty member or administrative officer of an elementary or secondary school, college or university that fails to report a violation of this paragraph shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and punished by a fine of not more than $500.

Emphasis mine, so you can note that this does not actually bar guns from campus. Perhaps they will discuss that.
As this was put together in response to a request from Ed Doherty that the Board take a vote on gun violence (and opposing arming of teachers), there may be a vote on that.

There are a series of proposed amendments to regulations having to do with the LOOK act, involving education of English learners, educator licensure and renewal and certificate of mastery. There also are amendment of vocational educator regulations (to include SEI endorsement). Those are (it is planned) to be voted out to public comment, which will include, the memo says, broad outreach to stakeholders.

There's also a proposed "vote to adopt" on changes in regulation that will bring our foster care regulations into line with ESSA, specifically around who is responsible for children who are in foster care and are on IEPs.

Plus, the one you've all been waiting for, the proposed changes to accountability are also proposed for vote for public comment; as the memo states:

The proposed amendments remove all references to accountability and assistance levels (Levels 1 to 5), and update the description of how districts and schools will be classified in accordance with our redesigned accountability system. These changes will enable the Department to make annual accountability determinations under the new system beginning this fall.

Think we can get #NoMoreLevels trending? That's funny, if you check, because it's mostly Candy Crush. 

Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter is less than thrilled with their request for expansion being denied, and they have appealed that decision to the Board. Note that the request was denied in part due to lack of recruitment of a student body reflective of the communities.

There is a recommendation from the Commissioner that probation for Greenfield Virtual School be extended for three years. The probation extends the earlier terms around sharing of the agenda, having stable enrollment, bringing up MCAS scores, keeping an escrow account in case of closure, and adds a focus on recruitment of English learner students.

Note under item 8 there is also a report on grants and on charter matters approved by the Commissioner.

My plan is liveblog both sessions.