The Board of Ed has their regular April meeting today beginning at 9 AM. The agenda is here; the livestream will come up on their channel over here.
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| flowers in downtown Boston yesterday |
Today is the first meeting at which the new Secretary, Steve Zrike, will be present in that capacity. As a reminder, Zrike was Salem superintendent, though most of his appearances at the Board of Ed previously were in his prior-to-that position as Holyoke receiver. As an offhand observation, today is the eleventh anniversary of the Board voting the Holyoke Public Schools into receivership; I don't know if there's a balance to that or not.
Also as a reminder, the Secretary is a single member and a single vote on the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (as well as the two other education boards, Early Ed and Care, and Higher Ed), serving at the pleasure of the Governor, who appoints him*
I will update this post as we go
Public comment
not on the agenda: student who was not admitted to Essex Tech, commenting on the admissions regulations for career and technical education
"attempting to fix a process that was not broken"
"many possible factors that could be brought into a new admissions process"
also not on the agenda: graduate of Blackstone Valley Tech one of whose sons got in and one did not
"when fairness becomes so rigid that it separates twins..."
she is asking for sibling preference, it appears
missed part of this: something about the IEP process...
on educator licensure: member of outside advisory group
request on subject matter testing alternative; portfolio development process
MTA VP: request approve regulation update on licensure
Gerry Mroz: licensure regs, celebrate wonderful teacher
Teachers as gatekeepers; "some of this attitude flows from DESE"
special education template "failed us"
"every child should have a chance to meet challenging objectives"
person who failed MTEL
fear "no matter what I say, I will remain invisible"
"I tell myself, I have to keep fighting"
"for me, teaching is not a job; it's who I am"
Karis McLaughlin: applaud any effort to add 9/11
(it already does)
comments on new curriculum (it isn't)
"don't have infrastructure to protect kids"
also DESE doesn't do curriculum
wants them to have teaching about the Sabbath
former member of TriCounty speaking of a "delusion of equity" on voke admissions
says families "are being torn apart" when speaking of one sibling getting in and one not
Ed Lambert, MBAE on graduation which is also not on the agenda
"uniform common assessment is only way to assure rigor and equity"
"we know that grade inflation and graduation inflation is a real thing"
Jim Peyser mention!
ensure we are not "stalled on this bridge to the future"
Jessica Tang, AFT-MA
all students deserve to have educators that they can relate to
all students benefit when exposed to diverse educators
urge passage, but urge also reconsideration use of alternative pathways for subject matter (to allow)
evidence of what works and what the challenges are
ICE stabilization grants: believe districts hardest hit by immigration enforcement; need funding for stability
speaks of a paraprofesional in Lynn who has now been threatened with deportation
certification as a translation; appeal to keep her and her son safe at this time
Craven: read to a fourth grade in Milton earlier this year; for and against MCAS
Zrike: almost 25 years of public education service, mostly in Massachusetts
pleased to support the work of this Board and the values it espouses
champion of educators; anybody who has impact on children
advocate for children, particularly those who have not been well-served
best part of this job is to see the amazing things across the state: 413 day
Healey social media bill, DESE guidance on deep fakes
committed to ensure safety of children online
"think all of us as parents and educators have a deep concern about social media and the ills it can have"
good time to remember that he is the mouthpiece of the administration on here, which doesn't mean it isn't depressing to hear someone again miss what an issue so much of this bill is
crime to create, possess, or share these images of those under 18, whether they are real images or faked
Martinez: wish he could bring a thousand people with him when he visits districts
"the phonics in this state are no joke" (as he attempts "Billerica")
speaking of admissions to voke schools "these schools are gems"
this year will see the largest expansion yet; demand is so strong
"most of these students go to college"**
access to most up to date equipment
Boston Plan for Excellence: teacher residency program
students with most acute disabilities; work with families to unlearn time outs and such
methodical approach
dual language, early college
"how to leverage those assets...have a lot to work with, but have a lot to do"
Next month will meet at Hudson High School, home of the student representative Isabella Chamberlain
Miliken Award winner Elizabeth Metts, ninth grade teacher at Excel Academy in East Boston
balance high expectations with close relationships; "that balance drives everything I do"
transform themselves as learners who are agents of change
West asks what she has taken from being a CURATE fellow: inquiry driven, all language domains
Zrike: multilingual learners?
Metts: dually identified students, need that individual attention
alternative pathways for multilingual learner certification perhaps to get more educators in the building
Metts: 9th graders on a camping trip in Sandwich
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*so far, I think. Please correct me if I am wrong, but we have not had a female Secretary within my memory, in any case, and not during the current makeup of the Executive Office of Education.
**at some point, we are going to have to talk about the assumed spending differences built into the foundation budget. But that isn't today's conversation.
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