The Board of Ed meets today at nine. You can find the agenda here. You can find a livestream here.
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| Please enjoy this photo of swans preening on the Malden River this morning. |
It is a "something for nearly everyone" agenda today--vocational admission! charter schools! teacher licensure! graduation requirements! who is going to be the Commissioner, anyway!--and there is a full room (the usual DESE staff in the back of the room are, I assume, watching from their offices), so I assume public comment will go on awhile.
I will further observe that we are getting another good "who has access" view, where Lynn (bless them) has packed the room, and the Pioneer Valley, which is just as outraged, is not as represented, because do you know how hard it is to get here from Hadley for 9 AM??
And yes, the Lynn charter school has matching tee shirts.
Updating this post as we go!
We appear to have some online participation.
Lynn delegation: united against KIPP's expansion in Lynn
proving KIPP is in fact a proven provider in Lynn; as evident...a city that cares deeply about its population, serving all of its students, from every population
KIPP does not serve the same population that Lynn Public Schools do
Sen. Creighton here is citing the stats of how different the student enrollment and the achievement levels of KIPP, which do not meet
"but if we're looking at a very clear standard established by the Commonwealth" KIPP doesn't meet them
another rep: "we're here because of the pandemic: that's why our test scores fell...we've already proven that we can improve"
"cities like Lynn are very fiscally uncertain right now with the federal government, title funding...it's a turbulent time, and we can't take any more turbulence"
another rep: "the community was opposed" 21 years ago when KIPP started
"in some ways we were right, in some ways we were wrong"
"have realized that we have to coexist with public and charter"
"we're talking about educating kids to the best of our ability"
"we have kids show up every day...and they're coming to Lynn because we're welcoming"
"the work that teachers are doing today, it's incredible"
"mind you, if you want to say the next 450 kids who show up at our doors" that's a different thing
"you're going to take 450 kids whose parents knew how to get on a list"
another rep: I represent Marblehead, Swampscott, and Lynn; it's a tale of two Commonwealths
Swampscott just built a new elementary school; they consolidated because their elementary population has dropped
the Lynn school on the same street is 113 years ago with classrooms filled to capacity
"two miles apart, but they might as well be 200 miles, 2000 miles...I am weary of the disparities in my district"
Rep Lindsay Sabadosa: "I don't have a bunch of colleagues here today" from western Mass
Notes that it took three hours of driving to be here and there is no remote public testimony allowed
"even if you don't see here, they are here"
"have been denied on past occasions, because they are not educating" the populations they need
even when they brought the expansion to the parents in their own communities, they said you have to do a better job with the students who already have needs
schools in low and declining enrollment
given the population, declining enrollment: "we're going to talk about school closure"
"often hear that western Mass feels abandoned...people are angry"
"all of the children in my district deserve a quality education, not just those who get into a charter school"
Mayor Jared Nicholson of Lynn:
applicant shall submit proficiency levels that are similar to statewide level 'at least a three year period'
"that doesn't permit an interpretation of two out of three years for school grades"
"we were hit hard and disproportionately" by the pandemic
an eight million dollar hit on the budget would reverse opportunities for Lynn students
federal cuts "not just looming but attempted"
federal government targeting communities like now
cuts are "absurd on their face"
"to ignore the disparities between our student populations"
EL students will still depend on Lynn Public Schools; LPS will just have less funding to serve them
"proudly serves all students who show up at our doors"
Jared Freeman on behalf of Sen. Jo Comerford (western Mass)
strongly oppose expansion of Pioneer Valley Charter School
also considering narrowing the number of communities entering Pioneer Performing Arts Charter
"nothing less than a gut punch"
"not only these districts will suffer" school committees opposing outside the communities drawing from
"in email after email, they are pleading with the Board to listen to their concerns"
"public education funding in my district and in districts with declining enrollment"
need for immediate initiation of a foundation budget and municipal contribution commission
"blistering challenges and deep cuts" being faced by school districts
"the insult to the injury" documented in state documents on Pioneer Valley Charter
"this Board has no representation from Hampshire, Hampden, or Berkshire Counties...and does not allow remote testimony"
"does not uphold the principles of representative government"
Jessica Tang, AFT-MA
representing many unheard
"the recommendation we believe is not" aligned with the law
can't analyze EL students because KIPP has so few (that sounds familiar, Worcester, doesn't it?)
KIPP tried to expand in 2018; "not much has changed, so we remain bewildered as to have it is on your agenda"
I missed who this is
Oh, it's a parent from Pioneer Valley Charter
I've been relieved each time this Board has chosen not to expand
leadership "is brilliant, but a bit over their skis"
"issues of oversight and governance of this school"
"lack of humility...lack of inability to integrate feedback...assign blame to all others"
"you really can't have it both ways" if these issues require action, I don't think you're justified in saying "let's give them almost 20% more access to public funds...public families"
enact conditions and deny further expansion until leadership oversight and governance
KIPP Lynn leadership: cites retention and graduation
(but EL doesn't reflect; 30% of new students)
"data is kids, kids are not just data"
disputes funding (citing charter reimbursement, though at least part of that was wrong)
believes federal instability is an argument for expansion
"families of those seeking choices for their children"
parent of two and teacher at Pioneer Valley Charter
"a small expansion but it will have a big impact on our school"
strong partnership with families
teachers who work 24/7 to fulfill our mission statement
another: 100 more students for us would be 100 fewer on our waitlist
slots are needed as at cap
"provide free busing to our furthest areas"
"our families are very very engaged"
chair of AMSA in Marlborough
documented gains through "marketing" (it's so gross that we spend public education dollars on marketing)
"recruit and serve all children" with compassion
was on Marlborough city council when AMSA
"options that best serve them on their opportunity for success"
student taking an engineering project; building a wind tunnel
could result in publication
Ed Lambert on graduation requirement
"as much oversight and structure as the law allows and the Constitution requires"
allow MCAS as an option continuing
audit local content; recommend delivery of content be audited as well
recommend grading auditing as well
consider requiring MCAS if they don't meet it
in other words, he is asking that the state be the oversight for classroom content and delivery, as well as graduation requirements, due to the 10th grade MCAS no longer be
I will note that I told you so
Jill Norton, Voices for Academic Equity Coalition
I don't know what that is
why is the proposal not even what is required to attend a four year college?
she has misunderstood the regulation change; today is about bringing regulation into line with what is the current law, and she is asking for things that are far beyond the legal purview of the Board
asks that this be paused until more be put forward
"once we lower expectation, it is nearly impossible to remove them again"
Craven: discussion of having a meeting March 10 for overflow from this meeting
plan to get through first few items on agenda and provide for the 40 or so people who were not able to speak
asked to speak to the Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism
"one thing we never talk about on this Board is Horace Mann"
Board formed because growing up in rural Franklin, Mass, "he'd experienced economy-minded politicians" who were not keeping up with the latest things in education
she is now reading Mann's six principles of public education
which she is connecting to the commission's request for comment on this and the Board's purview
Lynn Public School students are standing and requesting to speak, as none made it on the agenda
Tutwiler: notable decline in completion of FAFSA; started in pandemic
historic increases in scholarships in financial aid in the Commonwealth; have to complete the FAFSA to get it
if he does not mention the sharing of data with federal sketchiness, he's missing something
are listening and learning on the "road show"
recently diversity, equity, and inclusion have been repackaged as pejorative terms
"want to assure you that nearly all of the directives including the 'Dear Colleague' letter, are not supported by the rule of law"
"reach far beyond the scope of executive authority"
guidance from the state will be forthcoming in the coming days
but wants to state that there is no change in the principles on which education is founded in Massachusetts
(I have failed to capture how eloquent this was)
(He is met with a round of applause)
Johnston: Miliken educator in Southbridge
NAEP results, factual, directional
AP data: highest percentage in the nation of students who have scored a 3 or higher while in high school
teacher licensure: pilot alternative assessment
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