October Board of Ed: opening comments

 The Board of Ed meets today at 9 am. The agenda is here. The livestream will be here.

I don't like their new room arrangement. 

Public comment 
First comment is on Commissioner's goals 
"we should not be ranking districts by their privilege...and that is what we are doing"
NYT article on link between SAT and income
Advanced sixth grade math for Texas students in 6th grade
"We hold students down every year...we have had no growth in our system over 15 years" 
Parent of a second grader in Brockton: no universal assessment for students who accelerate beyond curriculum
Every year, meet with school, but they say they are not allowed to accelerate work
In kindergarten, did first grade work; in first grade did second grade work, but only when finished first grade work (which he already did)
"he keeps on repeating work"
"tells me he is bored, and the only class he is challenged in is French"
asking to create and enforce a statewide acceleration policy
And the student spoke himself:

this is Elijah; he is a second grader in Brockton

Another Brockton parent: says her exceptional children are "not being adequately served in Massachusetts schools"

"dysfunctional education system that sentences children to lifelong injustices"
"must be transformed through a statewide acceleration policy"

On civics: Ed O'Connell of RevSpaces (who is also on the Melrose School Committee)
serves as a springboard for RevSpaces (which is the Old State House and the Old South Meetinghouse)
activating student voice and agency
"our entire school system...a renewed sense" of civic responsibility
and I missed who this is
Chair of Massachusetts Civics Learning Coalition subcommittee
"looks to the Board to continue its support of DESE...deliver quality civics education to our communities"

On non-agenda items:
needs of children of color profoundly
"most of us sat by" when the SCOTUS affirmative action case was decided
would ask Board to read the SCOTUS document 
"It is 237 pages; it is boring"
I didn't think it was boring...
"I'm going to ask you for a couple of more minutes because I have other things I'd like to address with you"
if students are missing 20% "that's criminal"
can't sit idly by
hopes the Board reads the racial imbalance board recommendations
same recommendations as when she first joined that board

Priya Tahiliani, Everett superintendent
here to advocate for one of her schools, the Keverian
subgroup ID'd as the bottom 5% across the state; not a designation of their work
reflective of an imperfection in the accountability system that requires further work
"cannot simplify issues that are complex"
it's the white subgroup, and given how many and their other demographics, it isn't comparing like to like
says the Keverian is a model 
appeals that this flawed designation be removed from this school

United Way of Central Massachusetts
Thanking for after school and out of school rebound grants
funding allowed us to try new things, and expand things that work

Craven: Darlene Lombos has stepped down, replacement will be soon from the Governor
acknowledges Charlie Lyons death

asks for an update on the budget committee meeting from Mohamed who chairs
serves with Fisher, Moriarty, and Gardiner
notes that the bulk of the DESE budget goes to Ch. 70
early literacy, teacher diversification, social-emotional supports proposed as priorities
Moriarty "we think making specific requests" for targeted areas
(this is so bizarre: the chair of the subcommittee reported out; now a member is repeating what he presumably said in the subcom, presenting it as "the approach we took")
Hills wants to tie back to goals when they get there

Tutwiler: STEM week last week
"see yourself in STEM" as a theme
access in admission convening yesterday
"wonderful opportunity to declare our values" on the importance of diversity in higher education

Riley echo Lyons comments
new research on early literacy: "a redesigned educational system in Massachusetts" coming at Board retreat on November 1
family summit on Thursday the 26th in Marlborough
Boston being invited to December meeting

NEXT TWO BOARD MEETINGS AT 1 ASHBURTON PLACE
Due to DESE moving to Everett