March meeting of the Board of Ed: opening comments

 Agenda is here
Livestream is here assuming it comes up?

We missed introductions: right into public comment
 Public comment
TECA speaking on remote proctoring of the MCAS exam
most students take the MCAS in their local public schools; TECA students come into rental spaces
"I question the accuracy of these results"
will cost up to $1M in administering the test, which they do in other spaces
"could jeopardize the very existence of the district"
Want to remotely proctor the MCAS
list given of pilots and other places there is remote proctoring
want students to be able to take MCAS at home
burden to travel to testing sites

law firm commenting on TECA
"requires nearly all TECA staff stop instructing students" to give the exam
um, yeah, that isn't different
Father asks why students have to be taken out of their safe space and into another space to take this test, speaking of his son's mental health difficulties

Craven says they're working on a retreat
will be going to Westford (home school of Eric Plankey, student member)
"post COVID we were basically chased around by protesters and people with bullhorns" and communities didn't really want it
Now trying to get back out to it
Moriarty reports out on what Craven says is pandemic recovery but I thought it was early literacy? it's his pet project committee
They had a presentation on "recovery" and then someone from Colorado?
Moriarty also went to some sort of conference
Wants the Department to use the term "the science of reading"
Or wait, maybe he doesn't?
Stewart said it came up at the national conference
interesting to hear of legislation proposed why are we making laws on this? This is a regulatory issue
Stewart asks what data is used
Moriarty says "has to be fleshed out"
Craven: if we didn't have the third grade MCAS, how would we know?
Riley: districts do their own screeners

Tutwiler: work on the Governor's budget 
Moving forward on initiatives
thanks Commissioner for testimony on W&M hearing
notes budget coming up, so will leave that there
also applauds work on IEP form
"focus on equity at the core"
students and their strengths; multilingual learners and their unique needs

Riley: 
Visit to Billerica on universal school meals; thanks Healy for that support
Boston systemic improvement plan
reports on data, asked Boston to put together a plan "with some urgency"
expect that later this spring