Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for April 2022: opening and public comments

The agenda for today's meeting is here. It's a regulation-heavy agenda, with proposed updates on competency determination in MCAS (to vote), on certification of mastery (for initial discussion), education licensure for vocational licensure (for initial discussion), and for licensure (for staffing flexibility). 

public comment 

I missed Lisa Jeanne Graf's testimony which is here
Gerry Mroz arguing we need standards above competency determination; arguing that the system has "stagnated" and that the competency determination is a low bar

BPS panel caught in traffic, Charlestown High School teacher Sarah Grimmett arguing that receivership is a failed model
"saying 'no' to state receivership"
"can personally speak on success of early college and career pathways" program
"so many factors seeking to destabilize our school"
labels that were designed by those outside of our community
"please keep in mind what we actually need"
resources, inclusion done right, update to buildings
increased funding for wraparound services
listen to school communities and increase resources
"even holding the threat of receivership over us is taking valuable attention away from what is really important: our students"
Justin Perez: senior at Charlestown High School: values diversity of community
dreams of vocational learning there
taking a gap year; financial implications of college
"schools and BPS should be able to come up with plans on teaching their own populations"
"I really believe that if we give power to the state we diminish the community"
Jaden Pinet, senior at Charlestown High School, member of school site council
brought student perspective on hiring process, on budget
value the most our community and the diversity
"share and celebrate our differences"
"feel Charlestown feel like more than just a school"
"what needs to change is amount of support and resources"
what is at issue is not an issue of competency
Suleika Soto: no coincidence that just as Boston, a majority city of color, is moving towards an elected School Committee, state is moving towards receivership
notes lack of voice and resources in receivership districts like Lawrence
"why not give us more resources and give us a chance to work us out for ourselves?
"we need more social emotional support, not threats"
this Board should be upholding local voices
Sugey Scannell, mother of BPS students (who is testifying in Spanish)
as the mother of immigrant children, one of the main resources I moved here is the education of sons
want them to capable and competitive, get close to the American Dream
"I believe we have a school system that works. Like everything in life, it's not perfect, but it works."
have interpretation of ten languages in Boston meetings; wanted to testify at a prior DESE meeting and was denied
"I don't have the trust that you have the capacity to direct our schools...that DESE has the best interest of our children in their plans"
we have seen when the state intervenes, the indexes are not consistently improved
relationship of teachers and students get worse; more difficult to retain teachers 
Best way of supporting staff is giving a raise
"we must update the infrastructure...expanding the curriculum...supporting...extra activities"
Boston has great universities, hospitals, "and the best public schools"
"the last thing that we need is instability that comes with receivership of the state"

Chair Craven: has asked for a task force on mental health
"important for the Board to be seen as having a proactive stance"

Secretary Peyser: budget update
House deliberating budget, dealt with education amendments last night
House fully funds early college expansion
expansion of MassGrant plus, of interest for graduating seniors
Thursday is STEM Summit

Commissioner: collaborating with MIAA, MASS call to action on addressing bias and hate seeing around athletics