School Committee Agenda #23 – November 6, 2014

ORDER OF BUSINESS

ACTION

aor #4-19 – Clerk
(October 29, 2014)

To consider approval of the Minutes of the School Committee Meeting of Thursday, October 16, 2014.

gb #4-258.1 – Administration/Mr. O’Connell/Mr. Monfredo/Miss Ramirez/Miss Novick/Miss Biancheria/Mayor Petty
(October 20, 2014)

To recognize Shaw’s Supermarkets and Star Market Stores for their donations of $400 each to Forest Grove Middle School, and to Francis McGrath, Gates Lane and Heard Street elementary schools.

To recognize, with gratitude and appreciation, the work of the employees of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care at Tatnuck Magnet School who:

• painted the teacher’s room
• designed and painted murals and inspirational quotes on the walls of the primary grade section of the building
• sponsored a Veggie Mobile Market at the school site and
• provided tables and chairs at the school

To consider input from the School Committee’s student representatives.

ros #4-13 – Administration
(October 22, 2014)

END-OF-CYCLE SUMMATIVE EVALUATION

The Joint Committee of the Standing Committee on Finance and Operations and the City Council’s Standing Committee on Education met at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 28, 2014 in the Levi Lincoln Chamber at City Hall.

The Standing Committee on Finance and Operations met at 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, October 28, 2014 in Room 410 at the Durkin Administration Building.

4-38

The Superintendent has APPROVED the RETIREMENT of the persons named below:

Foley, Kathleen, Teacher, Special Education, Roosevelt, effective October 25, 2014
Kozberg, Kenneth, Teacher, Elementary, Gates Lane, effective October 24, 2014

Cooper-Morgan, Amalene, Teacher, Biology, Caradonio New Citizens, DOC, Step 3, $66,023 effective October 20, 2014. Waiver: Biology 8-12.
Durland, Susan, Teacher, Special Education, Gates Lane, MA, Step 3, $55,316 effective October 17, 2014. Licensed: Early Childhood PreK-2.
Gonzalez, Phoebe, Teacher, Spanish, BA, Step 8, $64,424 effective October 27, 2014. Licensed: Spanish 5-12.

Bennett, Anthony 10/10/14

Antwi, Vivian 9/11/14
Younes, Elham 9/17/14
Garcia, Sarita 9/17/14
Rodriguez, Maribel 9/17/14
Fixon-Owoo, Mercy 9/22/14
Speight, Lashaun 9/22/14
Rosario, Miguel 9/29/14

DeVone, Jacqueline 9/16/14
Salmonsen, Jennifer 9/29/14
Curtis, Heather 10/1/14

gb #2-325.1 – Administration/Mr. O’Connell
(October 20, 2014)

Response of the Administration to the request to provide a report as to whether or not the Site Councils are:

• meeting within the first 40 days of the school year and include the date and time that the first Site Council meeting was held
• meeting at times conducive to parents’ availability
• achieving parity between parent members and school personnel.

Response of the Administration to the request to provide the following information regarding internships:-number of those paid and unpaid
-length of internships and
-number of those that are grant funded and city funded.

Response of the Administration to the request to review with the School Committee members the policy and procedures for kindergarten students getting on and off of the school busses.

To forward letters of recognition to the following students who are winners in the Columbus Day Art Contest, and the Shrewsbury Street business establishments which are displaying their artwork:Jennifer Nguyen – Gina’s Hair Salon – Columbus Park Preparatory Academy
Tina Keobounthan – Grime – Burncoat High School
Sarah Thomas – Vintage Grille – Thorndyke Road School
Rosa Veron – Flying Rhino – Claremont Academy
Natalie Baez – Bay State Savings Bank – Elm Park Community School
Kenia Vasquez – La Scala – Claremont Academy

To set a date to recognize and congratulate Robert F. Pezzella, Safety Liaison of the Worcester Public Schools, on his selection as recipient of the “Changemaker for Children” award of Youth Opportunities Upheld, Inc.

To recognize, with gratitude and appreciation, the donation of $1,000 to Norrback Avenue School by the Ninety Nine Restaurant and Pub on West Boylston Street, in honor of the restaurant’s grand reopening.

To cooperate with the Main South Community Development Corporation as to the safety and security needs of the students and staff of the Worcester public schools located in the Main South area, regarding utilization of the proceeds of the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program grant received by the Main South CDC.

To review, and to respond to, the October 2014 draft “Educator Licensure and License Renewal Design Principles and Policy Options” prepared by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Request that the Administration provide a report regarding the number of students and the school site that have received the MCAS appeals for 2013-14.

Request that the Administration review the budget for bus passes for the last three years including purchased passes through grant funds specific to site and programs.

Request that the Administration provide documentation on what discussions have taken place with the City Health Department in reference to flu precautions, inoculations and any discussions in reference to Ebola issues.

Request that the Administration provide a report on the funds transferred from the City to the Worcester Public Schools under CSX, the dollar amount and how the funds have been appropriated.

To consider the quarterly update, dated September 30, 2014, prepared by the Central MA Special Education Collaborative.

To congratulate, with gratitude and appreciation, the varsity and junior varsity field hockey teams of Burncoat High School and Doherty Memorial High School, for their combined commemoration of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and for their recognition with a “High 5” from WCVB-TV for their actions “non sibi” – “not for oneself” – in appreciation of Erin Coonan, Burncoat High School Class of 1999.

To forward a letter of congratulations to the members of the North High Health Science for their appearance on T.V. channel 5 for showing the good work that is taking place at their school as part of the Worcester Collaborative Pipeline with UMass Medical.

To ask administration to send a letter of congratulations to South High’s Principal Maureen Binienda for the school’s appearance on Channel 5’s Chronicle as the school was highlighted as one of the most diverse schools in the state and how they have responded to the needs of their students.

To share information on the elementary Report Card Pilot.

To consider a six year contract for Holt, Mifflin and Harcourt.

To consider approval of a prior fiscal year payment in the amount of $1,439.86 for an Instructional Assistant and $7,468.00 for an EAW Unit B administration.

To accept a donation in the amount of $900.00 from Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom Inc. made payable to the Worcester Technical High School’s Environmental Tech Program project “Eco-machine/Biosphere”.

To work with the Council of Great City Schools in a review of all standardized testing which takes place in the Worcester Public Schools, to (1) “review the entire array of assessments administered … to determine alignment, appropriateness, and technical quality”, (2) to “review the findings from the comprehensive survey of district testing and make recommendations for improvement, (3) to “streamline or eliminate assessments that are found to be of low quality, redundant, or inappropriately used”, and (4) to “improve the use of assessment results to enhance classroom instruction, and curtail counterproductive ‘test prep’ practices”, all as set forth in the October 15 “Commitments from the Council of Chief State School Officers and the Council of the Great City Schools on High-Quality Assessments.”

To accept a donation in the amount of $1,240.00.

Request that the Administration forward a letter of congratulations to Union Hill School and Woodland Academy for having been selected to receive the Apple Grants as part of the White House ConnectEd initiative.

To provide an update on the way in which the Worcester Public Schools is dealing with students involved in youth violence and arrests.

To accept a donation in the amount of $13,000.00 from the Millbury Savings Bank to the Worcester Public Schools representing the fifth installment toward Millbury Savings Bank’s five-year commitment to these schools.

To discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining for ESL Tutors, if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the collective bargaining position of the School Committee and the chair so declares.

To discuss strategy with respect to employment litigation if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the litigating position of the School Committee and the chair so declares – Cristie Lariviere.

Helen A. Friel, Ed.D.
Clerk of the School Committee