Wait, what? moments from last week's Board of Ed

Due to the Consensus Revenue hearing starting at noon, I did not liveblog the last section of the Board of Ed meeting last Tuesday, which was on the interim graduation report. I did watch it later in the day--you can read my MASC coverage here--but much like the Commissioner's goals, feedback was not so much focused on the report as it was talking around associated items. 

Please enjoy this waving snowman from Palmer.
The snowman has nothing to do with the post,
but we need to take our happy things where we can.

There were five eyebrow raising moments during the meeting--two from the Commissioner's priorities, and three from the graduation discussion--that I want to be sure we don't miss, as much as everyone's attention right now may be elsewhere. 

May Board of Ed: vocational admission

Tutwiler: never been about casting aspersions on career-tech leaders or educators

Methuen High School auditorium

"has been about advancing values that reflect that every student" warrants a chance to pursue access

recommending one minor change to the middle school access, and three substantive changes to the weighted lottery
heard "loud and clear" the demand for more seats

Moving right along: Board of Ed membership

Periodically, I am asked about the length of terms of the current Board of Ed members, particularly given that we have a largely Baker-appointed Board and an ostensibly more education-friendly Governor now. While the state does have this chart, it's not fully updated, has weirdly set everything to June expiration dates (which isn't in state law), and has more than one ending date just plain wrong.

I did the first version of this post in 2017, with an update in January of last year.

February Board of Ed: charter school matters

City on a Hill Charter: returning charter and request to change grades served
moves straight to vote: approved

amendment requests to Boston charter schools for removing grade 6 at one and consolidating UP Academies
then amendments to enrollment patterns of charters
full list

West: can I confirm that we have an accurate understanding of region request: students already can attend, but they'd be granted priority in attendance
Yes
Tutwiler: don't want to make a habit of bringing up things in public comment
earlier denied request for Prospect Hill
DESE: was not possible to grant earlier request due to spending requirements and such
Fisher: two schools for charter region; are both needing to do this to meet legal requirements
DESE: yes, in order to address requirements in charter school law

Being voted together: 
Rocha: no
All others: yes
9-1 approved

The Board of Ed meets in January: accountability

 and the backup is here

June 2023 Board of Ed: opening comments

The Board is introducing a new member about whom you can read a bit here!

Chair Craven notes new member and incoming student member, as this is last meeting at which Eric Plankey will represent.

public comment:

Educate Us: applaud and recommend new health standard
"deserve a factual, compassionate, and complete education"
powerful step in that direction
some think erasing information will cause students to "similarly disappear"
"an entire generation" has waited for this update; cannot wait further
"a huge step towards ensuring the students of Massachusetts have the freedom to be themselves...no exceptions"

Partners in Sex education:
standards are incredibly important
all others have been updated
schools either base it on the 90's version "which doesn't really take account our current understand of what the science is on health" OR "they are not using standards at all, which is an absolute chaotic mess" OR "everyone is just frozen in time"
the fact that they are parallel to the national standards "is absolutely magical"

VP Planned Parenthood
"have seen how lifechanging it can be" to provide such education
"parents..want their children to receive" this education regardless of their religious and other background
access to such education "not based in fear or scare tactics" 
"long overdue and should be approved as soon as possible"
Manager of Youth Education for Planned Parenthood
was a public schoolteacher in Boston and Somerville
medically accurate, age appropriate, consent based, LGBTQ+ inclusive
1999 framework doesn't contain the word consent
teaches students to respect other's withheld consent
and teaches in middle grades: tools when they need it
young people need to know the impact of the words before they get said (on LGBTQ+)
still is explicitly stigmatizing language in the current framework
teachers need up to date and accurate frameworks to guide them

Katie Aubin, member of the Dighton-Rehoboth School Committee, not speaking on behalf of Committee
noticed that sex was more of a theme than nutrition
support for all genders and sexual orientation in ages 7 to 10
"let ages 3-5 believe in Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus"
"I will taking note of who votes for this"
"if you vote for this curriculum, you are the definition of a groomer"
Michael King from Mass Family Institute
"is neither age appropriate nor medically accurate"
he's now talking about curriculum, which DESE of course does not approve
one should also note that at least in the past, his quotes have been inaccurate
says this will only increase the number of students opting out and number of children leaving public schools

commission on racial imbalance, but not here on that
director of diversity, happy that you've done that
former Secretary of Education wrote an article "and it bothered me"
should have been written 30 years ago
"should not still be talking about educational gaps"
"this is unconscionable" 
"went back to ed reform" says that it is an emergency measure
(that was because the state lost an ed funding lawsuit)
"My charge to you is I don't want to see another report with excuses for what we haven't done"
"It's racist at its highest level, and it is irresponsible at its lowest"

"for the last 15 years, our education system has not improved"
"this Board has refused to act with urgency"
"the view is pretty and mesmerizing, but obscures an ugly reality"
no comment on the new MCAS contract
"how students are achieving and how students are growing"
"DESE balked on computer-adaptive" test during "the PARCC fiasco"
"can't depend on demographics" to remain competitive
"a competency based progression system is the future"
ask for a quarter million dollars to study a competency based system in FY25

Moriarty: meeting July 8 on early literacy
Speaker Bartley
"his name is on the Chapter 766 legislation"

Secretary Tutwiler: congratulations to students, families, and educators for this school year
thanks to Eric Plankey: "I've learned the most from students"
wishes him well at Cornell next year
thanks Canavan for service
Welcomes new student member Ella Gardner, Wellesley High School
Welcome Ericka Fisher, chair of education at the College of the Holy Cross
"thrilled to welcome her and her perspective to this Board"
expect a SCOTUS decision on race-conscious enrollment
"amply prepared" if they do not keep it
"want to be mindful of the potential chilling effect...on historically marginalized communities"
"their presence is not only welcome, it is in fact incredibly necessary"

Commissioner: also welcome to Dr. Fisher
always thought of Plankey as a member, not simply a student member
thanks Eric's parents
thanks teachers, students, parents for year
"blown away by what happened in Somerville"
Tufts stepped up "without hesitation"
update on Boston: 
series of improvement plan related action
"in general DESE remains concerned about lack of action plans"
no inclusion plan for special education
yet to ID "chief of special education"
did lay out plan for English learners, only some of which has been met
student safety: created office of emergency management; working on MOU with PD
revised timeline for bathroom facilities renovation; timeline did not align
bright spots in data: making enhancement
making progress in hiring drivers and monitors
has not yet hit 95%, though it has been better
transformation schools
"really tried to approach this year as a time to set the table"
"blindsided by plan for high schools that seems half-baked at best"
"may have merit...but hard to understand it without the financials"
Madison Park could "cost up to a billion"
plus millions more for proposed O'Bryant location
and how will students get there
"which high schools are going to be closing" to allow for a "super Madison Park"
one year ago signed a document: "at best their grade would be incomplete"
expect a new conversation in the fall; if buses aren't on time, if people aren't hired, if bathrooms aren't complete
Craven: received additional $10M: where did it go?
Riley: in the document that was signed, "I believe that we've upheld our part of the bargain"
Johnston: reviews and audits, as well as some key positions to jump start the process
Moriarty: didn't hear a word about academic achievement: is it that bad?
Riley: put those piece in place first; not sure we can get there if we don't have this first
Moriarty: "leaves me wondering what the point of the enterprise is"
Craven: "kind of a misnomer that the inclusion plan was due in November; it was due in 1972"
Johnston: dismantle some of the substantially subseparate especially for boys of color
Hills: "reserve significant amount of time on the agenda for it"
Craven asks what a transformation school is
Stewart suggests a Monday meeting for just this in the fall

Governor Healey appoints a new member of the Board of Ed

 and I have, as the kids would say, "no chill" on this one, as I know her personally. 

Professor Fisher talking with Secretary Tutwiler during a break in today's meeting

Governor Healey, on the recommendation of Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler, appointed Professor Ericka Fisher of Worcester to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. She is starting her term today.

Professor Fisher is the chair of the education department at College of the Holy Cross. Her areas of specialization are urban education, social justice, and social emotional learning. She is a Worcester Public Schools (Doherty) graduate, a Holy Cross graduate, and the mother of two WPS alums. She is a Black woman who is also Wampanoag. She literally wrote a book on Burncoat High School. 

She replaces Tricia Canavan.

Professor Fisher served on the ad-hoc committee that I chaired looking at creating an exam school in Worcester. She is smart, savvy, thoughtful. She's a good friend, and one of the people I trust on education policy. I cannot tell you how much I think that this is an amazing choice. 

You can read Governor Healey's press release about Professor Fisher here.