Board of Ed for January: student records

 memo on this is here 

no public comment received, so no presentation

again, this is just aligning with the change to competency determination, definition of "transcript"
use more inclusive language 

Board votes approval

Board of Ed for January: seal of biliteracy

 up for vote for change in regulations

this is coming back from public comment, the summary of which is here

DESE is proposing two additional changes in response to public comment; the proposed final regulations are here

October Board of Ed: proposed regulatory updates

Both of these are taking "competency determination" out of the language: in the Seal of Biliteracy and in student records. The request today is to send the proposed regulation changes out for public comment through December 5, with this back before the Board at their January meeting.

Seal of Biliteracy
remove CD; clarify and streamline procedures for notification; transcripts, and terminology; pathways to demonstrate English proficiency; support equitable access

seeing numbers of students completing Seal of Biliteracy growing

A few thoughts on Tuesday's Board meeting

 This is my ongoing reminder that the only thing you see here is me thinking about things; no one else's policy or position is here.

• While getting to Methuen was a bit of a pain, it's nice for the Board to meet somewhere other than DESE's office. The degree to which the Board is very removed from schools is not helpful.
  
  
• We now have regulations that adhere to the mess of a law the November ballot question left us with, pending further action--eventually?--by legislators, which I guess are going to be informed by the Statewide Graduation Council. I've already noted that I am dubious about this group and its makeup, and I'm even more dubious about the work of any group this large writing a report. Plus, I don't think the Legislature should be the body deciding what it takes to graduate from high school. 
  But obviously, no one asked me.

May Board of Ed: competency determination

 Tutwiler: thank Curtin for him and his team for preparation of conversation; "your work is greatly appreciated"

May Board of Ed: opening comments

Today's meeting is being hosted by Methuen High (which has a stunning auditorium, and I'd quite like to have a box seat for Board of Ed meetings always, thank you). The agenda, which is regulation central, can be found here. 

If this box seat had an electrical outlet, it would be close to perfect.

updating as we go once they start...this will not start on time. 

Four bullet points about yesterday's Board of Ed

Lynn students politely asking to be heard about KIPP Lynn.
If only Pioneer Valley students could have been there.

February Board of Ed: competency determination

and we're going out of order to competency determination 

January Board of Ed: competency determination

 here is the backup

Curtin: today is "purely for discussion"

Love it, hate it, read it: DESE on what happens now

 The blog post title swiped, as some may remember, from Worcester Magazine, which used it as a tag line for a number of years. You may not like what you're reading here, but we ignore the state governing body (which they are!) at our peril. 

I don't go to those meetings for my health.

If you were following yesterday's liveblogging or read the MASC update from Tuesday's Board of Ed meeting, you may have caught just how much of a muddle we've been left in through the passage of the ballot question removing the MCAS as the state's competency determination. 
And it took until now, but with articles in State House News Service, Commonwealth Beacon, Boston Herald, and MassLive, it appears that maybe now this may be becoming more widespread information. 

Am I going to say that I told you so? Yes, I am. 

As a reminder, here's what the passage of the ballot question has left us with as a state law: 

all slides are from Tuesday's presentation at the Board of Ed

The meetings where I agree with Marty West are few and far between, but his characterization of this as "a mess" is, as I said in my earlier post on this, absolutely correct. 

Board of Ed: competency determination

 anticipate bringing recommendations to Board in February