Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Board of Ed: September opening remarks

 The agenda is online here

we're coming in late with someone complaining about Newton High not being opening full time and a parent from Andover complaining about schools not being open full time and in person
suspend bus guidance (or suspend requirement bussing requirement), six feet requirement for lunch, and desks facing front
claims it will not increase contagion
"refer to the neighboring states, Rhode Island and New Hampshire"

Pat McQuillan, Boston College professor, Lynch School 
speaking on behalf of other professors of history and social studies
"hoping to give you an easy thing here"

suggests using civics project as a replacement for the MCAS exam
"there are notable funding gaps across the state"
Sends most needy students to the most underfunded schools, least able to meet their needs
"takes what you've already done and starts to move forward with it"
help multilingual learners
"has real world relevance and is an opportunity to empower learners"
"I think you've got this thing knocked if you take a look at yourself"

Chair Craven: welcome to the new year
understand the angst as a parent of four children: a preschooler going in person, a son with special ed needs going four days a week (the other day "a disaster"), and two going remote
"talked to a lot of you on what we can actually do"
"each community in its own data and it's also unique in its ability to bargain with its teachers"
one thing we agree "is that the achievement gap is not going to be improved by this crisis"
"I think that the work of this year"
"can't let the work" that was being done slip
"we have a big year ahead, and again, it's going to be important that we keep going"

Commissioner with housekeeping items
STEM grants
early literacy grant
people have asked about the 21st century grant dollars: DESE applying for a waiver around how they can be used: could be used for pods
ESSER: equitable services issue from DeVos; challenged in court and won; DoE will not appeal; will have guidance going forward
MCAS: Fed has signaled not allowing a waiver for any testing, do anticipate administering
likely will be pushing back date of make-up test usually in fall to January
Hills: not difficult to predict a torrent of advocacy for cancellation in the spring
"last spring was different; we had a pandemic out of the blue"
"I think it would be horrible, terrible policy if were not going to have MCAS whatever the situation is"
"one way or another, I'd like to think that DESE will develop contingency plans" to hold the MCAS whatever the situation
"I don't know how we do our jobs" if we don't give the MCAS
would not announce any hold harmless in advance
Keep Board appraised of planning as it goes

Secretary praises DESE and Commissioner for "continuing to drive" 
"not losing sight of longer term issues"
Thank educators for doing work that is being done
doing while also juggling personal challenges that we are all balancing as a result of the pandemic
"I also want to thank those superintendents and school committees who have responded to the data in their local communities to work as hard as they can to maximize in-person learning."
and goes on about how the state data says this is many places, etc etc
looooong thanks to Governor
argues that the "resources are there"
time to "step up and get smarter about the work we are doing"
"make sure we're doing everything we can for our children"
essential that we not give up on our students

and I need to get off to talk to college students now

Peyser also notes that Moriarty has been reappointed to a second term

The Board also nominated and elected James Morton as vice chair of the Board





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