Let's talk about some things you could donate to today

It's almost Valentine's day, and in that spirit, here are some places that could use your love:

• With my usual caveat that I hate that this exists and we should just USE PUBLIC FUNDS TO FUND PUBLIC EDUCATION: With the code "HEART" today, your donation to Donors Choose is doubled. Here's Worrcester. Note that they're also running a specific (needed) focus on Minnesota. If you'd like to help a Minnesota classroom in a place dear to my heart get baby chicks to raise, you can support this effort.
  
  
• The Stand with Minnesota page continues to be an excellent resource for supporting those living under federally-imposed terror, which has not, despite the headlines, ceased.
  Note that if you scroll down, you can find a "for schools and students" section. 
  
  

• I am a big fan of "just feed people who are hungry" sort of outreach, and locally, the Mustard Seed Catholic Worker does that. So does St. John's Food for the Poor, which is also now running the overnight shelter here in Worcester. In both cases, please note that there are ways to sign up to volunteer on those pages, too.
  
  

• LUCE Massachusetts has a regularly updated "Milkweed" page, which shares mutual aid requests coming in from across the state. If you wonder about the name: 
  

   Just as monarch butterflies use milkweed plants to deter predators and create safe conditions during migration, immigrant families need community support when facing ICE enforcement. Be the milkweed.

   

my photo taken some years ago in western Mass

Worcester School Committee this week plus a report to check out

 Note that: 

• the Standing Committee on Finance, Operations, and Governance meets tomorrow (Monday) at 4:45; the agenda is here. It's a three item agenda--students as custodians; three proposed years of calendars; and the proposed Haas donation (remember that?)* with a recommendation the item be filed.
  The calendars adopt the city's "Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day" phrasing. They also continue Good Friday as a "non-school day."
  
  
• The full Committee meets Thursday at 5 (for executive session); the agenda is here. The report of the superintendent is on alternative programs. 
  Also on the agenda: the reports related to the above; the approval of new courses (which one would expect to go to subcommittee); a request for a utility easement at North High; a proposal that something at Doherty High be named after deceased Worcester Fire Department Lt. Jason Menard; and a request for the costs of the climate and culture specialists.
  Interestingly, among the items is a request that the Committee approve a Statement of Interest for renovation/rebuild for Burncoat Middle School. To quote from the accompanying memo from the Deputy Superintendent:
  

As part of the MSBA’s onsite review of the school, it was recommended that the district would need to submit a Statement of Interest for Burncoat Middle School to be included in consideration to be included in the new school project during the feasibility phase of the project. 

The High School and Middle Schools share some mechanical infrastructure and significant instructional programs (dual language program, 7-12 advanced scholars' academy, and the district’s performing arts programs).

The approval of this Statement of Interest is intended to have the middle school considered as part of the feasibility phase of the high school project. The determination by the city whether to combine the high school and middle school into a shared facility (but remain as two separate schools) would be determined during the feasibility study of the project. That project timeline is expected to take place between 2025-2028.

The deadline for the major renovation/replacement projects is Friday, April 12, 2024.

Do note that the School Committee last term requested that the middle school be included in the consideration; this is the (state required) next step in that. This also must be approved by the    Worcester City Council. 

• While we're thinking about Worcester Public Schools facilities, give a review to the latest release by the Research Bureau, "Building the Future: Investing in Worcester Public Schools facilities."
  
  
• And speaking of the Research Bureau, nominations for the annual Thomas S. Green Public Service Award are open, so nominate your favorite teacher, custodian, bus driver, paraprofessional, nurse, school nutrition worker, crossing guard, school secretary...and so on!

_______________________________________

*Short version from me: Should the Worcester Public Schools name a facility after a man who committed felony conspiracy, witness intimidation and federal tax evasion to the tune of $30M in retaliation for the federal government fining him for patent infringement, in return for a donation of $350,000 to upgrade a shop at Worcester Tech? You can read all the documentation here.
The motion to file here means "end it all."

Worcester School Committee meets Thursday: FY21 discussion starts NOW

I mean, at least publicly it does...

If you want the one thing on Thursday night's agenda that you should note, it is the report of the Superintendent, which will be the first look at the FY21 budget numbers. The backup is not yet posted. Do note that this is, of course, the Governor's proposed budget, which is not usually--certainly never in this administration--where the numbers end up.

Do also note that the Department's requirements around reporting out on Student Opportunity Act spending was shared yesterday. I would say that they have rather aggressive definitions of what constitutes the "new" funding on which districts need to report. More on this to come

There are of course recognitions, retirements, and such...

Also on the agenda: not one, not two, but three subcommittee reports! The only one we're missing is Governance, which meets next Tuesday at 4:30 pm at the Administration Building (the agenda isn't posted yet; I'll share once it is).
Reporting out is the standing committee I chair (School and Student Performance; agenda here), TLSS chaired by Ms. McCullough (agenda for that here), and Finance and Operations chaired by Mr. Foley (agenda here; my notes here). As F&O had the second quarter report, there's about half a million dollars in transfers coming through there (transfers by cost center require a vote of the School Committee).

Reports coming back:

• a report on the condition of the crew boats, 'though Miss Biancheria was specifically asking about the one named for Brian O'Connell (the answer is that others are in rougher shape)
• a backup on the grants we passed last week (tough to read, I know)

We are being requested to accept donations :

‑ $66.00 from American Life Insurance Company
‑ $79.60 from Box Tops for Education
‑ $500.00 from Big Y
...to Canterbury Street
‑ $118,200 from the Worcester Technical Skyline Fund to support the Innovation Pathways Program
‑ $2,000.00 from Worcester Historical Museum/Pow Wow Worcester to WPS Visual Arts
‑ ‑ $700.00 from Scholarship America/Target Field Trips to Flagg Street School to help with the cost of field trip expenses
‑ ‑ $1,514.00 from fundraising efforts to Lake View School
‑ ‑ $1,000.00 to Lake View School from donors
‑ ‑ $452.90 from Box Tops for Education to Tatnuck Magnet School

We are being requested to approve prior year payments  (and hey, we're getting actual explanations for why they're late now):
--in the amount of $367.50 to AA Transportation Company because the invoice "was not received or misplaced this summer when school was not in session"
--totaling $13,010.98 for JROTC instructors for whom no monthly minimum instructor payment for March through June 2019
--totaling $1103.02 for a teacher and an instructional assistant

We are being asked to approve grants:
--for Teacher Diversification for $74,482
--from UNUM for Strong Schools for a total of $20,000 ('though it's a bunch of different projects; check it out)
--for Targeted Assistance twice: one for $150,000 and one for $200,000 (aside from it being spent on professional time, it is difficult to figure out what is going on here)

New items:

• Mrs. Clancey is requesting updates on CPPAC, ELPAC, SPED-Pac meetings and ways to include parental participation
• She is also requesting that social media be translated (I co-sponsored, so I think I'm cleared to say HEAR HEAR!) and that we make certain Connect-Eds are going home in home languages
• Ms. McCullough is requesting an update on what the impact of the merger of St. Peter-Marian and Holy Name will have on our buses (yes, Worcester students who attend those schools ride WPS buses)
• We're being asked to DECREASE the mileage rate in line with the IRS (from 58 cents to 57.5 cents; no I am not kidding)
• Miss Biancheria is requesting what new Ch.74 programs there are going to be
• I've asked the City Solicitor to advise us on the legal "hey this is a public document" boilerplate to go on the bottom of our emails (No, I didn't phrase it that way)
• I've also asked for a list of all fees associated with coursework in the schools
• I've asked that we discuss this proposal of the City Council's that they move polling places back into schools without discussing with the School Committee
• I'm sending the dress code not only to Governance but to the Student Advisory Council (This is going to be another one that only works if folks show up once it is being discussed in subcommittee; I'll let you know.).
• I've also asked that we pass a resolution calling on the City Manager not to supplant our capital allocation for FY21 or future years with whatever work is done on Foley Stadium or Duffy Field as was discussed at the Doherty building committee meeting. We still need to be able to fix schools!

There also is an executive session at 6: 

• To discuss strategy with respect to litigation if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the litigating position of the public body and the chair so declares – Janie Lanza Vowles, Personal Representative Estate of Suzanne F. Miville v. Worcester Public Schools, MCAD Docket No. 1785CV00162
• To discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the public body and the chair so declares – International Union of Public Employees, Local 125 - Plumbers and Steamfitters. To discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the public body and the chair so declares – International Union of Public Employees, Local 135 - Tradesmen
• To discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the public body and the chair so declares –Massachusetts Laborers’ District Council for and in behalf of Worcester Public Service Employees Local Union 272 of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, AFL-CIO, Unit D, Computer Technicians
• To discuss strategy with respect to litigation for Worker’s Compensation- Instructional Assistant, if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the litigating position of the School Committee and the chair so declares.
• To discuss strategy with respect to litigation for Worker’s Compensation- School Nurse, if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the litigating position of the School Committee and the chair so declares.
• To discuss strategy with respect to litigation for Worker’s Compensation- School Secretary, if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the litigating position of the School Committee and the chair so declares.

Worcester School Committee meets Thursday

...for their final meeting of the year and of the term.
The agenda is online here.
Interestingly, there are a boatload of minutes from executive sessions dating back to 2016 being released. Even more interestingly, the City Council is doing the same on minutes dating back as far as 2010! That doesn't seem random, and I wonder what it is that has happened that pushed this sudden influx of public information?
I am reviewing these quickly, but here's a section from the first executive session of January of 2016 which seems prescient:

The minutes are for the reviewing of proposals for the superintendent search; Jack Foley makes a recommendation which was a recommendation coming out of an executive session of Finance and Operations, that Hazard, Young, and Atea be hired. Instead, Dianna Biancheria makes a motion to cancel the national search, which is approved, 5-2, Foley and Mayor Petty voting in opposition. 

We should note here that the guidance from the Attorney General's office is clear that minutes are to give indication as to what the discussion was, not simply give a record of votes. These on the School Committee side do not do that.

I'm going to loop back around to the report of the superintendent which is the midcycle review in another post.

There is a meeting of Governance and Employee Issues on Tuesday (agenda here) which will be reporting out; the agenda appears to be policy amendments (they're updates from the state).

There are several midyear appointments and retirements.

There is a report coming back on after-school programs, as requested by Mr. Comparetto, though it does not include the attendance and results requested.
There is a list of responses to the question "what is your policy to ensure school safety during arrival and dismissal times?" (note these are procedures, not policies).
There is a response to Mr. Monfredo's ongoing questions around cursive.

There is a request for two prior year payments, neither with any backup:

• in the amount of $1,144.18 to a teacher.
• in the amount of $625.00 to MicroNet Associates, Inc.

Regarding fiscal year reporting, the annual memo from Associate Commissioner of District and School Finance says this:

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and I take the accountability requirements of the Education Reform Act seriously. Our ability to track progress toward reaching the goals of the Reform Act depends on accurate and timely data collection and reporting. We must be able to rely on the data that you report to administer Chapter 70 and other state and federal funding programs in a timely manner.

The previous fiscal year of course closed June 30.

The Committee is being asked to approve the following donations:

• $380.00 from Dogfather Vending, LLC to Worcester Technical High School
• $100.00 from donors to the George & Marie Maloney Scholarship Fund
• $100.00 from 495 Truck Center to City View School
• $27.00 from a donor to the Worcester Public Schools

Miss McCullough is proposing that the Baker/Polito public awareness campaign "RESPECTfully" be included in future sex ed curriculum.

And Miss Biancheria is proposing: 

Request that the Administration consider forming a Committee consisting of School Committee administrators, staff and a representative from the Mayor’s office to discuss plans to initiate a fitting tribute and dedication to Brian A. O’Connell, an outstanding former member of the School Committee who served from 1983 to 2019.

Perhaps I should note here that the naming of facilities remains a power of the School Committee.

The administration is also recommending the filing of six pages of items that are with administration, which are worth reviewing, as there is some interesting stuff here! To wit:

• the administration speaks of a "human rights" attorney in their response over using in-house verses exterior counsel. My understanding is the School Committee has a contracted special education attorney and one who specializes particularly in contracts; who is handling the human rights aspects?
• the administration is planning to hire a part-time PR person; they are currently interviewing candidates. One should note that this is a new position, which was not in the FY20 budget and for which the School Committee has neither seen nor reviewed a job description.
• the district has costed out renovating the modular classrooms. Are we at any point going to talk about the comprehensive facilities plan? Those were never intended to be a permanent solution!
• to an item regarding increasing recess in kindergarten, the administration responds that they are unable to due to state structured learning requirements. This is of course not the case; so long as the students have 900 hours in elementary instruction, other time can be used for recess. That may, however, require other considerations including lengthening the day. 
• There is active work going on around parking at the downtown administration building.
• Discussion of Doherty's vocational programs is being kicked down the road to the final plan for the building 

There is an executive session at 6 to discuss worker's comp cases for a bus driver and a facilities coordinator.

Worcester School Committee meets Thursday

And the agenda is here, as a PDF with hyperlinks? I think this is new.
Finance and Operations will be reporting out from their Monday meeting.
The report of the Superintendent is an update on the strategic plan (no backup as yet).

There is a response on interactions with homeschooling families (the link doesn't work; it's page 28): of 158 plans in 98 families, the adminstration reports that 96 were approved within the first week, 26 within the second week, 19 before 20 days, and 17 required more than that. The report states that the 17 were all incomplete upon submission, missing "evidence of progress." They state that only 2 plans are missing. The report says a "recent court ruling supported the WPS standards for evidence" though the case is not cited by name nor is it included.

There is a list of Chapter 74 programs and the number of students enrolled, as well as the after school and evening programs and enrollment.

Mr. Monfredo and Miss Biancheria are proposing support for the Baker-Polito effort to reduce domestic and sexual violence among young people.

Mr. Foley and others note Mr. Hennessey's award of 2019 Administrator of the Year from School Bus Fleet.

There is a proposal to update policies - JB – Equal Educational Opportunities; ‑ JFABD - Homeless Students: Enrollment Rights And Services; ‑ JFABE - Educational Opportunities For Military Children; ‑ JFABF - Educational Opportunities For Children In Foster Care (it's language tweaking).

There are eleven pages of outstanding administrative items that the administration is suggesting be filed as the term comes to a close.

There is a request that the following donations be accepted:

• $400.00 from a donor to Claremont Academy to be used as a scholarship for Latino female of Latina who plans to attend college.
• $84.60 from Box Tops for Education to Canterbury Street Magnet Computer-Based School
• $225.00 from the Digital Federal Credit Union to McGrath Elementary School
• $500.00 from the District Attorney's Community Reinvestment and Crime Prevention Program to Forest Grove Middle School to assist with their bullying campaign

There is a request for information about the new vocational tracks at Doherty (which the Committee has already voted in favor of).

There is a request (without backup) to approve a prior fiscal year payment for $308.79 to Airgas ("industrial, medical, and specialty gases").

Then there are a slew of items from Mr. Comparetto:

• Request that the Mayor consider alternative methods to electing and appointing School Committee members that includes, but is not limited to, district School Committee seats. 
• Request that the Mayor and School Committee establish Worcester Public Schools’ Safe Zones.
• Request that the Superintendent present an annual report on the status of education for Latino students.
• Request that the Administration incorporate best practices for creating a diverse workforce.
• Request that the Administration provide an update on current restorative justice practices.
• Request a moratorium on suspending K-2 students for non-violent offenses.
• Request an "equity audit" of the Worcester Public Schools in accordance to best practices.
• Request that the Administration provide an update on the efforts of the Administration to create ethnic studies programming

Miss Biancheria wants an update on the South High building project (shouldn't this be a standing item in a subcommittee somewhere?) and an update on recess (which I think Ms. McCullough has an outstanding item on already).

And there is another prior fiscal year payment in the amount of $1,484.10 to Johnson Controls Fire Protection LP for services performed at Burncoat High School (fire supression?).

And there is an executive session: for arbitration with the Mass Nurses Association; for litigation with the Estate of Suzanne F. Miville; and for collective bargaining with the computer technicians.

Yes, I am planning on being there and blogging.

Worcester School Committee meets Thursday

Remember, the budget session starts at 4 pm. The School Committee received an update of the recommended account sequence, which notes the changes made thus far.
They've got...most of the budget to get through. Past practice is they roll through budget until 6, recess to executive session, come back at 7 for the regular session, and then finish the budget as needed. There is not, however, a posted executive session, so maybe they'll just keep rolling with budget. Though it isn't on the posted agenda on the school website, there is an executive session on the city website: negotiations with aides and monitors, and a clarification and accretion petition from the EAW on large bus drivers (these clarify who is or is not in a bargaining unit...perhaps this is in relation to possible changes in who runs transportation?).
The regular agenda can be found online here.
I did some tweeting over the weekend on the agenda, if you want a short version.

Worcester School Committee meets Thursday, February 7

In addition to what I just posted about, there is actually a whole agenda for Thursday.

There is actually a SECOND report of the superintendent, which usually would get this week's headlines but won't, which is a first look at FY20. There is, as yet, no backup. Note that what I posted about the foundation budget last week is, of course, super relevent.

There are recognitions, retirements, resignations, and appointments.
There is a very readable report about transportation and proposed solutions to some of the issues involved. What it doesn't tackle is that of the Durham buses that simply don't appear and don't report as running late. As it has seemed as if the district is not being kept appraised by Durham of when they actually have buses running, a major breach of contract would appear to have occurred.
Also, the School Committee had been told an overall report on transportation and future action (like bringing all the buses in house) was coming; this isn't it.
There is a mashup of a policy/procedure/directions on using "Force 911" to call police via app. It is dated October. As only the School Committee can adopt policy, and this has not previously appeared, it is not clear what is going on with this item.
There are request for reports on: online grading (?), substitute pay, having the Parent Information Center open at night, mandated pay (in school projects?), a hiring preference for the WooSox, that new positions be passed by School Committee, that there be a public forum on the sex ed curriculum, that there be a parent engagement plan, and that this report be reviewed prior to recommendation of a sex ed curriculum.
There is a request that nurses be approved.

There is a request that the following donations be accepted:
– $57,346.00 from the Worcester Technical Skyline Fund to support the Innovation Pathways Program.
– $349.80 from Box Tops for Education to Tatnuck Magnet School
– $78.60 from Box Tops for Education to Woodland Academy
– $500.00 from WEDF for Get Fit at Woodland Academy
– $1,000.00 to the Betty Reidy Scholarship at North High School
There is a request that the STARS Residency grant be accepted.
The handbook is going to subcommittee ('though it does not exist as yet).

There are three grievances and three collective bargaining agreements in executive session.
I do plan to at least go for the budget section. 

Worcester School Committee meets Thursday, January 17

and this is a late posting on this...apologies...
The agenda for this meeting is here.
The T&G has already highlighted a few of the big things at this meeting: the report of the superintendent is on the health curriculum, in which it appears the administration has bowed to those on the committee who want a less comprehensive, less researched-based curriculum, contrary to what the Board of Health and many others have endorsed; the October 1 enrollment report is back with the news that enrollment is up, which will bump the foundation budget up, of course, but--important note--not enough to cover costs, and at some point, where we're going to put these kids is going to need to be dealt with; and the Committee is being asked to submit Burncoat High as its number one priority for major renovation/rebuild to the Mass School Building Authority (the T&G hasn't had that one, but do note it). Also note the various facilities-related items below.

I would say, as always, that if any of the above--like the health curriculum?--concerns you, you should get in touch with the School Committee ahead of the meeting.
Also, the School Committee will be voting in a new Vice-Chair.
Beyond the usual array of recognitions, appointments, resignations, and retirements, the following is also on the agenda:

• a response on how principals are chosen; having had new principals at multiple schools in this administration, it is news to me that parents have been involved. Let's say that isn't being...shared.
• responses around participation in reading programs
• a response on participation in Recreation Worcester
• an update on the use of the facilities master plan, and it doesn't appear that anyone is talking to the city about the woeful underfunding of capital for the Worcester Public Schools...the report had a $72M backlog that were considered "urgent," remember.
• an update on the 2018 accelerated repair projects, which is the Harlow Street windows, roof, and boiler
• an response on the use of SchoolDude, giving the dismaying statistics of WPS facilities funded at 50 cents a square foot, or 60% of the foundation budget; in FY17, the district spent $20.8M and the foundation budget was $35.9M
• a response on family emails
• the IRS has updated mileage rates, and so the School Committee is being asked to do likewise
• a reminder that the Worcester Historical Museum's annual Valentine contest is coming up
• several committee members are looking for a report on any “any case of tort including assaults on teachers and principals, in connection with their employment,” pursuant to the teachers' contract 
• there is a request to consider raising substitute pay
• there is a request for a report on Advanced Placement to "include student/parent feedback, guidelines and costs for the exams" and thank you, because some of us have THOUGHTS
• the audits are coming back! No backup, but they'll be there for the subcommittee
• there is a request to approve the Parent/Child Home grant for $25,000 through HeadStart
• there is a request to approve the targeted assistance grant from the Barr Foundation for $150,000, and while it's going to the middle schools, it doesn't say what it's going to be spent on, so maybe someone should ask that
• there is a request to approve the ArtREACH grant for $3920 for a visiting artist to work in art classes which sounds cool
• there is a request to receive $2500 to create a scholarship for North High students by the family of Elizabeth Reidy
• there are requests to approve prior year payments $5,489.78 to Zonar Systems for student transportation GPS service charges; $1,682.00 to be made payable to the CollegeBoard; $430.50 to CliftonLarsonAllen LLP for the 2016 Student Activity Account Agreed Upon Procedures Review; $11,167.82 to be made payable to SEEM Collaborative for services rendered 
• there are requests to receive donations: $3,086 from Worcester Technical High School’s Tech Pride Club to the ALS Association MA Chapter in honor of teacher James Scanlon; $500 from the Forest Grove Middle School’s National Junior Honor Society to the Ava Roy Fund; $1,000 from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care to Chandler Magnet School to replenish non-perishable items for the food pantry; $1,000 from the Special Olympics (The Yawkey Sports Training Center) to the Unified Sports Program at Worcester Technical High School; $15,000 from the Journey Community Church to Belmont Street Community School for Chromebooks; $4,700 from WEDF/CSX Grant to Grafton Street School; $1,495.27 from Mixed Bag Designs to Lake View School; $500 from WEDF for Opera Meets Lake View School; $4,250 from various donors at UMASS to Lake View School 

There is also a completely non-specific posting of an executive session, which is still not okay. 

Worcester School Committee meets Thursday

The agenda for the December 6 meeting of the Worcester School Committee can be found here.
Note that the item on the foundation budget is not only back on (I believe it was held?) but it is also on the agenda as a public petition of the Educational Association of Worcester. I still think the number and date are a mistake, HOWEVER, please note that this is an EXCELLENT week to contact your reps and senators to remind them that advancing an updated foundation budget should be a MAJOR PRIORITY of their next session!

Also, looking back at that last agenda...did we hear literally a single thing about the superintendent's midyear evaluation? That would seem rather important.

There are recognitions and such, as well as another round of appointments, retirements, and resignations.
The Governance subcommittee is reporting out, largely that they're filing a large number of items (there are a few revised policies here, 'though they look to be the legally required or otherwise recommended updates).
There is a response on the Worcester State cohort (this is essentially the "making new administrators" program).
There is a response back that for the most part, no, Worcester didn't get any more money from the last federal budget; the one exception is about half a million more dollars in Title IV, going to safe and healthy schools, technology, and "well-rounded educational opportunities."
There is a response back that the Federal Education Innovation and Research Program from the same budget didn't have a ready application to the Worcester Public Schools.
...and likewise on federal safety money.
There is a response on advertising that senior citizens get lower admission prices at games and on proposed additions to coaching.
Mr. Monfredo is requesting monthly school newsletters, put online.
Mr. O'Connell is requesting email addresses from parents and online grading (...which makes me wonder if he's talked to parents at all?)
Mr. O'Connell suggests the adoption of the Orton-Gillingham model for dyslexia.
Mr. O'Connell proposes that the Positive Directions Program be replicated at all secondary schools.
The administration is requesting that the School Committee adopt the administration's own locally created policy on homeschooling to replace the language adopted previously (which is common in many other districts).
There is a request to approve a prior year payment of $680 for Madison Security Group.
There is a request to accept a grant of $5000 for the STARS Residency at Columbus Park School.

There is a request that the following donations be accepted:
 – $250.00 from WEDF to Canterbury Street Magnet School
 – $1,000.00 from Re-Elect McGovern Committee to Canterbury Street Magnet School
– $500.00 from New England Dairy & Food Council to South High Community School
– $500.00 from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care to Tatnuck Magnet School
– $125.00 from College of the Holy Cross to Woodland Academy
– $1,000.00 from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care to WTHS
– $100.00 from Hanioti Licensee Inc./DQ Grill & Chill to Belmont Street Community School
– $95.00 from Nicole Webley-Roberts to Tatnuck Magnet School

And there is a posted executive session for negotiations and a grievance.

Worcester School Committee meets Thursday, October 4

The agenda is posted here.
The report of the Superintendent is on "Innovation Pathways" (and it's impossible to miss that someone else put this PowerPoint together and got it scanned), which looks like an extention of the vo-tech paths within the district; non-Tech kids are being bussed to Tech to take four sorts of vocational programs after school.
There are resignations, hires, transfers, as per usual this time of year. There are also congratulations of various sorts.
Mr. Monfredo is requesting a report on Buddy Benches, the Middle School Kindness Challenge, and a comparison of Worcester with other Gateways and Boston on financial aid, assessments, dropout rate, graduation rate, chronic absenteeism. With the exception of financial aid, if one assumes he means college aid, that would more or less be the report that Mr. O'Connell should probably request instead. 
Mr. O'Connell is requesting a report on 2018 MCAS scores; two thoughts: one would expect that to be this week's report of the superintendent, and one might do better requesting a report on accountability results. 
Miss McCullough is asking for a report on ALICE training to include I'm not Scared...I'm Prepared programming.
Miss Biancheria would like a report on transportation that was moved to Fremont Street (the new full-size buses run from there, as the WPS-operated special ed buses always have), a report on those ten new buses, and a report on snow removal equipment (is this going to be a list of snowblowers at every school?).
And Mr. Foley has the following:

Request that the Administration consider the implications of excessive heat and humidity upon the learning environment in the classrooms and the schools without air conditioning and the adverse conditions for students, teachers and staff. The Administration should develop a policy to be followed when the city has experienced consecutive days of excessive heat and humidity and the conditions in many of the schools are intolerable.

There is a request to approve a prior year payment $2,060.20 to a parent for transportation of a McKinney-Vento student.

There is a request to accept:

• a Project Lead the Way grant for $7500 (for "higher-order thinking") at Jacob Hiatt Magnet
• $399.21 from Lifetouch to Lake View School - 
• $50.00 from American Income Life Insurance Company to Belmont Street Community School 
• $24.50 from American Income Life Insurance Company to Tatnuck Magnet Elementary School  
• $515.16 from Lifetouch to Woodland Academy 
• - to Worcester Technical High School: - $5,920.00 from Sarah Daniels Pettit & William O Pettit, Jr Fund/Greater Worcester Community Foundation - $560.00 from Saul A. Seder Fund/Greater Worcester Community Foundation for participation in Skills USA - $291.00 from Thurston E. Solomon & Everett J. Morter Memorial Fund/Greater Worcester Community Foundation for participation in Skills USA - $500.00 from Air-Tite Products Co., Inc./Mr. & Mrs. Neil Garnache to be used as a scholarship for a student who will be furthering their education beyond high school in memory of Donald P. Garnache, graduate of Boys’ Trade 
• - to Worcester Arts Magnet: - $100.00 from various donors to be used for Chromebook licenses - $500.00 from JMH Solutions 
• - to support the Exhilarate Worcester Initiative at Woodland Academy: - $4,414.65 from various donors - $125.00 from On the Rise Baking - $500.00 from Blaine Warren Advertising - $750.00 from Commonwealth of MA Mid-District District Attorney’s Office

The administration is also requesting the school committee approve a five year lease for Chromebooks and a six year lease on desktops and such.
And there are some new nurses to approve the hire of.

They've also once again posted a non-specific executive session, which isn't cricket.
7 pm, City Hall. If an item is on the agenda, members of the public may request a suspension of the rules in order to speak to the item.

Worcester School Committee meets Thursday, but there's a report they aren't receiving

Worcester School Committee meets Thursday for their regular meeting--the agenda is here--but there is a report they aren't getting.
Teaching, Learning, and Student Supports was scheduled to meet last week on Wednesday, in which case it would report out this week, but the meeting was cancelled. And why is decidedly odd:

Earlier this week, the administration withdrew the plan for further review, and the standing committee’s meeting on Wednesday evening at which it would have reviewed the proposal was canceled.

That's from Scott O'Connell's coverage (and good catch, Scott) of the proposed middle school health curriculum update, which Mr. O'Connell and Mr. Monfredo then describe in what might be politely phrased as florid terms.
The curriculum, however, was never reviewed, because, as we read above "administration withdrew the plan" before the meeting and cancelled the meeting.
Why?
It certainly appears as if two members of a three member committee objected to an item on an agenda, let the administration know, and got the administration to withdraw the proposal all without ever holding a public meeting, a clear abbrogation of their responsibility as elected officials.
And if you think two members of a three member subcommittee somehow both called expressing the same concern that got the meeting cancelled, well...

The follow-up article, incidentally, does a much better job of characterizing what is a national model for sex education, something which Worcester is well overdue for updating, as the city's commissioner of public health points out:

Ms. Castiel sad the relatively high rate of teen pregnancies in Worcester is evidence that families cannot be expected to handle sex education in every case, however.
“It isn’t being taught at home,” she said. “I raised two kids myself – it’s a tough issue to talk about with your kids.”
Early adolescence is ultimately a critical period for teaching students about many seemingly adult issues like sex, drugs and relationships, she argues, because it’s when they start to become exposed to them on their own.
“All this stuff starts to happen when they are kids,” she said. “This kind of education has to happen at this age.”

More on this as I have it. Also, contrast with how Martha's Vineyard is tackling this conversation

As for the agenda items that do exist this week, it's a fairly light week. Beyond recognitions and congratulations, the report of the superintendent is on early college high school.
There are the usual beginning of the year retirements, transfers, and resignations.
There are a series of grants to be accepted:

• Innovation pathways, at $140,000, which is being used to bus non-Tech kids to Tech to take a vocational class
• UMass classroom enrichment grant, at $38,000, which is being used for classroom enrichments (no specifics) in North quadrant classrooms
• Toxic Use Reduction grant, at $10,000, for the existing environmental management system
• MCC SerHacer grant, at $16,000, for Burncoat quadrant classes to have four sessions of El Sistema (super cool!)

There are also donations: 

-$446.13 from Lifetouch to Chandler Magnet School
-$385.06 from Lifetouch to Belmont Street Community School
-to support the Exhilarate Worcester Initiative at Woodland Academy:
  $800.00 from various donors
  $100.00 from the Specialty Sandwich Co.
  $250.00 from C2 Skin Bar
  $250.00 from Yoga Health Concepts Inc.
  $250.00 from Eagle Cleaning Corporation
  $500.00 from UNUM

Miss Biancheria would like a report on Manufacturing Day (October 5).
Mr. Comparetto is requesting a report on before-school care charges.
There is a single prior fiscal year payment of $71.

There is a posted executive session for "re: IUPE Local 135 and Worcester School Committee, American Arbitration Association No. 01-17-0005-2729 and related administrative agency litigation."

Summer Worcester schools questions

Questions that have floated through my head this summer...

• Are we ever going to find out if Hanover really did make a donation to the much-heralded "gifted" middle school program at Burncoat? It hasn't shown up anywhere that I have seen. How much was it and what was it spent on? And was it a one time thing?
• Speaking of donations, there was much ado, of course, around how the proposed strategic plan was not done within the Worcester Public Schools. The moment it was proposed, though, it became a donated service, and that donated service has a value. We ought to be seeing a public donation come through.
• Worcester was among the districts announced this week as receiving part of the state early college high school grant. This is good (particularly, if you read that release, that the students are going to be supported), but this is hardly alone in college things offered to high school students in Worcester. Having seen this at close hand, Worcester really needs a better central (open all summer) clearinghouse for this information, which specifically spells out how it works, who it's for, how many kids can do it, how much it costs, and so forth. There are opportunities lost by those who can't chase around from office to office for information, and guidance offices are very uneven.
• This article today on how we really don't know what AP courses are doing to and for students reminded me again of how Worcester has totally put all of its eggs in the AP basket, and has done so while not funding the AP tests and not know what it does to students long-term. 
• And speaking of things we aren't thinking long term about, this massive article on the fear-based industry of school security reminds me that lack of basis for Worcester's training has never been adequently explained or dealt with. 
• I mentioned last year that after having years of continued insistence by some members of the Worcester School Committee that there had to be public involvement in the process of hiring principals, those members seemed not to care anymore. Add to that now multiple rounds of postings for schools and lack of applicants, something which--if you follow school districts--is not happening elsewhere. This is a basic management function of the superintendency, and it's concerning to see the holes in school-based leadership. 
• I generally don't opine on logos--my tastes run to simple, time-worn, clearly labelled, non-trendy--but the possible issues over the proposed change in Worcester are something I can appreciate, as someone who taught Shakespeare to high school students. Note that it was clear from the presentation given to the School Committee in July that this was a professional consultant job, so let's not put the kids in the middle of it. That would be a good thing to have  a price tag on, too, as I can't figure out where in the budget they put it. 
• I know we're not concerned with school levels anymore, but has anyone gotten an update on if Elm Park Community is ever going to get out of Level 4? All of Worcester's prior experiences with Level 4 have been successfully completed much more quickly than this.
• And since we aren't going to worry about levels anymore, what are the chances we can hear something about what the new acccountability system is going to look like here? Beyond, one imagines, continuing to send parents charts on attendence, is there going to be any shift in emphasis? Any changes?

You didn't hear it from me, but the high school schedules are up (I'm told the posted middle school schedules aren't necessarily final), and if you google your bus route, you just might find it. 

As always, if I get any answers, I'll let you know! 

Worcester School Committee meets Thursday, May 17

The agenda is posted here.
There are recognitions and such.
The report of the Superintendent is "An Overview of the Process for District Site Visits" and I don't know what that means.
Teaching, Learning, and Student Supports is meeting Monday afternoon and is reporting out (on gifted programs, ice hockey, Mandarin Chinese, summer programs, and the future teachers' program at Worcester State).
There will be (only one is posted) responses from administration on free drivers' ed and on Earth Day.
Miss McCullough is requesting a report on vocational programs not at Worcester Tech.
Mr. O'Connell wants to appropriate the funding the state has allocated for students evacuated due to Hurricane Maria; he's going to be told that they'll do that at the FY19 budget hearing, as that's been said several times. 

Mr. O'Connell (co-sponsored by five other members of the committee) has an item: "review the recommendations of the proposed Strategic Plan and assign them to appropriate Standing Committees of the School Committee, and/or to the Administration, for further analysis, consideration, discussion, and development." Two things: that puts the strategic plan on the agenda (important if you'd like to comment) and sets up a committee public process of review (which we haven't had so far).

Mr. O'Connell also wants to set up an English Learner Parent Advisory Council, per the LOOK bill; maybe we should have regulations first. Comments are due this Friday! 

There is a request for approval of a prior fiscal year payment of $1,496.50 for services rendered to a Special Education student who was placed in the Uxbridge Public Schools.

There is a request that the Committee accept donations of:
 - $4,000.00 from the WEDF for the Leap Program in collaboration with the Worcester Art Museum
- $250.00 from donors to Heard Street Discovery Academy for the purchase of a new classroom rug
- $1,000.00 from donors to a Doherty Memorial High School football player in memory of Thomas Walles
- $1,000.00 from Alliance Energy LLC to Grafton Street School
- $1,000.00 from a Foundation to the Goddard Scholars Academy for the purchase of a tuba for the their Band
- to Woodland Academy: - $122.31 from CEC Entertainment Inc. - $250.00 from the College of the Holy Cross
- $2,583.87 from the City of Worcester for being selected as a recipient of a Worcester Arts Council 2018 Award for their project “Making the Impossible Possible”
- to Tatnuck Magnet School: - $4.50 from Box Tops for Education - $85.00 from various donors - $300.00 from I.U.O.E Local No. 4 Social Action Committee - $500.00 from Country Bank

There is a request for approval of a High-Quality Instruction grant of $20,000 for working groups on curriculum.

There is an annoucement about Reading in our City week from Mr. Monfredo.
Mr. Comparetto has three related items on middle school sports: one on partnering with Recreation Worcester, and two on reports.

There is also (THIS IS IMPORTANT) a request that the committee accept a donation and approve an agreement with/from Berkshire Bank, successor to Commerce, of $500,000 for naming rights to Foley Stadium (extending the agreement) and replacing the turf field.

There is a non-specific posting around collective bargaining and/or litigation for executive session.

Worcester School Committee meets Thursday and Brockton is coming

Let's call it the McDuffy Redux meeting, as the report of the superintendent, the Dickensian "A Tale of Two Cities" will involve Brockton. My understanding is that at least the superintendent, finance admin, and possibly some school committee from Brockton will be in attendance.
And no, I can't go and liveblog; I have a meeting myself that night!

The Governance subcommittee meeting is reporting out, including a clarification that, yes, students can use cell phones at after-school events.

There are appointments, resignations, and recognitions.

There is a brief report on the EPIC grant on a pipeline of teachers.

There is a request for a report on Earth Day participation; a request that the Future Teachers program be expanded; for a report on school libraries.

Administration wants the Committee members to get back to them on co-sponsorship of items earlier (by Thursday noon).

There is a request to accept an innovation pathway grant for Worcester Tech; to approve prior fiscal year payments of $6,366.84 for Seven Hills Groton, MA Pediatric Center and of $4,396 for Durridge Radon Implementation; to accept donations of $10,000, on behalf on the Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU), for scholarships to graduating seniors, $25,000, on behalf of the Hanover Insurance Group Foundation, for the Hanover Insurance Academy for the Arts at Burncoat Middle School, $350, on behalf of the Boston Museum of Science, to Woodland Academy for bus funding for the student’s field trip to the museum.

Oh, and Worcester F&O, as we mentioned, is being nationally recognized for being awesome again.

There is an executive session for a worker's comp case, and for bargaining with administrative secretaries.

Worcester School Committee meets Thursday

The agenda mysteriously was not posted for a bit, but it's up now.
The report of the superintendent is on college and career readiness.
There are a number of recognitions and congratulations.
Burncoat Middle is asking that it be renamed Burncoat Middle School for the Arts.
There's a motion to support Senator Chandler's bill on enhancing civics (please tell me that someone check its report out of Joint Committee).

The committte is asked to accept a $700 field trip grant to Woodland Academy; donations of $184.67 to Tatnuck Magnet School from Papa Gino’s Pizzeria, $75 to the Worcester Public Schools for the Model UN Club, $250 to Doherty Memorial High School for a Memorial Scholarship in memory of Giovan Diaz; the Massachusetts Life Sciences grant  of $22,897 (check out the backup; an after-school bioltechnology program!);
The committee is also being asked to approve a prior fiscal year payment of $8,959.88 to MPS - Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC.
The committee is also being asked to approve summer camps at South High...does the district have a revolving fund for this? 

Two scheduling notes for budget time: it's time to schedule the budget hearing, and administration looks to be attempting to have the City Council Education committee meeting with Finance and Operations again.

Mr. O'Connell is looking for policy under the "Children Requiring Assistance" statute.

Mr. Comparetto is asking for the ratio of social workers to students (does Worcester have social workers?) and if school resource officers are trained as social workers (no).

Mayor Petty is seeking a meeting with Brockton (!) to talk about suing the state over the foundation budget.
He's also filed this:

Request that the Superintendent coordinate a 17 minute Walkout Day on March 14, 2018 with all students and teachers in the Worcester Public Schools to commemorate with a one minute moment of silence for each of the people who died on February 14th at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Miss Biancheria requested an update on ALICE training, which has been submitted as follows:

The "eLearning" is a video to watch online. 

A reminder, by the way, that the change in policy to ALICE was never approved by the school committee in Worcester. 

There is also an executive session on four rounds of litigation. 

Worcester School Committee meets Thursday

and it's a light agenda...
There's an executive session to discuss collective bargaining with IAs, OT/PT assistants, and administrative secretaries, plus a grievance from an HVAC technician.

There is a report on social-emotional learning (as yet, no backup).

There are some appointments, retirements, and recognitions.

Mr. Monfredo wants to ask the state to fund full-day preschool and wants to discuss a program for four year olds. Please consider this your reminder that the Foundation Budget Review Commission "recognized" preschool; also recall that it is not, by any means, the biggest dollar concern on the foundation budget for Worcester. Eyes on the prize, people.

Miss Biancheria would like a report on adult education in the vo-tech programs.

Miss McCullough is advocating for a sharing table (I think we already have them some places.)

Mr. O'Connell wants to fly the national, state, and city flags at all schools, and he wants a list of who is on CPPAC.

The committee is being asked to accept a $52,000 grant for MassGrad Promising Practices, which will work on competency-based education at the alternative programs.

The committee is being asked to accept donations:

• $1,000 from Chapter 9 of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Association to Worcester Technical High School for a graphic communications scholarship for a deserving student
• $560 to Tatnuck Magnet School from Gomez Enterprises, LLC (Trade name-McDonalds)
• $ 35 from various donors to Tatnuck Magnet School

The committee is being asked to appoint three nurses.

The committee is also asked to authorize an "up to" five year lease of thirteen full-sized school buses. As Scott O'Connell covered in yesterday's T&G, this is about covering the after-school sports transportation, which didn't receive a single bid. If you read the backup memo (as always in finance, recommended), the proposal is to do this by reallocating funds. It also is a possible lead in to bigger changes:

Worcester meetings this week

Two Worcester school meetings this week:

• The Governance subcommittee continues their power drive through policies with a meeting on Tuesday at noon (very conducive to public input). Note that this section includes those on students (J), on negotiations (H), facilities (F), community relations (K), and educational agency relations (L). Most of the policies are MASC boilerplate. Interesting that the superintendent's chief of staff (I have to check the org chart; I didn't know there was such a position) is being given the power to approve WPS statements.

The School Committee meets Thursday at 7 pm with an executive session at 6. In executive session, there are still negotiations with custodians, computer techs, IAs, and educational secretaries, plus there is a teacher discipline case and pending litigation.

MASC will be out to give a series of awards to community members and to Mayor Petty, who is this year's All-State School Committee winner in Division IX (urbans). 

The report of the superintendent is on nursing in the 21st century. There are the usual beginning of year appointments, resignations, and retirements. 

There is a response that the Capstone project--which is the big AP push--was funded in the current year budget; a short response on the wraparound coordinators working at schools; a response on the QUEST program at QCC; a response on the "Seeds to STEM" program from WPI; and a response on improved manufacturing options. 

There's also a response on possible federal grant impacts, which begins with "Federal initiatives are very much in a state of flux," which may be the understatement of the administration. 

There is an update on the  "management plan activities" on the PCB situation at Doherty and Burncoat. The committee (again?) proposes to review the resolutions before the Delegate Assembly of MASC in November. There's a proposed building fee change (no report) and the close of the FY18 books (also no report as yet).

The administration is proposing participating in the model Educator Evaluation system (?no backup?).

There are a series of donations.

Mr. O'Connell wants to invite a representative from MNA to tour the schools; to modify the McKinney-Vento grant to include hurricane impacts (uh...); to investigate licensure options for those coming from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; and to ask DESE to extend the October 1 count to later, considering those who may be evacuating elsewhere.

Miss Biancheria wants to discuss the Community Addiction Response Program.

I'm also confused by a series of financial responses coming in from Mr. O'Connell and Miss Biancheria from the last meeting, as there were no fiscal reports on the last agenda, nor any items filed. There's a chart from the Operational Services Division of tuition rates. There's the Educational Divisions supplies account from the FY18 budget. There's an explanation of the changes in the administration account from FY17 to FY18. And there's a report on the Environmental Systems Management. These all feel like budgetary questions, coming during second quarter; did someone just review their budget now?

Worcester School Committee meets Thursday, October 5

You can find the agenda here. There is also an agenda for an executive session for litigation on discipline of a teacher; the regular agenda posts three litigation items on worker's compensation and negotiations with custodians, nurses, and computer technicians.

The report of the superintendent will be "will be a summary of initiatives in process and planned in this school year" with a backup to come.

There is the usual beginning of school rounds of appointments, transfers, resignations, and retirements. The committee is also being asked to approve the appointment of a number of nurses (a power reserved to School Committees in Massachusetts).

There is an update on Ch. 74 and other career pathways at North and at South.

There are a series of responses to sharing information with students about various programs.

Mr. O'Connell is requesting the committee consider the resolutions that will be before the MASC Delegate Assembly on November 1. The committee has previously voted to make Ms. Colorio their delegate.

The administration is asking for authorization to rent space for parking school buses (this would be the buses the district owns; there's no backup).

There are a number of prior fiscal year payments (which I'll post if I get a chance).

Mr. Monfredo would like a report from the Wellness Committee, and a program on secondary allergens.

Mr. O'Connell wants to develop a process for consulting on school improvement plans.

Ms. Colorio is asking about a confidential drug hotline.
Relatedly, Miss Biancheria is asking:

Request that the Administration develop a protocol to train teachers to handle students in need of drug education and indicate how teachers can develop ways by watching, looking and listening to deal with problems of substance abuse.

...which seems a smidge...problematic.

Miss Biancheria is also suggesting the use of in-house attorneys rather than hiring one (one should perhaps note that school committees having legal differences with their municipality is not unknown, even currently).

There are a series of donations ((coming through on a single item!).

What's a consent agenda and why you should care if you're in Worcester

As I mentioned in my preview of the final Worcester School regular meeting of the school year, Mr. Foley raised the issue of a consent agenda, something which is covered in today's T&G, as the item was held for the July meeting. The item as filed reads:

To ask the Mayor and the Superintendent to develop a new approach to the School Committee agenda that will make the meetings more effective, productive, and deliberative. Suggestions would include the establishment of a consent agenda for items such as routine approvals of donations and recognitions, the development of criteria for recognitions, designated meetings for honoring recipients of recognitions, and the presence on the agenda at each meeting or every other meeting an important educational policy issue facing Worcester Public Schools that school committee members would learn about (through materials distributed prior to the meeting) and discuss with administrators at the meeting.

So, what's a consent agenda, and why is this being discussed?

A consent agenda takes all of the items that don't need deliberation, items that are simply going to be passed, bundles them together, and has the committee vote a single time to pass all of them.  No one, for example, votes against donations; rarely is there any discussion beyond a request that thanks be sent to the donor. There is no need for individual votes for (to look at that same meeting) donations:

• of $19.10 for classroom books 
• of $1000 for SAT for seniors
• of $1000 for a scholarship (due to Mr. Allen's award)
• of $676 for special education transitions
• of $250 for the alternative program (from an award they won!)
• of $660 from Intel
• of $13,000 from the Quinsigamond Village Improvement Council for equipment

Should they be on the agenda? Yes, and they're legally required to be, as the committee must vote acceptance of donations. But do they need to be taken separately? No, not at all.

And if someone thought one of them warranted discussion, they could make a motion to take the item off the consent agenda; if that motion passed, the item would be taken up during the meeting as a regular business item. 

Another example, and one raised by Mr. Monfredo in the article, is recognitions. You may have noted that I no longer spell those out in my agenda summary. Frankly, recognitions have exploded over the past year and a half. In that same June 15 alone, for example, there were nine different recognitions, some of several people, several of which were recognitions of individuals who have been recognized more than once this year already! And while recognitions may well be popular--and I doubt highly they'll ever go away--they are not, by any means, a core function of the School Committee, which, under the Mass General Laws, are: 

...to select and to terminate the superintendent, shall review and approve budgets for public education in the district, and shall establish educational goals and policies for the schools in the district consistent with the requirements of law and statewide goals and standards established by the board of education.

More to the point, for each of those recognitions, there is an item filed at an initial meeting, at which at least the filer of the item speaks to the item, and then the item is brought back for the recognition, at which someone else, at least, speaks to the item. And NONE of that is actual school committee business!
If the committee wants to bring people in to recognize them, those who wish to do so need not take up two rounds of committee time in order to do so. Put the initial filing on the consent agenda, and have the recognition at a subsequent meeting.

There's an additional thing going on here, which is mentioned in the article:

In its recent comprehensive review of the district, for example, the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education opined the committee was filing too many requests for information from the school administration – requests that often had little to do with the school system’s most pressing priority of improving teaching and learning, the report said.

This is a touchy subject: after all, DESE overreach and the tug-of-war over who manages what is something of a going concern in Massachusetts education and of this blog in particular. However, a quick glance back at some recent agendas speaks to the point:

• a request for a list of STEM events during a particular month
• a request for a report from a particular presentation at which the committee member was present
• a request for a list of summer events
• a request for a report on specific minor repairs undertaken to a specific school (out of 50 buildings)
• a request that brush be cleared at particular schools

Can a school committee member make these requests? Absolutely. But as section BCA of the Worcester Public Schools policy handbook says about the responsibilities of school committee members, members will: 

Refer all complaints to the administrative staff for solution and only discuss them at Committee meetings if such solutions fail

In other words: Can it be done with a phone call? Can it be done with an email? Then it should be.
Otherwise, you're just putting it on the agenda to put your name on the agenda.

This will be taken up at Thursday night's meeting. EDIT: no, no regular meeting this week! Check in August! 

Worcester School Committee meets Thursday, May 18

You can find the agenda here.
While it does not appear until later down the agenda, in honor of the anniversary of Ernest Thayer's death, the Worcester School Committee will be doing a reading of "Casey at the Bat" as part of the meeting.
There are also a number of congratulations.

The report of the superintendent is end of cycle reports on the innovation plans of Chandler Magnet, Goddard Scholars, University Park Campus School, Woodland Academy, and Worcester Tech. Each of the schools is requesting a renewal of their innovation plans; remarkably, all that is being offered to the committee for this decision is 2 to 4 page charts. Most schools are requesting no change in their innovation plan. The one change that is being requested is from Goddard Scholars, which is asking to eliminate the "proficient" tier for the 4th grade MCAS, which is the sole determent of admission. They would thus be taking only "advanced" students. Interesting in that it more concretely sets the academy's emphasis on test scores, and does so in a year in which testing is through a new system. 

There are updates on restorative justice programs at Claremont Academy and at North High School.

The committee is being asked to accept an "Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education Grant" for $51,602, which surprisingly is actually for machine shop training (with an ESL component).

Mr. Monfredo is requesting a summer reading kickoff.

The committee is being asked to accept a number of donations to Tatnuck Magnet, to Woodland Academy, to Burncoat Street Prep, to Worcester Tech, to Canterbury Street, to Belmont Street, and to the administration (?) for the opening of school in 2017. They're also being asked to vote a prior year payment of $1,685.00 to WB Mason.

There is also an executive session on teachers' contract negotiations, a worker's comp case, and a grievance.

No liveblog; I'm off to cover MASBO's Annual Institute!