Board of Ed for November: opening comments

 The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meets today at 9 AM. The agenda is here. The livestream will appear over here.

The meeting is being chaired by Vice Chair Matt Hills, as Chair Katherine Craven is remote today.

Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for September: opening comments

 The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meets today for its regular September meeting. This is the first meeting with the new commissioner, Pedro Martinez.

The agenda can be found online here. The livestream will come up over here. I'll update once they start.

you'd never know that this was below the Revere Beach Parkway, would you?

The Board of Ed April meeting: opening comments

Seal of Wellesley Public Schools as a mosaic on the floor of the high school

 

Joint Committee on Ways and Means hearing on FY25: local and education aid

 

Greenfield Community College atrium

I was just asked why I sit where I do, and the answer is "next to the outlet when there is one!"

November meeting of the Board of Ed: opening comments

 The agenda is here. The livestream will show up here (and that's the only way to see it, as sadly the Board did not pursue the eagerness to meet in Worcester demonstrated last meeting).

Craven says they're meeting remotely "because there's no other place" (which is of course untrue; the Department is between locations, but that's it).
Interesting, Tom Moreau is on for Secretary Tutwiler; it also appears that Marty West is in a car.

September Board of Ed: opening comments

 The agenda is here. The livestream will be here. 

updating as we go

opening introductions
Will be moving into public comment first

Board of Ed for December: opening comments

 The agenda is here. The livestream is here. 
This is the final Board of Ed meeting of the Baker administration, and thus the final meeting for Secretary Peyser.

updating as we go

Let me say up front: I'm not here for nice words about Baker or Peyser and public education. You'll have to go find that somewhere else. If you fought off privatization efforts (remember Baker's question 2 ad?) and got the SOA signed, cheers. We made it.

Public comment: 
gifted and talented education
MCAS very inept at identifying where students are
Aversion to acceleration in this state
"I see a structural policy failure in this Department in this topic"

sophomore at Revere High School who participated in the Biggest Winner Math Challenge
"in those kids I could see a pleasure in seeking more knowledge"
"I could see the changes in the students that came" in every passing week
changed her perspective on school
teachers put in school "to help and guide me"
sophomore at Easton High School
was in Brockton gifted and talented program
Biggest Winner Math Challenge provides opportunity for those without such a program
helped learn teaching and leadership skills
sophomore at Brockton High
use math in the real world; changed the way I viewed math
worked in the video series
junior at Foxborough Regional Charter School
took over parts of the schedule after the first week 
making connections through humor
junior at Philips Academy Andover
strong interest in STEM; team leader of the Biggest Winner Math challenge
worked collaboratively to make things more engaging for the students 
sophomore at Revere High, who serves on Board of Ed's gifted and talented council
starts by recognizing Eric Plankey, student member of the Board
in then team leader in Biggest Winner Math challenge
was empowered to take on leadership roles in community
"discovered an interest in teaching I didn't know I had"
"teens need to have the opportunity to work for more programs that work for them"
Shashoy Bailey, chemistry teacher at Discovery High School in Springfield
instructor in Biggest Winner Math challenge
emigration from Jamaica
Attended school in Springfield and chose to go back to Springfield to teach
often one of the only or only Black student in classes in engineering program
systematic lack of access to resources for Black and brown children
need more programs that schools can easily access and provide for their students
seen development in program over time

Senator Nick Collins
speaking for concerns about school safety in Boston
which is not the correct place to raise at all
flagging school safety concerns to the state board (?)
likens medal detectors to library check outs
raises Sandy Hook Elementary
"I appreciate the role this Board has been playing the city of Boston"
has little confidence in Boston School Committee

Max Page, president, Mass Teachers Association
congratulations to all of us for having passed the Fair Share Amendment 

call for lifting "artificially low" inflation cap in the Student Opportunity Act
Right to strike
retirement 
end high stakes testing and receivership
poses some questions to pose to the Southbridge receiver
"how much evidence do we need" of the catastrophe of this experiment?

Hills: Commissioner's assessment subcommittee
set out a structure; and he's talking about a memo that we do not have
"student achievement how we weigh our success or failure as a Board" weighed at fifty percent
Moriarty on pandemic recovery and literacy, because he has this hobbyhorse committee that isn't under purview
"good meaningful robust discussions"

Craven turns it to Peyser
Peyser who is home sick; he's been on the Board for eighteen years
and his list of things they did that I don't think are the things are important at all
welcomes Pat Tutwiler

Commissioner: Boston Public Schools latest
equity analysis for transformational schools as compared to non
literacy focus: getting some traction
transportation: still concerned
concerned about bathroom renovations: "timelines blown early in the process"
"still have ongoing leadership challenges"
"I guess I'm disappointed that we've had elected officials come to the chamber numerous times" and it feels like balls are being dropped
early indications that Superintendent Skipper will be excellent
safety audit coming
Craven: bullying and special education
Riley: special education concerns; bullying
Hills: transportation: why did people think it positive in June?
how do you go from over 30 people interested to one bidder?

vo-tech admissions: policies being reviewed
following up with some districts that may still be impeding equitable admissions
Moriarty: what is being done to expand programs?

Riley opines off the cuff that he disagrees with the MTA prioritizing the right to strike

list of grants in learning loss, and now they're talking about a grant that I don't know what the conversation is about

Joint Committee on Ways and Means FY21 hearing on FY21

coming you today from the Malden Senior Center, just down the street from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in downtown Malden, where the Joint Committee on Ways and Means is having their FY21 hearing on local aid and education. These "on the road" hearings are frequently chaired by the nearest rep and senator, so today we have Rep. Christine Barber and Senator Jason Lewis, as Barber reps Melrose and Somerville, and Lewis reps Malden. This hearing, like several of the others, are a bit of a set piece; they aren't open to anyone to testify. That hearing is at the State House on March 24 at 11 am. 
And this decidedly will NOT start on time; I'll start updating once it does. 

Board of Ed, regular January meeting, opening remarks...and City on a Hill

Alma del Mar brought a bus up from New Bedford, and I see MTA shirts coming in, so I assume we'll have a crowd today. Alma's proposed expansion is the first item on the agenda, though, so I imagine it will clear out a bit afterward. I've already heard several people say that they are signed up to speak, so no doubt we'll hear speakers from various sides. 
The agenda is posted here.
Posting as we go...
Member Katherine Craven is participating remotely. Several members still missing this morning. 

Sagan calls the meeting to order at 8:37
Peyser, Mathew, McKenna, Doherty still missing, but expected

Riley thanks Board for coming to meeting last week. Work on family engagement in coming weeks. Looking deeper at LOOK act with update on implementation.

Sagan says that cheering will take from speakers' time
"we're going to practice good listening, because they can start all over again, or two times, or three times"

Who is refusing compromise?

Be sure you read the Globe coverage of the charter debate today, and, after you notice that they once again seem not to be able to manage to find anyone to talk on the other side other than the MTA (sigh...), note who it is that appears to be unwilling to compromise here.

The Senate, he says, will look not just at expanding the number of charter schools allowed in the state, but at a wide range of issues that reflect critics’ concerns about charters — from financing, to governance, to admission and retention of hard-to-educate populations, like special needs students and English language learners. 

The approach does not sit well with charter school supporters. “We have the highest-performing public charter school sector in the nation,” said Mary Jo Meisner, executive vice president of communications at the Boston Foundation, which has been a strong charter advocate. “Opening that up to radical change is a scary thought.”

Admitting and retaining the same kids the districts serve...being public about finance and governance decisions. Radical. Scary thought.
Right.

EAW on fingerprinting

Len Zalauskas: asking you to put this in the budget, for all people who work for the WPS
"mirrors part of legislation of" MTA
opposed to being fingerprinted: "it's unsavory, at best"
"state found it in its wisdom to tie it to your licensure"
one time cost: $55 for licensed, $35 for those without
"that's real money for them, that's not a drop in the bucket"
"I understand the budget fairly well"
lack of investment in technology...state of Massachusetts has dropped the ball
idea to look at second look of enrollment figures
"not something we're doing in Massachusetts; we can learn from other states"
"in some fashions, it's ridiculous"
"request that the School Committee put in the budget" the cost of fingerprinting
referred to budget
O'Connell: ask that the state pay for costs, as mandated under Prop 2 1/2

Notes on public testimony

including remarks on principals, charter schools, Holyoke, vocational education

Education bills filed in the Mass legislature

I've no doubt this isn't everything (I assume SOMEone is filing anti-public ed bills, as they seem to always turn up!), but if you're interested in what you might advocate for with your Senator and Representative, the MTA has a list that's a good place to start.
More on this to come!

Teacher Licensure before Worcester School Committee

Note that this is going to Governance

EAW president:

The EAW and MTA strongly oppose any proposal that would tie educator evaluation to licensure

"We strongly oppose all three models…linking performance to licensure is wrong”

State’s job is to determine if a teacher qualified

Overreach by state

“too many mandates on top of too many mandates”

Malone has said “trying to drink water from a fire hose”

Why so urgent to do it at this time?

Katherine Whalen: “fast pace and we can’t keep up with it”

Whether you’re an administrator, whether you’re a teacher, whether you’re an IA…

Quote from Research Bureau “Commonwealth should not rely on test scores for broad systemic outcomes”

“I would prefer heat at all our…schools, I would prefer paper…our children are on technology all day long…technology doesn’t improve education”

Caitlin McCarthy: “they’re honestly about money”

Teachers will start losing their licensures forever

Creating a churn and burn environment

“disgrace to allow outside those…who don’t answer to voters to make these decisions”

O’Connell: particularly germain to a school committee

Proposal that is the opposite of what is what you and I are used to as lawyers

License can be ended if particular factors are not in the teacher’s favor at that particular time

Still a real risk that teachers whose license depends on scores that their students may achieve may choose to work elsewhere

Teachers may choose to leave the state or may choose to work elsewhere

Monfredo: agree with tonight’s speakers

How can anyone connect teacher evaluation to licensure?

Ask that a letter be sent out to our Commissioner to rethink this proposal

Novick: need to take this up promptly, as this is moving

concerns beyond those expressed with barring people from entering the profession; lengthy difficult process

costly to keep the licenses up

More on the proposed teacher licensure

In response to the MTA letter of October 27 on proposed changes to teacher licensure, Commissioner Chester today sent this response (as always, I'm assuming this will be up here on Monday).

Also, today School Committee members were informed that they are adding a forum just for us at the MASC/MASS conference in Hyannis next week. It's on Thursday, 2:30-3:30 pm.

More to come on this

...but I've been selected to give an ED talk at the MTA's Summer Institute the first week of August.

Speaking of declarations...

The National Education Association (the nation's largest teachers' union) is holding their annual convention in Denver this weekend. Two things from today:

NEA RA. The largest union in the United States has elected three women of color to lead it. http://t.co/eNT6qh8OMc #NEARA14
— fklonsky (@fklonsky) July 4, 2014

You can read more about the election here; for those from Massachusetts following this, outgoing MTA president Paul Toner did not win a seat on the NEA executive board.

While there were several resolutions passed, I suspect this one is going to get all the press:

speaking of declarations, the nation's largest teachers' union passed a resolution calling for the resignation of the Sec'ty of Education.
— Tracy Novick (@TracyNovick) July 4, 2014

Happy Independence Day!

A few notes from EDU

The lower-level classrooms of the Harrington Learning Center block signals quite effectively, thus no notes until now. I did tweet as possible. A few notes:

• The news that the Movement of Rank and File Educators, the progressive caucus of which Brian Jones is a member, will be mounting a challenge to the UFT (the teachers' union in New York City) at their next union election is, I have to say, pretty awesome. It's impossible to do justice to Jones in notes (he's the sort of speaker who will have you calling out "preach it!" Baptist or no), but he commented that the future of public education was in real doubt, and that we have moved into that movement that he's heard from those who protested the war in Vietnam, when you realize that this isn't all a misunderstanding, but is actually a deliberate action. We have a responsibility, he said, to call out as explicitly racist those policies and funding decisions that result in different amounts of resources--library time, art classes, science labs, field trips--going to different kids. He also commented (on TFA and the like) on our "taking kids from Denver and having them teach the kids in Harlem...are you telling me you can't find people in Harlem to raise them up to teach?"
• As much as talking about it makes my teeth hurt, I went to the morning session on educator evaluation. It was clear from those talking that this is really all over the map: while lots of districts have come to some sort of an agreement on the evaluations thus far, how it works on the ground (and the degree to which it is working on the ground) is all over the place. There was much commentary on how this really can be a "gotcha" sort of system, and one that pushes (again) test prep at the cost of much else; as one teacher said, this "does not allow me time to show my kids how to live in a democratic society, how to have agency."
• After lunch, I went to the session on the push by the charter school association in Massachusetts plan to push for a lifting of the cap on charter schools starting in January; you might remember they were looking for a director for this effort. If you're a regular reader, the arguments raised--that the population of charter schools does not reflect the sending districts, that the funding is atrociously inequitable and not appropriately funded, that faculty has burned through at a great rate, that parents and community have no system of accountability--will be familiar. The piece of information I found new is that some charters are, sensitive to the criticism that they have extra resources, doing an analysis on how much difference they make on student achievement using just public resources. Guess what? Turns out that resources matter. 
• At the end of the day, Xian Barrett, who is a member of the Chicago Caucus of Rank and File Educators (CORE), who are the group now running the Chicago Teachers Union, spoke. He spoke eloquently of unions being born out of struggle (once upon a time they didn't have a million dollar budget and full time executives), of the need for close connections and alliance with the community served (something which CTU did brilliantly in their recent strike), and the question of who gets a seat at the table: "Those with no connection to public schools currently have the largest voice at the table; I am not convinced they have any business being at the table." 

A hopeful day!

Educators for a Democratic Union conference today

I'm heading over later this morning to the Educators for a Democratic Union conference at Quinsigamond Community College. If you're interested, I understand that they are taking registration at the door (and it's free! Just bring $10 for lunch!).
While this is part of a conversation going on within the MTA on how best to work towards a union that better represents the challenges facing the classroom teacher in the current education climate, the conference is open to all working on or around education.

Will post!

One of these things is not like the other...

I was, I have to say, enjoying taking a break from having to post about the Stand for Children ballot measure.
To be fair, it did make the news last week, as the Massachusetts Teachers Association struck a deal with Stand for Children to file a bill with the state legislature which would "curb" seniority. (Note: I have yet to see the bill. I'd be interested.) Within a day, both the American Federation of Teachers (who represent Boston teachers) and the AFL-CIO said they'd fight the bill. Governor Patrick says he's reviewing it.
Stand continues to say that if the bill doesn't go through by July 3, they'll go forward with the ballot measure. So we're still legislating at the point of a measure, rather than on the merits of the case.
Back here in Worcester, there was an article earlier this week that covered a bit about the ballot measure as well as the changes in the Worcester teachers' contract. Since the changes had nothing to do with evaluation or termination, a bit of a stretch on putting the two together...and this was followed today with a T&G editorial.

Now I know that there's a driving need in news to see trends, to make things part of national movements, and so forth. But you're reaching here, guys. Talking to the person running the school before the transferring there is a good idea all the way around; believe it or not, teachers care about their working conditions. The "fit" of a teacher and a school works in both directions, and either should be able to decide.

At the same time, anyone who knows any labor history--and if you don't, get reading--knows that it is bad news to make layoffs or terminations anything other than a very clean process with no parts left up in the air. That's how we get our long, ignominious history of teachers being fired for standing up to administration, for having unpopular (or not identical) political views, for fighting for kids, for getting married, or for getting pregnant.

I've heard the arguments that this "would never happen today," but as someone who once sat in a principal's office and had her position threatened for standing up for her students' First Amendment rights, I ain't buying it.