A budget exchange that may matter later

I didn't blog this last night (as I was out of battery), but there was a discussion later in the meeting that may matter later: Mr. Comparetto spoke to his item on the need for wraparound services and staff in every school, and of their being allowed to do their actual job rather than other things. Mr. Monfredo, responding, rather oddly remarked that while the Student Opportunity Act would get the district more money, it wouldn't be enough to get wraparound coordinators in every school.

...er, what? If the School Committee decides that's the most effective way of working on the issue of poverty in the schools, yes, there will absolutely be enough money for wraparound coordinators in every school. That's a pretty out-of-touch remark.

Mr. Foley said that he had been planning to wait to make a motion on the budget until the bill passed (wise), but since it had come up, he made a motion that either the full committee or the Finance and Operations subcommittee plan on holding a public hearing early on regarding use of the funds. Mayor Petty deflected it back to Foley, saying that it should probably be done by the subcommittee.

Miss Biancheria then stood to insist that it had to be done by the full committee, 'though her argument seemed to be about every member being included rather than about, say, public transparency.

I should note that Mr. Foley has brought this up more than once, most recently at the Legislative update held by the Worcester Educational Justice Alliance last week.

Anyway, as I've said elsewhere, we are going to need a more thorough and inclusive public budget process, and that was stepped towards last night.

And what happened on Superintendent Binienda's goals?

They’re back. Flying through the agenda - didn’t spend more than a couple minutes on the superintendent’s goals (no presentation, no substantial committee feedback).

— Scott O'Connell (@ScottOConnellTG) July 19, 2019

Scott notes that only five of the committee were there: both Foley and Comparetto were gone. 

And what is going on in Worcester?

My NSFW title for this could be what I was asked by a friend I hadn't seen in awhile that I ran into downtown yesterday: 'What the * is going on with Worcester School Committee?!?"


After a three hour executive session during an off-week meeting, the Worcester School Committee on Thursday night voted 5-2 to grant Maureen Binienda a three year contract at $215,000 a year, with a 2% raise each year, Comparetto and Foley opposed. Further details of the contract have not been released (though it is a public document).
Incidentally, I've requested that the minutes of all executive sessions regarding this negotiation be released, as the reason for the executive session is now complete; the school department has 10 days to respond and 30 days to release them.

There is, of course, much more that has been going this week than that.

• An Open Meeting Law complaint was filed against the Committee for communications regarding the ad in support of Ms. Binienda's contract renewal at three years. The email gathering signatures was sent out by John Monfredo, three members of the Committee signed the ad, and it is known that at least one other received it. It was also circulated to staff of the Worcester Public Schools. 
• I heard (yes, this is literally hearsay) multiple reports of teachers being asked by principals to sign the letter of support of the superintendent. The just-re-elected head of the teachers' union Roger Nugent was also collecting signatures in support of the superintendent. 
• There were, it seems, ongoing meetings with community activists over the course of the week with the Mayor and the Superintendent around the list of action items Mayor Petty has put forward. The discussion, it appears, was around putting those into her contract, or otherwise tying the renewal to those issues. While the Mayor did again read those items at Thursday's meeting and I am told the Committee voted in favor of them, it does not appear those are in her contract, nor that they were issued as goals or otherwise formally part of her evaluation. The Committee has not created new goals for the superintendent since her evaluation in December. Superintendents in Massachusetts have a mid-cycle review halfway through the year, which on this schedule should be taking place around June. 
• There were activists on both sides of the contract renewal at Thursday's meeting; Bill Shaner noted the demographic divide. There were also seven police officers, which is unusual. 
• While committees can and do have who they like in their executive sessions when it comes to staff, it is worth noting that School Safety Manager Rob Pezzella was in the mayor’s office at one point. 
• The Teamsters, who organize the bus drivers who work for Durham, were among those present at the meeting on Thursday; the superintendent has made her support for continuing to work with Durham clear, even as there are continued issues with Durham's service for the Worcester Public Schools. 
• While the vote was 5-2, the Mayor's vote in favor was tempered with a significant amount of critique which extended beyond the issues around disciplinary disparities recently discussed into the bussing contract, the district's lack of a health curriculum, and others. 
• Dante Comparetto released a statement Friday, saying that while he will finish his term (it runs until December), he will no longer be running for re-election due to this vote. Nomination papers for School Committee (300 signatures of registered Worcester voters are needed) are due this coming Tuesday, so it appears unlikely this will add people to the race. This does leave an open seat on the Committee, and I believe means the School Committee will not have a preliminary election in September. 

Worcester meetings this week

Crucial reminder: tomorrow at 7 pm, the Finance and Operations subcommittee has a public hearing on the FY20 Worcester Public Schools budget (4th floor, Durkin Administration Building).

This usually includes an update on the state budget, and, as the House Ways and Means budget came out since the last time the Worcester School Committee met, there is something to look forward to. In fact, it looks as though the T&G got the report ahead of time. There are LOTS of things to say about the budget--and remember, everything costs money!--so go and be heard!


The Worcester School Committee meets Thursday at 7 pm in public session. Along with recognitions and thanks, it appears Superintendent Binienda will not be doing a report which speaks of how the goals of the district and her own performance goals are being met, but instead will be having a sort of speed dating show and tell by principals.

There is a single page response to the request for updates on health education under the new marijuana law.
There is a report on AEDs.

There is a response to a request for graduation rates, disaggregated by different categories. The administration, along with a note, has chosen to include this information in the form of a spreadsheet. I thought we might find it more useful in the form of a graph, and I added all the years available online:

All data from DESE, as submitted by WPS; I've gone back as far as DESE has data online. 

 And because that bunches up at the end, I'm going to do something I usually rail against and rescale that to just the part changing (note the axis starts at 40%):

And yes, that multi-race non-Hispanic line dives for 2016 in the data reported to DESE.

Note what happens to most of the lines from 2014 on.

It is also important to note--and troubling to note that not included in the report is the information--that four year graduation rate is among the contents of the new accountability system:

In 2018, the Worcester Public Schools did not meet the targets for four year graduation in the categories of all students, high needs students, economically disadvantaged students, English learner and former English learner students, students with disabilities, and black students. The district made no change in the graduation rate of Latino students. Only in white and multirace non-Hispanic students did the district exceed its targets.
This is the sort of information that would be relevant to have included in a report of the superintendent to the School Committee. Better that the superintendent call attention to it than DESE does.

Apparently, the week of March 24 was Public Schools Week.

Most of Mr. Comparetto's items from the last meeting were held. There are now responses from administration on the mentorship request (in which they talk about early childhood ed programs and the Worcester Future Teachers program, neither of which is the sort of program Mr. Comparetto is speaking of like iMentor or  Classroom Champions; perhaps this is actually the response to another item?); the Farm to School program; an internship management program (which again doesn't appear to be responding to the query); and an update on the strategic plan (just that it is coming in July).

Mr. O'Connell suggests the use of a "see something say something" app, which will go nicely with the cell phone ban.
Mr. Monfredo is requesting an "action plan" for children to read on grade level, plus a "quality primary summer school reading program."
He'd also like a presentation on vaping.

There are a whole lot of donations coming in for votes of acceptance:

• $22,008.00 to the Worcester Public Schools Athletics Department from the Office of District Attorney Joseph D. Early, Jr. to assist with Freshman Basketball Teams to involve youth in programs that help to prevent crime, gang activity and substance abuse. 
• $2,303.00 to South High Community School from Andy’s Attic to assist with the purchase of Chromebooks 
• $28.50 to Tatnuck Magnet School from Yankee Candle 
• $225.00 to Tatnuck Magnet School from Sports Alive 
• $500.00 to Tatnuck Magnet School from I.U.O.E. Local No.4 
•  $2,354.00 to Tatnuck Magnet School from various donors through fundraising efforts 
• $10.00 to Lake View School from Ruben Ardon 
• $1,000 to New Citizens Center Secondary from Herlihy Insurance 
• $9.070.19 to South High Community School from the “Class of 1963 Scholarship in Memory of Robert Aucoin” 
• $450.00 to the Worcester Public Schools Transition Program for assistance with research from Boston University 
• $75.00 to Lisa Wolfe and family from the South High Community School Black Student Union

There's also a prior year payment of $7,103.53 to the City of Springfield (I'm going to guess special education?).

The administration is proposing language for the handbook for next year for the Seal of Biliteracy (which is great, but let's get some vetting of this proposal!).

Mr. Comparetto and Mr. Foley are asking for an update from the Sex ed task force.

Mayor Petty is requesting:

Request that the Superintendent produce the last 10 number of years of suspension and discipline data for review by the public and School Committee and a full review of data collection, storage and dissemination procedures to develop best practices for transparency.

Dang! That's a strong statement in the form of a motion.
In line with his public statement prior to vacation, Mayor Petty is also requesting (I'm going to post the full items here; note how the co-sponsorship changes):

• gb #9-161 – Mayor Petty/Mr. Comparetto/Mr. Foley/Miss McCullough/Mr. Monfredo/Mr. O’Connell (April 9, 2019) 
  Request that the Superintendent provide estimated budgeting needed for a Chief Diversity /Equal Opportunity Officer and her organizational plan for implementation.
  
• gb #9-162 – Mayor Petty/Miss Biancheria/Mr. Comparetto/Mr. Foley/Miss McCullough/Mr. Monfredo/Mr. O’Connell (April 9, 2019) 
  Request that the Superintendent report on district processes and compliance with MGL c222 and make any necessary proposals for changes in policy and procedure.
  
• gb #9-163 – Mayor Petty/Miss Biancheria/Mr. Comparetto/Mr. Foley/Miss McCullough (April 9, 2019) 
  Request that the Superintendent reengage with Worcester State University in order to refresh and update the 2014 report, “Suspensions in Worcester: A Continuing Conversation.”
  
• gb #9-164 – Mayor Petty/Mr. Comparetto/Mr. Foley/Miss McCullough/Mr. Monfredo/Mr. O’Connell (April 9, 2019) 
  Request that the Superintendent inform the School Committee on her plan and timeline for professional development and training on cultural differences, unconscious bias and diversity.
  
• gb #9-165 – Mayor Petty/Miss Biancheria/Mr. Comparetto/Mr. Foley/Miss McCullough/Mr. Monfredo/Mr. O’Connell (April 9, 2019) 
  Request that the Superintendent report to the School Committee on her plans to introduce trauma informed care into our schools as well as budgeting requirements for Fiscal Year 2020.
  
• gb #9-166 – Mayor Petty/Miss Biancheria/ Mr. Comparetto/Mr. Foley/Miss McCullough/Mr. Monfredo/Mr. O’Connell (April 9, 2019) 
  Request that the Superintendent report on school funding of community nonprofits such as African Community Education, the Latino Education Institute and the South East Asian Coalition.

There is an executive session for contract negotations with the superintendent. 

Worcester School Committee meets Thursday

The agenda is here. There are retirements, thanks, and such.

The report of the superintendent is on English learning. There's a lot to consider here, and I see some flags around partnering with families and perhaps a lack of historical context. Also there's a grant cited here that I can't find. 

Finance and Operations comes back with their second quarter report (including transfers) and their transportation items (no backup on the agenda). If you haven't been in touch with the committee on whatever bus concerns you may have, it would be important to contact them before Thursday.

There is a report back regarding an online gradebook creation: for outside bidders, it would be one time start-up costs of $125,000 plus $185,000. As that's more than one staff person, one has to ask: did anyone look at doing this in-house, as WPS runs most of its data systems in-house at substantial cost savings?

The request for a report on AP's to "include student/parent feedback" is back with two pages of courses, the test costs, the dates students are required to attend...and that's it. No details, no feedback, no plans for it.
It also still leaves out the part where the test is required.

On the other hand, there's a whole four pages on implementation Read Across America Day.
There is a recommendation coming back on a Claremont Academy catchement area.

There a request for reports/reviews on: the 100 Males to College Program; the Doherty building plan; the bus yard at Fremont Street (that would be WPS buses), and bus arrival times (I can't tell if that backup is for schools or for parents); A/C and water in buildings; the MOU with the Worcester Police Department; feminine hygiene products being available free (they are, at the nurse); DEP action at Bright Cleaners (next to Gates Lane); prioritizing homeless students; biweekly listening sessions; strengthening site councils; incorporating more diversity (racial, ethnic and around sexual identity) in history (required under the new state standards); balancing arts/history/etc in early grades; ethics; arts education; a racial equity study; a homebuyer program; a program for IAs to become teachers; increasing recess (admin says they can't go beyond the 30 minutes already required); specific preschool grant funding (already a response: not eligible); and makerspace in school libraries. The last fifteen of those, which is more items than that, are all from Mr. Comparetto. On one agenda.

There's a request the School Committee accept the following donations:
– $25,000.00 from The Hanover Insurance Group Foundation to The Hanover Insurance Academy for the Arts at Burncoat Middle School (I think this is the first one that has come through?)
– $20,000.00 from Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) to the Worcester Public Schools to be used as scholarships to graduating seniors.

There's an executive session for a grievance, two employee lawsuits, and the lawsuit of the Jane Doe V. Worcester Public Schools (which I might be this case (?), which hasn't gotten a great deal of local press).

No blogging from me: I have a meeting that night! 

Testimony on FY19 in Worcester

The video of last Monday night's public hearing on the Worcester Public Schools' budget is posted.

• The presentation begins at about 3:50
• Mr. Comparetto's question about the funding of police is at 27:10
• Public comment opens at 32:40

An exchange that was remarked upon was Superintendent Binienda's remarks about police in schools; you can find that at 54 minutes in. 

What happened last night in education?

What an election night, huh?

So what happened in education?

• Close to home, of course, the Worcester School Committee drops Colorio (by 291 over Biancheria) and adds Comparetto. A few things to keep in mind on that: Colorio's two big issues were Common Core--gone because of the standards redrafting and ESSA==and overtesting--which appears to be less of a concern in a state in which the state test is regularly racking up rates of 99%--so she didn't have as much to run on this year. Comparetto, of course, ran as a progressive, though the big issues around education--race, school-by-school inequity, police in school--were never brought up by him or anyone else. I'm dubious about how much of a victory it is for "us" when a newcomer wins a seat by spending (what I believe to be an unprecedented) over $45,000 to win a school committee race. At a time when we're seeing school board seats be bought for big money (don't forget LA), I'm going to say bluntly that if we care about representative democracy locally, this isn't something we'll find encouraging. Note also that McCullough moved up the ranking while Biancheria moved down (in fact, for awhile it looked as though she might be bumped instead). 
• On the Worcester City Council, Gaffney is out and Rosen replaces him at large. The two newcomers, representing districts 1 and 5 respectively, are Sean Rose and Matt Wally. Rose has kids in the schools, and Wally has parents who were WPS teachers, so at least initially, that looks like possible education support. Aside from general supportive messages for schools, and Wally specifically talking about getting South and Doherty done, we haven't heard a lot on that. Also, someone should ask Rose about a new Burncoat.
• Farther afield, the big news is from Lowell, where the non-binding question on putting a new high school downtown won by a nearly 2 to 1 margin, and the City Council race went to those who supported that location as well. For those who haven't been following this issue: Lowell's only high school is right downtown, and many students walk to and from school. The district runs a good number of programs that keep kids in and around the building during and after school; it's widely seen as one of the strengths of the district. The school committee has wanted to keep a new high school in that location, in order to keep those programs and that access in place for students; the City Council instead wanted to move the high school out to a more suburban location. In Massachusetts municipal districts, the city (not the district) builds schools, so when the City Council voted to put the high school in the more suburban location, the School Committee balked, and then sued, and then lost. Meanwhile, a group of citizens who wanted to keep the high school downtown had collected enough signatures to put the a non-binding measure on the ballot. It has by far dominated the municipal election, and, last night, the downtown supporters won big. All of which demonstrates that the MSBA was wise to postpone dealing with Lowell until after their election. Also, pro-tip? A major concern of MSBA is the academic program and how the building supports that. Lowell's suburban site was not making good arguments for that.
• We can't talk about last night and education without recognizing two mayoral races that bring new mayors in from the State House coming out of races that spoke about school funding: Representative Paul Heroux was elected last night in Attleboro, defeating seven term incumbent Kevin Dumas. Note that Heroux himself cites school funding as one of the factors of his win; Attleboro regularly dances on the edge of barely making minimum net school spending. In Lynn, Senator Tom McGee beat incumbent mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy by a 64/35 margin. Lynn, of course, has been the city that has been so far under net school spending for years that the state has had a few rounds of renegotiating how they're ever going to make up ground on it. The outgoing mayor had variously referred to minimum spending as "a thorn in our side" and had spoken of the school budget "swallow(ing) the city budget". Those are weak arguments in a city in which the school budget is funded a full 75% by the state.
• Framingham elected their first city school committee, choosing a mix of incumbents and newcomers. 
• In New Bedford (h/t Kat McKiernan), incumbent Josh Amaral (disclosure: Josh is a friend) won re-election, and and the city elected two new members, one of whom, Colleen Dawicki, is an interesting city policy wonk type and becomes the only woman on an all-male board.  
• In Malden, where a ward school committee candidate had attracted an enormous (for school committees) amount of dark money, the non-dark money candidate Jennifer Spadafora won, and by a fairly significant margin.
• I put together a bit of a thread last night about school committee races across the state (which does not claim to be everything; let me know if you have additions). 

To peek nationally a bit:

• You'll no doubt hear about Tyler Titus, who won a seat on the Erie County School Board, becoming Pennsylvania's first openly transgender elected official. Congratulations to Tyler! Massachusetts, of course, has had at least two openly transgender school committee members for a bit.
• Portland, Maine voted to renovate four elementary schools.
• Maine as a state overturned the decision of their governor and voted to expand Medicaid to 70,000 people. And yes, health care has to do with education.
• As Matt Barnum notes, Colorado had several of the school board races that brought in big outside dollars. In Aurora, the union-backed candidates were ahead as of last night, which would be a change, as Aurora has had administration that focuses heavily on charter schools. In Denver, it looks like a split. In Douglas County, the switch in the board may have implications on a case around vouchers; the previous majority was attempting to bring a big push on vouchers and had been brought to court over it. 

I'll add more to this over the course of the day...