Worcester School Committee FY21 before the Worcester City Council

The Worcester Public School's bottom line is before the Worcester City Council tonight, which means it is time for two three reminders!

1. The Worcester City Council, under MGL Ch. 71, sec. 34:

shall vote on the total amount of the appropriations requested and shall not allocate appropriations among accounts or place any restrictions on such appropriations.

aka: no, the Council doesn't decide how the money gets spent.


2. The Worcester Public Schools are very much majority state funded:
   
   
   
   
   
3. The City of Worcester for FY21 is allocated $866,049 more than the required minimum contribution to the Worcester Public Schools.
   
   
   Given the FY21 Worcester Public Schools' foundation budget, that means the contribution is:
   
   0.17%
   

   over the required minimum contribution. 

posting as we go...

though I came in late because the echo was ridiculous

Colorio asks about added 70 positions

Allen notes "they're generally teacher or IA positions added through the budget

Colorio: can you explain the salary increases?

Allen: contractual salary increases: step increases

Colorio: will you see less students coming to schools

Binienda: guidance has not yet come out on that regarding if the remote learning or a hybrid model

so will still need the teachers; waiting for the guidance from the state, which will determine that

Colorio: don't you have an online learning for those who might be out sick

Binienda: no, they don't have an online learning program

Russell: survey of parents nationwide that a large percentage of them would do homeschooling rather than send students back

thinking about that as part of a Plan B at all? "Is it our job as a city just to be taking the guidance of the state?"

Binienda: homeschooling is very different, district doesn't get involved in this

which is not the question he has asked

The Commissioner has said districts will follow this guidance that is coming out

did recommend once the guidance comes out if they're planning on sending their students to schools or continuing with remote learning

"now that doesn't mean that we're held to that answer"

how many students are going to be present in school

guidance at this point is ten (12, I think) students on a bus; will need two nurses in a building (one for students with coronavirus, one of those without)

Russell: how many more buses do we need then?

"my math tells me that we need five times as many buses; is that right?"
Binienda: we'd be looking to make a plan

if only sixty percent of the kids are coming to school...

we'd be looking to 

Russell: if they stay home, are they homeschooling or are they still doing what they're doing now?

Binienda: they'd be remote learning

we'd have to see what the guidance is; "that would make a difference for us"

"going to spend all summer"

Russell: "do we need classrooms of a different size?"

Binienda: "I can't wait to see the new South High up..."

"we'd spread kids out throughout the building"

"it's not altering at all the structure of the school"

Russell: how have we done on the work on Worcester East Middle?

Allen: have replaced the boiler through MSBA, currently replacing the roof

MSBA said the school needs more work than an accelerated repair project; hopefully will be done as a core project

Russell: peeling paint and tarps?

Allen: providing a report

How it is that the councilors never notice that this would have anything to do with the Worcester Public Schools capital budget...

Mero-Carlson: budget is pre-COVID; how does that translate to that budget? Will this be sufficient?

Binienda: hoping for that extra funding to address some of the COVID-related challenges for us

hybrid or remote, need to be 1 on 1

some money for kids connectivity: hotspots

"we figured probably around $4M...just to be able to provide the online learning"

"we need PPEs" 

schools donated PPEs

said parents are going to be responsible for masks for children; district has to provide masks for adults

temperature taking for every students and adults

"even if 60% of students return to our large high schools"

temperature scans that go in the ceiling to scan large numbers of people

Allen: question is excellent; was prepared pre-COVID

"we don't know what the state revenues will look like, and we certainly don't know what education looks like in September"

but looking at different scenarios: hybrid, and reductions in state funding

Bergman: anticipation that students will have to provide their own

what happens if a child shows up without one: will one be provided "are there discipline consequences for that?"

Binienda: "of course there aren't any discipline consequences"

and she got really foggy here

Bergman: adaptations for snow days?

Binienda: had cancelled our snow days this year; but DESE had cancelled previously experimenting with that

Bergman: is that a requirement?

and her answer here that districts were doing different things, but that isn't why DESE decided on that

Bergman: WEMS: any thought on that?

Allen: after Burncoat

Bergman: did we have enough substitutes?

Binienda: yes I think she said?

Bergman: doesn't it make it a challenge? can't really predict numbers

Binienda: "it's kind of what we're doing now, though...had some savings on busing...those savings were hopeful for us, because we were able to purchase some things that were needed"

Bergman: has anything changed because the buses aren't used?

Allen: negotiated a lower rate; only 77% of the daily rate for continuity of service

agreement that they would pay their drivers to have available

used as well to transport people to the homeless sites

funding redirected back to Chromebooks

Bergman: is that in play again for the fall?

Allen: only through the end of the school year

Rose: as more kids have been home, lack of mandated reporters, dormant mental health issues, lack of access to clinicians, what money are being dedicated to trauma response?

Binienda: concerned about students who are taking a gap year

partnership with UMass Med on trauma partnership

"I feel like we're prepared for that"

have hired a clinical coordinator

Chromebooks to be used at home for connecting

Rose: money dedicated to cultural responsiveness training?

Binienda: have hired a consultant, doing in some of the schools will roll out to all the schools

Rose: lack of resources for PPE?

Binienda: a...buying club (?) a virus club? for supplies that the state is putting together

Rose: will we have cost savings if we don't open buildings; what will be what it is spent on?

Binienda: very few technology coaches

training for students and agencies 

mental health and support in that area

Rose: collaborative members getting same services

Binienda: have access to our remote learning "because it's on our website"

one district of the collaborative

Rivera: at subcommittee was brought up using the WRTA for more of our students

which means now it is time to link to this post

Binienda: provide bus tickets for after school 

Allen: much larger and longer conversation on that

"we have about 200,000 riders annually in the examples the superintendent just had"

Rivera: "I just feel like it's a good conversation to have"

Not having teachers equipped to this new technology: is this budget reflective of the adjustment we have to make?

McGovern says "normal wasn't that great" but how do we move forward

teachers and students and families

Binienda: have been preparing "for really great technology"

Google trainer "that is very well trained" and coaches "that are very well trained"

"some of these principals have really learned to use this technology"

"if I had to ask for anything more...we would ask to add four more technology coaches"

Rivera: "diversity is pretty much the same"

"when you look at the administration; you have an all white school committee...and the staffing chart is pretty much identical to last year"

criticism that there is a large population of that is not reflective of our community

...which she is comparing to last year...

Petty: why don't go over the programs you're running with Worcester State and such?

Binienda: "the only reason it's the same is we didn't add any positions; the same people are there"

600 instructional assistants in the Worcester Public Schools, many have been there a very long time

have instructional assistants working to get their degree

"even though the state decided not to go forward with the grant because they wanted to hire a consultant to look at that"

is this actually the case?

paying for a mentor for every four or five of our instructional assistants

Rivera: need people at the decision making level

Rosen: want to ask the superintendent about online and virtual learning

"I don't understand the quality of the online learning...were our teachers trained in this prior to the pandemic"

Binienda: "it was a challenge"

app for parents to use 

spent two weeks calling every family 

1400 families did not have any device but a cell phone

"we expected there would be more" there are many who report that there are

3500 families that do not have connectivity

"they took this on"

Rosen: "I'm guessing that some students if not many students can't learn" this way

"I doubt there are many students that learn more effectively online than they do in the classroom"

Binienda: nothing can compare to the classroom

sychronous and asychronous learning 

Rosen: "feel free to be concise in the answers"

Binienda: you can go on our website and see...she means the plans; he means the classes themselves

Rosen: if the administration of the schools could work with the WRTA, "I think they'd find it pretty good services if we could use the RTA"

trauma of COVID, certainly affects a family

have the parents been trained in teaching?

Binienda: homeschooling "is not a program we provide support for"

Rosen: so much in favor of having classes in the building

"have we considered double session?"

"four hours in the classroom is better than eight hours online"

Binienda "the Commissioner mentioned that was not a model he would be going for...not one he spoke highly of"

King: "very clear the issues related to social emotional learning is gaining so much traction"

Binienda: numbers of those who live in the city

King: sufficient to say that you do hire a number of city residents

WRTA idea:"do have concerns...child safety concerns...a number of young folks who get taking advantage of"

concerns about jobs: might be loss of jobs as it related to our residents

would make a motion that if we consider ramping things up that we make sure child safety concerns are addressed

ask about social emotional learning:

linking students to community resources, particularly during crisis

how are we measuring that efficacy? 

Binienda: adding a school wraparound

having meetings in schools about student social emotional learning

home visits are very difficult to do 

have to rely on teachers who see the kids; talking to parents and getting the support we need

King: our students in the collaborative: what oversight do you have

Binienda: chair of the collaborative board

King: do our Worcester kids have full access to our Chromebooks through the Worcester Public Schools budget?

Binienda: if it was on the IEP

we pay tuition, but then the collaborative staff decides what is recieved

King: diversifying staff: not really following why the Chief Diversity Officer didn't happen

planning and staff on chief diversity officer

Binienda: is currently the prinicipal of Chandler Magnet

"has very unique programs...would not have been appropriate to pull her out without a replacement"

then will be moving to central office

King: success of city and schools based on how we spend money

"and this Council does not write blank checks"

someone may want to look at the chart above

King: do you expect any issue with transportation to or from athletic events?

Binienda: waiting to see if there are any issues with athletics

but don't anticipate any issues with athletics

Allen: agree with the superintendent

Toomey: elaborate on school safety officer's involvement

Binienda: Title IX investigation

visits schools to see if there any issues: "if the doors won't close"

"some of the appeal hearings...the ones that he can do by law"

"really thank him for the work he's doing now...helping with the placement of the homeless at the shelters"

Toomey moves approval

and the line is unanimously approved.