Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for March: opening comments

 The agenda is here. The livestream is here. 

This is of course the first meeting at which Jeff Riley is not Commissioner; Acting Commissioner Russell Johnston is here.

please enjoy these cold pigeons over the Malden River

Craven opens the meeting; Matt Hills is participating remotely

Public comment:
MEJA Director Vatsady Sivongxay commenting on the Commissioner search
pandemic drew attention to the historic inequities in our schools
"steadfast commitment" to invest in our schools
new Commissioner selection: needs
"fully supports the whole student throughout their whole journey"
record on historic inequities and working to close them
strong history of public schools advocacy
meaningful and inclusive public engagement process; soliciting feedback from multiple groups of stakeholders

Commonwealth virtual school: "to create the best possible school"
members of application team
"need to continue to diversify the public school ecosystem"
"quite unlike the other virtual schools" that already exist in Massachusetts
"full competency based curriculum"
will offer "hub sites...this is a game changer"
Y and other spaces "underused during the school day"
"have a plan for universal meals"
"want to build a collaborative community for students" who are remote and in person

"what we are proposing is really different"
non-profit called Duet, college coaching
will talk about budget and conditions offered for approval
learned that "virtual learning doesn't necessarily cost less if you do it right"
$16,292 per student is proposed, which is the maximum allowed under MGL
Note that this is entirely state funded
Condition is that transportation is provided for all students, which founders would "like to discuss more"
(I'll just bet they do!)
"response to community need"
Lists Lawrence, Boston, and western Mass as places families are interested in "other models"
structuring model for adults and children
"haven't really adapted the model for what it looks like today"
"what really changes the experience is caring adults"
And it's about flexibility
if approved they'll start now; hiring "success coaches"
"additional layers of support to kids who need it"
Member Stewart asks about poll, which they, I think, say they'll get to her (my gosh they need policies)

Libertas Charter School leader
(and I am not sure why he is speaking today)
flexibilities of charter schools means they don't have to use approaches that aren't working
"we can't improve what we can't see"
leverage data
"we know if students aren't in school they aren't learning"
(This is an untrue statement)
twice daily attendance team huddles
texting or calling all absent student; incentives for attendance or make up days
ask for them to support resources
high academic recovery

Rabbi Toba Spitzer T'ruah Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
here to respond to a discussion on antisemitism and the adoption of the IHRA definition by DESE
here on behalf of the organization
oppose any effort to codify definition of antisemitism within policy or law 
fear formal adoption could take away from important work
other definitions exist including Jerusalem definition 
respond in context: a legal response to a hate crime must take into account context
definition has been used to cut off free speech
imperative that antisemitism not be inherently be aligned with criticism of the actions of the Israeli government 

Jake Donnelly, Activism Manager, Israeli American Council 
says MTA is "working against your efforts" to combat antisemitism
says they are distributing false information 
says that Zionism being equated with settler colonialism is false and that it is false that it is a multimillion dollar effort of the Israeli state
says this is like Black history month being presented by David Duke

I should know who this is but I don't...so much legislation that is anti-American
reminds me of what happened in Nazi Germany
legislation that defines diversity equity and inclusion as hate words
"intend to continue to speak up for children who cannot speak for themselves"
same information about achievement gaps that continue
says DESE has all the information they need 
disputes time called saying she needs more time
we're just completely off time and off the rails here...

student from Marblehead High School is quoting from materials he was given in class which uses the word "Palestine" and says that it is an erasure "of the the word Israel" and that it is demonizing the Jews
in homework he said that there is "no relationship between Judaism and Palestine" and said that the question was antisemitic 
mother says that the MTA presentation last week was "filled with antisemitic tropes" and is going part by part
"the Jews bought the land legally"
"being anti-Zionism is taking away the right for Jewish self-determination"
"every since October 7, I feel I am living" in Nazi Germany

Tyrone Malik (?) about gifted students especially in traditionally underrepresented populations
comparing MCAS graphs and then enrollment graphs (which I don't have)
supports competency based approached as proposed by the proposed virtual school

Chair Craven speaks of her visiting a school classroom to read
"it's a diagnostic test" 

Secretary Tutwiler: says he's worked in parallel fashion with Johnston
looking forward to working closely 
three new early college partnerships
should yield enrollment of about 9000 next year
60 new members of Youth Advisory Council to Governor Healey

Johnston: "want to ground our experience...that all students should be known and valued"
DoH has released new guidance on staying home for guidance aligned with CDC
which is the terrible recommendation that people shouldn't stay home anymore
"what is this delay of FAFSA meaning for seniors right now" (notes he is the father of an 18 year old)
working diligently to get information on the ground
technical issues that has delayed issues; what does that mean for seniors right now
went to an admitted students day
"was palpable" to be in a room full of seniors
"want to elevate the importance of this topic for this Board"
DoE will allow DESE to show schools who has competed FAFSA and then be able to reach out to students who have not completed FAFSA
expansion of state financial aid opportunities as well, "most importantly students who may be undocumented as well"
districts: Brockton: continue to provide support
Agreement with Brockton dating back as far as 2020
high quality instructional materials, educator evaluation
funding safety audit; implementation of MassCore; financial audit
Holyoke: was at a subcommittee on local control last night
the day he began as Acting Commissioner he contacted the Mayor of Holyoke
presented a proposal to work together to identify what is a plan for improving local control
dates for future meetings; content "what's the role of the School Committee?"
"like a good bureaucrat, brought along our regulations"
what is in the regulation to extend aspects of receivership into locally controlled districts after receivership
most impressed by subcommittee focusing on "how will we continue improvement?"
subcommittee meeting six times (public sessions)
Craven: her concern has always been that there has to be strategies in continuing out of receivership that were only available under receivership
"because it's very promising"
Johnston: creating a written plan
Holyoke School Committee having a good understanding of procedural action