The Board of Ed meets at 9: opening comments

 You can find the agenda online here; the meeting will livestream here.

updating as we go

The Boston Teachers Union and others are in Malden outside the meeting:

We’re gathering outside the BESE meeting today to show our commitment to keeping unnecessary state intervention out of BPS and holding the Board accountable. Tune in as we live-tweet this morning’s meeting! pic.twitter.com/peIX7lBBQ7

— BostonTeachersUnion (@BTU66) June 28, 2022

The Commissioner is remote, as he tested positive for COVID yesterday.

Mayor Michelle Wu and Chair Robinson of Boston School Committee speaking first

Wu quips that COVID can't be worse than what we've been going through recently. "We are ready and eager for the work ahead."
"local communities know best...and local communities are best" positioned to deliver that change
Thanks those who have weighed in, "this is not the end, but this is the point at which we are requiring you to stay at the table"
Sunday night meeting BPS "were never pushing back" on data oversight 
We "refused to enter anything less than a partnership because that's what our kids deserved"
"our standards are higher than" those outlined in this agreement
outside this agreement, focused on Green New Deal for BPS, many ways we'll engage with our students across the state
notes School Committee selects new superintendent tomorrow
Robinson: "has been quite a journey"
"has been long overdue"
"we know signing this deal is not just about what we will do internally in the schools"
"how do we help every single constituent in our city" see themselves in this agreement
"we've done done well by some, but we have not done well by all"
laser focused starting Thursday after selection
"this is a hundred years of inequities and problems"
"but we honestly have to begin and we honestly have to stay laser focused"

Gery Mroz on Commissioner's performance evaluation
"districts don't need to do better in Mass, because your policies say they don't need to"
"the complacency of this Board is one reason this education system hasn't improved"
Policy development isn't a school year thing; can't afford a summer vocation

BTU President Jessica Tang: "I'll just say: I didn't want to be here today"
"We have so much work to do in our district"
"this roller coaster ride we've been on has turned our time, energy, and resources away from that work"
"I'm disappointed, because these threats should have never been on the table in the first place"
"there's critical and important work to do, and we have solutions: you just have to ask us"
Things like inclusion done right, facilities, diverse staff, ratios that more adequately support our students
"we're going to continue to show up, because we care"
"we need to focus and get back to the work, and we'll continue to fight for the schools our student deserve"

BEJA ED Ruby Reyes
BEJA filed a public records request with DESE about receivership
at ten day mark, saying would receive in two weeks; now in week ten with no information
how are we to expect data transparency when they cannot complete a simple public records request
"there is a layer of hypocrisy that I would like to point out" given the data concern raised by state on Boston
BPS parents "do not trust you, Commissioner Riley"
ongoing lack of support for schools under state receivership despite being under state control
Commissioner Riley has clearly not moved the needle on these districts and schools
Citywide parent group was turned away from public testimony
voices have not been heard and valued

Decoding Dyslexia Massachusetts: Nancy Duggan commenting on initial discussion on dyslexia today
early intervention can greatly change outcomes for students
asks that the Board move forward with public comment on the revised regulations

Chair Craven: we spent a lot of time on Boston, but there are 950,000 students we have to talk about in Massachusetts
learning loss, and how do we understand the impacts
"as a Board that doesn't have appropriation authority, we do have a policy seat"
listen to superintendents, principals, and "the disturbing amount of turnover we're seeing"
asking for a meeting in July to talk about the competency determination (aha!)
teacher turnover "it's a problem that we're not talking about at this Board"
know July meeting is unorthodox, but think it's necessary

Peyser: on Boston, engage deeply with one another
Do what was in the best interest of students and families of Boston
last meeting was day of Ulavdi shooting: thank educators for keeping schools safe

Commissioner: thank families and educators for "getting kids back on track"
continues to argue that the "disconnection" is why there has been mental health 
thanks all around
Boston: thanks superintendent and school committee
"at the end of the day, it's the mayor we need to thank"
"they think they can do it; we want to help them do it"
DESE "used to be all compliance all the time...but we also need to be a supportive organization"
think that during COVID "have been pivoting"
Russell Johnston: seven areas in plan...and I can't type that fast
DESE will provide certain levels of support: $10M, technical assistance and school support
"very defined timelines and very clear procedures in place" for a three year plan
Craven asks if the Board has any questions, noting that they've had very limited time with the plan
Stewart asks if section on facilities is full detail; Johnston notes Boston commitments beyond
Stewart asks for discussion at July meeting
Carris Livingston asks for what she calls "continued engagement"
Moriarty: "I don't celebrate the too long resolution of these negotiations"
and he's arguing that adults were fighting over money and power
urges Riley to "drop the other shoe" if needed
"I hope my skepticism is not" warranted
at home (in Holyoke) people ask what the steps are out of receivership: "I don't know"
but says they need to support the receiver
Lombos: didn't want receivership. Glad partnership worked out
my seat "represents organizations"
union members and families said "we support teachers and families and the mayor"
"I represent an organization" and don't know that we don't
"receivership is not okay for Boston Public Schools, for the state, or for any district"
state should be representing the best interest of parents and teachers and families
representing not just individuals
working class families 
Moriarty argues that he wasn't calling for a receivership
Craven: was our audit in 2020 "which was undisputed" (uh, not sure) and the update "which was basically undisputed as well" (not actually the case at all) that brought us here
Carris Livingstone says anything besides discussing moving forward is a waste of time
Fernández time is really challenging
would like more creativity in how we address these issues
"would like Massachusetts to do better and to be better"
"everyone needs to be held accountable" (this is interesting in light of the Commissioner's evaluation today)
would like Board to have better and more information to continue input
Morton: a lot of questions that remain; "I want to know these details"
"these are our children...think that this agreement is a reflection that everybody is doing the best we can for our children"

Newly elected student member Eric Plankey (?) from Westford Academy introduced by outcoming student representative Eleni Carris Livingston 
lots of praise for Carris Livingston at her last meeting; the Commissioner says she could be an administrator in the Department

Commissioner on COVID: 
DESE will provide self-tests for the summer; will not provide anything for the fall
recommends districts limit to "symptomatic testing only"
recommends superintendents put test kits aside in case there is a spike in the fall
co-signed letter with DPH which recommends vaccinations and boosters