Twenty-first Century centers report

...which you can find here
Biancheria: applying only for Sullivan Middle? only one site?
Rodrigues: "evolves quicker than others"
"in view of sequestration, a number of changes were occurring"
districts can only apply for one site
looks as though Sullivan would be our best bet
Biancheria: "we've had many success stories with his; unfortunately that we're being limited at this time"
Rodrigues: must be driven by the staff: school level, not administration level
Biancheria: plans for other sites
Boone: "real consequence of sequestration"
monitoring real closely at the federal level
"we're staying on top of what's happening at the federal level, but unless something changes with sequestration..."
Biancheria: "looking for input from the staff members at the sites"
Novick: asks that the information about the loss of services due to sequestration be sent to our Senators as well as to Congressman McGovern

Don't cut food stamps to raise school lunch money

...literally taking little kids' dinner money to increase their lunch money...
The move afoot to increase school nutrition money by taking it out of food stamps is as bad an idea as funding the education jobs bill by, yes, taking it out of food stamps. In the case of child nutrition, you're in many cases taking dinner money away from the whole family to give more money for the kids' lunches. (The income eligibility requirements for school lunches are higher than that of food stamps, so kids whose families do not qualify for food stamps may qualify for free or reduced lunches.) In many cases in Worcester, the schools are feeding kids two of their three meals a day--it's important--but we'd like to be sure they get dinner, too.
Congressman McGovern's got this one absolutely right:

“I want to pass a child nutrition bill. I am committed to the first lady’s campaign. I want to be helpful. But I won’t vote for a bill that robs Peter to pay Paul. The White House needs to work with us to find a better way to offset the cost.”

--'though perhaps it's more like robbing Peter's dinner to pay for Peter's lunch.

Perotto

Mike Perotto, former City Councilor (current candidate for state rep)
wish us luck with our budget process
comments on the great support shown in Worcester for public schools (we're .1% over foundation?)
"commend Congressman McGovern for the federal stimulus money"
asks how the negative inflation rate works
Allen: inflation factor is based on spending from state and local governments, as spending went down, inflation factor went negative

Stimulus funds

And the next time someone tells you the federal stimulus funds didn't do anything, tell them that Worcester would have laid off 500 teachers in the last two years without it.
And then ask them how we would have taught 24,000 kids after losing one-seventh of our staff.

School Committee meets with McGovern

Just a reminder...today at 6:30 pm the Worcester School Committee is meeting with Congressman McGovern. Discussion will particularly focus on the re-authorization of ESEA.
The conference room at the Durkin Administration Building, 20 Irving Street, and by virtue of it having a quorum, yes, it is a public meeting.

The Congressman comes to School Committee

The School Committee is having a special meeting on Monday at 6:30 at the administration building (conference room on the 4th floor) with Congressman Jim McGovern. In particular, with ESEA up for re-authorization, we need to weigh in with him.
Public meeting, of course!