Board of Ed for April: educational vision including Milken award

 on the award here
boost educator morale, affirm their work and impact, sharing best practices
Jillian Levreault, Southbridge Middle School
Levreault: had an unconventional start to teaching career
"I didn't have a great school experience myself"
need and want to make a difference "to be the teacher I wish I had"
try to bring authenticity and honesty
"teaching is more than just learning content"
build self-confidence so they can and want to access content
OpenSciEd "very inquiry based"
can change their minds based on new evidence
high expectations to take academic risks
prepare ahead of classrooms
administrators who also hold themselves to high standards
"will my students have an advantage in the world because I am their teacher" is what she asks herself each day
Tutwiler notes that tomorrow is Villar's last day as Southbridge receiver as he moves to be superintendent in Connecticut
Villar thanks Secretary, says seven years have "been difficult, but the most rewarding time of my career"
break for photos and...still a break...

October Board of Education: opening remarks and STEM panel

The meeting begins at about 8:30; the agenda is here. Posting as we go once it starts.
Sagan calls the meeting to order and has no opening comments
no public comment today

Riley: "I was under the impression that I could cancel the Board meeting if the Red Sox win; I was disappointed to find that this was not the case"
Sagan quips that it is the reverse; he can cancel for a period of reflection if they lose

STEM initiatives: science. And CW, I got the start of an answer

Two pages on STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) initiatives in Worcester Public Schools
Biancheria: list of projects
"consideration of family science nights and parents math nights"

Novick: Colleges of Worcester Consortium college and career night: debriefing (possible annual event? CW, to answer your question: we don't know yet, but I put in a good word for it!)

enormous numbers of partners that make all of this run, from field trips to robotics
March 26: Women in Science program at the Ecotarium (middle school)
April 2: Men in Science

O'Connell speaks of the enthusiastic participation in the robotics tournaments (but not all our high schools)

North: more voc-tech programs for the new North

A great deal of conversation from the members here around expanding and improving the vo-tech programs at North, as the new building opens, particularly from Biancheria. Possibly getting chosen as one of the RTTT schools for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Mulqueen speaks of "being practical"
"just opening it may not be enough to get us to where" we want to be
principal is very excited about the early college aspect
early college "it could be that when you graduate, you could graduate with an associate's degree"
Biancheria "for all students"
question around the representation of minority students at Tech
what about computer gaming? Finding out from the state whether that's a vo-tech program