November meeting of the Board of Ed: opening comments

 The agenda is here. The livestream will show up here (and that's the only way to see it, as sadly the Board did not pursue the eagerness to meet in Worcester demonstrated last meeting).

Craven says they're meeting remotely "because there's no other place" (which is of course untrue; the Department is between locations, but that's it).
Interesting, Tom Moreau is on for Secretary Tutwiler; it also appears that Marty West is in a car.

Public comment:
Noah Berger, MTA: glitch in the chapter 70 formula on inflation
in a period on very high inflation; inflation that would have been used last year would have been about 8% (uh...)
SOA caps at 4.5%; "that did lead to significant funding" last year
Looks like this year it will be about 1% for this coming year (he's says "but not all the data is in, but it is)
"new aid will be less than half of what it was last year"
$300M difference
law wasn't intended to work originally; inflation lost one year gained the next (?)
technical change shifted this
ask that this be added in recommendation to Governor
notes mental health issues
efforts to diversify educator workforce
paid family medical leave
state program paying more for education support professionals
early literacy; will include paper developed by members

Sandra Makhlouta has daughter with her, says schools has failed to address her advanced learning needs
requests that studies being included in budget 

Mary Grace Stewart, gifted education specialist
Fund a Commission report on competency based progression of education

Gerry Mroz: early literacy by racial results
Department hasn't revoked licensure of "irresponsible ed prep programs"
training need in gifted education

Deb McCarthy, MTA
announces that MTA has met and exceeded the number of signatures needed for the MCAS ballot question

Yuval Levy on rise of antisemitism in Massachusetts
senior, Brookline High School 
criticizing information sent out by district administration regarding conflict in Israel and Hamas
organized affinity space
"we were an after-thought, because we are always an after-thought"
asks that antisemitism put on agenda for next month

Sarah Marzugi, sophomore at Holliston High School
shocked at number of antisemitic incidents
"no student should feel threatened, unwelcomed, or ashamed of their religion"

Maria Serpa on English learners in Boston Public Schools
one of nine members who resigned to protest BPS's misguided inclusive education plan
"is not a policy that works...does not allow students to achieve at grade level"
student quoted "given the choice, I would like to forget it ever happened...the one emotion I can clearly remember experiencing that year is fear"
"as we move to implement a plan that really addresses the needs of English learners...the plan as submitted does not work"
urgency in addressing the students' future, in bringing joy and excitement to learners

John Mudd on English learners in Boston Public Schools
one of the nine members of task force
"this plan will expand the assignment of English learners" to English immersion classrooms
build on native language
BPS has failed to develop programs under the flexibility granted by the LOOK Act
meaningfully expanding access to native language
plan is "both unwise and unrealistic"

Fabian Torres-Ardila also from the BPS task force
Gaston Institute 
reviews data for English learners across the state
misleading role that first language in learning a second language
work with school districts that they inform families of their options
work with principals to increase hiring of bilingual teachers (they're really hard to find!)
increase materials in home languages of students

Craven: thanks Board members for participation in retreat
Thinks they had a good discussion early literacy especially in early grades
"as we look at funding formula or weighting or measuring...to give additional" support to those adopting "structured word"
"troubling comments from students" on antisemitism
comment that it's not in the curricular standards (it is)
heard a lot today about graduation requirement (they didn't actually, though?)
Riley and she have been talking about what it means to have a graduation requirement
constitutional language of "cherish" doesn't just mean money alone; it means "making sure that it isn't a frivolous exercise" in spending money
speaks of being halfway through the year and then the stream went down on English learners 
asking for update on transportation, safe facilities, equitable access
and none of those are motions

Moreau passes on comments

Commissioner Riley: DESE in process of moving to Everett
Miliken Awards; Mass Teacher of the Year
"long standing practice not to comment on public comment, but Boston is already on December agenda"
with Governor and announced new grants for dealing with hate crimes in schools 
worth going deeper at next Board meeting
"I don't get into the politics of the union discussion" (this is not true) but Board could put competency determination on next agenda
Both Holocaust and antisemitism is in the standards