Worcester School Committee meets Thursday, October 18

You can find the agenda here. There is again not a report of the superintendent (...are we going to talk about accountability at some point, here?). There are a number of recognitions.
Miss Biancheria has filed for reconsideration of her item on snow removal equipment (is she questioning the referral?).
Miss McCullough's item on on I'm Not Scared; I'm Prepared is back on the agenda (?).
Mr. Monfredo is requesting a report on cursive writing.
Because there are still a number of homeschooling families receiving run-around on getting their plans approved by the district (and with an utter lack of consistency), homeschooling plans are back on the agenda on an item filed by Mr. O'Connell.
As you may have read, the House Worcester 17th district race got a Worcester Public Schools crossover this week:

[17th Worcester district Republican candidate Paul] Fullen and Jeff Creamer, principal of South High, are pictured shaking hands with the front facade of South Community High School displayed prominently in the background. It also includes a plug from Creamer, which, importantly, attributes him as the principal.

Creamer is now vigorously denying that he ever endorsed Fullen, and Superintendent Binienda says that Creamer didn't ask what Fullen was going to do with the photo of he, a candidate for public office wearing a suit, shaking hands with Creamer, the principal of South High, in front of South High. Okay, then.
In any case, the item from Mr. Comparetto that made it on the agenda for Thursday reads:

Request that the Administration interact with the City Manager and City Solicitor to make certain that all City of Worcester employees are fully informed about the State's guidelines regarding appointed and public employees’ public participation in political fundraising efforts and endorsements.

...which would seem to be only part of the problem (as Binienda is saying that she understands this not to be a conflict, which in case can someone get an actual OCPF ruling?); the other problem (as Bill Shaner covered in "Worcesteria" in the first link) is the principal of a predominately children of color school has endorsed, in appears, a candidate with openly racist views. Training in campaign finance isn't all that's needed here; administrators in Massachusetts are in part evaluated on culturally proficient communication (indicator III C) and on cultural proficiency itself (indicator IV B), and while this is hardly the only indication that WPS has a serious issue on cultural proficiency, it certainly is an important additional one.

Mr. Comparetto also is asking about the cost of high stakes testing (any chance we could examine the USE of high-stakes testing, as well, since we seem to be doing a nice job of channelling a lot of privileged kids into "gifted" programs using them now?).

Miss Biancheria is asking about the use of In Force Technology which is software that allows teachers to call 911 directly in case of an emergency, per the item. (er...)  And here's that article again on how much money is being made on school safety in the current atmosphere.
Miss Biancheria also would like a report on environmental management, including the number of employees involved.

There are two requests for prior fiscal year payments: $200.00 to the Educational Development Center (EDC) Learning Transforming Lives for the 2018 Urban Collaborative Spring Meeting Registration and $1,150.00 to Taft Education Center for services rendered in FY18.

There are also two (BIG) grants: the Skills Capital Grant ($495,575) for robotics equipment at Worcester Tech, and $150,000 from the Barr Foundation for what looks like research on post-secondary success of WPS students, in connection with the strategic plan.

There is also executive session posted for negotiations with Plumbers and Steamfitters and with Tradesmen.

Worcester School Committee meets Thursday, October 6

The Worcester School Committee meets Thursday, October 6 at 7 pm. You can find the agenda here.

After a few recognitions, the report of the superintendent is a testing and accountability update (not posted as yet).

Former Mayor Ray Mariano is petitioning the School Committee to allow testing for PCBs to go forward in Burncoat and Doherty High Schools. This would require the School Committee to drop the appeal they have made of the state Labor Relations Board ruling, allowing the testing to go forward. For more on this issue (not at all limited to Worcester), see the EPA's page.

There are a number of retirements, resignations, and new appointments.

There are reports coming back on graduation expenses, the outdoor work at the Parent Information Center, clearing of City View and Belmont Street School grounds (twice, because it was filed twice), painting of crosswalks,  the removal of guard shacks at Burncoat and South, and one clarifying that grant v. general fund positions will now be shown in charts as well as in words.

Mr. Foley is calling for recognition of International Walk to School Day (tomorrow, October 5).

Mr. Monfredo wants to add five IAs each year, starting with level 3 schools, until all kindergarten classes have an IA.

He'd also like to invite high school students to sing the National Anthem at each meeting and to recognize paraprofessionals.

And he echoes former Mayor Mariano's call to allow PCB testing.

Ms. McCullough would like to recognize National Manufacturing Day and is asking about the feasibility of a girls ice hockey team.

Mr. O'Connell is asking that Peace Day be recognized, as well as those who volunteered at Belmont Street School for the United Way's Day of Caring.

Ms. Colorio wishes to discuss WPS policy on employees wearing political apparel, appending a single page of the larger Office of Campaign and Political Finance guidance on the rights and restrictions on political activity of public employees.

She also wishes the committee to take a position on question 4 (done, so far as I know, only by a single other school committee statewide)

Miss Biancheria would like to review the job description of an Applied Behavioral Analyst and understand how the positions are budgeted, and request a presentation on the Safe Schools Summit from the District Attorney.

The School Committee is being asked to consider amending the prior fiscal year payment for an Instructional Assistant from $6,220.01 to $6,376.23; to approve a prior fiscal year payment in the amount of $301.50 made payable to ABACS, LLC for services rendered to students in June 2015; to approve a prior fiscal year payment in the amount of $1,334.00 for a Summer 2016 Cohort provided by the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators (MAVA).

They're being asked to vote acceptance of the Financial Innovation Fund Grant from the Treasurer's Office.

They're being asked to vote acceptance of a High School Chemistry Grant.

They're being asked to accept donations for Tatnuck Magnet, Burncoat Prep, Lincoln Street, Canterbury Street, and Worcester Tech.

There is also an executive session beforehand at 6, regarding negotiations with cafeteria employees, administrative secretaries, instructional assistants, OT and PT assistants, educational secretaries, and nurses.

no liveblog this week