April 2021 Board of Education on vocational admissions

 Backup is here
Proposed amendments are here 

Move straight to questions
Rouhanifard: concerned over notion of "minor" infractions that might get back to same place
Chuang: issues that are safety issues in the shops as opposed to other issues
middle school students are going to learn from mistakes
Looby: note that students made really good points in speaking of their own experiences
Rouhanifard: importance of restorative approach
Chuang: non suspension infractions and even for those causing suspensions, being thoughtful about them
Lombos: "this is the kind of community partnership with the Board that is exemplary"
Moriarty: "I know urban districts can do some really tough things to their CTE programs...also know...the value of technical education"
vast array of schools that provide Ch.74 programs
notes skepticism of those watching to see if Department can keep up with equity checks on admission
"and yet, I think that's the stronger approach, as ultimately, I think you'll end up with better schools"
"complete silence" about Madison Park bugs him (this change doesn't impact Madison Park, BTW, as it's Boston Public Schools, not regional)
"a real diamond in the rough" 
why can't it be open to Chelsea students?
Chuang: "opens a whole can of worms" with out of district tuition
Craven: likewise Dean, Worcester Tech: quality (she doesn't mention "or equity")
Hills: "significant impactful more tailored approach"
how do you take something that's important and make it "guidance" rather than part of the regulations in order to give you the teeth you need?
Looby: guidance allows to spend more time "giving life" to what that term might mean
a school overidentifying students of a particular infraction would turn up in the data
Hills: "going to park that aside" and come back in a couple of months
can a lottery be put in place to address non-compliance? or can it be put into place regardless?
Looby: DESE as a whole; if there is a school that is out of compliance and it comes to our attention, we could revise their admission policy to correct for that
hope would be to work with school on revision
Hills: put in place to rectify the problem
"if you think that clearer language would be better, I'd be open to it and appreciative of it"
Chuang: language is crafted as an intervention approach
"even better than a lottery"
motivates some middle school students to work harder to go after what they want
want to honor student interest, prioritize student interest
interview, perhaps a lottery after minimum requirements have been met
there are urban regional schools with no gaps for students of color
worry about discourse about lower standards rather than removing barriers
Craven: there isn't a way through this process to change the agreement of regional school districts, right?
Chelsea is the one city in a multiple district vocational school, of which most others (may?) be majority white
Chuang: distribution of seats are in regional agreements "inked in the 70's" and those people are no longer around
a single pool rather than distribution by community
changing regional agreements not done by regulation
Looby: are there other ways of solving the issue through a second shift program, for example
Craven: want to make sure we're solving for the right problem and not making a new problem
Bennett: not only access but opportunity
Chuang: Chelsea has huge gap in eligible students who are applying
districts not wanting to give regionals access due to the students being selected
"not either/or; it's both/and"
middle school students to chart their trajectory
"whole host of ways to improve the current system without losing the student agency"
Craven: mythology and folklore around who gets into programs
Chuang: tools for students and families to understand the lay of the land
"multi-front" effort "not just changing some letters in the regs"
Moriarty: work with community organizations to give families information
Stewart: right of appeal by disappointed parents?
Chuang: may not use selective criteria if you have seats
hear of that happening; now will allow enforcement
actual appeal is at the school level; need formal process
systemic disproportionalities will look into
Stewart: anti-discrimination standard is clear and specific
ensuring student body matching that of a district
primarily students who are poorer, less white, less often speaking English
on balance, want to have as few barriers as possible
looking at that "it's setting something up"
Chuang: concern is around underrepresentation
Extreme overrepresentation can be a mark of concern at the national level as well
"not any intent in here to deny access"
concern is around underrepresentation
Stewart: underrepresentation "of protected groups"

And vote to go out to public comment