From the Office of the Executive Secretary to the School Committee
School Committee - Regular Meeting December 18, 2018
A G E N D A
1. Public Comment (3 Minutes):
2. Student School Committee Report:
3. Presentation of the Records for Approval:
• Regular Meeting, November 20, 2018
• Roundtable with BSU & Micro-aggressions Working Group, November 27, 2018
• Regular Meeting, December 4, 2018
4. Reconsiderations: None
5. Unfinished Business/Calendar: None
6. Awaiting Reports: None
7. Superintendent’s Agenda:
7a. Presentations: None
7b. CPS District Plan: None
7c. Consent Agenda:
#18-358 Approval of American Federation of State, County
& Municipal Employees AFL-CIO, Council 93, Local 1611, to be effective
July 1, 2-18 through June 30, 2021
#18-359 Approval of Revisions to Homework Policy (Second Reading)
#18-360 Approval of Revisions to High School Homework Policy
(Second Reading)
#18-361 Day & Residential Program Services not available
From the Cambridge School Department
#18-362 Gifts/Miscellaneous Receipts
#18-363 Contract Award: Essex North Shore Agricultural:
S SY18/19 Student Tuition & Transportation
#18-364 Contract Award: Norfolk County Agricultural:
SY18/19 Student Tuition
#18-365 Contract Award: Cross Cultural Communication:
Written Translation Services
#18-366 Grant Award: FY19 Popplestone Foundation
(SC19635) Increase
#18-367 Grant Award: FY19 Early Literacy Intervention (SC19632)
Prior Year Grant Increase
8. Non-Consent Agenda:
9. School Committee Agenda (Policy Matters/Notifications/Requests for Information):
#18-368 Joint Motion by Budget Co-Chairs School Committee Member Dexter and Mr. Fantini, that the Cambridge School Committee adopt a budget calendar that specifies dates, times, and locations of all FY20 budget-related hearings, meetings, retreats, and workshops; and that the administration publicize widely all budget hearings.
#18-369 Motion by School Committee Member Dexter, whereas the School Committee, Administration, and the public value data-informed decision-making; and
Whereas the School Committee and Administration will be discussing budget needs for the 2019-2020 school year;
That the School Committee and Administration consider data provided by School Committee Members, the Administration, and Members of the Public related to:
• Patterns of student achievement and student programming
• Patterns of past Cambridge Public School budgets, budget increases and budget reductions
• Patterns of staffing and spending in other Massachusetts districts
#18-370 Joint Motion by Mr. Kimbrough and Ms. Nolan, That the School Committee approve the revised version of the CRLS Homework Policy (second reading).
#18-371 Joint Motion by School Committee Member Dexter and Ms. Bowman, Whereas the Cambridge Public Schools strive to have a strong and equitable Special Education program to meet the needs of students with disabilities; and
Whereas, there is national concern about disproportionate representation in Special Education of linguistically and culturally diverse students, particularly African American males, as well as low-income students within particular categories of disabilities; and
Whereas disproportionality has been found, nationally and within particular states and districts, in Special Education referrals, assessment, and placement, as well as in identification of students within particular categories of disabilities (e.g. Emotional Impairment, Intellectual Impairment, Communication Impairment,); and
Whereas students in Special Education are provided with an educational program that differs in minor or substantial ways from that of General Education students; and
Whereas, nationally, students in Special Education are more likely to be the subjects of disciplinary actions, to be less likely to graduate from high school, and to experience other negative outcomes;
The Committee requests that a Roundtable be held on Special Education, with particular attention to any disproportionality by race/ethnicity, gender, income, and/or ELL status that might be found in the Cambridge Public Schools Special Education program, including as related to:
• Referrals, assessment, placement, and disability categories;
• Educational programming via Full Inclusion, Partial Inclusion, Substantially Separate, or Out of District placements;
• Disciplinary actions;
• High school graduation rates;
• Other negative outcomes such as course failure or college enrollment;
And that the administration examine data from multiple years, if necessary, to obtain reliable statistics on Special Education; and
That this Roundtable be held before June 1, 2019.
http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/HE/mf_PB02_Disproportionality.pdf
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED508412.pdf
#18-372, Report of the November 28, 2018 Curriculum & Achievement Sub-Committee Meeting
#18-373, Report of the December 3, 2018 Attendance Violation Policy Sub-Committee Meeting
10. Resolutions (letters of congratulations, letters of condolence):
#18-374 Joint Motion by Ms. Nolan and School Committee Member Dexter, whereas the Cambridge Public Schools applauds advocacy and cultural awareness; and
Whereas CRLS Tibetan students and alumni stood up for their community and culture and provided education on the meaning and significance of cultural expression and educated the larger school community on the important issue of self-determination, which resulted in ending the Confucius Classroom Association with the District, that the School Committee commend and recognize them with a letter of commendation.
11. Announcements:
12. Late Orders:
13. Communications and Reports from City Officers: None
At the conclusion of the Regular Meeting, The School Committee may entertain a motion to convene in Executive Session immediately following the Regular Meeting on Tuesday, December 18, 2018, in the School Committee Conference Room, 459 Broadway, Cambridge, for the purposes of hearing a Level III grievance as part of collective bargaining with the Cambridge Education Association Units A&B and for the purpose of discussing collective bargaining strategy and litigation/arbitration strategy as an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining and the litigation/arbitration positions of the Cambridge School Committee.