The January Board of Education: opening comments

 The Board of Ed is holding their January meeting today at the Department's new location in Everett. 

You can find the agenda here. The meeting will be livestreamed here.

Governor Healey has appointed Dálida Rocha to the labor seat on the Board; she lives in Worcester(!).

Public comment 

parent from Brookline: conducted an anonymous survey of Jewish and Israeli students in Brookline High School; students reported that there have been comments made

Activism manager for the Israeli-American Council of New England
"have brought to you many examples of Jew-hated in Massachusetts" schools
"wartime refugees" have faced such
boards must include Israeli-Americans representation

student at Newton South High School: cannot allow the support of hate
asked why schools cannot support Israel as they did Ukraine
school has done "nothing to help Israeli-American students like me"

Newton South parent: left Israel on October 5; grandfather had fled Russia
"to feel unsafe on a daily basis"
uphold statutory requirement to create a safe learning environment for all students

Newton mother of public school students, Israeli immigrant
"facing lies and hatred based on antisemitism"
change perception of Jews: listing what she wants to have taught
students "need to be taught to recognize evil"
"how come there is no Jew on the panel that looks like me or has my accent?"

Newton Jewish-Israeli-American
"extremely worrying and disappointing" levels of antisemitism
"the entire public school history curriculum should be vetting to remove" anti-Jewish content
"Israel has the most morally responsible military in the world"

mother of a soon-to-be kindergartner from Newton
criticizing curriculum that "singles out Israel"
should not use words like genocide and colonialism

MTA: parent of two students of Lowell Public Schools
efforts to support student attendance
a student being absent affects the rest of the classroom
so many good things happening in the Department and the classrooms
"let's explore the lessons" from the initiatives from the Department
give every student access to high-interest programs: arts, and other passion projects
mental health supports and other supports provided for students
transportation struggles also impacting students
increasing outcomes seen
encourage you to see investments in arts, other interest programs, transportation

John Mudd "longtime education advocate in Boston"
neither long term facilities plan nor English learner plan are adequate and should be returned for further revision
terms facilities a "piecemeal approach"
"I assume you know that neither of these plans were approved by the School Committee; they should be!"
"many of us opposed" state takeover of the Boston Public Schools, "but we did not oppose accountability"

Kahris McLaughlin: racial imbalance advisory committee
develop an equity committee that's "on the ground"
"what the Board has condoned by its actions" is inequity in schools
"Do something"
recommend that you do school accountability review for every single school every single year
"you don't have to send people in for ten days"
"use that in a way that's meaningful"
chronic absenteeism: "why that is even a discussion at this Board, I do not understand"
"every student is important"
"you all know already what the issues are"

Chair Craven: have invited five people to speak to them about what they've experienced since October 7
in Massachusetts "it's important to know that we don't dictate curricular matters"
have a bullying statute, have a renewed focus on civics
people to speak on antisemitism
this is off agenda? I think? 
Yes, all of this is off agenda. As it was not posted that this was a topic today, and clearly the Chair anticipated it, as she says she invited the speakers, this is an Open Meeting Law violation.

First speaker: a concerted campaign to delegitimize Israel
start with boycott, divest, sanctions
have to argue against Israel being a delegitimate state
"our schools cannot be teaching kids that there are...colonists and colonized"
second: addressing antisemitism is part of making schools safe for all students
third: antisemitism in schools must be reported
advocates for use of Anti-Defamation League resources
ADL has had some research in the past year that shows that Holocaust education diminishes the degree to which antisemitism is clung to
fourth speaker: arguing against "liberated ethnic studies" as antisemitic 
solidary with Palestine itself is an end of the studies 
Israel is equated with genocide, apartheid, and colonization 
is warning against use of such curriculum
Ruth Kaplan former Board member: shocking to me hearing about experiences in the Brookline schools today
antisemitism "is history's oldest prejudice"
talking about delegitimizing Israel as antisemitic 
lack of acknowledgment of October 7
very disturbing social media posts; "those who complained about it were not told what the outcome of the investigation as"
(they usually aren't)
arguing that "from the river to the sea" is antisemitism
antisemitism in our schools "is not a Jewish problem; it's an American problem"
RECESS after which Moriarty says he wants to address this
Given the VERY volatile topic, I'd assume that there would have been many others--and of other perspectives!--who would have wanted to address this. 

Commissioner requests that they move on to the agenda items

oh, except we're going back to this item after the teacher recognitions; we're off agenda again
Moriarty: "I'm glad you lifted up the student voices we heard in November"
"I can and will lend my voice to support those students"
statements on antisemitism by others
offers suggestions to districts on this: DEI policies and DEI positions to ensure Jewish students are safe
Board needs to be informed about antisemitism in schools
DESE should not be waiting for comments to surface; more proactive measures are needed
"what does colonizing and genocide mean? We've been given a definition today"
"shouting loudly doesn't inform anyone"
calls such shouting as "aligned with ancient antisemitic blood libel"
The Commissioner sent a document to all of us that shows that he's looked into all of this
is that...shared?
speaks of the Hate Crimes commission

Stewart: was impressed with the panel "obviously"
bringing heartfelt, very personal, very brave, and challenging perspectives
"some suggestions were made...I personally wouldn't mind having those presented to us again"
"moved by some of the ideas...putting together some of the ideas with a webinar that everyone could have access to"
"a little more visible representation of" support...maybe a resolution from the Board is in order

Craven: can bring this back again
Maybe more of a sense of what is going on in the districts

New member Dália Rocha: "I'm human"
Acknowledge all that was said today; "please please care of yourself"
"I'm sure that there are other survivors in this room"
"proud African immigrant"
Madison Park graduate
lives in Worcester and has three children in the Worcester Public Schools
labor organizer

Secretary Tutwiler: a peaceful and healthy new year
renewed commitments
this administration remains deeply committed to the opportunities that exists for every single student in the Commonwealth
look forward to delivering that for the year ahead
stabilize heal transform: still experiencing challenges "that are many in number and deep in nature"
notes that the Governor will release her budget tomorrow
"articulation of a commitment to universal preK"
"addressing early literacy across the Commonwealth"

Commissioner Riley: thanks for moving, welcome to member Rocha
thanks for literacy intiative
"and our NAEP scores frankly have been flat for a long time, and we're in danger of falling behind"
I HATE THIS FRAMING
have students not in school in Newton; "have to focus on kids first"
heartened by a judge's decision to "put teeth" into the court order
"we're always working on school safety writ large"
"also want our kids to feel safe"; Cardona said "every student has a right" to learn in a environment where they feel safe
Boston subject to scheduling
Craven: is there a report that the Board will have (from public comment)?
Riley: will review and share as it comes up
just submitted facilities plan, and there is also the EL plan that is happening